The Bumbleride Indie stroller, shown here in Ocean and Walnut, the two color options available as part of their Natural Edition, which uses 50% recycled materials in the fabric.

The Bumbleride Indie stroller could very well be called the Nimbleride Indie stroller for its quick and easy handling. That was my first impression after I set it up and took it for its maiden voyage, with my newborn daughter riding in the first class seat. The 12” inflatable tires and rear suspension really smooth out the bumps on non-paved surfaces, while the swiveling front wheel makes maneuvering the stroller amazingly easy–almost effortless–even with one hand.  The result is a smooth and enjoyable strolling experience, for baby as well as for the pilot.

The rear wheels are easily locked and unlocked by stepping on or lifting up on the brake bar. One quick motion and the brakes are on or off. The front wheel can be locked in place as well for when you’re walking or jogging in a relatively straight line. It has two locked positions: with the wheel facing forward to stretch out the wheelbase for more stability when jogging  and with the wheel facing backward to maintain a shorter overall length for walking around the neighborhood or in town.

Next to good handling, an equally important quality of any stroller is its ease of folding and unfolding, and the Indie couldn’t be easier. By simply pulling on two release triggers, (conveniently located on the sides of the frame, just below the handle), the top portion of the frame folds forward revealing the carrying handle strap located behind the rear seat. At that point, you simply pull up on the strap and the rest of the frame folds in half. Easy to use locking brackets can then be attached to prevent the stroller from unfolding when carried, and at only 20lbs, carrying the stroller won’t break your back. For a more compact fold, the wheels can be removed without tools.

The Indie has a nicely sized storage bin under the seat for blankets, diapers, extra clothes, food, etc. and a small pouch on the canopy for your keys, phone, camera, etc. Additional storage can be attained with the optional snack pack so that your toddler can have his or her own easy access to snacks. Just make sure the snacks are healthy!

With the multi-use bar, the Bumbleride Indie is compatible with certain car seats—we use the Chicco Keyfit 30—so it can be used from infancy up to 45 lbs. Other features include an adjustable handle and footrest, an SPF 45 canopy, a five point safety harness with an infant headrest and shoulder harness, a cup holder and a jogging strap. It is available in multiple colors, and as part of their Natural Edition line, it has two options that use 50% recycled exterior fabric and a seating surface made with 50% Bamboo, which offers excellent temperature regulation.

The Bumbleride Indie stroller is an all-terrain stroller with the agile handling of an urban jogger. Loaded with features and easy to use, it is a great choice for infants to toddlers up to 45 lbs.

GreatDad.com Review Policy: The featured product for this review was provided to us, at no cost, by the manufacturer or representing PR agency for the sole purpose of product testing. We do not accept monetary compensation for reviewing or writing about products. We only review products that we have personally tested and used in our own homes, and all opinions expressed are our own.

I’ve been with my kids (7 and 11) alone in Paris for two weeks now. My wife didn’t join until yesterday, so it’s been just me keeping up a steady tourist monologue and trying to get the kids to pay a little attention to what they are seeing. After five days of repeating the same things without any nod of retention on their parts, I decided to make it more interesting. I told them that from now on, they would each get a point if they answered my constant quiz questions correctly. At the end of the week, I would give a prize for whoever had the most points. There could be multiple winners for each question to avoid screaming and fighting. I also gave them the option to work cooperatively and share a prize, but they immediately declined this option.

Participation and attention immediately went through the roof! Suddenly, they hung on every word and detail I said, repeating pronunciation and asking for explanation. They were asking ME the name of every church and person on a statue. They even watched a documentary on the creation of the Louvre museum with me.

Yes, they fought mercilessly over who really had one a point or not, but I was clear that there would be only one infallible, omniscient judge, ME.

Finally, and maybe most surprising, is that the grand prize was….Wait for it… A PACK OF GUM. They paid attention and actively participated the whole week because of a promise of A. Pack. Of. Gum. Which all goes to prove that to motivate kids you don’t have to give them an iPad. I suppose you do have to have a house where gum and candy bars are not given freely.

I’m always amazed at things I learn along the way about being with them, and not getting too frustrated when things don’t go as planned. But sometimes, I find a trick that makes it fun for both of them and me and we all have a good time together.

My kids are 7 and 11, so finding games that both will play is already a trick. But finding a game that I find fun is also a challenge. We’ve been trying fast-paced card games and have found a few to recommend.

This genre I believe, is relatively recent. These card games requires the ability to read symbols or do simple addition at a fast pace while slamming cards down. Each new card changes the problem to be solved, and while none of the challenges are very hard, it is hard to solve one after another in quick succession to win the game.

Here are the games that we have tried.

1. Blink (Mattel) – This was the first game of this type we had ever seen and has been a favorite of ours over many airplane trips. Made by the makers of UNO (now Mattel), Blink is marketed as the “World’s Fastest Game.” Each of the 60 cards has one to four symbols in four different colors. The objective is to put down cards as quickly as possible that match symbol, number or color. The game moves very fast and takes probably under 90 seconds to play. It’s perfect for playing while waiting for a plane to take off or when you need something to fill in a short amount of time. It will challenge both young and old and, like the other games, it’s always interesting, though you may not always have the energy for it.

Ages 6+; for two players

2.  7 ATE 9 (Out of the Box)- 7 ATE 9 requires quick addition and subtraction as player try to do simple math on a card to find the two numbers they need to match with cards in their own hands. The math is simple (ex. 5 an 3), but players need to either subtract or multiply to solve for the number they need to match (in this case, cards with either 8 or 2 would be a match). Game play is swift, but we found without a lot of humor.

Ages 8+; for 2-4 players

3. Spot it! (Blue Orange) – The genius of this game is in the design of its 55 cards. Each card has eight cartoon-like, but common symbols (ex. bonfire, candle, apple, snowflake), but two cards have only one symbol in common. In all variations of the game, players are trying to frantically find matching symbols. It sounds simple but it is devilishly hard, and maybe harder because symbols are often larger on one card than on another. This is a game that is often won by either the very old or very young and can be played many times without getting bored. And it’s great in a situation when you want to play with non-readers or non-English-speakers. This was our favorite game of the those we looked at.

Ages 6+; for 2-8 players

4. Super Circles (Out of the Box) – Super Circles uses a different system to challenge the brain. In this case, the players try to match up colored circles that also have identical numbers to create a match. This game can also be exciting since a “4″ can be red on one card and yellow on another. Players also get lost staring into the brightly-colored concentric circles on the cards.

Ages 7+, for 2-4 players

5. Spud (Fat Brain Toys) – Unlike the other games, this one is played with two sets of cards: cards that show how many potatoes you have and direction cards that tell you what to do with the potatoes. Again, the orientation is on moving fast, but here you are reacting to what is written to do on the cards, all of which involves moving your different types of potatoes around the board. Your potatoes are individual with one or more potato types, including baked and fries. Cards say, “Move left” and you just throw your potato to the person to your left. The objective is to move as fast as you can and never end up with five potatoes in front of you. Game speed is fast and spuds are going all over, which, for better or worse, can bring out the silly in some kids and dads.

Ages 6+, 2-4 players

All of these games require a certain amount of honesty among all players since mistakes and cheating are al but impossible to detect. They are all perfect for travel and all are available in travel tins (except Spud, which comes in a mini potato sack). MSRP in almost all cases is right around ten bucks, with some significantly lower prices on Amazon.

GreatDad.com Review Policy: Some of the products for this review were provided to us, at no cost, by the manufacturer or representing PR agency for the sole purpose of product testing. We do not accept monetary compensation for reviewing or writing about products. We only review products that we have personally tested and used in our own homes, and all opinions expressed are our own.

Traveling with Teens

The protracted screech of a braking train is perhaps the only thing less pleasant than the thought of a no-escape vacation in close quarters with a teenager. Travel can bring out the worst in people and if you are going through a rough patch with your teenager, don’t expect a family vacation to bring out the Waltons in you. There are things you can do, however, to increase your chances of good holiday. Ask your teen to help plan the trip, and make sure it includes things he or she wants to do. Avoid long drives in the car. Allow time for more leisure activities like time in the pool, even if you’re in a “once in a lifetime” spot. Go easy on iPod and video game restrictions to allow everyone a chance to chill out. And, try to keep your own emotions and reactions in check and stop yourself from saying things out loud that will only create more conflict.

Summertime travel can sometimes feel like a sacrifice when each person can’t get exactly what he wants. Travel dynamics and logistics are not nearly as easy as when you were a couple without kids. But like a lot of things in life with kids, if you look at children as an opportunity rather than as an obstacle, you can find things to do together that are made even more special because you are seeing things through their eyes.

I know some couples who have been married for 20 years and never have had a weekend without the kids since they were born. I wouldn’t recommend this. Married couples need nights out, and even nights away to recharge the romantic batteries. Whether it’s a motel down the road, or a trip a thousand miles away, try to make at least one trip away each year. Obviously, this is impossible in some situations where reliable childcare is not available or affordable for such a long time away. If, however, you have family around, take advantage of their generosity, and overcome your guilt, even if for just 24 hours.

Here are some rules to make that getaway easier for you, and for the kids:

1. Go to a place without kids. You want to be around any kids who will make you feel guilty for leaving yours behind. It will be hard to enjoy yourself if you’re both comparing other rugrats to your beautiful, intelligent, and well-mannered kids back home.

2. Do not call home, ET. Make sure everyone is aware that you will not be calling in, if this is a 24-hour trip. Likewise, no one should call you unless it’s truly an emergency.

3. Go in the middle of the week. Yes that sounds counter-intuitive, but if you go midweek, you’ll score three advantages. You might get a cheaper room (if not a business hotel), the kids will be focussed on school, an you’ll benefit from that illicit feeling that you’re cheating the system and playing hookey. This last might add more spice to your adventure away.

4. Plan events you can enjoy together. That doesn’t mean suffering if she wants to tour a flower garden, but it likely means you golfing alone all afternoon is out. The idea is to spend time together, not to take a mini-vacation away from her and the kids.

5. Drive if you can. Pulling away in a car makes the trip start right away, versus after a long day hassle with the airport. If you can limit your destination to just 1-2 hours away, you’ll be able to maximize the feeling putting distance and minimize the stress of too much travel.

6. Give the kids a big gift. And, do let them watch TV and movies while you’re gone. You’re getting away to be pampered; why not let them enjoy themselves too. A little gift left to be opened after you leave will also help ease the pain of separation, or at least distract them a bit.

While it’s hard to cram in a full year of life before kids in a weekend, it sure is fun to try.

Here’s a fun dadventure for those in or close to Oregon. This is a newspaper recount of an expedition made by Jennifer Margulis and her husband, GreatDad contributor, James di Properzio.

If you’ve never been snowshoeing, you probably imagine you’ll crunch effortlessly atop acres of snow in your tennis-racket-like snowshoes, just like Yukon Cornelius, the blustery prospector who subdues the Abominable Snow Monster in “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.”
But when my husband and I took our three children to Crater Lake on a squally Saturday in December, we grown-ups sank into the snow, flipping the powdery stuff into the faces of those who walked behind us.

The kids, on the other hand, had an easier time of it. They practically ran on top of the fresh snow. All three leapt up after falling, threw themselves down to make snow angels and buried themselves as if the snow were sand at the beach (brrr).

All of which helps explain why the free ranger-led snowshoe walks at Crater Lake are a perfect winter family activity.

The walks last 90 minutes and are different each time. We started ours near the Crater Lake Lodge.

[From A fabulous Crater Lake snowshoe trek - Outdoors - Oregonlive.com]

Guess Who Travel Game – Our kids loved this simple game that teaches kids deductive reasoning as they eliminate suspects to find the last person standing. By asking questions of their competitor like “does the person where glasses” or “have blond hair,” kids can easily play the game even before they can read. It’s an easy to pack travel game, or for playing at home. Unfortunately, the cards, however, are easily lost so it takes an adult around to keep from losing all the parts. My kids played this so many time though, they broke the pieces off the hinges before they lost any cards. $10.45 (a bit more expensive than you would think for a game built like this, but we did get our money’s worth.)

As I settled into my tiny seat on a recent flight, a woman asked me if I’d trade my aisle seat for her middle so she could be, as she said, ” with my girls.” She was a young-ish looking mom-type, and my first reaction was to give up my seat. After all, it was just a short 90 minute flight and for the sake of a beleaguered mom, I could afford to be chivalrous. However, in a split second, I realized that the “girls” she was referring to were the two boisterous women who were already next to me. It was a trip to Las Vegas after all.

Was I close to having been hoodwinked, or was she just using the vernacular of the situation? It’s not important, but I wondered, when would you give up your seat? For a mom with kids? If not giving up the seat meant that you would be baby sitting for a few hours? Only if not inconvenient to you (comparable seat).

My wife and I have traveled all over the world with our kids, and many times, have relied on the courtesy of strangers to untangle the twisted airlines’ seating plans. In 99% of the cases, we’d found people willing to switch, especially when they saw the ages of our little ones, who are now four and eight.

We are starting a ten day summer vacation and, like millions ofnpther families, we’re spend the first day in the plane. My daughter, age eight, is happy though. She has four books and is just discovering Lemoney Snicket.

She’s been asking for a Nintendp DS, but we are holding fast against that. I did give in, finally to Wii, but only because we can play that as a family. The only activity I want her doing that envelops her in her own private world is reading, at this age. Even now, reading for her is a communal activity. She stops every few pages to read me a particularly funny sentence.

Sony Cyber-shot DSCW120MDG/P 7.2 MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom with Super Steady Shot

$180 – Amazon

I love this camera! We just got the DSCW 120 for our summer holiday and I was hoping it would work well and replace our five year-old DSC V1. The two cameras have several things in common: a Zeiss lens and many manual over-ride features, but the new camera is far smaller and easier to use.

This is a great little camera and represents how far Sony has come in developing an interface that is easy to use. This is the first camera I’ve seen where an explanation of the icons shows up on-screen when you dial a selection. No more trying to remember what an icon of a tree or a mountain is. The explanation is there in big type for you.

The 2.5 inch screen is super clear. One of the main benefits of the camera is the “Smile Shutter technology,” but you have to make sure you dial to the smile icon first, or you’ll miss the feature. At first, I couldn’t figure out how to make it work. Once dialed in though, it took a great photo of my four-year-old who is notorious for NOT saying, “cheese.” The camera also boasts “face detection” to reduce facial glare, shadows, and red-eye.

The buttons all appear to be strong and well-placed, though don’t look for industrial strength materials here. While sturdy, I did not get the feeling that the buttons and dial will last a lifetime. This may not be an issue but should be noted. The case feels strong and solid. No buttons wiggle or feel poorly made.

My eight year-old daughter had no trouble operating this camera, but said she preferred something with fewer buttons and dials. I noted only 2 more buttons than her Kodak EasyShare camera, but other features like the viewfinder and extra dial settings confused her. This isn’t a reason to not choose this camera, but it is a camera with more features, which, for some, means more daunting choices.

While other cameras deliver more megapixels, I was more than happy with the 7.2 MP in this camera. At this point, extra megapixels seem to me to just mean bigger memory cards. In fact, I set our photos at 5 MP so I could get about a third more photos out of the memory. This trick is good, but only if you don’t ever plan to do much cropping or enlargements beyond 8X10. With a 1 Gig memory stick, I was able to get almost 400 photos, enough memory for plenty of photos and lots of mini-movies.

Probably the most enjoyable feature of the camera though, was the fast shutter speed. Set on “no flash,” I had very little shutter lag, and could take multiple photos in a row. If you use flash, however, you’re back to the frustration of long shutter lag common to most point and shoot digitals. This is where the “Smile Shutter” technology, which is not unique to Sony, really helps out, since you can catch those fleeting smiles that used to be lost to shutter lag.

The biggest frustration I had was the use of the Sony memory stick duo (not included with the camera). My wife’s camera takes an SD card, which also fits directly into a Palm Treo, so I was hoping to eliminate one memory card and simplify our lives just a tiny bit. Additionally, to lighten our baggage a little, I decided to leave the bulky and proprietary data cable behind in favor of a small memory card reader that could read both SD and Sony memory sticks. Unfortunately, the reader could not read the memory stick duo format, and I was unable to transfer photos off the memory stick during the trip. Luckily, a 2 Gig card was enough to get me through about 320 photos and a few small movies with plenty of room to spare, but I was unable to send any email photos home along the way.

One last recommendation: I got a geeky Sony (LCS-TWF/B) Soft Carrying Case to make carrying the camera easier. While belt holsters really aren’t my thing, I must say that this made taking photos a lot simpler than trying to get my camera out of a bag or even out of my pocket. This holster has a strong magnetic closure, is pretty lightweight, and holds the camera very snugly. I wish they had built a tiny tiny pocket into it to keep an extra memory stick or battery, but otherwise, it’s a very practical addition that I’m sure helped me take more pictures.

Strengths: 7.2 MP, Big clear screen with bright picture, 2.5 inch LCD, easy to read menus, Carl Zeiss 4x optical zoom (you can’t beat the images from these lenses).

Weaknesses: Uses the Sony memory stick duo, so less flexiblity, USB cable is bundled with video, so has proprietary plug. This makes it more convenient (one cord to store), but you’re out of luck if you lose it since it isn’t a common USB cable. Memory sticks seem to have more issues than SD cards for compatibility so there may be some issues with older card readers that can’t read your stick.