Whether it's a walk to the park, shopping at the mall or a trip to the zoo...we have found a double stroller to be an absolute must with two young children. When there is a lot of walking involved and/or we're in a crowded place...it's the most convenient way to keep everyone together and get from place to place. And, although both kids enjoy stroller rides...at almost 4 years old...Kaelyn gets antsy after a while and wants to stand, stretch and move around. This often slows us down some due to frequent stops, which is why I've been on the lookout for something that would suit our needs better.

A U.S. based company that manufactures premium family gear, Joovy's goal is to create high quality, useful, practical, attractive and fun products that make life easier for busy parents. Between their large selection of products such as strollers, highchairs, playards and toys, as well as their commitment to service and making sure customers come first...it's no wonder parents turn to Joovy for their family gear needs.

After browsing Joovy's website for the first time, I was very impressed with their great line of products. It didn't take long for me to see just how much time and thought has gone into making sure each one is as well-made and convenient for families as possible. Their premium features, dedication to quality and meeting the needs of their customers is what had me excited when I learned we were going to have the opportunity to review the Joovy Ergo Caboose Stroller.

Features/Benefits:

• Large front canopy
• Twin piston front wheel suspension
• Easy seat recline
• Ergonomically designed front seat
• Swing open front tray
• Rear canopy
• Patented Stand-On Tandem™ platform
• Car Seat Adapter
• Large storage basket
• Roomy backseat

When the Joovy Ergo Caboose arrived, I couldn't wait to check it out. Upon pulling it out of the box, I found there was very little assembly required. In less than 10 minutes I had the wheels, canopy and front tray in place and ready to use. As a busy parent with little free time, I always appreciate when products are easy to put together, so this was great!

Seeing it put together, I was immediately impressed with the quality. It's extremely durable and well-made. I can see this lasting us a very long time...which is great considering baby #3 is due to arrive in just a few short months. I was also drawn to the attractive, sleek design and the times we've used it so far...have received many compliments on it.

When it comes to strollers of any kind, I always look for safety first. Thankfully, Joovy did not disappoint! I love the harness belt in the front seat, as well as the waist buckle on the bench seat. This helps to give me peace of mind that when sitting in this stroller, my kids are safe and sound.

The front seat reclines easily by simply squeezing the adjustment mechanism on the top back of the seat. It locks into place and has two positions. When Kaden is more tired, he enjoys laying back more, so having this option is perfect! I can also tell that when he's awake that he loves how straight up he's able to sit so he can see everything around him easily.

Kaden also seems extremely comfortable in the seat. Not only were we able to adjust the harness (there are three different height options) so that it fit him perfectly, but the seat is also ergonomically designed which helps eliminate pressure points by evenly distributing his weight across the entire mesh seat. This feature works as the child grows to maximize size accommodation. Just one more reason why I see this lasting us a very long time! YAY!

The rear seat faces the person pushing the stroller. It is more of a bench seat with belt that latches across the waist and between the legs. Suggested for use with children 2 1/2+ and up to 45 lbs, this is the perfect seat for Kaelyn. She said she feels like a big girl sitting in a seat like this.

One thing I really like about this stroller, is that even though both kids are facing opposite directions, they are each protected from the sun with the great canopies. The front has an extra-large canopy...one of Joovy's signature features. It's very sturdy (won't blow around in the wind) and provides amazing sun protection and shade. Kaden gets hot easily, so this has been great on the hot days to help him stay cool.

The rear canopy is just as great! It's removable and attaches within seconds by simply zipping it onto the front canopy. It gives the rear child full sun protection and best of all...still allows them to see around them with the mesh sides. Kaelyn calls them her 'windows' and absolutely loves this feature of the stroller.

My favorite feature would have to be the fact that Kaelyn is able to sit or stand while on the stroller.

As I mentioned previously, she is getting to an age where she gets tired of sitting after a long period of time and wants to get up and stand. Thankfully, this stroller allows her to do just that...and best of all..we're still able to keep moving. The rear canopy has a sippered periscope top that allows her to stand on the stand on tandem platform and ride while standing up without having to remove the canopy completely. How convenient is that?! I love it!!


She really enjoys standing and watching everything going on around her. The handles are conveniently placed for her to easily grab while she's standing. It's just perfect!

Another important feature I always look for in a stroller is storage space. With two little ones we always have a lot to carry and need a place to keep it all. This stroller is able to hold it all and MORE! It's wonderful. I was very impressed with how large the storage basket is and how easy it is to access. It can even be made more spacious by lifting up the bench seat. The outside of the storage basket even has mesh pockets for smaller items so you can easily get to them. We use this for pacifiers and snacks, as those are two things we're always searching for when out and about.

Speaking of snacks...not only do we always have food with us for the kids, but they usually have a drink too. The front tray has come in very handy for that, and it even opens up to make getting Kaden in and out a piece of cake. When it's not needed, it can easily be replaced with the included cup holders for each of the kids' drinks. Joovy has really thought of everything!



My husband and I usually have a water or pop with us too...so at first I was a little disappointed that there wasn't somewhere for our drinks. However, I quickly learned that there are additional accessories that can be purchased, and one of them is a handy parent organizer. I hope to buy one of these at some point, as I think it would be very useful.

Other than that though, pretty much everything we personally need was included with this stroller (for a list of other optional accessories, you can visit Joovy). That's what I love about Joovy. The items that would typically be extra or optional accessories to buy separately with other strollers, come included with this one. For instance, it comes with the infant car seat adapter which is compatible with a long list of infant car seats. I was very excited to see that the one we have will work with it. It will be perfect for when baby #3 arrives!

Overall we've been very happy with the Joovy Ergo Caboose. We've had the opportunity to use it several times and absolutely love the many features that make it so easy to use. It's convenient and best of all, the kids really enjoy riding in it. It has made it easy for Kaelyn to stand when she wants to and it's comfortable for Kaden to ride in too.

My husband and I both agree that this is one of the easiest to push, and smoothest riding strollers we've tried. It's also a really convenient size. While pushing it, I feel like it's more the size of a single storller, than a double which is fantastic. It provides more than enough space for both kids, yet has a compact design and is easy to maneuver.

The Ergo Caboose Stroller is also compact when folded. Folding it down takes no time at all and it fits easily in the back of our SUV. I love that it folds down flat and isn't as bulky as some of the other double strollers I've seen and tried.

I would definitely recommend the Ergo Caboose Stroller from Joovy to any parent with more than one young child. The quality is great, the features are abundant, and it's evident that practicality and safety were taken into consideration when making this a very parent and child-friendly stroller. I simply cannot say enough good things about it...we love it!

Buy It: You can purchase the Joovy Ergo Caboose for $399.

You can also connect with Joovy on Facebook and Twitter.

**The product for this review was provided for free by Joovy. All opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way**

Here in the Midwest, winter can last 6 months or longer. Unfortunately that doesn't leave us a lot of time to enjoy the outdoors, which is why we're always very excited once summer arrives. This is the time of year we're able to run outside and be active and I want to make exercise fun for my kids. That's why I was happy when introduced to the new children's book... Wallie Exercises.

Wallie Exercises was released in January 2011, written by author and fitness trainer, Steve Ettinger. In an effort to create a powerful teaching tool for children and resource for parents in the fight against childhood obesity, Steve teamed up with illustrator Pete Proctor to create this children's book.

As I learned more about what Wallie Exercises is all about, I realized it was not only an educational tool for children, but also a valuable resource for parents and teachers. I appreciate the goal of the book which is to encourage kids to creatively explore exercise...and what better time than now while the weather is beautiful!

I couldn't have been happier to learn we were going to have the opportunity to review a copy. When the book arrived, Kaelyn was begging for me to sit down and read it with her. Aimed towards ages 3-8, I had a feeling she would love it...I was right! It's perfect for this preschool age and older.

There were a couple of things that impressed me right off the bat. I love that this book is a hardcover. When Kaelyn loves a book she reads it multiple times a day. Handling a book that often means it needs to be made to last. This one definitely is which I really appreciate. I also love the colorful cover which is what really caught Kaelyn's attention and had her wanting to read it right away.

Of course, after checking it out...both she and I couldn't wait to read the story. It's a perfect length with a great message for children.

About the Story: Wallie Exercises is a colorful story about a wonderful dog whose laziness has become a big problem. With a little help from an exercise elephant, Wallie learns about getting in shape and how to exercise.

After reading this story, Kaelyn was asking me to read it again and again. Throughout the day she'll now point out every time she is being active and exercising. It's neat the message of this book has really helped her see that exercise can be fun. She absolutely loved the story of Wallie and really liked the colorful, full-page pictures as well.

One of my favorite parts is the content in the back of the book. There are original exercises from the story and fitness information for parents to discuss with their young children. Making theses different exercises fun and showing pictures of the characters from the book doing them, has made Kaelyn enjoy them as well. We have fun going through each one and she's enjoyed learning more about why exercise is fun, why it's good for us, etc.

Overall we've been very happy with the book, Wallie Exercises. It's educational and fun...perfect for kids, parents and teachers. I'm really happy to have been introduced to it and would recommend it to any parent with young children.

Buy It: You can purchase Wallie Exercises from Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and Active Spud Press.

Win It: One lucky reader is going to win a Wallie Exercises book of their own!

Mandatory Entry - Let me know who this book would be for if you won.

Extra Entries: (Only valid after the mandatory entry has been completed. Leave 1 comment for each extra entry)

1. 1 extra entry - Like Wallie Exercises on Facebook

2. 3 extra entries- Blog about this giveaway (linking to this post and Wallie Exercises) and leave THREE comments with the URL to that post.

3. 1 extra entry- Follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway (You can tweet once a day for one extra entry every day)! You can copy and paste:

#Win a copy of the colorful children's book, Wallie Exercises! #momsbalancingact http://bit.ly/qfr938 Ends 8/31 #giveaway

4. 3 extra entries- Post my blog button or blog URL to your blog and leave a comment with the URL to your blog. (If it already is, leave me a comment letting me know)

5. 2 extra entries- subscribe to A Mom's Balancing Act via e-mail (found along the side column) and leave TWO comments letting me know.

6. 2 extra entries- 'Like' A Mom's Balancing Act on Facebook

7. 2 extra entries- Follow my blog publicly on Google Friend Connect

Leave one comment for each entry you complete above including with each, your e-mail address (or make sure it's visible in your profile) so that I can easily contact the winner!!

This giveaway will end August 31st and is open to US Only

**The products for this review & giveaway were provided for free. All opinions found here are my own and were not influenced in any way. The opinions of others may differ from my own.**

Early on in our marriage my husband and I discussed having a family. We knew that once we had children, we both wanted for me to be able to stay home with them. When our daughter was born....I did just that. I quit my teaching job and have been a stay at home mom ever since. Living on one income for a family of four (soon to be five) is not always easy...it means budgeting and finding ways to save money where we can. Thankfully, there are great tools out there to help!

As someone who always enjoys finding a great deal and saving every penny that I can, I was thrilled when introduced to BeFrugal.com. This is a website that makes it easy for people to find tens of thousands of coupons, deals, and promotional codes for thousands of merchants.

As I browsed Be Frugal for the first time, I was incredibly impressed with how user-friendly their website is. Offering so many coupons and deals, I was concerned it might be difficult to navigate and happily found that couldn't have been farther from the truth! With convenient category tabs at the top, it's easy to find everything from weekly ads to online coupons and printable coupons. Their homepage alone is worth the visit, as it lists today's top online coupons, free shipping offers, deals of the day and SO.MUCH.MORE!

Whether I'm shopping online or in the store, I'm always in search for coupons that will make my shopping trip less expensive. Thankfully, BeFrugal.com makes it easy to do that in one convenient place. I was amazed to find promotional codes and coupons for so many popular merchants I shop at, including Walgreens, Kohls, Target, etc. I love it! I am an avid online shopper, but there are many times we shop in-store as well. Having printable coupons for restaurants, retail stores, and more makes it easy to find deals wherever we're going!

Aside from the great coupons, I also LOVE the fact that there are weekly ads for many stores made available as well. Whether you're taking a shopping trip to Babies R' US, Walmart, Old Navy or somewhere else...the ads are all one click away and made very convenient for those searching out the best deals. With us moving to a new house in just a couple of weeks, we've been busy planning out the different projects we'll be doing once we get settled in. Being able to have a site like BeFrugal.com where I can access weekly ads and coupons for places like Lowes, Home Depot, and Sears all in one place has been fantastic!

I also appreciate their new Cash Back Program and think it's great for anyone who shops online. Who wouldn't love to shop from the comfort of home and earn back money at the same time?! Simply sign up for free, choose from hundreds of stores to shop at, and earn cash back paid via check or Paypal.

I've found BeFrugal.com to be a great resource. Finding coupons and deals couldn't be easier, and having the option to earn cash back while you shop makes it even better! I would definitely recommend visiting BeFrugal.com to anyone looking to save money.

You can also connect with BeFrugal.com on Twitter and Facebook.

**This post was sponsored, however all opinions are 100% mine and were not influenced in any way.**

With a new school year just around the corner, parents everywhere are busy school shopping with their kids. I remember walking the isles with my mom...shopping for everything from supplies to new school clothes. With Kaelyn hopefully starting preschool this Fall...we have been busy preparing and shopping for some of the necessaries already. One of the things she's very much in need of is a few new clothing items. Thankfully, I know I can count on Tea Collection to find high quality, comfortable and stylish children's clothing...perfect for the start of a new school year!

What began in 2002 with 3 pima cotton sweaters and a vision of bringing a fusion of worldwide cultures and modern design to children's clothing, has since grown to include a large selection of distinctive apparel inspired by the beauty discovered while traveling around the world. With beautiful and modern clothing for boys and girls ages 0-12, everyone is sure to find something they truly love.

I was first introduced to Tea this past Spring when I had the opportunity to review a few items for Kaelyn and Kaden. Extremely impressed with the quality and overall style, I have since enjoyed browsing their website in awe of their great collection of children's clothing and women's clothing! For Fall 2011, they traveled to Mexico to be inspired by the color and culture. The girl's collection has a Modern Mexico accent while the boy's pieces are outfitted in super stripes and the magical spirit of Mayan jaguars. Known for their versatility, this Fall Collection is no different. With the ability to create mix-and-match outfits easily, it's perfect for Back to School!

We were sent a few items from the new Fall 2011 Collection to review.


When the Tea Collection clothing arrived, I couldn't wait to check them out. Upon pulling them out of the package, I was once again very impressed with the style and quality of each item.

Kaelyn received the Marimba Mini Dress, Skinny Stretch Leggings, and Hacienda Stripe Dress.

She absolutely loves dresses of any kind, so I knew right away that these would be a big hit! I was right!! She was thrilled. What I loved right away was that these three items could easily be used to make a number of different outfits. With school starting for many, versatility is a great way to keep your kids looking great without having to buy a closet full of clothing. I love it!

Of course, the quality also impressed me too. Each item is thick and something that I know will last us a long time. Kaelyn has worn them several times and after each washing they all look good as new!

I love how cute and stylish both the dresses are. They are perfect for the warmer weather we've been having, but will also be great for Fall and Winter as well. Kaelyn could easily put a long sleeve shirt underneath them and wear the leggings for a super cute and warm outfit. Again, the versatility is something I absolutely love about Tea's clothing! She could also wear the leggings separately with another shirt and make a whole new outfit.

Many people have complimented how cute and stylish the dresses are when Kaelyn wears them. The unique look and great quality really stands out! Kaelyn's favorite feature is definitely the pockets on each of the dresses.
She has also commented how comfortable they are. With a more loose, comfortable fit...it's something she can easily wear around the house or out and about. As she starts preschool...I know these high quality, comfortable and cute Girls Clothes will be just perfect!


Kaden was sent the Surplus Playwear Pants, Jaguares de Chiapas Tee, and Equipo Nahual Tee.

As I checked out each of the Boys Clothing items we received, I fell in love with the style and colors. I absolutely love the green and light/dark blue shirts. They're something that I knew would easily go with many things in Kaden's closet...not to mention the super cute pants he received from Tea!

The graphics are always unique and really make these shirts stand out amongst the rest. The small details that Tea puts into their clothing is what really impresses me each and every time. They're stylish and above all, high quality so parents know they are getting clothing that will last their children a very long time!

Once again, I love the fact that these three items can be mix and matched to create a number of outfits. Kaden has worn them several times since we received them...and like Kaelyn, always receives compliments on how cute his clothes are.

The tees fit really well, and since he's the type that gets hot easily...I know he'll get much use out of these over the coming cooler months. They've also been perfect this summer as well!

Kaden has shorter legs, so the pants fit a little long. I was happy to see that he has room to grow into them though, and know he'll be able to easily wear them through winter and even into spring. They're absolutely adorable and on cooler days, he's already worn them and seems very comfortable in them, especially with the handy adjustable waist.

Overall we've been very impressed with the Fall 2011 Collection items we were sent from Tea Collection! Each one is versatile, comfortable, fashionable and best of all...well made. Once again, Tea did not disappoint! I would highly recommend their Kids Clothes with the new school year upon us.

Buy It: You can purchase the Tea Collection items we received at TeaCollection.com. The Marimba Mini Dress is $30, Skinny Stretch Leggings is $22, and Hacienda Stripe Dress is $45. The Surplus Playwear Pants is $35, Jaguares de Chiapas Tee is $26, and Equipo Nahual Tee is $26.

Win It: One very lucky reader is going to win a $100 Gift Certificate to Tea Collection!!

Mandatory Entry - Visit Tea Collection and let me know something you might use your GC towards if you win.

Extra Entries: (Only valid after the mandatory entry has been completed. Leave 1 comment for each extra entry)

1. 1 extra entry - Like Tea Collection on Facebook

2. 1 extra entry - Follow Tea Collection on Twitter

3. 1 extra entry - Sign up to receive Tea Collection Emails (bottom of homepage)

4. 3 extra entries- Blog about this giveaway (linking to this post and Tea Collection) and leave THREE comments with the URL to that post.

5. 1 extra entry- Follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway (You can tweet once a day for one extra entry every day)! You can copy and paste:

#Win a $100 GC to Tea Collection! #momsbalancingact http://bit.ly/oA6zlc Ends 8/31

6. 3 extra entries- Post my blog button or blog URL to your blog and leave a comment with the URL to your blog. (If it already is, leave me a comment letting me know)

7. 2 extra entries- subscribe to A Mom's Balancing Act via e-mail (found along the side column) and leave TWO comments letting me know.

8. 2 extra entries- 'Like' A Mom's Balancing Act on Facebook

9. 2 extra entries- Follow my blog publicly on Google Friend Connect

10. Enter any of my other current giveaways. Leave me a comment on which one(s)....ONE entry for EACH giveaway you enter!!

11. 1 extra entry- Share about this giveaway on your Facebook status by including a link back to this giveaway (you can do this once a day, for an extra entry every day).

Leave one comment for each entry you complete above including with each, your e-mail address (or make sure it's visible in your profile) so that I can easily contact the winner!!

This giveaway will end August 31st and is open to US Only

**The products for this review & giveaway were provided for free by Tea Collection. All opinions found here are my own and were not influenced in any way. The opinions of others may differ from my own.**