Too Big for a Stroller, BUT... {Review & #GIVEAWAY - Ends 10/30}

If you've read my blog often enough, you know that we don't have a car for many reasons. This leaves us a few alternatives: ride the bus, ask a friend for a ride, or walk. The bus is nice, but the schedule and routes aren't always convenient, plus it costs a dollar each way (when we all go, that means $6 just to get there and back - more than gas!) Once a month, we carpool to the grocery store with a friend to get our frozen, bulk, and heavy stuff, but asking for a ride every time we want to go somewhere becomes annoying to friends with cars! Plus, we don't have a car because we chose NOT to drive everywhere in the first place. So, we walk more often than not.

Last summer, we took our stroller everywhere with us - to the park, outdoor concerts, the store... Little Guy would run alongside it for a block or two at a time, then ask to sit in the stroller. The stroller was a pain, though. You couldn't push it through grass easily, taking it into stores was sometimes impossible, someone had to always be watching it so no one would take it when we were at our destination and taking a child into crowds with a stroller can be dangerous! People tend to hold cigarettes at the eye-level of a child who's sitting in a stroller. We had a couple of near-misses at the River Raisin Jazz Festival last year.

This summer, we pretty much ditched the stroller. I can't tell you how free it felt to leave it at home. Little Guy was able to walk farther distances (actually, he runs everywhere), but he still needed to be carried sometimes. We live a mile away from our favorite park, the post office, and downtown - the three places we go most often. That means 2 miles round-trip, plus whatever walking/running we do while we're there. I almost always end up carrying Little Guy the last 1/2 mile home, oh, along with whatever we happened to take with us and/or buy while we were out. I have arthritis in my hands, elbows, shoulders, and knees. Plus, I get nice little flare ups of sciatica from time to time. Carrying him usually results in some major pains for me later on!

So, what's the solution? Baby Nari's Hip Hugger! I cannot give enough praises to this wonderful product. It is basically a fanny pack with a little seat for little ones. If only I'd had this for the past two summers... Well, can't go back and change time - I have one now and love it! There is a nice-sized storage pocket where I can keep an extra pair pf pants and underwear, sunscreen, snacks, etc. The Hip Hugger also has storage pockets on the inside of the waist strap for keeping money, an ID, etc. safe. PLUS, there is a mesh pocket on the outside where we keep Little Guy's water (or whatever car he's decided absolutely must go bye-bye with us.)

The Hip Hugger isn't just a fancy fanny pack, though. The waist strap is very wide 5 inches and padded so it distributes the weight evenly. It has both Velcro and a safety strap to ensure it will stay on and stay snug (Baby Nari recommends that you keep the belt tight to stay comfortable.) And, it's easy to change the size of the belt buckle, so two parents can use the Hip Hugger without having to go through a huge mess of trouble changing the size (it fits waists up to 40 inches.) The seat has a little heart of non-skid material to keep a wiggly child from slipping and constantly needing readjustment.

There are two versions of the Hip Hugger: Infant and Toddler. We, of course, have the toddler one, which can hold a child up to 40 pounds! I has an angled seat which tilts the child closer to your body, making it easier to carry them. The baby version can be used as support for a tired arm when they are tiny. As soon as baby can sit on his or her own, you can use it in the same way as the toddler version. It can be used from 5 months old (15 lbs.)

Oh, and did I mention that they come in a ton of COLORS?!

I can't wait to use this in the winter. We were pretty much stuck at home last winter because strollers aren't made for snow and ice and Little Guy couldn't go very far - snow take a LOT of hard work to walk through! Carrying him with all of the bulky clothes between us was nearly impossible - he was constantly slipping, making him pretty much dead weight. We'll be able to go so many more places this year - no cabin fever for us!

Baby Nari Hip Huggers are available to buy HERE. With the code: BABYNARI you can get $20 off your order. Oh, and shipping is free for orders over $50!

So, would you like one? Maybe you know someone with a baby or toddler who could really use one? Fill out the Rafflecopter form and give it a shot!