Our first vacation – boarding a plane with a baby

When the temperatures in the capital dropped to zero and the fog became a morning routine Darko and I unanimously decided that we need to chase the winter away with a vacation. The plan was to spend our winter vacation somewhere warm. We looked at some very different destinations, such as Thailand, Philippines, Dubai, Egypt, the Canary Islands, Cape Verde, Florida, etc. But my first condition was that we and the baby stay somewhere in Europe. Not that I would want to complicate things but I had second thoughts regarding the hygiene and health issues, or the potential complications related to it. So we were left with the Canaries … We went to one of the islands, Fuerteventura, last year (in the first half of April) for our ‘Babymoon’ and it was very windy back then. And because I wanted to avoid any potential inconvenience with the wind we finally decided for Gran Canaria, Meloneras – a little town on the south side of the island.

Great! Just like a child who counts his sleeps until Christmas we impatiently counted down the days until our vacation. However, despite all the excitement and joy, I had two theories about our first vacation together running through my mind:

  • Either we’re not going anywhere else until her 5th birthday or until she’s old and rational enough, as this will be such a nightmare, a true hell;
  • Or we’ll have the best time ever.

Finally the day/night of departure arrived. Our flight for the Canaries departed from Vienna, so we still had about a four-hour drive from Ljubljana to the airport ahead of us. The journey was quite tiring, especially for Darko, as it was snowing heavily all the way and the highway was completely white.

»This time, it’s for real« was echoing through my mind when the sliding door at the entrance to the airport opened in front of me. And I almost fell face-down as I tripped over the threshold. Good thing I was pushing a pram in front of me where Brina slept quietly as it was 5 in the morning. Darko was dragging the suitcases and commented wittily: “You’re my klutz!” I ADMIT, I was worried. Flying with a baby can be a very stressful situation, especially for new parents. I had a bunch of dilemmas …

– Luggage:

A couple of days before the departure I wrote a list of things to pack (for me and for Brina). Then I added or removed some stuff so the list was as rational as possible when I was packing the day before the vacation. Basically, the list was not that different from this one – Traveling Care-Free with a Baby, I just added the Freds Swim Academy swimtrainer (I’ll write more about it next time). I decided that in case we need some extra stuff, we’ll just buy it there (we already planned on buying the swimsuit, hat and swim nappies there) or if necessary I’ll wash it by hand.

Altogether, we packed 2 large suitcases (where we also folded the BabyBjörn bouncer), Brina’s nursery bag, a backpack where we put our ID documents, computer etc., and the pram.

According to the standard procedure we checked in our luggage (both suitcases). An employee of the airline we were flying with put the ‘luggage’ label on the pram but we were allowed to check it in just before boarding the plane.

As it turned out flying with a baby is awesome, just fantastic, I recommend it. As a parent with a small child you’re entitled to all sorts of privileges. At the check-in we asked for better seats and not just that, they also gave us an additional seat so Brina could play or rest when the seat belt sign was off. Also, you can use (at least in Vienna) a special X-ray checkup lane (reserved for prams and wheelchairs) so you don’t need to queue and stand in an extremely long line which seems never-ending. We could easily carry on liquids (beverages), which you usually have to throw away at the X-ray, since we stated that it was for the baby. We were also able to board the plane as priority passengers and again avoided waiting in line.

– Plane:

As I mentioned before we pushed Brina in the pram straight to the entrance of the plane where we gave it to the staff. After finding our seats a kind flight attendant brought me a pillow for Brina, pap and a special seat belt designed for children. Until two years of age the child has to sit in his parent’s lap (policy of the majority of airlines) and is fastened with an additional seat belt for children, which is fastened onto the parent’s seat belt.

When Darko and I planned the airplane vacation, I read quite some articles and forums about it on the internet. Among other things I also found out that it’s good to breastfeed the baby, especially during take-off and landing, or give him the bottle or the dummy, as this helps to even out the change in air pressure in the baby’s ears (they can’t do it themselves yet). That’s why babies usually cry in planes. I started breastfeeding Brina, but she fell asleep before we even took off. Luckily we did not have to experience the trouble.

Here are some of my suggestions which may come in handy. They definitely made my (our) flight to the Canaries easier:

  • If you’re flying with a partner, take turns in occupying yourself with the baby and let the other one rest.
  • Carry a nursing bag with you where you can keep ‘back-up’ clothes, nappies, etc. for the baby. You can also change the baby on the plane (in most planes) in a space reserved for that purpose.
  • Carry toys with you. Probably the largest problem in flying with a baby of six months is what to do on the plane or in a seat for 5 hours or whatever the duration of your flight. I suggest you take a new toy with you which the child does not know yet and will therefore find it more interesting.
  • One more thing that I found very important was sticking to Brina’s routine even on the plane. A 6-month old baby most probably already has a sleeping or a morning and afternoon resting routine. If Brina is too exhausted and tired, she will have trouble falling asleep. And before that she becomes very grumpy. So I decided to stick to her sleeping rhythm and did not wake her up unnecessarily. At most, I tried to lull her to sleep – after the X-ray and also on the plane.
  • Carry a blanket or a towel on board so you can spread it out on the floor or on the seat where your child can rest or play.

The flight was over quickly and most of all peacefully. At the Las Palmas airport, we were greeted by sun, the rent-a-car was already waiting for us with a child seat already installed as we requested. So we drove off ready for new adventures. It all went oh-so-smoothly we thought. But the vacation did not end without complications.

You can read more about it next week …

Naše prve počitnice – na letalo z dojenčkom

Ko so se temperature v prestolnici spustile do ledišča, megla pa je že postala stalnica vsakega jutra, sva z Darkom soglasno sklenila: »Zimo bo potrebno ‘presekati’!« Podala sva se na lov za zimskimi počitnicami nekje na toplem. Izbirala sva med zelo različnimi destinacijami: Tajska, Filipini, Dubaj, Egipt, Kanarski in Zelenortski otoki, Florida,… A moj prvi pogoj je bil, da z dojenčico ostanemo v Evropi, pa ne zato ker sem komplikatorka, pač pa so bili pomisleki predvsem v smeri – higienskih in zdravstvenih razlogov oziroma morebitnih zapletov. Torej so nam preostali le Kanarski otoki…Na enemu izmed njih, Fuerteventuri sva že bila lani (v prvi polovici aprila) na ‘Babymoons-ih’ in je ravno takrat izredno pihalo. In ker sem se hotela izogniti tudi morebitnim nevšečnostim z vetrom, sva se na koncu odločila za Gran Canario, Meloneras – mestece na jugu otoka.

Odlično! Kot kakšen majhen otrok, ki šteje kolikokrat mora še spat, da bo prišel Božiček, sva nestrpno odštevala dneve. A kljub navdušenju in veselju, sta se mi po mislih podili dve teoriji možnega razpleta naših prvih počitnic:

  • Ali do njenega 5 leta oziroma dokler ne bo dovolj velika in razumna, ne bomo šli nikamor, ker bodo počitnice za naju taka nočna mora, pravi pekel;
  • Ali pa se bomo imeli fantastično.

Napočil je dan/noč odhoda. Na Kanarske smo leteli z Dunaja, torej nas je čakala še slabe 4 ure dolga pot iz Ljubljane do letališča. Vožnja je bila precej naporna, zlasti za Darka, saj je vso pot močno snežilo, avtocesta pa je bila že popolnoma bela.

»Zdaj gre za res«, mi je odmevalo v glavi, ko so se pred mano odprla drsna vrat na vhodu letališča, in skoraj bi padla na nos, saj sem se spotaknila ob prag. Še dobro, da sem pred seboj potiskala otroški voziček, kjer je Brina mirno spala, ura je bila namreč 5 zjutraj. Darko, ki je vlekel kovčka, me je debelo pogledal in v smehu pripomnil: »Štorček moj!« PRIZNAM, skrbelo me je. Leteti z otrokom je lahko zelo stresna situacija, zlasti za novopečene starše. Imela sem en kup dilem…

– Prtljaga:

Že nekaj dni pred odhodom sem napisala seznam potrebščin (zase in za Brino). Potem pa sem še kaj dopisala oziroma sčrtala – da je bil seznam dan pred odhodom, ko sem pakirala – kar se da racionalen. V bistvu se seznam ni kaj dosti razlikoval od tega – Brezskrbno na pot z dojenčkom, dodala sem le še Fredov obroč (o njem več prihodnjič). Sklenila sem namreč, da v kolikor bomo karkoli potrebovali, bomo šli tam v trgovino (kopalke, klobuček in kopalne plenice smo že tako planirali kupiti tam) oziroma če bo potrebno – bom kaj oprala na roke.

Pod črto – s seboj smo imeli dva velika kovčka, kamor smo zložili tudi ležalnik – gugalnik BabyBörn, poleg tega pa še Brinino previjalno torbo, nahrbtnik, kamor sva zložila dokumente, računalnik, itd in otroški voziček.

Prtljago (oba kovčka) sva po ustaljenem postopku oddala na »check in-u«. Otroški voziček je uslužbenec letalske družbe s katero smo leteli sicer opremil z ‘listkom’ za prtljago, vendar sva ga oddala tik pred vstopom v letalo.

Kot se je izkazalo, je leteti z dojenčkom vrhunsko, nadvse fantastično, priporočam. Kot starš z majhnim otrokom si deležen cel kup ugodnosti. Že na »check in-u« sva prosila, da so nama dodelili ‘boljša’ sedeža in ne samo to, dali so nam še enega, ki je bil ‘frej’, da se je Brina lahko igrala oziroma počivala, ko ni rabila biti pripeta z varnostnim pasom. Naprej, med drugim imajo (vsaj na Dunaju) poseben rentgenski pregled (za otroške in invalidske vozičke) in se ni potrebno drenjati in čakati v nepregledno dolgi koloni, ki ji ni videti konca in kraja. Tekočino (pijačo), ki jo običajno na rentgenu zaplenijo, sva lahko brez problema imela s sabo, saj sva navedla, da je za dojenčka. Tudi na letalo smo se vkrcali kot prednostni potniki in se tako ponovno izognili čakanju v vrsti.

– Letalo:

Kot sem že omenila, sva Brino pripeljala z otroškim vozičkom do vhoda v letalo, kjer sva nato osebju oddala voziček. Prijazna stevardesa mi je takoj, ko smo se namestili za Brino prinesla vzglavnik in otroško kašico ter varnostni pas za otroka. Otrok do drugega leta starosti namreč sedi pri staršu v naročju (politika večine letalskih družb) in je pripet z dodatnim varnostnim pasom za otroka, kateri se pripne na pas starša.

Ko sva z Darkom planirala počitnice z letalom, sem si na spletu prebrala kar nekaj člankov in forumov…in med drugim izvedela tudi, da je potrebno dojenčka dojiti oziroma mora sesati steklenico ali dudo – predvsem pri vzletu in ob pristanku, kajti to naj bi pomagalo pri morebitnih spremembah zračnega tlaka v otrokovih ušesih (ne zna še izenačevati pritiska) zato običajno otroci tudi jokajo. Brino sem sicer začela dojiti, vendar mi je še pred vzletom zaspala. Tako da tovrstnih problemov mi na srečo nismo imeli.

Tukaj je še nekaj nasvetov, ki vam morda pridejo prav, meni (nama) so olajšali peturni polet na Kanarske:

  • Če letite s parterjem se izmenično ukvarjajta z otrokom, drugi naj počiva.
  • S seboj imejte previjalno torbo, kjer naj bodo ‘back-up’ oblačila, plenice, itd. Otroka lahko (na večini letal) tudi previjete v zato namenjenih prostorih.
  • Imejte s seboj igrače za otroka. Verjetno največji problem pri letenju s 6 mesecev starim dojenčkom je, kaj početi na letalu oziroma na sedežu in to 5 ur oziroma kolikor pač traja vaš let. Priporočam, da vzamete kakšno novo igračo, ki je še ne pozna in bo zato toliko bolj atraktivna.
  • Še ena stvar, ki se mi je zdela izredno pomemba je Brinina rutina in urnik in to kljub temu, da smo bili na letalu. 6 mesecev star dojenček ima po vsej verjetnosti že rutino za spanje oziroma jutranji in popoldanski počitek. Če je Brina preveč izčrpana in utrujena ni nujno, da zaspi, prej postane nenormalno sitna. Zato sem se kljub letu držala njenega ritma spanja in je nisem po nepotrebnem zbujala, kvečjemu sem jo uspavala – po rentgenskem pregledu in tudi na letalu.
  • Na letalo vzemite odejo ali brisačo, ki jo lahko pogrnete na tla oziroma sedež, da lahko otroka odložite in kjer se bo lahko igral. 

Let je hitro, predvsem pa mirno minil. Na letališču Las Palmas nas je pričakalo sonce, prevzeli smo rent a car, ki je bil na našo zahtevo že opremljen z otroškim sedežem, in se odpeljali novim dogodivščinam naproti. Vse je šlo kot po maslu sva si mislila, a počitnice niso minile brez zapletov.

Več pa prihodnji teden…

A Tip for a Trip (A Lovely Walk) – The Koseze Pond (sl. Koseški bajer)

img_7164Winter is almost upon us – the days are getting shorter and shorter and colder and colder, and there is hardly a week without some kind of precipitation. Despite the bad weather, I always look for ways to cheer up my afternoons and I always look for friendly walking paths in the area for moms with strollers. My plan is to spend as much time as possible time with Brina in the fresh air. Before I set out on our short trips I always wonder about these things:

– Is the path appropriate for a stroller?

– Is there a spot to have some rest and have my coffee?

– Will I find a spot to feed Brina and change her diaper?

 

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Recently I was taking a walk in the Koseze area in Ljubljana, specifically the path surrounding the Koseze Pond, the artificial lake in the outskirts of Ljubljana. The area is rich in its fauna – swans, frogs, numerous amphibians, dragonflies and birds for children to enjoy.

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The Pond is also a home for fish, such as carps and sheatfish. Sometimes you can spot a water rat near the shore, and though they resemble a giant rat, you should not be frightened. Yet, in the summer, you can easily walk into a swarm of mosquitos.

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The Pond itself is not appropriate for swimming, since the water is dirty, but it does have a lovely walking path around the pond with a few wooden platforms and a lookout pier with enough benches to have some rest and feed your baby in peace with the surrounding trees and bushes offering some privacy.

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The path around the Pond is relatively short, perhaps under a kilometre, but there is another path nearby to continue your walk, if you want to – the Path of Remembrance and Comradeship (sl. PST).

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This location is also appropriate for people with small children, who are already running around. The area is also equipped with a children’s playground, while moms and dads can try out and firm their bodies on the outdoor fitness equipment nearby the Pond and the PST path.

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If the winter is cold enough the little lake usually freezes over and it becomes a popular natural skating rink. I highly recommend it!

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PATH: ✔️ partially concrete, partially macadam, appropriate for strollers and small children

PARKING: ✔️ enough parking spots in area (free of charge)

BAR: ✔️ nearby

The Stroller

img_6603I decided to dedicate my blog post to the question, I have been facing for the last four months by numerous pregnant women and mommies with strollers. The question was usually the following: “Can I ask you something? Are you happy with your stroller?”

When you face your (first) pregnancy, you are also faced with choosing the right stroller. This goes something like this – first you take a step into the shop and then you turn pale from all of the alarms that go off in your head: run away before it’s not too late for you will never choose the right one in the abundant offer of the strollers (size, shape, style, colour). Your bewilderment is almost too much, but then you snap out of it, take a deep breath, as you were taught in parenting school and take the first step toward your potential target.

The main problem is, there is no perfect stroller, which would fit all moms, as we all have different tastes and needs. I cannot imagine choosing the wrong stroller, because perhaps you get accustomed to any stroller you use regularly. The final selection is the best unit of compromises and there is no perfect stroller. Just like with men. And that’s another reason to thoroughly research the selection before the purchase and consider what are your needs. Your stroller should fit into your lifestyle, your wishes and demands, and also your wallet. And which stroller did I choose?

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Peg Perego Book Cross. Although it was not my first choice in the beginning, once I only started browsing through the stroller offer. Actually, my wish list included a stroller from a Swedish manufacturer and I was determined to purchase it, but then an acquaintance recommended me the Peg-Perego strollers, which have quality and style. I decided to examine the offer in person and the saleswoman showed me the collection and a catalogue with the colour palette. I soon realised one of these strollers fits very well with my lifestyle, yet I left the shop emptyhanded. I was torn.

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I remember contemplating that day and night over and over on which stroller should I get. I visited the YouTube and browsed every possible video on the stroller and read several forums. It was between selecting a stroller for the casual strolls in the city or the one, which is also suitable for rollerblading, uphill walks, possibly off-road? And the scale strongly leaned in favour of the latter – the versatile 3-wheel stroller. I have been using it in all terrains and the sporty part is equipped with a 5-point safety harness; the backrest with adjustable height from the external side to the completely horizontal position; and there is a spacious basket for my shopping bags or beach equipment.

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As I mentioned before, the winning stroller is the best compromise, with some room for improvement. We added the cup holder, which is mostly used as my “mobile phone holder”. The changing bag, which is standard equipment when buying a stroller was replaced with a designer bag by Teja Jeglič, and the stroller was added a counter for tracking every kilometre I make. For better safety, we added a belt, which I use as a safety catch when running downhill. Sometimes, for example, when we go rollerblading on a bicycle lane, I set up a small rear-view mirror. And this is how we created the almost perfect stroller for an adventurous mom, who is always on the go.

My dearest moms, I hope, you received some useful advice on how to purchase and how to choose the right stroller for you.

Happy strolling!

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Oh, yeah! The stated opinion on the stroller is completely and solely my own. This blog is not sponsored and it does not include covert advertising, just my own empirical experience with the stroller.

Kam na sprehod – Koseški bajer

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Zima že počasi trka na naša vrata, dnevi so vse krajši in krajši pa tudi vse hladnejši in skoraj ne mine teden, da ne bi deževalo. A da si kljub kislemu vremenu popestrim marsikatero dopoldne, vseskozi v bližini iščem sprehajalne poti, ki so prijazne mamicam z vozički, saj želim z Brino preživeti čim več časa na svežem zraku. Še preden se odpravim na potep, se mi porajajo vedno ista vprašanja:

– Ali bo pot primerna za vožnjo z vozičkom?

– Se bom lahko ustavila in popila kavo?

– Bom lahko na poti nahranila in previla Brino?

img_7177Tokrat sem se potepala po ljubljanskih Kosezah oziroma natančneje okoli Koseškega bajerja, ki je umetno jezerce na obrobju Ljubljane, kjer bodo otroci navdušeni predvsem nad labodi, videli pa boste lahko tudi žabe, številne dvoživke, kačje pastirje in druge ptice.

img_7170V bajerju se skrivajo ribe kot so krapi in somi, na obrežju lahko srečate tudi kakšno nutrijo, ki naj vas ne prestraši, čeprav po izgledu spominja na veliko podgano. Poleti pa vam lahko sprehod zagreni, da ne rečem zasrbi, tudi kakšen roj komarjev.

img_7165Okoli bajerja, ki zaradi umazanije sicer ni primerno za kopanje, je lepa, urejena sprehajalna pot, kjer je tudi nekaj lesenih ploščadi in razgledni pomol ter dovolj klopi, da se lahko usedete in v miru nahranite svojega otroka, saj drevesa in grmičevje nudi zadostno intimo.img_7168

Pot okoli bajerja je relativno kratka, slab kilometer, a je sprehod možno nadaljevati po Poti spominov in tovarištva (PST), ki je v neposredni bližini.

img_7180Lokacija je primerna tudi za tiste z majhnimi otroki, ki že sami veselo tekajo naokoli, saj so ob bajerju postavljena otroška igrala, mamice in seveda tudi očki pa lahko učvrstite svojo postavo tudi na zunanjih fitnes napravah, ki so postavljene v bližini jezerca in tudi ob PST-ju. img_7206

Sredi dovolj mrzle zime običajno jezerce tudi zamrzne in tako postane priljubljeno naravno drsališče. Priporočam!

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POT: delno beton, delno makadam, primerna za sprehod z vozičkom in majhnimi otroki

PARKIRIŠČE : dovolj parkirnih mest v okolici (brezplačno)

BAR:  v bližini

Otroški voziček

img_6603Ta blog sem se odločila napisati, ker se mi je v zadnjih štirih mesecih ničkolikokrat zgodilo, da so me na ulici ustavile nosečnice ali pa že mamice z vozički… In vprašanje, ki je sledilo se je običajno glasilo nekako takole: »A vas lahko nekaj vprašam? Kako ste zadovoljni z vozičkom?«

Ko si (prvič) noseča in moraš med drugim izbrati voziček to zgleda nekako takole… Stopiš v trgovino  in najprej preblediš, saj se ti v hipu v glavi sprožijo vsi alarmi – zbeži ven iz trgovine dokler lahko, saj ni šans, da boš v poplavi vseh teh vozičkov (velikosti, oblike, stili in še barve) izbrala pravega. Zmedenost je na vrhuncu, vendar se po prvotnem šoku vzameš v roke, globoko vzdihneš, kot so te učili v šoli za starše in narediš korak proti prvi potencialni tarči.

Problem je, ker ni enega vozička, ki bi bil idealen za vse mame, saj ima vsaka svoj okus in tudi različne potrebe. Ne predstavljam si, da bi izbrala napačnega, čeprav se po drugi strani verjetno sčasoma navadiš vsakega vozička. Končni izbor namreč predstavlja najboljši skupek kompromisov, idealni žal ne obstaja. Nekako tako kot pri moških. In to je tudi razlog, zakaj je potrebno še pred nakupom raziskati in dobro premisliti, kakšen voziček si želiš. Najti moraš voziček, ki ustreza tvojemu načinu življenja, željam in zahtevam ter konec koncev tudi globini žepa. In kateri je moj zmagovalni voziček?

img_5860Peg Perego Book Cross. Vendar le-ta ni bil moja prva želja oziroma izbira, ko sem si začela ogledovati otroške vozičke. V bistvu je bil na moji ‘wish listi’ voziček švedskega proizvajalca in bila sem že čisto na tem, da ga kupim. Tik pred zdajci, pa sem dobila priporočilo znanke, da so tudi Peg-Perego kvalitetni in lepi vozički. Zato sem si jih ogledala tudi v živo, kjer mi je prodajalka predstavila vozičke in pokazala katalog z barvno paleto. Zelo hitro sem prišla do spoznanja, da eden voziček ustreza mojemu načinu življenja, vendar sem domov odšla praznih rok. Bila sem v precepu.

img_7084Spomnim se, da sem tisti dan in še celo noč tuhtala in tehtala, kateri voziček naj kupim. Na Youtubu sem pregledala vse možne videe o vozičku in prebrala kar nekaj forumov. Torej, ali izbrati takšnega za šminkiranje v mestu, ali takšnega s katerim bom šla lahko tudi rolati, na kakšen hrib, po možnosti ‘off-road’? In tehtnica se je nagnila krepko v prid slednjemu, vsestranskemu trikolesniku. Dejansko ga vozim po vseh možnih terenih, športni del je opremljen s 5-točkovnim varnostnim pasom, naslonjalo je nastavljivo po višini z zunanje strani do popolnoma ležečega položaja, spodaj ima še prostorno košaro, kamor lahko zložim nakupovalne vrečke ali stvari za na plažo.

img_7138Kot sem že omenila je zmagovalni voziček predstavljal najboljši kompromis, pri katerem pa je bilo še nekaj prostora za izboljšave. Tako smo voziček opremili še s ‘cupholder-jem’, ki služi bolj kot nosilec oziroma držalo za telefon. Previjalno torbo, ki sem jo dobila poleg vozička kot del standardne opreme, sem zamenjala za dizajnersko torbo Teje Jeglič, vozičku pa smo dodali še števec, ki beleži vsak prevožen kilometer. Z vidika večje varnosti smo mu dodali še pašček, ki ga uporabljam kot varovalo, ob teku po hribu navzdol, občasno, npr. kadar gremo rolat po kolesarski stezi, pa nanj namestim še majhno vzvratno ogledalo. In tako je nastal skoraj popoln voziček za avanturistično mamo, ki je ves čas na poti.

Torej drage moje, upam, da sem vam dala vsaj nekaj koristnih nasvetov, kako se lotiti nakupa in kako izbrati pravi voziček za vas.

Pa veselo vozičkanje.

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Aja, pa še to – mnenje o vozičku je popolnoma in zgolj samo moje, blog namreč ni sponzoriran oziroma ne gre za prikrito oglaševanje, pač pa izključno za mojo empirično izkušnjo z vozičkom.