If you are expecting a little one, you are probably in the market for a car seat and stroller. Your new baby is precious cargo and you are going to want to keep them safe when you are out and about. The Corso Travel System and the KeyFit 35 are the latest generation in Chicco’s line.
The Corso Travel System ($329.99) features a one-hand, compact fold that stands independently without the push handle touching the ground, multi-position recline and ample storage. A FlexCore adjustable rear suspension and large wheels with treaded EVA tires and hub bearings make it easy to navigate on sidewalks and uneven terrain. Also sold as a Modular Travel System (499.99) with Chicco’s #1 rated KeyFit 30 Zip Infant Car Seat, the pair offers four stroller configurations, including parent and rear-facing options.
The KeyFit 35 (249.99) is the next generation in Chicco’s KeyFit line and is engineered with #1-rated innovative safety features that make it the easiest to install and use correctly, every time. The seat now offers an Easy-Extend Headrest System with a no-rethread harness to accommodate growth up to 32” tall and keep baby rear-facing longer. Additional upgrades include an anti-rebound bar for added stability and legroom, European belt routing system and a UPF 50+ canopy for sun protection.
Looking for kid-friendly hikes in Austin? We’ve got the full scoop on trails that are stroller-friendly and even some that include a waterfall or swimming hole. Get ready to get out an explore with your family!
Editor’s note: We’re making every effort to provide you with the most up-to-date information. However, sometimes closures occur at the last minute due to circumstances beyond our control, such as the spread of Covid-19. We highly recommend that you call ahead before you pack your kids (and all those snacks, and diapers…) and haul them across town. Stay safe!
We love this trail around Lady Bird Lake because it offers tons of options if you want to do it again and again. This 10-mile hike-and-bike trail meanders along the water’s edge and passes by skyscrapers, neighborhoods, ball fields and cultural attractions. Hop on at any point and use the bridges to cut across the water when you want to loop back around. There are even some parks located along the way.
If you are looking to really get out into nature, this is the trail for you. Designed to be a 30-mile trail once completed, you can currently trek on six miles of trail past the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Much of the trail is ADA accessible and therefore stroller friendly.
This 2.8-mile trail at Emma Long Metropolitan Park is particularly fun for kids as you'll be crossing over a number of creeks along your way (don't forget the water shoes during the wetter months). Dogs are allowed off-leash here so keep that in mind when hiking with the little ones.
There are three trail options at River Place Nature Trail from flat to one with lots of stairs and elevation gain. The Panther Hollow Trail is the best choice for children, walkers who don’t regularly hike or who aren’t as comfortable walking on rough terrain, or for an easy stroll with the pups.
Located near the Capitol of Texas Highway, this 2.5-mile trail is particularly awesome for kid hikers. Head to the Wild Basin Creative Research Center to learn about the endangered Golden-cheeked warbler that lives here. There's even a waterfall and gorgeous viewpoint along the way!
Known just as "the Greenbelt" this is a great spot to take the kids when the heat is on and you want to get a little exercise with some swimming holes thrown in. There are multiple different access points so you can mix it up for your next visit and enjoy a different portion of this 7.25-mile trail.
When it comes to investing in a stroller, most parents want the field of options narrowed down considerably to save precious time and sanity. There are hundreds to choose from after all! If you’re looking for one single stroller to take your kiddo from birth to kindergarten (and probably beyond) it’s a smart move to check out Nuna’s new TRIV stroller.
Lightweight and flexible, with the ability to stand on its own, the TRIV is built to last with features and functionality unrivaled in the insanely crowded baby gear world. Plus, it looks good enough to practically walk a runway.
Revolutionary features
3-position recline
UPF 50+ canopy
Quick-release, 5-point no-rethread harness
Leatherette accented pushbar and armbar
Height adjustable pushbar
Adjustable calf support
Spring suspension technology
All-terrain rubber tires
Sleek and stylish functionality
Ultra-compact
Easy, one-handed fold
Seat faces both forwards and backwards and folds flat both ways
Functional from birth to 50 pounds
Travel system ready with included ring adapter
Car seat ring adapter conveniently folds with the frame
Best of all, the Nuna TRIV is highly versatile with a seat that can face forwards or backwards, easy conversion from a 5-point to a 3-point harness, and a one-handed fold when you’re switching from walking to driving, or ready to wrap it up for the day. Pair it with a Nuna PIPA infant car seat to make it a fully functioning travel system thanks to the ring adaptor included. The fully featured compact stroller weighs a very liftable 19.4 pounds (without insert, armbar, or canopy). So toss it in your trunk and never miss a beat.
Strolling around town with the TRIV means supreme comfort and safety for you and your baby, no matter the circumstances. Brave all types of weather with a Merino wool insert for winter and a mesh seat for summer. The agile rain cover is ideal for gray and damp days, while the UPF 50+ canopy fully extends with an eyeshade and window when the sun is strong.
Adjust the pushbar to your perfect height, then cruise in confidence with spring suspension technology to keep the ride going smoothly. A smart storage pocket and oversized basket provide plenty of places to stash bottles, diapers, wipes, snacks, and everything else you’ll need along the way.
Nuna has been at the forefront of modern baby gear since 2007. As a global brand with Dutch origins, Nuna is keenly focused on both manufacturing and design, ensuring that all materials and processes are safe, superior, and truly mindful. Chances are, you’re probably familiar with Nuna’s contemporary collection of car seats, strollers, kiddie cots, chairs, and carriers. But if you haven’t become educated on Nuna gear, we highly recommend perusing the video gallery to see and learn more.
If it had the words ‘parent’ ‘child’ or ‘frightening’ in the title, I was your target audience. In retrospect, I should have rested up to prepare for the tsunami of horror that was headed my way. At the very least, I should have stopped eating my body weight in cupcakes. I didn’t do either of those things, and I started my parenting journey overwhelmed and 80lbs overweight.
Now that I am well into this parenting odyssey, as the mother of two teenagers (thoughts and prayers, please), I can’t imagine giving anyone, any kind of advice. Ever. No one can tell you what to do with your particular child because (and brace yourself) no one is you, and no one knows your child as you do.
And not for nothing, but how could anyone give parenting advice when their child…is still a child? Who knows what the resulting human being will be? It’s like recommending a casserole recipe that you didn’t finish. ‘I cut up some tomatoes and onion. Perfect. Do that.’ What?! It might be tasty, but who knows?! Finish and then talk to me…and even then… please don’t… unless I ask.
Hitler was an obedient child. Just sayin’.
I suppose there are tried and true pieces of advice that will always stand the test of time.
1.Don’t hit your kids. Obviously. I mean, do I really have to write that you shouldn’t, either physically or verbally, abuse someone smaller and dependant on you? We all learned that lesson in “The Shawshank Redemption.”
2.Don’t kill your kid’s spirit. Each child is born with a unique ‘je ne sais quoi.’ Do your best to nurture, not bulldoze, that life force. More ‘Good going, kiddo!’ and less ‘Oy. You’re not leadership material.”
3. Set a good example. Some days you will fail at this. That’s ok. Get up the next day and fail again. They’ll be fine.
4. Corn chips or popcorn substitute for veggies at dinner. Naturally.
5. Love, love, and more love. Nuff’ said.
All good pieces of advice, no? General, useful, and all you need to know.
I’m not implying that people that write parenting advice know nothing. What I’m saying is, if their advice worked for them, that’s great. Amazing. I’m happy for their parenting triumph. Not really… I’m super jealous that they have it all figured out…and wrote A BOOK ABOUT IT! How together are they, anyway?
In any event, please step to the other side of the planet with your know-how, so I can roll my eyes and figure out what I’m making for dinner.
Here are just a couple of examples of parenting advice that don’t work for me.
1. Don’t deliver forgotten items. Come on. I can understand if it’s the 13th time your child forgot his/her (fill in the blank) that you may want to put the kibosh on the textbook/lunch/project/ catering service. But, the occasional misstep..why not? Life doesn’t work if we don’t have folks that we can rely on in a pinch. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve leaned on my girlfriends to fill in for my brain holes or had to make a quick dash home to pick up something I forgot. Jeesh. I know they need to learn responsibility, but how about compassion.
2. Don’t wake your teens up in the morning. My dad woke me up in the morning all thru my high school years, and yet, I understood that when I went away to college, I needed to wake myself up. Go figure.
3. Sleep when the baby sleeps. Ugh. I hate it when parents say this. That kind of sleep will never be enough to make up for the missing 27,000 hours you are in the hole. You will be aroused from your deep slumber by a crying baby/toddler. Now, you’re not only feeling tired but also pissy, irritated, and afternoon-nap foggy. Great. For the last time, when your baby sleeps, do a small-ish happy dance and watch Project Runway.
Unless sleeping works for you. And then by all means…SLEEP. Ya see? No one knows anything.
So, to conclude, take all advice you hear with a giant grain of salt. What works for someone else might ultimately backfire on you. Look, we’re all struggling out here in parent-land. The terrain is rough, the climate is inhospitable, and the leadership, on its best day, can best be described as ‘meh.’
But we’re in it together. Stumbling toward the day, we see how our little experiments turned out.
So, if you read something that makes you feel like dirt as a parent, just know…no one knows any more than you do.
I'm a mom of teenagers. I cry. A lot. I also laugh when I'm too tired to cry. So basically, I'm always either crying or laughing. I can find the humor in most everything...except (fill in with whatever you find upsetting). Just want to make you laugh.
For a stroller that’s compact and durable, but without sacrificing style points turn to the Bugaboo Bee 5. It’s a no-brainer for on-the-go city families. It’s super easy for parents to use and ultra comfortable for baby to cruise around in. Here’s what we like about it:
Nimble for caregiver The Bugaboo Bee 5 has an incredibly lightweight yet comprehensive design. This stroller is meant for daily use as its advanced four-wheel suspension can take on any cracked sidewalks, bumpy streets, or park terrain. That means whether you’re one-handed steering through tight spaces like train cars and coffee shops or squeezing onto an escalator, the Bugaboo Bee 5 does it with ease.
And the compact chassis makes it extremely easy to fold and store just about anywhere. Everything can be done with a single hand, which kind of defines city living: swiping a metropass, hailing a taxi, or pushing a swing while sipping your morning latte. You always need one hand free.
Comfortable for baby Bugaboo is practically synonymous with luxury when it comes to baby gear. It’s like flying first class for your little one because it’s just that comfy. The seat has extra padding and three different recline positions to switch up depending on what your child needs at that moment: an eye out to the world or a stroller nap. The seat is also fully reversible, so your baby can face you or face out to take in the sights and scenes.
Navigating stairs, subways, and sidewalks is never a problem, whether you’re exploring your neighborhood or traveling far from home. When baby is a newborn, use the baby bassinet and glide on over to storytime at the local library. When she grows with enough neck control to sit upright, use the child seat to chauffeur your tot to and from preschool or daycare. Don’t forget to stash everything you need in the spacious underseat basket with its own built-in pocket.
High on city style No matter your personal style, Bugaboo has you covered. The Bee 5 is fully customizable from canopy cover to seat fabric choice. Choose from a modern black or sleek aluminum chassis. Then pair it with the blue mélange, grey mélange, black or steel blue fabric for a look that’s impeccably clean and chic. The Bee 5 has the bassinet option (for an extra cost), which we love since you can start using the Bee 5 the minute you get home from the hospital.
Prefer to use an infant car seat? Simply purchase adapters and pair them with any compatible car seat or place your tot in the provided seat with sun canopy. It’s bound to become a quintessential part of any city kid’s street style.
Want to learn more? To see the Bugaboo Bee 5 in action and learn about its recommended use, visit bugaboo.com. Available at bugaboo.com starting at $699.
Explorers in need of assistance can finally enjoy the scenic views provided by the hiking trails at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, thanks to new specially designed all-terrain wheelchairs.
The Track Chairs are part of a program introduced by the Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes, a nonprofit organization made up of volunteers dedicated to the care of the park. The chair provides park visitors with hiking mobility assistance on specific park trails making it easier to navigate steep or sandy slopes. The Track Chair’s unique design also ensures that no damage is done to the trails themselves by maintaining low pressure on the ground.
“We wanted to be able to provide a hiking experience for people to get into the quiet areas of the park… you can see things from the road but it’s so different to being able to have that quiet time in the woods and to find a bit of a break from the everyday,” Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes representative Jeanne Esch, who is a wheelchair user herself, told Travel + Leisure.
Visitors wanting to use the chair can make a reservation at least three days in advance during the season starting in May through Oct. 20. A volunteer helps visitors learn to use the chair before going out on the actual trail.
“We’ve been seeing people from every age range using it,” Esch said. “Our volunteers always return to say it’s worth the time to see the amount of smiles the program is able to bring.”
Mario fans rejoice, Super Mario Maker 2 is finally getting released for the Nintendo Switch—and this is one video game parents actually won’t mind their kids playing all summer long. In fact, you’ll probably want to play along, too!
In 2015, Nintendo released its epic Super Mario Maker for the Wii, which allowed gamers to not only play Super Mario, but allowed them to create their own levels. A long-anticipated sequel to the game is now set to be released for the Switch, with a fresh new look and lots of exciting new features.
Unlike a traditional video game, this is a build-your-own game that allows players to add and move everything from bricks and terrain to coins and shells. Kids will be so busy having fun building challenging levels for their friends and family, they won’t even notice they are learning and developing STEM skills like math and engineering in the process.
Super Mario Maker 2 will be released exclusively for the Nintendo Switch in June 2019, just in time for you to say yes to video games over summer break—without feeling guilty.
Summertime has arrived and along with the heat comes the very real risk of kids being left in cars. Thankfully more car makers are building vehicles equipped with back seat alerts so that no family members get forgotten.
While rear seat reminders are a new technology, they are quickly becoming an important feature among car companies and many experts believe they might even become mandatory. With dozens of reported fatalities every summer, and heat-stroke one of the leading causes of death in kids, it’s not surprising that these new features are quickly becoming a staple addition to cars.
GMC is leading the pack when it comes to car makers that offer rear seat reminders. The feature has been included as standard in several different models the company sells since 2017. Rear seat reminder is included in the Terrain, Acadia and Yukon, as well as two trucks, the Canyon and Sierra. It is also standard in the Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac Escalade, as well as the Chevrolet Equinox, Colorado, Suburban, Tahoe and Malibu, among others. Nissan has joined GMC in offering rear seat reminders on the Pathfinder and has plans to include the feature in other models.
The reminders work by monitoring the rear doors. When the doors have been opened and the car is turned off within the same drive, notifications will alert drivers with a sound and a panel display reminding them to check the back seat.
A year in, the much anticipated Golconda Skatepark is proving to be a go-to destination for Brooklyn skaters. Before the renovation, the park had hardly any gradient and a few raised edges, giving it the moniker, “the fat kid spot”. Now, the redesigned space is as good for beginners as pros. It has plenty of transitions – curves and ramps – and a good amount of street obstacles for more experienced skaters.
Space, Shade and Variety
The park sprawls under the BQE overpass between Gold and Navy Streets. It’s generally not super crowded and the bridge above gives it some shade or rain cover depending on the season. These two factors alone make it a popular field trip destination for local skateboard camps but more importantly, there’s something for everyone with terrain that works for all skating abilities.
Good Vibes
Some skateparks can feel intimidating for little ones who are getting the feel for the sport but this one backs onto the playground and feels like an extension of it – in a good way. There’s seating along the fence bordering the playground and the skatepark is fenced in, helpful for parents and caregivers watching more than one child.
Well Maintained
The park is swept regularly and while some stubborn pigeons still hang out in the rafters in spite of the anti-bird spikes, the terrain is pretty clean. The skatepark overhaul also included refurbished handball and basketball courts. With plenty of banks, bowls, ledges, stairways and open space, Golconda serves as a training ground for skaters who no longer have to head to Manhattan or Greenpoint to carve some tricks.
Getting There
Take the F train to York Street and the park is a short walk away. The spot is served by local buses and there’s street parking nearby.
Golconda Skatepark
Gold St. between Nassau St. and Concord St.
Online: nycgovparks.org
Have you checked out Golconda Skatepark? Let us know in the comments below.
Ready to get back into running after baby? Or looking for a way to fit in fitness now that you’re a mom? Do a little mommy multi-tasking and hit the ground running with your baby (6 months and older only please) as your passenger. We reviewed and rounded up the best jogging strollers to help make fitness fun, and most importantly, possible, again.
Best for Everyday Use
If you're an active mom-to-be looking for the one, amazing, do-it-all stroller to buy, this may be it. It's lightweight (24 lbs), built to last, car seat compatible, equipped with a large storage basket (plus water bottle pocket) and has an easy one step fold. The Speed3 steering though is what makes it stand out. Choose between a locked front wheel for serious running, a 30-degree swivel for jogging or tackling tough terrain, or a full 360-degree swivel for everyday use.
