I’ve often thought that if I could go back and tell younger me things I’ve learned that would have been helpful to know back then, something I’d want to tell the me when I was engaged to be married, and the me when I was expecting my first baby, is not to feel so badly about putting things—especially big things—on the wedding and baby registries. I remember being just short of mortified to create a registry for each occasion—I was so grateful for our family and friends’ generosity, and felt it bordered on ungrateful and selfish to specify what I thought they should spend their money on.

Now, of course, I’ve come to realize how nice it is to know just what a couple might like or need as they begin their marriage and family. And especially seeing how hard it can be for parents of young children to find the money to buy things they need, or even things that just make life a little easier, it’s really so helpful to put those things on the registry in the event that a family member or friend (or several, pooling their resources) might be delighted to buy them.

One example is strollers: I’ve bought so many strollers over the years. Our first one was a gift when our first baby was on the way—it was one I’d, blushing, put on my registry; it was one that seemed to me to be sensible and not-too-expensive, and I was so grateful for the gift of it. But it apparently wasn’t made for usage by several children through several years (as is the case with many things, I’ve found), nor was the second one or the third (but I always got cheap ones, as we didn’t have the money for an expensive one). There was also a several year period when I needed a double stroller, and I went through two of those as well. I’ve often wondered if I’d listed a more expensive stroller on my registry in the beginning, whether I would’ve had to replace it so many times (though that wouldn’t have helped with the need for the double strollers, of course).

I was thinking about these kinds of things the last few months as my sister got married, not only because she and her new husband were just starting off their life together, but also because their wedding was in Ireland and as her sister and a bridesmaid, it was, of course, important that I attend. And where I go, the baby goes. So I had to get yet another stroller—one that could fold down easily and wasn’t too heavy, both for the airports and the planes, but also for lugging around Ireland when I wasn’t using it. I also felt it was important to get a rain cover, since Ireland is rainy, and one of the best bits of advice I was given when I studied abroad in Ireland in college was, “If you wait for it to stop raining, you’ll never
go anywhere.”

I did so much research when trying to figure out what stroller to get! I read blogs and articles about traveling with babies, and after deciding I wasn’t strong enough to use only a baby carrier the whole time we were there, I then read comments and reviews on various stroller options before making my decision. I didn’t want to make the mistake of getting a cheap one and having it not work the way I needed it to (I was fairly stressed about the trip to Ireland, and didn’t feel like I had the mental or emotional fortitude to have things not work the way I needed them to, as much as possible), but I also didn’t have hundreds of dollars to spend. For our particular needs and budget, I ended up getting the Baby Jogger City Tour Stroller, as well as the Baby Jogger City Tour Belly Bar and the Baby Jogger Weather Shield (both of which had to be bought separately, of course). The whole shebang folds down with a one-handed mechanism and fits into a bag that can be worn as a backpack, and its dimensions when folded down means it should be able to be carried on some planes (not the ones I was on, unfortunately, but it ended up being fine). 

That stroller did exactly what I needed it to do when in Ireland, and as an unexpected but very welcome bonus, it’s been perfect for keeping in the van, both for size (it folds down much smaller than our regular stroller) and for rainy spring-and-fall baseball and soccer games and Cross Country meets (the rain cover only fits this one stroller, not our other one). Many a sporting event, my little guy has been warm and dry while the rest of us have gotten soaked!

I hope this advice about items needed for marriage and family generally, and advice about travel strollers specifically, has been helpful! I hope you’ve been enjoying the fall as much as I have!

Kate and her husband have seven sons ages 15, 13, 11, 9, 7, 5, and 1. Follow her at www.facebook.com/kmtowne23, or email her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..