Riding in Style

Just returned from family vacation time! (or as my toddler refers to it as 'Vacaciones' - you can tell she's been watching too much Dora the Explorer...). Our road trip was the longest car trip we'll be taking this year as we try to stick to 100km or less per month in car usage.

If you recall, we are a one-car family. I wrote an article about it a few months ago and the response was surprising - a number of Facebook friends came out of the closet as mustachians! What is mustachianism, you ask? It is the art of achieving financial freedom through badassity. 

That means we try to be as efficient with our lives as possible, including not using our car unnecessarily - or purchasing a second vehicle (though there are moments when I'm hugely tempted to just buy another car because it's way easier than getting around on foot).

Around 6 weeks postpartum, I started going out for longer walks. Initially I started out with my Boba baby wrap and single Bob Stroller. It didn't take me too long to realize that this set up wasn't going to work out in the long run as I was not able to walk briskly. Prior to finding out baby number 2's impending arrival, we purchased a Chariot Cougar 2 (double seater) for my bike.

The original set up - what a hassle!

After two weeks of trying to 'stick it out' with the single Bob Stroller, I caved in and purchased an infant sling for the Chariot - at FULL price (don't worry - it has excellent resale value). We waited nearly a week for a local seller to get back to us on UsedVictoria, but it was too late for us - my impatience won over. Not being able to go out efficiently alone was driving me bonkers.

Photo from: http://www.backcountry.com

Suffice to say, in hindsight, I'm glad we paid full price for it because we can't put a price on safety - the sling came in directly from Thule, complete with instructions, etc. My now 10 week old absolutely loves riding in the Chariot with her big sister! The sling is so comfortable that she even had a 1.5 hour nap in it! Big sister even found the experience so enjoyable that she'll ask me when we can go out in the Chariot.

Action shot: photo courtesy of my father, the girls' Papa. 
This is how two girls under the age of 3 get around!

While this isn't a post about hearing loss, it certainly makes my life easier when going for walks, picking blackberries, or even getting groceries. The best part so far is that I like that my toddler can just turn her head to ask me questions (as I need to lipread her).

Now...my next challenge is to see how well Chariot riding works out in the Fall and Winter months!