Baby Jogger City Select Review

This post is sponsored by Buy Buy Baby. I was compensated in exchange for an honest review. As always, all opinions stated are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible.

Looking for a stroller, whether it's your first time or you are ready to upgrade, can be so overwhelming. I did a lot of research when I was pregnant with Fallon. We also visited our local Buy Buy Baby store to ask questions and to test drive some of their floor models in person. It was such a great experience and we left very confident in our decision to purchase the Baby Jogger City Mini single stroller. We've now had it for over 2 years and it's managed to go on all of our adventures but remain is great condition!

After welcoming Axton into our family I knew we would want to get a double stroller but I was in no hurry. I wore him in my wrap for months while Fallon rode solo in our trusty City Mini. But toward the end of the summer I knew it was time to upgrade and was SO excited and grateful to have the chance to work with Buy Buy Baby. We've been so impressed with the Baby Jogger brand and knew that it would be compatible with our Britax infant carseat. I had tested out the City Select with the second seat, asked tons and tons of mama friends and even embarrassed my husband by approaching strangers in public who were strolling with this model to ask them how they felt about it! When I was finally satisfied with my rock solid research, we went forward with our choice and waited excitedly to receive it. 

We have now had the Baby Jogger City Select in onyx with silver trim and the second seat kit for a few weeks and have taken it so many places already! Our family is fairly active so it's been to the park, the zoo, all around our neighborhood, a few pumpkin farms and even apple picking. All the reasons we chose the stroller have been justified and we are so happy that we went with this model! 

Obviously a double stroller is heavier than a single. It has support much more weight! But this one so light compared to many I've tested. The seats lift off with the click of a button and the frame is so easy to fold, just hold + push and it collapses for easy trunk storage. I especially love that the adapter pieces are so simple to take on and off and there are L and R markers to know which side to put them on at a glance. They can also stay on while the stroller frame is collapsed! One of my favorite features is the hand break. That may sound silly but wow does it make quick stops to put a pacifier back in or toss the toddler a snack so easy. The storage basket is spacious and can be accessed from both sides and the front when the stroller is only being used to seat one child. The handle is adjustable to suit all heights and both seats are the same size so there will not be any arguing over who gets one over the other! Did I mention that the fabric is removable and machine washable?! If you have a third child or just want the capability to stroll with three kiddos there is a glider board attachment. Lastly but arguably the coolest feature of all, drumroll please......with the Baby Jogger City Select there are 16 possible configurations for this stroller!

We are thrilled to have a stroller to push around both of our babies in on all of our adventures that meets all of our requirements and has so far lived up to our standards. Most importantly, the Baby Jogger City Select is Fallon approved, and she can be quite tough to please. The day it arrived she was so excited that she sat in it in our living room for so long that we thought she had fallen asleep! Now that my friends, is a stroller success story!

Fall Home Tour

I'm just another fall loving basic white girl, and I'm totally okay with that. So it's no surprise that there are pumpkins and mums on my front porch, buffalo plaid pillows on my couch and pumpkin spice in my coffee. But seasonal decorating actually has been a bit less fun and more stressful since having kids and I simply mean that I just don't have that much time for it. So this year I've gone much more minimal with my decor than years past. Less time, less stress, less money. More fun! And, as it turns out, I actually love the less is more thing.

I started early, went through everything I already had and bought very few new things, with purpose. It was so helpful to me to put out what I wanted to use then only buy things with a specific spot to put them in mind. This worked out much better than my usual approach of going nuts on everything I like and trying to stuff it all in my house later. It was fun to use my open kitchen shelving to add decor with things we actually use like cups and bowls. And simply putting a pumpkin or fake bats pretty much anywhere suddenly makes it look like fall! 

I decided to stay classic with mostly orange, black and white and that helped to streamline the decor throughout my house. And I didn't worry about differentiating between "fall" and "halloween". Halloween is my most favorite holiday and Fallon is really getting into it this year too so we just went a little fall and a little spooky from the beginning. And after the 31st I'll just ditch the bats and probably keep the rest until after Thanksgiving. Make your own rules!

Hilton Head Island: Our Family Vacation

This was our second year traveling to Hilton Head Island, SC for a family vacation and we are already planning to go again next year! We've now stayed twice at the SeaCrest hotel and it's the perfect location, right on the beach and across the street from Coligny Plaza where there are a variety of shops and restaurants. There is the cutest street just outside the grounds with gorgeous private beach homes that makes for a nice morning walk after grabbing coffee from Caretta Coffee. 

Our favorite family attractions are a short drive away in nearby Sea Pines and you can even rent bikes to get there. My sister left her phone at the Quarter Deck in Harbor Town, a restaurant right underneath a lighthouse with gorgeous sunset views of the marina and the Calibogue Sound. So we decided to bike back to get it the next afternoon and it was so much we did it again the next day with my dad, Chris and Fallon in tow! There are child seats and "princess houses" as Fallon called hers for little ones to enjoy the ride too. The scenery is beautiful and you may even spot a gator or two! We rode to The Salty Dog for a late lunch/early dinner but they have live music in the evening and some cute shops right next door. 

I think our favorite family friendly restaurant would have to be Coast. It's beautiful and looks like a pretty fancy place but there's an outdoor bar with beach access and you will find most people dressed casually. There is also live music, which Fallon loved dancing to and a great menu full of choices for everyone. A close second favorite is Skull Creek Boathouse which arguably has the best views in town. I love the twinkle lights strung under the big trees and the tables all look out onto the water. Fallon was most impressed by the light up cup that came with her kiddie meal!

But if hanging around the hotel is really your thing, you also will not be disappointed. The SeaCrest has 2 pools and a hot tub on beautiful grounds and direct beach access. We have taken both of our trips in late September, outside of the busy season, and really enjoyed the smaller crowd. There weren't so many people we were fighting for seats at the pool but not so few that it felt odd to be the only ones around. If it's possible I would especially recommend going around this time with little ones. It can be hectic enough just traveling with kids and it worked out nicely having a few kiddos around for Fallon to play with but so many that it was overwhelming. 

We had such a great time and made so many memories we will all fondly look back on for years to come. Getting back to reality is always a little rough but we are already looking forward next year's trip!