Kolcraft Contours Options II Tandem Stroller Review & SILENT AUCTION

Having two children is definitely harder than I ever imagined. Going anywhere is nearly impossible, but when I do decide to be brave, I want to make the adventure as easy as possible. Having a great double stroller has made me so happy and venturing out a little easier. I am in love with my Kolcraft Contours Options II Tandem Stroller and with all of its cool features, my husband and kids love it, too.
Check out some of its amazing features:

• Seats easily reverse to create 6 different stroller options: children can both face parent, face each other, face forward, back to back, with front seat only and the back for extra storage, or with an infant car seat.
• Infant car seat attachment fits most car seat brands on the market. Additional car seat attachment is sold separately to accommodate twins!
• Both seats recline for infant's comfort
• Easy-reach child swivel cup holders
• Removable iPod^® Dok with speaker plays baby’s music anywhere
• Steering with two 8" front single swivel & 10" rear never- flat wheels
• Easy-trigger fold and convenient Free-Stand™ allow the stroller to stand upright!
• New easy-reach tray is closer to the parent and more accessible, with an open-air compartment and deeper, ventilated cup holders
• Other children can walk & use the hold-on handles
• Infant head rest protects newborn's head
• Adjustable canopy can be raised or lowered to the height of your baby
• Large storage basket
• Height adjustable 5-point harness for safety and padded sleeves for comfort

Being able to switch the seats around is so fun! You can make your children face each other for entertainment, face away from each other when entertainment turns to fighting, face mommy while they want to chat, or face forward when they want to see the world. Even my toddler loves to ride around in this luxury vehicle.

We love the huge storage basket, especially when we are shopping. I love all the cup holders, how easy the stroller is to steer, how compact it is for a double stroller, the comfortable straps on the five point harness, and how easy it is to snap an infant car seat in and how secure you can make it.

My only complaint is that you have to take the seats off to collapse it small enough to fit into my trunk. Fortunately, this process of either setup or taking apart only takes about a minute or two.
One fun feature that I have never seen on any stroller is the included iPod Deck with speaker. You just plug you iPod in and your whole family can jam to music while strolling. This is absolutely my new favorite stroller and you can't beat the $279.99 price. That is, unless you purchase it during a silent auction to benefit K.I.D.S. :)

From the K.I.D.S website,

"K.I.D.S. pioneered a unique charity model more than 25 years ago that today aligns hundreds of companies with more than one thousand leading local agencies in the United States and Canada. 85% of our donations are distributed to agencies in the U.S. and the remaining 15% to countries abroad. This alliance donates children's clothes,books, toys, and juvenile products… and brings hope… to children and their families at risk."

All donations will need to be sent to http://www.kidsdonations.org/Make_Donation/help_money_form.cfm once the silent auction is over. The highest bidder will be asked to forward me their receipt and shipping address which will be passed to Kolcraft.

Thank you so much for participating!

The Contours Options II Tandem Stroller bid will begin at $50.00. Please bid in $5.00 increments. All bids will close January 1 at midnight. Please leave a comment with your bid.

We are not compensated for our reviews. We receive product(s) for free so we can provide our experience. These are our honest opinions. Your experience may vary.

Silent Auction #4: Sesame Street 2-In-1 Travel Playard

This is our final item for our Sesame Street Silent Auction. Because this post is a little delayed, I will be extending the auction until Thursday, June 24 at midnight. I hope that you will please consider placing bids on our silent auction items. 100% of the proceeds will go towards K.I.D.S to benefit children in distressed situations, including poverty. The bids are all very low, so not only are you donating to an amazing cause, but you are getting your baby gear at extremely affordable prices. Please help, you can make a difference!!

The Sesame Street 2-In-1 Travel Playard is my favorite item I received to review for this silent auction. It is really high quality and functional.

I love the rounded sides. This gives your child just a little extra space to move and stretch without feeling so claustrophobic. This playard is intended for babies up to 35 inches and 30 pounds so I feel like this extra space is a great bonus.
The bassinet, which is intended for babies less than 3 months and 15 lbs., is super secure with 4 snap ons on all four sides of the playard and strong pipes that keep the mattress sturdy.

The playard mattress has the cutest Sesame Street pattern that my toddler loves and makes him actually want to get in the travel playard. The mattress is also very comfortable while being appropriately firm.
I love the mobile that includes Cookie Monster, Elmo, and Big Bird. These soft toys sway back and forth and are at a level that allows the baby to reach for the toys without them being in the baby's face.
The playard also includes these three adorable flap pockets that are perfect for storing diapers, wipes, creams, pacifiers, or any other needs for your baby.

When the playard is not in use, it folds up very compactly. The included travel bag is perfect to keep the entire playard, including bassinet and poles in for storage and/or traveling.

All donations will need to be sent to http://www.kidsdonations.org/index.htm once the silent auction is over. The highest bidder will be asked to forward me their receipt and shipping address which will be passed to Kolcraft.

Thank you so much for participating!

The Sesame Street 2-In-1 Travel Playard bid will begin at $20.00. Please bid in $5.00 increments. All bids will close Thursday June 24 at midnight. Please leave a comment with your bid.

We are not compensated for our reviews. We receive product(s) for free so we can provide our experience. These are our honest opinions. Your experience may vary.

Silent Auction #3: Sesame Street Tender Vibes Bouncer

Welcome to day 3! I am really hoping to start seeing some bids. I really need your help to earn some money for the K.I.D.S non-profit children's charity to fight child poverty. This is a huge deal and I would love to see my readers help! If you have any questions, please e-mail me at justformeandyou2 at gmail dot com. You can make a difference.

In my opinion, the Sesame Street Tender Vibes Bouncer has now become a must have. It is my ideal bouncer: it is small, cushy, seat pad is washable, safe, has the sweetest mobile, and above all, really is tender.
The base is wide and provides excellent stability to the bouncer. My 2 year old had to try it out and while this is not recommended, it 100% supported him even when he was adding his own amount of bouncing. The bouncer chair is deep, but upright to keep an infant always at the appropriate angle.
I adore the mobile. It can be pushed to be in front of the baby while it is seated or moved to the side while getting your baby in and out of the bouncer. Cookie Monster, Elmo, and Big Bird swing and twirl around with slight movements to keep your baby entertained.
This bouncer comes with two different speeds of soothing motion. I have seen bouncers vibrate babies almost violently and some that don't vibrate past your babies toes. These vibrating options are perfect and tender and soothing. I really do LOVE this bouncer!!

All donations will need to be sent to http://www.kidsdonations.org/index.htm once the silent auction is over. The highest bidder will be asked to forward me their receipt and shipping address which will be passed to Kolcraft.

Thank you so much for participating!

The Sesame Street Tender Vibes Bouncer bid will begin at $22.00. Please bid in $5.00 increments. All bids will close Thursday June 24 at midnight. Please leave a comment with your bid.

We are not compensated for our reviews. We receive product(s) for free so we can provide our experience. These are our honest opinions. Your experience may vary.

Silent Auction #2: Sesame Street Recline N' Dine High Chair

Welcome to day 2 of our Silent Auction. Here is some history about K.I.D.S from their website:

"K.I.D.S. was founded in 1985 as a 501(c)(3) corporation to assist children suffering from famine in Ethiopia. Within the first 60 days, members of the children's industry donated $250,000 worth of merchandise. In the first year, K.I.D.S. sent $600,000 worth of clothes, shoes and toys to children in Ethiopia and mudslide victims in South Africa.
From the initial efforts of a small group of children's industry leaders, the organization has grown into a global charity dedicated to alleviating poverty conditions among children and assisting in relief efforts following major disasters."

The Sesame Street Recline N' Dine High Chair was a little more difficult to set up than the walker. I was slightly confused about the directions, but eventually I figured it out. Once I had put it all together, I was really impressed with this high chair. It has some fabulous features that at such an affordable price, I wouldn't expect.
This high chair can recline into three different positions, but after trying out the chair for different ages, I decided the upright position was my favorite position and the easiest to get to. I absolutely love the easy to clean chair covering. With a toddler, I know how messy each meal can get. Having a covering like this one is such a great idea! It wipes down with a sponge or cloth like there was never a mess at all.

Another feature that I wish every high chair included is a back storage unit for mom. I think this is the perfect place to store baby spoons, little bowls, and bibs to make meal time easy and speedy.

Of course, this chair also includes features that I do expect from quality high chairs including a 3-point safety restraint and a one handed press release tray. I have heard from the new owner of this high chair and she is very pleased with its high quality and how easy it makes meal time for her and her new baby.

All donations will need to be sent to http://www.kidsdonations.org/index.htm once the silent auction is over. The highest bidder will be asked to forward me their receipt and shipping address which will be passed to Kolcraft.

Thank you so much for participating!

The Sesame Street Recline N' Dine High Chair bid will begin at $25.00. Please bid in $5.00 increments. All bids will close Thursday June 24 at midnight. Please leave a comment here with your bid.

We are not compensated for our reviews. We receive product(s) for free so we can provide our experience. These are our honest opinions. Your experience may vary.

Silent Auction #1: Sesame Street Elmo Activity Walker

Welcome to our first day of the Sesame Street Silent Auction. I feel honored to be a part of this event. There are so many people in need and I would love to see everyone participate and make generous bids to go to the K.I.D.S charity. From the K.I.D.S website,

"K.I.D.S. pioneered a unique charity model more than 25 years ago that today aligns hundreds of companies with more than one thousand leading local agencies in the United States and Canada. 85% of our donations are distributed to agencies in the U.S. and the remaining 15% to countries abroad. This alliance donates children's clothes,books, toys, and juvenile products… and brings hope… to children and their families at risk."

The Sesame Street Elmo Activity Walker is extremely easy to put together. I had it set up and ready to be enjoyed within 5 minutes. The seat is very supportive and seemed soft and comfortable. When not in use, the walker folds down quite small for easy storage.

In the spirit of giving, I donated the walker I received for review to a less fortunate new mom, but first I had a couple toddlers try it out since it includes height adjustment as your baby/toddler grows. One toddler was already walking and the other had just learned to cruise while holding onto furniture. They both loved it.

With wheels at the bottom, your child is able to safely move around. Because the walker's base is wide, if the child runs into the wall, the walker takes the hit, not your child.

The included toys are really fun. The Elmo twirls around and the Cookie Monster teether sways back and forth with a hit. I am particularly fond of the snack and drink tray. Because I know what it is like to have a picky eater, I know it is sometimes necessary to keep your child distracted or entertained while feeding him/her. Putting them in the walker with healthy snacks seems like a great way to keep them munching!

All donations will need to be sent to http://www.kidsdonations.org/index.htm once the silent auction is over. The highest bidder will be asked to forward me their receipt and shipping address which will be passed to Kolcraft.

Thank you so much for participating!

The Sesame Street Elmo Activity Walker bid will begin at $18.00. Please bid in $5.00 increments. All bids will close Thursday June 24 at midnight. Please leave your bid in the comment section.

We are not compensated for our reviews. We receive product(s) for free so we can provide our experience. These are our honest opinions. Your experience may vary.