What You Get for Your Money

I received an undisclosed amount of money from an undisclosed source to help with the task of outfitting our kid free home with the infinite number of items required to avoid the "worst mom on the planet" list.

I won't bore the world with my entire shopping list, but I will highlight one item that I am especially proud of.

Background info: I have been struggling with whether second hand items say "I don't want the best for my child". I knew I would never use a second hand car seat, but finally came to terms with the fact that we have 18 months LESS time to use temporary items such as a stroller, which means that our $ per use will be much higher...I probably put way more thought into it than necessary, but I was faced with one of several decisions:

1. Buy a cheap light to mid sized stroller for "mall crawling" and gamble that it will be crap that has to be replaced at some point before we're "stroller free".

2. Bite the bullet and buy a high end stroller of great quality...and run the risk that it turns out to be too much stroller and a waste of money.

3. Look into a second hand stroller that won't cost a fortune, meaning it if doesn't work out once he's home, I won't have a nervous breakdown.

On a whim, I checked Craigslist on Friday night, and came across a Peg Perego stroller that looked pretty nice, for $50. Better yet, it was located in my neighborhood. I emailed the woman asking if I could come by and see it. It turns out she is right around the corner and the previous next door neighbor to a couple we know. Small Small World.

So, I drove over Saturday morning at 10am and she came to the door in her PJ's (her kids were both stark naked eating waffles off the coffee table. Is that what Saturday mornings will become for me?). Anyway, the stroller was filthy...some windex and a paper towel wouldn't have killed her... but otherwise it was really nice. It's 3 years old, but she hasn't used it since her 14 month old was born and she converted to a double stroller.

We talked about adoption for a while (she relayed a story about a friend trying to adopt twins from Nevada, whose birthparents have come and taken them back twice). I finally paid her the $50, got a quick lesson in how to fold a stroller, lock/unlock the wheels, etc. (who knew a stroller could be so complicated?), and I left with my new "not-so-gently used" stroller. With a little steamcleaning, some Purell, and Febreeze, I think it will do everything I need it to.

After cleaning it, I decided to test the weight limits. Yep, it can handle 30 pounds without a problem. Thanks, Polli for being my spokesmodel!

Now, I WILL invest in a good quality all-terrain 3-wheel number for walks around our neighborhood and the dog park. Something quality that call handle gravel, grass, curbs, etc. will go a long way in our neighborhood, and they have good resale value. As you can see, Craigslist works.

Next battle: Do I have to join the Britax cult to avoid a car seat guilt driven nervous breakdown?