Purse, cars...STROLLERS!

Back in the day I was a purse fiend. Alright, I won't lie I am still a purse fiend. The sight of the new Vuitton can just make my stomach feel all wiggly. And that blue Kooba? I would DIE to have it. But, ah...how the times have changed. If someone dropped a grand in my hands to shop I have to admit, I wouldn't buy a bag. I'd get a new stroller.

WHO AM I????

When Dub and I were pregnant we realized there was a whole other LA world hierarchy. The pecking order of the stroller. Up until then we had been unaware, knowing that your car (Both had respectable H0nda Accords with all the bells and whistles, but oh! how I dream of a CX-9now. So practical, I used to dream of a slick lil BMW convertible) or your purse and sunglasses were an immediate outward sign of your status in LA.

But in the Mommy word? It's all about the stroller! Both of us dreamed of the Bugaboo, which at the time was the ultimate. We dreamed of it, discussed which color we would get...oh, the Bugaboo. Swoon. It was out of the price range for both of us obviously (and knowing what I know now I wouldn't spend the money on it even if I had it!) and so the researching began on what to get...we both settled on the Maxi Cosi Foray. Sort of a Bugaboo knock off. Loved it. And it was only $400! Done and done! Except...shortly before the one year warranty was up, the brake on mine broke. Yeah. I've been trying since JUNE to get a hold of someone to even instruct me where to go to pay to have it fixed, much less attempt to have it fixed from the warranty.

In the mean time, since it's been broken rendering it useless for places like the Zoo which is all hill and you desperately need a brake for it, I've been using the little Graco umbrella stroller we purchased to take on vacation with us and I've become totally aware of what I REALLY need in a stroller. Things which neither the Foray or the umbrella have!

I need a cup holder for mommy. A real live one that can handle a friggin Starbucks. I also need a snack tray for Baby Max with a cup holder. He is at the point where he wants a snack in the stroller. Neither stroller we have now has a place to put a snack or even rest a sippy cup (I am

under no delusion that even with a snack tray the sippy cup won't be tossed on the floor, I'll still be retrieving it I'm sure) I need a big fat storage basket underneath, I need a nice big sun shade to cover the baby, I need the seat to recline flat so the bambino can nap whilst I shop!

And...I need it to look cool. Cause when it comes down to it, I'm still appearance conscious.

I'm looking at these:

The City Jogger Mini. (It does have a snack tray) or The Graco Quatro Tour Sport. I must admit, I like the look of it, it comes in several colors...a little unsure of the footrest for the bambino. What do you have? What do you love about it?