Doubly Serendipitous

When my parents visited in January, Dad brought us a double stroller that was donated by a family in their ward who no longer needed it. Upon examination and with a little scrubbing, I realized that it had some pretty neat features. Both seats recline, the front seat converts for quickly snapping in an infant car seat, and the back seat is completely removable, converting into a rear-facing jump seat or a standing platform for a toddler. How cool is that!

After spending several hours investigating the features of this mysterious contraption and trying to realize its true potential, I decided to hunt down the user manual. I went to the BabyTrend website hoping to find a manual based on the product number but had no success. Thinking I had nothing to lose by trying, I filled out the customer service questionnaire on the website asking if they had the instructions for this older-model stroller. Within an hour I had a response, and by 5:00 Chris came home with a 20-page fax of instructions! This is the first time in a long time I've had a good customer service experience. We've already been on an all-family walk with the stroller!

Here's another great find: On Saturday, I was pulling through the drive up DI drop-off with a box of stuff to donate when I saw a lady drive in with a truck-bed full of stuff. In it was a double child bike trailer. I've been anticipating that someday we would get one of these, but seeing as it costs several hundred dollars for a decent one, I knew it wouldn't be any time soon. I sat there idling in my car for 3o seconds debating what I knew I should do. If I didn't do it, I would always wonder and regret. In a decisive instant, I put the car in park, got out and knocked on this woman's window. "Are you getting rid of the bike trailer?" "Yes." "Can I buy it from you?"

I would have given the woman $20, or possibly more for it, but she offered to just give it to me for free...after all, she was going to donate it for free. (Should I feel guilty that DI didn't get it?) I excitedly wheeled it back to my car, only to realize that it was huge and would be a project to fit it into a Honda Civic. We tried and pushed and shoved, with a line of cars waiting and honking behind. I ignored them. After several minutes, the drive-through attendants had me pull out so we could try again in the parking lot where people weren't waiting behind me.

I know its lame to do that at DI, but I knew I would never forgive myself if I didn't try. I guess you have to be gutsy like that and make a fool of yourself if you really want something (and for free nonetheless!) With some instructions, some new tubes in the tires, and a little TLC, this will also be in great working condition. What a find! and definately a Supermom moment!

So with these two new acquisitions, our total number of strollers is now up to five. (Three too many--I think I'll be selling our other ones) Now I just need to figure out where to put them all!

It really is true that one mom's junk is another mom's treasure!