Amazing Christmas Pushchair Give Away

Pushchair Trader are giving away at least one pushchair every day in December!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Including a Bugaboo  Donkey, Quinny, Britax, Mutsy, UPPAbaby and many many more 

http://www.pushchairtrader.co.uk/en/vip-competitions/

I'm a VIP

As most people know I'm a massive Pushchair Trader fan there a fantastic company and if you haven't checked them out yet I suggest you do!!!!!!!
Well this week they have relaunched there fantastic competitions page!!!!!! there is some fantastic comps on there at the minute! The biggest new change is now you can only enter them once UNLESS you become a VIP then you will get 10 automatic entry's into each comp!
There is also much more to becoming a VIP


 Become a tester – you could join the team!

We are looking for new team members! If you want to test products from brands such as iCandy, Cosatto, Quinny, Britax, and hundreds more you will need to become a VIP.

We will publish details of the product(s) we need testers for on the website. VIP’s will be able to apply to become a tester, using their unique VIP ID. Follow the recruitment process through and you could become part of the team, posting your thoughts directly onto the Pushchair Trader website on our new ‘Living With’ section - you may even get to keep the product(s) once the test is over!

VIP’s NEVER miss a competition – over 300 planned for 2012.

Every VIP member is automatically entered into EVERY competition on the Pushchair Trader website for 12 months from the day they join. To top this off you get 10 entries instead of 1 increasing your chance of winning 10X!(Competitions are now limited to 1 entry per competition per person for non VIPs).

In 2012, we have over 300 competitions planned where you can win everything from top of the range pushchairs from brands like Bugaboo and iCandy worth thousands, to the latest changing bags from the most exclusive designer labels.

In addition, in January we will be launching our amazing Bump to Toddler competition. Bump to Toddler will be drawn every 3 months. If you win you will receive everything you need to take you from, yes, you guessed it, Bump to Toddler. This will include pushchairs, strollers, furniture and smaller items such as monitors and nappies . We expect this prize value to exceed £5000 and VIP’s get 50 automatic bonus entries into this competition increasing their chance of winning 50X!

Monthly new VIP member Draw: Every month all new VIP members will be automatically entered into a draw to win a Pushchair. This month we are giving away a Cosatto Swift Lite Stroller. 

Exclusive VIP competitions: From January 2012, we will begin a series of exclusive VIP only competitions – more on this later.

Get discounts worth £100’s.

When you become a VIP you immediately get emailed exclusive vouchers and discounts that are worth hundreds of pounds if redeemed when spending an average basket value. We will also be sending VIP’s new and exclusive vouchers and discounts as we procure them throughout the year.

Our aim is to save you money, so the vouchers we are sourcing are not just for baby and toddler related stores. We have companies selling toys, gifts, gadgets, holidays, sky lanterns, ink cartridges, batteries, cosmetics and much more. Many stores are perfect places to find that elusive Christmas gift. They vouchers are a way to keep the cost of Christmas down.

How do I become a VIP?

Visit our VIP sign-up page and join. It takes less than 60 seconds costs £10 per year – that is just 19 pence per week and gives you immediate access to every VIP benefit! You can pay by Pay Pal, Credit Card or even Mobile Phone. So come on, what are you waiting for? Join us - become a VIP. (taken from Pushchair Traders Website)

I think all this for just £10 a year is a bargain and just me you could win, I did  

Another Big Win

I don't normally enter comps apart from my beloved http://www.pushchairtrader.co.uk/ ones but seen this Silvercross comp for a beautiful Chatsworth dolls pram after me and Abi was looking at dolls prams (she has a bit of an addiction like her mummy) so I entered!!!!

I can't believe I won, it actually took me a few moments to realise it was my name and then I thought it must be another Josephine Meakin until I got the email.  I've gone for it in poppy (red) as it was  Remembrance day that I won it. Hopefully it will be passed down for generations with the little story how it came into our family

My Pushchair Trader BIG win

As all my friends and family know I'm a massive Pushchair Trader fan on facebook but there a lot more then a facebook page if you don't already know they have a fantastic website http://www.pushchairtrader.co.uk/ that is all about pushchairs and pushchair related things, with them being an on-line INDEPENDENT pushchair magazine you can count on honest opinions on everything. They are always running fab competitions but my big win was a special one!!!!!!!!!

The comp was to celebrate the opening of their new and fantastic on-line pushchair accessory shop!!!!!!!!!!

The comp was to win a UPPAbaby Vista ( I have wanted one for a very very long time but out my price range)and over £250 worth of accessory from their shop which included a Pink lining yummy mummy bag, bumprider, buggysnuggle , bundle bean and a ton of other stuff!!! I am one very very very very happy mummy!!!!!!

MY Goodies

Aon her Bumprider and O in his Vista

MY UPPAbaby Vista

A nice big box full of pushchair

I won this comp a good few weeks ago and I still love all my goodies but the pushchair is still the best pushchair I have ever owned and  I actually think it has cured my addiction!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pushchair Trader Group Test

A few weeks ago I applied to go on a Pushchair Trader Group Test for Tandems and I was lucky enough to be chosen. The group test was in Boston Lincs where Pushchair Trader is based and me being from Derby and not being a driver I decided to go the day before and stay over night in a hotel so I didn't have to get the train at 6am. We stayed at the Premier inn in Boston in a Family room which consisted of a king size bed, Single bed and a put me up bed on  the floor it was super comfortable, clean and great value for money at only £62 for the night.


The Pushchair Trader Group Tandem test was at the Blackfriars Theatre and Arts centre, The day consisted of  using some fantastic tandem pushchair that could be use as singles and turned into doubles, the pushchairs that we was lucky enough to play with was, Mamma's and Papas Skate with junior seat, Icandy Peach/blossom, Britax B-duel, Phil and Teds verve, Mima kobi and  Baby jogger city select. We got a good play with them and even got to take some on a walk around Boston Town centre. Here is the official Pushchair Trader write up  http://www.pushchairtrader.co.uk/en/news/tandem-group-test/.

My favourites of the day was the Icandy and the Phil and Teds  but if you ask my 2.5 yrs old daughter she liked the Baby Jogger City select and the Skate!

Tandem group test - Pushchair Trader

Tandem group test - Pushchair Trader:

'via Blog this'

My Life as Secret Agent

Time has come to come for me to tell the world about my time as a Pushchair Trader Secret Agent!!!!!!

About a month ago I applied to become a Pushchair Trader Secret Agent (PTSA) on their very friendly facebook page http://www.facebook.com/PushchairTrader and I was one of the lucky ones to be picked.

Life as a  PTSA is tough I have had to be a master of many disguises, I have also had to master a few other skills like jumping out planes, deep sea diving, braking in to high security building undetected, quick getaways on speed boats whilst pushing a top end Stokke evo. It has been very tough and I have almost been caught out many of times but some how managed to keep my identity a secret until NOW!!!!!!!

Our Mission as Pushchair Trader Secret Agents was to help the develop what their NEW on-line pushchair accessory shop should look like and stock!! It has been so much fun and the shop is AMAZING it stocks all sorts of pushchair accessory's including Pink Lining  and Il tutto changing bags, Bumprider  and Lascal Buggyboard, Hands free brolly and Mummy mits, Buggysnuggle and Cosyosko's and many many other things, It really is a Pram-a-holics dream shop!!!!!!!! Please visit it http://shop.pushchairtrader.co.uk/ You will not be disappointed also whilst on the site take the time to enter their fab competitions on their WIN PUSHCHAIRS tab (you never know you maybe a winner).

I have myself ordered from the shop and as I spent over £65 delivery was free and within a 1hr time slot (courier) I am very happy with my order and will use them again and again and again as they are so professional and friendly (I have been lucky enough to meet Jo and Helen at a group test) they will go out their way to help you. I am very loyal to Pushchair Trader as they really are a fantastic company!!!!

My Mummy mits from the PT shop

My sons Cosyosko and TAF Toys stroller buddies from the PT shop 

Starting School

My oldest started reception class on Tuesday, I can not believe how fast the time as gone only feels like a week ago that I held him for the first time.
L is a very nervous child so we have been talking about starting school all through the holidays and made a big deal about buying his uniform so when it came to the morning he was very excited, when we got to school he was a little nervous and so was I but he went in with no tears and a smile on his face. I found it the longest 6,5 hours of my life and couldn't wait to see him and see how he got on, he came out very tired and cried because I didn't bring a drink then gave me a big hug and said I missed you mummy. He has now done three whole days and although very tired he seems to be enjoying it and says the best thing about school is the dinners in his own words "mummy dinners are yummy, why aren't yours". So I'm now off to buy some cook books and use them 6.5 hours that I miss him to learn to cook yummy dinners.

 L in his uniform

   L in his uniform and Abi pulling a funny face

Fantastic customer service

I've just bought a new pushchair, a loola up from babyvalue on ebay which is actually dorel's (quinny, maxi cosi, kub ect) ebay shop and got a right bargain a new maxi cosi by bebe confort loola up in starlight grey for £74 posted and it came to me very quickly I'm very impressed with this seller it's like my 4th pushchair from them and happy every time!

 Anyway my loola up has come and it is fantastic much better then the normal loola but the only thing that bugged me was the fact the harness is just so small for my 15 month old I would not be able to do it  up with a big coat on him, so I email dorel through their contact tab on their facebook page and two days later  they have ordered me  harness extensions for free I'm very impressed.
This wasn't my first time dealing with their customer service department I once had a quinny buzz that I did love until once my brake got stuck on in the middle of town, once I got home at 4pm I emailed them to see if it needed to go in for repair. They emailed me back the next morning asking me for my phone number and with in an hour I had a phone call of one of their engineers talking me through how to fix it myself.
I have now decided I love Dorel products next on my list is the maxi cosi mura, quinny senzz and I've heard on the grapevine that there is a soon to be released new pushchair that I'm bound to want.
Thank you dorel I'm a very happy mummy well done.

Nabru sofa (self assembly)

Back in 2008 when I was pregnant with my second baby we had just moved into a new house and we decided with our new house we need new sofa's but with money being a bit tight we decided on the argos BOGOF offer on their leather sofa but me being pregnant in my brain as well as belly I ordered two two seater's instead of a three seater and two seater. We have put up with  two small sofa's for three years and now we have three kids we no longer have enough places for the bums in our house so the hunt for a new sofa began.

We started the normal hunt for a sofa in the normal big sofa shops and decided we should get a corner unit but not wanting to spend over £2000 on a sofa when we have 3 young kids I took the hunt on line and came across Nabru self assembly sofa's and thought we would give it a go.

We ordered a high wide arm, 2 large seats on left side and a medium seat with chaise on the right side and a small foot stool in holland pecan (you can get free fabric samples on the website) all this came to £764 and we got to choose when it got delivered and could have had in in under a week not 12 weeks like other places. 

It came on one pallet which I must say was taller then me but was packed really well and waterproof, but I was a little worried. We unloaded it and bought the bits in.

As you can see parts everywhere 

I was surprised it only took me and Simon 3 hours to do it all and an hour of that was sorting parts out a labelling them.

All the bits simply just slot into each other and instructions was very good and easy to understand.

The only thing is the fascia fabric seemed a tiny bit to small and doesn't look fantastic but good enough and we will have another go at it 

I am very impressed and shocked at how comfy it is.

 This is the finished sofa 

Our trip to Gullivers kingdom in matlock bath

With L starting school in September we decided to make the most of him not being in full time education and take one last chance to go on a family day trip in term time without the millions of people around in school holidays.
We choose gullivers as it is only a short train journey from Derby, this was the first time we have been on a train as a family as simon has always been at work the other times I've took the kids on it. 
A day out did mean a chance to buy a new pushchair for the occasion I got the cosatto ditto twin (will do my review soon). 

The journey took about 30 mins from Derby to matlock bath and the kids loved every second although every time we went through a tunnel Abs though a monster was going to get her.
The walk from from matlock bath train station takes about 10 minutes, just follow the river on your left until you get to the fishpond pub the just walk up the steep hill next to it.

The park is great for kids and if there over 90cm they can go on most rides with an adult in fact there is only two they can't go on as they must be over 110cm.
The park is also set on a hill side so your either walking up a hill or down not much flat ground so don't go if unable to walk well.

We had a fantastic day cost us £52 to get in as we only had to pay for the 4 of us as under 90cm are free. The food is rubbish though I recommend  taking a pack lunch.

Mothercare urban detour double

I've just been on holiday with my kids and parents and they bought me a mothercare urban detour, I was a little worried as it is quite wide and heavy but I was actually impressed. 
The good points

• Large seats 
• Upright seats
• Individual reclining seats
• Massive basket
• Very easy one handed fold, just pull over red button and twist
• rain cover fits easy
• Bumper Bar
• Big foot plate for kids to rest their feet
• Nice big air wheels, was easy to push over sand

The bad points

• Larger then standard doors
• heavy folded but light to push
• Hood tiny doesn't give much protection from sun

Overall I give this pushchair 7/10 it is good value for money

bugaboo cameleon

This is a review of my favorite from birth pushchair

The good points

• customisable
• looks fantastic
• fantastic to push it just bounces up curbs
• large carrycot
• adjustable handle
• reversible handle (switch to big wheels at front for rough terrain)
• reversible seat (parent and word facing)
• brake on handle
• bumper bar
• easy to clean (all covers easy removable and machine washable)
• comes in fantastic colours and easy to change the look bu just buying new textile covers ( seat liner and hood
• very well made will last for years
• huge bag like basket
• nice 12" foam filled back wheels (no more flats or pumping up)
• swivel front wheels
• large hood
• fantastic raincover (is best used with out hood)

The bad points

• two piece fold
• hard to learn how to fold but does come with a dvd to teach you
• the hood is low and makes the seat look small
• although the raincover is fab if used with hood then baby can't see much
• expensive to buy

Over all I give the cam 9/10  it is a fantastic pushchair very much worth the money it works as good as it looks  I really did fall in love with it, and it will last though all your kids as it is so well made.

my 1 year old in the cam

my 2.5 yr old in cam

cam folded

Mamas and papas Joolz

This is a review of my mamas and papas Joolz
I bought this 2nd hand from ebay on a whim. I really like this pushchair but does have somethings that bug me. I have this in red with a orange hood lining the colour is really nice.

The good points

• Sits up high for good parent to child interaction and keep baby away from car fumes
• Parent and rear facing
• Sits upright in parent facing
• looks fab
• The seat is huge would fit a large 3 yrs old
• Foot rest extends
• Can fold with seat on
• Light to push
• Wheels are quick release
• Nice large back air wheels
• Bumper bar
• Easy to fold, to do this you slide the handle to the lowest position then press the little gray buttons and lower to the floor the just pull up center bar
• Easy to un fold, to do this just flick front wheels out and pull handle bar up the just adjust to   desired height
• Adjustable telescopic handle bar, this is massive would allow the tallest parents to push without kicking
• Easy pedal brake

The bad points

• The fold is massive can be made smaller by taking off seat wheels ect
• very squeaky
• small hood doesn't give much coverage
• very small basket
• very wide

Over all I give the joolz a 7 out of 10 it is a very nice pushchair and could do with a bit of work but Joolz have now stopped using mamas and pappas to distribute their pushchairs it the uk and bought out a newer model out called the Joolz day and has some improvements

mummybean_of_3: Out n About Nipper 360

mummybean_of_3: Out n About Nipper 360: "This is a review of my Out n About nipper 360 This pushchair is a light weight side by side all terrain double pushchair after year using a..."

Out n About Nipper 360

This is a review of my Out n About nipper 360
This pushchair is a light weight side by side all terrain double pushchair after year using a inline as my double I thought I would give a side by side a try as both my 2.5 and 1 year old are both very nosey.
At first I thought I made a mistake with a side by side as it wouldn't fit through my front door

The good points to the nipper

• Very light to push thanks to the 3 12" air wheels
• Massive hood
• Seats very spacious my 2.5 yr old has loads of room
• Lots and lots of storage, net draw string pockets at back of seats zip compartments on both sides of the hood and two little pockets on the hood
• Easy and light to fold, to fold you have to take the pins out each side pull the cap up that the pins fit through and on one side pull down the red safety button. It folds very small for a double 3 wheeler pushchair With wheels on folds to 91cms L x 77cms W x 45 cms H,With all wheels off folds to 86cms L x 73cms W x 29cms H
• The back wheels are so easy to take off and the front although harder then the back still very easy
• Comes with wrist strap
• Just fits through standard door ways
• Raincover very easy to put on

The bad points

• The locking catch to keep it folded is rubbish doesn't keep the pushchair locked
• No carry handle for when folded
• Hood although huge could do with a pull down sun visor
• Seats could do with sitting more upright
• Handle bar is very low and not adjustable

Over all this pushchair is fantastic I give it 9 out of 10.. as it's very user friendly not perfect but does it's job shame it doesn't fit through my front door.

This is my 1 year old son in it

1st time blog

This is my first time at doing this so will most likely be very rubbish.
I will start by telling you a bit about myself I'm now a stay at home mum to 3 beautiful children L 4, Abs 2 and O just turned 1 and we live with my partner Simon who spends most his time at work or in bed (he works nights) and on his PS3 which can be a little annoying but hay boys and their toys.
My major obsession at the moment and has been for the last 4.5 yrs is pushchairs I'm a self confesed pram-a-holic and and bit of a pram snob at best for some it's there Jimmy choo's for me it's bugaboo and stokke's not that I've had a stokke YET I just drool at them from afar and stroke them at shops lol. I've a good few pushchairs over the years and could go on about them all day but today is a sad day my Bugaboo Cam is going to a loving new home I just don't have enough time for it anymore I will actually shed a tear when it goes it was so easy to push and looked so stunning but it's time to move on to a new pushchair.
I'm now starting the process of deciding what pushchair to get next this can be a fairly complex process that includes a lot of research I start by looking at baby shops on the net seeing what I like the look of, these then go in a list to whitch I start watching vids on youtube to narrow it down a bit. After that I look at reviews and asking what the fab people at pushchair trader think by using there website and facebook page and then I start my spread sheet to see what looks best on paper and then finally it's the good bit of shopping around to get the best deal.
Loooooooooook how sad I sound but after 6pm when the kids are asleep and the partner is on the PS3 or work I have hours of bordom so I think I'm going to use this blog to review pushchair and other baby products I buy gives me something to do.