Stroller 101

On Saturday, Will and I conquered our fears and set out on a serious baby-product fact-finding mission. The primary target: strollers. Secondary targets: cribs, dressers, car seats and cloth diapers. Destinations: Ikea and buybuy Baby.

Now, I consider venturing out to any sort
of suburban retail establishment on a Saturday or Sunday highly dangerous.
But, given our schedules and the locations of the target destinations, we had to take the risk.


Ikea was surprisingly breezy. I liked the dresser. Hated the crib. After a $.99 ice cream to bolster my confidence, we headed to the stomach-churning mega-store: buybuy Baby.

Talk about distractions. Video monitors. Swim diapers. King-sized cribs. Baby blenders. I simply had to model the Ergo Baby carrier - a must-have recommendation from Charlie's mom and my besty, Karyn.

But, I must say that I was pleasantly surprised by buybuy Baby. Yeah, it's big and sells ridiculous things (Pee-pee Teepee) but it's more manageable than Babies R Us and supposedly, accepts Bed Bath and Beyond coupons.





Now, what we were really there for... Stroller research has brought me to tears and forced me to break into a cold sweat. About a week ago, I pulled Will into the game, thinking a level head and Excel expertise might come in handy. He quickly admitted it was over his head. (I mean, check out the showroom.) There's weight, foldability, car-seat-compatibility, tire type, handle configuration, steer-ability, two-child-compatibility...


Lucky for us, buybuy Baby employed Kyle. This 20-something blonde-haired Bieber back-up dancer whipped through key stroller points and car seat safety ratings, provided insightful recommendations and took us through the finer points of stroller folds. After we picked our jaws up off the floor, we thanked him.

After testing out about 8 strollers we narrowed it down to two. This little gem, the Baby Jogger City Mini and it's counterpart, the Baby Jogger City Select.

The City Select can accommodate a second seat (don't get any ideas, Grandma Betty - it's just in my nature to think ahead) but weighs about 10 pounds more than the City Mini. Not great for hauling. More decisions ahead.






Looks like an enthused father-to-be, right?

Will did make a keen observation: "It's kind of weird shopping for somebody who doesn't really exist yet. I mean, how do we know if he or she will like this stuff?" Though I pointed out, the stuff is for us too, and it's not like if he/she was here, he/she would tell us, "No! That is simply a wretched pack and play."

But, I have to admit, I see his point.




Of course, no Enlarging Marge post would be complete without a food bit. . . After an exhausting day of baby-related tasks we rewarded ourselves with a visit to one of the final two BBQ spots on our list from a fall Detroit Free Press article: Roundhouse BBQ in Trenton, MI.

Always looking for good local barbecue beyond Slow's, we gobbled up an article listing Detroit's top 8 joints. After Saturday's jaunt, we've visited 7 of the 8: Lazybones, Lockharts, Slow's, Redsmoke, Roundhouse, Rub and Union Woodshop. The remaining joint: Bad Brad's.

Roundhouse was alright but not worth the drive. We tried the baby backs and st. louis style ribs, brisket, chicken wings and pulled pork. Though the smoke was nice, the meat hadn't been "rubbed," making it flavorless without one of their 5 sauces.



High marks to each place except Roundhouse and Rub (which was terrible). Especially high marks to Detroit Free Press 2011 restaurant of the year: Union Woodshop. As Jim Shahin asks: Can barbecue save the Motor City? I'm not sure but I think I should re-test all these places before baby, don't you?

Naming rites

Yes. We are going to learn the gender of this little love muffin before he/she emerges from the womb. At our March 16 appointment, the ultrasound tech will write the sex on a piece of paper and seal it in an envelope. In lieu of our usual day-off/booze-fest on March 17, we'll eat corned beef and open the envelope. It's no day-drinking spectacular, but will definitely make St. Patrick's Day 2011 something to celebrate.

We're also polling people on their thoughts. Anybody who correctly guesses the gender will be entered into a drawing for naming rites. Not really. But, participate anyhow. CAST YOUR VOTE HERE

Collard Green Dogs

Along with making this baby, I've been busy getting Collard Green Dogs off the ground via participation in a handful of summer art shows. Applying for a DBA, tax ID and developing product ideas has been exhausting, but is a necessary evil when seeking legitimacy and craft show acceptance. Some of my hard work has paid off. I was accepted to my first show. Out of more than 100 applicants, I was one of 24 crafters chosen to participate in Handmade Detroit's Craft Revival, April 15-16 at The Loving Touch in Ferndale, MI.

 My wares will include dog collars crafted from seat belts and reclaimed fabric, recycled belts or hemp webbing and ribbon, sweater bone dog toys, hand-felted-KoolAid-dyed balls, homemade dog treats, leash poo bags and (drum-roll) suitcase dog beds.

  Of course, none of this would be possible without my lovely mother and father. A few weeks ago they cut 11.5 lbs. of seat belt webbing from cars in a U.P. junkyard. Mom sews like a maniac and sources belts, fabric and suitcases. And I'm counting on dad for the suitcase-bed-foot-construction (not to mention helping build my show display).

And Will, my tax man and credit card processing expert.

Where (Part 2)

As I mentioned in a previous post, Verana a 15-20 minute jaunt from Yelapa, a small fishing village populated by locals and expats. We spent two afternoons exploring the place and taking in the view. It was what I imagined Tulum to be 20 years ago.

We walked there via a rough-hewn stone patch that flanks the bay. Watsu therapists, yoga retreats and a B&B on the right. A whale-friendly bay on the left.

In Yelapa, the streets are built for foot traffic and twist and turn through buildings constructed from a hodgepodge of materials.

Dogs are everywhere.
(I was ready to haul top right home in my rolly bag.
Owen's mild counterpart chilled bottom left.)
As are kids.
Some people use donkeys for transportation. Others ATVs.
Boat traffic is constant. Car traffic is nonexistent.

The people are friendly and open, evidenced by my two favorite signs:
"Pull cord & yell Christina." & "My name is Ley. I also sell shrimp."

The community is upcycling, recycling and waste-management conscious.

And save for this para glider that almost took me out
(while Will and Beach Dog watched).

The beach is amazing.
Great people watching. Plenty of chairs. In fact, in a 100-yard stretch,
there are 9 restaurant/bar spots. Will and I played Scrabble. He sat in chair from Angelinas.
I sat in a chair from Dominicos. Across one table. But it isn't busy or touristy.
A very chill, relaxed vibe.

We hope to go back. Maybe to Hotel Lagunita, Casa Viaje, Casa Pericos
or via Palapa in Yelapa. Not that we have anything against Verana. It would
just be a way to save some money and experience something different.

(Read more about Yelapa in Budget Travel.)

It was a phenomenal vacation - a perfect babymoon.
We highly recommend Verana and Yelapa.
Now back to the real baby blogging business.

Critters

Besides the ever-present canines (and some seriously feral cats), Verana introduced us to a variety of creatures. The most majestic and awe-inspiring humpback whales were a daily sighting but incredibly difficult to photograph.

Coming up for a breath.

Tail shot.

 

And of course, there were the geckos, leaf bugs and Boob babies.

Most jarring, however, were our two scorpion sightings. The first was at dinner - a big black one that ran past our feet. And this one, that Will found in his shorts. 

(Probably why they tell you not to put any clothing on the floor. Took away any need for an "I told you so.") We flicked this little guy onto the patio and he skittered away. 

RLS benefits

Not surprisingly, Will often gets the itch to move while on vacation. A touch of RLS. While I could most certainly make do with lying prone by the pool, my beau needs to get out and go. And usually, I benefit from these urges. While in Mexico, we embarked on two "excursions."

The first, to the Marieta Islands. After breakfast, Will and I boarded a panga with guides Dylan and Carlos, and boatman Francis, and headed seaward. The morning before we'd watched humpback whales breaching in the bay and had our eye-balls peeeeeeeled. Unfortunately for us, no whales (boo) but we did encounter a pod of dolphins, a giant sea turtle and a giant manta ray - about the size of Will's old Lincoln (yea).

The Marieta Islands are a protected wildlife sanctuary and marine preserve, home to a dazzling array of sea life and dozens of bird species, including the rare blue footed booby, found only in the Marietas and Galapagos islands.

We had the island to ourselves for about 45 minutes. We explored caves. Roamed beaches. Went snorkeling. And then settled in for lunch - at the precise time a tour boat from Puerto Vallarta pulled up.

We felt like Wall-E and EVE.

And promptly left to snorkel in the deep. Did you know fish, and seagulls, really like tortilla chips? Will does now!

It was a wonderful day away from Verana.

Our second excursion was a self-guided hike to Cathedral Falls, about an hour and a half from Yelapa "proper." A rocky dirt path leads you through Yelapa's residential district, up some gentle slopes and into the farmland/forest. After scrambling under a fence (marked by the universal "go under" symbol) and down some rocky cliffs, we arrived at the falls.

After a 20 minute wade, the Wall-E/EVE experience recurred and we skeedaddled.

If such a thing occured, Verana's experts advised us to hike 25 minutes past the Alice in Wonderland fence. So, we did and were greeted by sandy spots for sitting, rocks for sun-basking and cool pools of river water, cascading toward the further-down falls.


The only downfall to Will's RLS-inspired excursions? My inability to enjoy a post-journey Pacifico.