Want to know my all time favorite baby gear item? Hint: it’s pretty Joovy! #OperationBabyShower Sponsor Spotlight

Three and a half years ago I was pregnant with my second child and on the hunt for a double stroller.  My first son would be just over 2 1/2 when his brother was born.  He was a very active boy who no longer liked to ride in strollers for long periods of time, but still needed a lift for long walks.  I’d decided I wanted to get a sit and stand stroller, but was really turned off by how long they were.  I walked a lot and I didn’t want to feel like I was pushing a bus.

One day as I strolled into the library parking lot for our weekly library story time visit I saw it!  I can only describe it as love at first sight.  It was the stroller of my dreams.  (I know that sounds a little silly, but, really, a stroller is a very important part of a mom’s life.) It was perfect.  It was cute, compact, and I loved the bright color!  I asked the mom driving said stroller what brand it was.  “Joovy” –and that was the beginning of my life long love of Joovy.

I went home and immediately read all the reviews I could about the Joovy Caboose.  I quickly learned that those who owned this stroller absolutely LOVED it!  It was way out of our grad-student-income price range, but I was willing to pay a little extra for a great quality stroller.  The stroller to the right is very similar to the one we purchased over three years ago.

Here are some of the excellent features that made me fall in love with this wonderful stroller…

(The removable rear seat is only on the Caboose Too Ultralight which I’ll talk about in a minute.)

And I’ve never regretted that decision.  I cannot tell you how many miles I’ve put on our Joovy Caboose Ultralight!  When we lived in Provo, Utah we lived in the downtown area.  Almost everything was in walking distance.  We walked to the park, the grocery store, the library, the pool.  If it was within a mile, we walked.

The Joovy sit and stand stroller was the perfect choice for us.  Big Brother loved the freedom of being able to hop on and off at stops (we did have to establish clear rules that he was only allowed to get on or off when the stroller was stopped).  I decided to spend a little extra $ on the Ultralight version of the stroller–another excellent choice.  The Joovy Caboose Ultralight weighs only 21 lbs.  I could easily carry the stroller, baby in one arm, stroller in the other up the stairs to our house.  I could get it in and out of the back of the car (we easily fit it in the back of our Mazda5) with one hand while holding the baby in the other arm.

As far as longevity and durability go, the Joovy Caboose Ultralight was, again, the perfect choice.  I’ve now owned this stroller for over 3 years.  My children have ridden countless miles in it.  It has been to numerous zoos, theme parks, and has even traveled to several states.  On one very memorable trip to Disneyland with my sisters we packed a total of 4 exhausted kids on my one Joovy Caboose!  It was dang heavy to push, but it saved us a few crying children.  I wish I’d thought to take a picture of that!

Here are a couple photos I did get of that Disneyland trip two years ago.

Little Brother (8 months old) riding in the front seat.

Big Brother (3 1/2 year old) totally exhausted!

Now, Joovy has added to the awesomeness of the Caboose sit and stand features.  Joovy has created the Joovy Caboose Too Ultralight. The Caboose Too Ultralight!

The Caboose Too Ultralight is like having 2 strollers in one. If your children are young and close in age, you can take full advantage of the 2 full-size reclining seats. The ‘Too’ seat bridges the gap when children are too young to ride or stand on the back. As your children grow, the Caboose Too Ultralight adapts, allowing your older child to ride on the rear bench seat or standing platform. This becomes more and more important as the older child develops their sense of independence.

Here is a look at the Ultralight Too with an infant car seat in place…

I can’t rave enough about this stroller!  If you’re in need of a double stroller, want to forgo those bulky, heavy doubles, and want something that will give your kids a little independence when they need it, I highly recommend the Joovy Caboose Ultralight and Joovy Caboose Too Ultralight.

The Joovy Caboose Ultralight retails for $269.99 and the Caboose Too Ultralight retails for $299.99.

And because Joovy is such a fun company in general, run by such fun people, make sure you like them on facebook and follow them on twitter for fun news and giveaways.

Finally, I want to say a HUGE THANK YOU!!! to Joovy for being an Operation Baby Shower Sponsor!  Joovy generously donated a Joovy Caboose Too Ultralight to help a military family in need!  I would love for your help in thanking Joovy for their participation in this event!  Please, help me say thank you by retweeting the message below or by posting a quick thank you on Joovy’s Facebook page.

Thank you @joovy for your generous donation to #OperationBabyShower! #Military families thank you! #SOT http://t.co/UbiSCTFQlu

— Amy T (@ohsosavvymom) March 18, 2013