Quinny x Rachel Zoe Zapp Flex Luxe Sport Stroller, Pria 85 Max, Mico Max 30, Luxe Sport Diaper Bag c/o / Kelly’s Sweater (Also here), Loafers (Also available here and here), Crossbody Bag & Skinny Jeans / Emma’s Heart Sweater (Factory version here), Leggings & Mary Jane Sneakers / Mitch’s Blazer, Button Down & Boots
Mitch here!
The responsibilities that come along with being a dad change so rapidly that I feel like I’m always showing up to “work” hopelessly underprepared. And I’m not just talkin’ about the hundreds of failed little attempts at making Emma laugh:
OK! Emma loved that thing when I grabbed her nose, looked away and shouted “BOO” really loud yesterday. Let’s get to it! Wait. Why didn’t that work?
🤔
I long for the good old days when the job was as simple as:
- Is the baby quiet? If so, job well done. If not, proceed to step #2.
- Get the baby to be quiet.
Nowadays, we’re talkin’ about failed negotiations; frequent fevers; meal preparation; emergency “snack packs”; stinky, spoiled milk sippy cup sniffs; piles of unspeakably dirty laundry; intense have-to-stay-indoors-because-it’s-so-cold-here boredom; sticky cheese dust; out-of-reach, under-couch crackers; cap-less markers; and the pursuit to stay positive and have fun throughout it all.
(Jokes. It’s really the best. But, you know: it can also be trying.)
The hardest part for me is this incredible sense of anxiety that at any moment–even in the middle of the night–a horrible catastrophe could occur under my watch. I mean, Emma is clumsy and every square inch of the world is surprisingly dangerous. I’ll give you an example: In April, we did the 14-hour drive to see Kelly’s family for Easter, and after spending the night in a hotel, I thought it’d be fun to take Emma and Noodle for a walk before jumping back in the car. We had a nice little time until Emma tripped over Noodle’s leash so terribly that both her shoes flew off, and then she subsequently smashed her face into the sidewalk. She was fine–we called Kelly’s doctor brother and everything–but the glowing egg on her forehead was the topic of conversation with everyone we saw for a solid two weeks.
As for Kelly? She has nightmares on the reg that the house is burning down. (Too much “This is Us,” for sure.)
I guess we can’t help it! We worry. We try to stay level-headed about it, though, as some stuff really is out of our control… and let Emma live her life and be a kid. As Dory once said about Nemo, “Well, you can’t never let anything happen to him. Then nothing would ever happen to him.”
One thing we don’t worry about? Our baby gear. We go for the best, the most reliable, the best made, and the safest–because that‘s something within our control.
Kelly and I hold a “State of the Family” meeting every night immediately after Emma falls asleep. (Over wine, of course.) For months, the first item on the agenda has been getting a new stroller. Don’t get me wrong: our tank of a stroller has served us well. It’s a beast, and it cruised us through nearly two years of parenthood. But now that Emma is walking, we’re battling for every square foot of space in this tiny house. (No foyer or mud room!) We need a safe, reliable and well-made stroller that folds up and has a very, very small footprint.
Quinny x Rachel Zoe Zapp Flex Luxe Sport Stroller, Pria 85 Max, Mico Max 30, Luxe Sport Diaper Bag c/o / Bow Sweater
Enter the Quinny Zapp Flex Luxe Sport. This stroller is EXACTLY what we were looking for. Not only does it have that compact fold that’s perfect for city life, it was designed in collaboration with Rachel Zoe and is absolutely gorgeous. Kelly’s obsessed with it, haha.
Made for the active parent, the stroller has a gold zipper and frame as well as a perfect white hood with netted detailing. Sporty for me yet classy for my wife, and it’s super lightweight, which we both appreciate. I’ll admit that even I feel like a boss pushing this thing around. (Ah, yes. I am pushing a golden stroller, my friends.) Even better, the thing is great for travel, as it’s easy to collapse. For real: this stroller has solved all of our strolling problems.
A while ago, we had a chance to see the rest of the collection at Nordstrom. (Quinny and Maxi Cosi collaborated with Rachel Zoe to design the matching Mico Max 30 infant carrier and Luxe Sport Diaper Bag as well.) Because she’s a toddler, Emma has been cruising in the Pria 85 Max, which is widely regarded as the safest car seat on the market, as it’s equipped with Air Protect® Advanced air cushion technology. (This newer version features QuikClip™ technology, too! It lets you easily buckle your child with a magnetic clip that stays up instead of digging around for the clip under their butt. It can also be un-buckled with one hand.) Given my nervousness as a father–see above for the head-to-sidewalk story–it gives me peace of mind to know that Emma is riding in this thing. I mean, I’m not the best driver, and Kelly is a catastrophe.
(It’s fine. She’s not offended by this. Just inexperienced! The girl did, however, learn how to drive a stick faster than anyone I’ve ever seen.)
Just for fun, we’d like to give away a Quinny x Rachel Zoe Luxe Sport Diaper Bag today! It has convertible straps that transition from shoulder to crossbody functionality… and it comes with a zip-around cooler bag; interior insulated bottle pockets; a changing pad; and waterproof, washable pouches.
To enter, simply comment below, and remember to leave your email address in this format:
whatever [at] domain [dot] com
GOOD LUCK!
And as always….
Mitch. Out!
Shop the post:
Quinny x Rachel Zoe Zapp Flex Luxe Sport Stroller, Pria 85 Max, Mico Max 30, Luxe Sport Diaper Bag c/o / Kelly’s Sweater (Also here), Loafers (Also available here and here), Crossbody Bag & Skinny Jeans / Emma’s Heart Sweater (Factory version here), Leggings & Mary Jane Sneakers / Mitch’s Blazer, Button Down & Boots
This post was sponsored by Quinny, but all opinions are our own. As always, thank you so much for supporting the partnerships that keep Kelly in the City up and running!
