Staying for Spring Training?

Are you coming to Phoenix or Scottsdale to visit one of our 10 Spring Training facilities? Here's a few good deals at our most popular family friendly resorts with one- and two-bedroom set ups. 

Xona Resort - North Scottsdale - 2 bedroom suites with optional adjoining 3rd room for a discount, plus $50 dining credit

Wigwam Resort - Litchfield Park - AAA Four Diamond resort stay for two, golf for two, and $50 resort credit. The bigger casitas are great for families too!

Westin Kierland Resort - North Scottsdale - connecting 1- and 2-bedrooms suites, $100 credit per day for dining, spa, or FUN activities, kids under 12 eat FREE. Use promo code LYF

If you're here for an extended stay, ask us about discounted long term rates for your baby gear rentals too!

Baby Gizmo Reviews

If you're in the market for a new stroller but it's one that you can't find locally, I like to rely on Baby Gizmo.com's video reviews. They're also running a great 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway contest also. (Today's the last day!)

Smart Family

In case you missed it, we were recently featured on our local ABC Smart Family show!



And yes, we are expecting baby girl #2 right around New Years!

Demo Strollers at the AZ Kids Expo

Come by and check out our demo strollers and travel gear at the AZ Kids Expo on Sept 18-19th at University of Phoenix Stadium! On display we'll have the hottest and newest strollers from phil & ted's, BOB, Valco, and Britax. Look for some special show-only deals with rarely offered savings of 10%-15% off on brand new models. We'll also have demos of the Go Go Kidz Travelmate, C.A.R.E.S. child aviation restraint system, and FlyeBaby portable infant seats, all used for air travel with infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. We will also be providing a infant and toddler feed, changing, and play area too.

New phil & ted's Explorer on order!

The newly released phil & ted's Explorer offers some much anticipated upgrades to the popular Sport model. Keeping the same frame, great 12"air tires, and versatile doubles kit, the overall look is sleek and stylish. Here are some of the nice new features coming your way.

1. Seat design - There's now a removable padded insert in red, navy, green, or black. The stroller and frame are all black, with the exception of the all apple green model. The inserts are interchangeable should you wish to change up the color of your buggy. Both the main and doubles kit seats are made with a new design allowing for better air flow and both use a newer quick release harness system like the Smart Buggy. The quick release harness system has two release points on the harness, one for each side, instead of four like the Sport model.

2. Plastic covering in foot well - Similar to the Dash buggy, the Explorer's footwell now has a plastic kick mat instead of all fabric, making it easier to clean.

3. Pedal brake - A new pedal "flip-flop friendly" foot brake is replacing the old wire brake system. From an avid flip-flop wearer, this is a very necessary upgrade. No more bending down to release the brake with your hand.

4.One hand fold - The two release clips on each side have been replaced with one release under the base of the seat, making a one hand fold possible.

5. Sun canopy - Another great upgrade from the Sport is the new follow the sun canopy. The canopy is not attached at the back of the stroller so it can be rotated all the way forward and back to keep the sun out of baby's eyes.

6. Sun canopy for second seat - The doubles kit for the new Explorer now gets a sun canopy as well! The doubles kit attaches the same way that it did in the previous Sport model, to both the front and back of the stroller.

7. Car seat adapter - The car seat adapter can now be used with the main seat in the fully upright position, allowing for a second child to ride in the doubles kit on the rear of the Explorer. Previous models did not allow this function.

The phil & ted's Explorer upgrades do come with a slightly higher price tag of $479.99, about $30 more than the previous Sport model. The doubles kit remains the same at $89.99 even with the new sun canopy. The Explorer is due in stock at the end of August, so preorder now, or reserve one of our new rentals for your test drive on our website at http://sweetpeababyrentals.com.

New Travel Gear Addition - FlyeBaby

Our newest addition to Sweet Pea Baby Rentals' air travel rental inventory will arrive in just a few days! We're adding the FlyeBaby portable chair to our rental inventory. FlyeBaby provides a hammock style chair for your infant (up to 25 lbs) to rest in while in flight. It attaches to the tray table and has restraint straps to hold your infant safely in place so you have two free hands to play, change diapers, or read a book while she naps. It's a great alternative to holding your baby for an entire flight! It also doubles as a portable restraint that can be attached to a variety of chairs for feeding or playing. Best of all it's lightweight and portable. We are taking orders now and are able to ship rentals nationwide!

CARES Harness Review

We recently had the good fortune of being able to take a 7 night Alaskan cruise with our extended family including our 3 1/2 year old daughter. I knew I'd be bringing along one of our Child Aviation Restraint Systems (CARES) for the 10 hours of plane rides there and back, but I immediately thought, do I need to bring her car seat just to try to find a place to store it in the tiny cabin? The only time we'd be in vehicles other than a boat was our transfer to the hotel for the first night, our transfer to the port the second day, and one tour we'd booked. Since we were on a one-way cruise, renting in Anchorage was not an option (although visit Northern Lights Traveling Tykes if it is for you), so I started researching. I came across the Ride Safer Vest, which seemed to fit the bill perfectly for us. Since this was my first time personally using both of the CARES and the Ride Safer Vest, I thought I'd share my experiences. First I'll review the CARES harness.

CARES Harness Review
We grabbed the 6" stuff sack, threw it in our backpack, and headed out at 4am for our flight. I was VERY happy I didn't have a car seat to haul when we got held up at security alone (yes, at 4am) for a full backpack, stroller, and carry-on search. My daughter and I then ran to the gate to be the last ones on the plane. I had the CARES out of the bag, slipped over the back of the seat and had her strapped down in less than a minute, never having used it before. Of course, I suppose I had a little advantage having been renting and inspecting them for over a year.


The process is easy:

1. Lower the tray of the seat behind you
2. Slip the harness over the back of the seat and tighten
3. Raise the tray back up
4. Strap in your child and adjust the shoulder straps as necessary

The Pros:

• Extremely light weight and small
• Good for kids 22-44 lbs (has also been approved for special needs children and adults)
  
• Easy to install and secure
• Child can't kick the back of the seat in front
• Can be used in any seating position (car seats typically can only be installed at the window seat for evacuation purposes)
• Approved for taxi, take-off, in flight, and landing
• Used on 4 different flights and 4 different aircraft including a small commuter plane with no problems or questions from the flight attendants.
  

The Cons:

• No crotch strap meant my daughter could wiggle down
• Since the airline seats were curved, the back of the strap holding it on tended to hit her at the back of the head. This didn't seem to bother her though, even when I asked.
• No head support when she fell asleep. I just unbuckled her and gave her a blanket to lay her head on.
• This isn't related to the harness but she could unbuckle the airplane seat belt herself, but not the chest clip on the harness.

All in all, I highly recommend this as an alternative to a car seat, especially for older toddlers and preschoolers. If you're flying with a 1-2 year old on a long flight, you may consider the car seat for comfort if you want them to sleep for a long stretch. In those cases, check out the Go Go Kidz Travelmate to turn your car seat into a stroller for the airport.

Summer Vacations - Plan Ahead!

If you're busy planning your summer vacation, whether it be to Phoenix or anywhere else, visit our partners at Baby Travel Pros to find a rental company that serves your destination. Many companies sell out during peak travel periods so you may want to book the essentials, like a crib or car seat now to ensure they are reserved for you. Making reservations weeks or months in advance is not uncommon, and the company will appreciate your planning ahead so they can better serve you. Generally additions and changes can be made to your order up to a few days before your scheduled delivery if necessary. Unsure of just what you'll need? Check out the guide to recommended gear by age.

Baby Travel Pros is an association of independently owned and operated baby gear rental companies across the world. The only association of it's kind, members are committed to providing safe and clean baby gear for you and your little traveler.

New Full Sized Cribs!

We are very excited to report that our brand new full sized, commercially rated and tested wood cribs are here! Why are we so excited? This crib has been manufactured and tested to meet the ASTM Standards for commercial crib rentals. (Our new mini-cribs by LA Baby Company meet this standard as well.) While the adherence to the commercial standard is not a law in Arizona, we are committed to providing a safe environment for your child.

The vast majority of the cribs on the market are only designed and tested for residential use (one child, assembling once, maybe twice), including the popular Delta models that most rental companies use. While they meet residential ASTM and JPMA standards, they are not rated for commercial rentals. Our new Foundations cribs are full sized, folding models featuring hardwood construction and heavy-duty hardware that lessens the amount of wear and tear typically inflicted on a residential use crib when used as a rental. Not only does this make our free set up and removal easier and faster for us, but in the event that you need to move the crib (with our permission of course), it's much easier for you too.


Visit us online today at http://sweetpeababyrentals.com to view all of our other rental items and let us help you make your family vacation a little easier!

Out of Africa Wildlife Park

My family and I had the pleasure of taking a day trip to Out of Africa Wildlife Park in Camp Verde, AZ this past weekend. I say pleasure because it was one of the best "zoos" I have ever been to. For me, the zoo typically means pushing around a stroller and holding up a heavy 3 year old to see all the way to the back of the enclosure for about 6 hours. Here, we parked our stroller and our 3 year old actually thought the animals were too close to her!

The photos you see on their website are actually photos that I could have taken myself, and these photos here, I really did take myself with my basic little digital camera, no fancy zoom lens or anything. You are within feet of the animals and they are all very visible thanks to the way the enclosures are set up. The park houses all types of animals from lions, tigers, and other cats, bears, giraffes, zebras, and ostrich, to a rhinoceros named Boom Boom whom we happened across on our way out of the park. There was something strange and funny about rounding a corner to see a rhino sleeping under a desert tree fenced in by nothing more than concrete traffic barricades.

Upon our entrance to the park, we caught the outgoing safari ride and were handed carrot sticks as we got on - then were told not to eat them. Our very first stop down the dirt road was at the giraffe's enclosure where he eagerly awaited the bus and our carrot sticks. The driver gave everyone sufficient time to take photos and feed the giraffe. Some unsuspecting passengers got a friendly lick on the face from the giraffe when we ran out of carrots too! We ventured on into a gated area where zebra, ostrich, more giraffe and lots of other animals roamed free. The tour guide was wonderful at explaining all about the animals and bringing them right up to the bus (with some treats) for some great photos.

At the end of our safari, our driver dropped us off at the top of the hill just in time for the Tiger Splash show. In the show a few brave staff members and two very large tigers jump and play in the water with inflatable pool toys, which the tigers joyously pop. One of the owners of the park narrated the show and stressed that they animals are not trained but that they work on a relationship basis with them. For example, to get a toy from one of the tigers, they offer something else in return. The tiger would give up the toy for, in this case, a piece of meat. There were no signs or spoken commands to any of the animals.

After the show, we grabbed a bite to eat from the burger stand then checked out and pet the boa constrictor during the Giant Snake Show. The handler did not carry around the snake to everyone, for one because it was about 15 feet long, but rather she opened the gate to the show arena and let anyone come in that wanted to check out the snake.

We wandered around and in most cases had the animals all to ourselves since the park was not crowded at all. It was so strange to stand 4 feet from two bears who sat looking straight at you, or a tiger who walked over to see what you were doing. We stayed for the Wonders of Wildlife show which on that day was the grizzly bears. At the end of the show, we happened to see the two founders, Dean and Prayeri, sitting watching the show as well. We stopped to tell them what a fantastic park they had created and ended up talking to them for over an hour. They are wonderful caring people who care about the animals as well as their staff and community.

Where: Out of Africa Park, Camp Verde, AZ (~60 mi north of Scottsdale)
When you get there, turn right before the court building and follow the road until it becomes dirt. We found out they are having a problem with the transportation department allowing them to post permanent signage.

When: Daily 9:30am-5pm

Price: $36 adults, $28 seniors, $20 kids 3-12 (under 3 free) (Yes, it is a little pricey but worth it. There are reduced AZ resident rates as of right now, and coupons are available on their website, and check entertainment books and brochures for coupons too)

Book soon for Chirstmas!

As we do most holidays, Sweet Pea Baby Rentals was SOLD OUT of many items over Thanksgiving.  The most popular last minute request? Crib tents for a pack n play (which we unfortunately do not have).  Moms and dads, you might want to pull out that pack n play at home before you leave and give it a whirl for nap time just to make sure that junior can't and won't climb out.  Discovering this on day 1 of Christmas vacation at Grandmas might leave you in a pinch when most rental companies are sold out of full sized cribs and crib tents. 

As an added bonus for December, we're also offering a FREE booster high chair rental with every order booked by December 20th.  Check out our packages and specials for more information.

My Airport Busy Kit

I ran across a great product a few weeks ago called My Airport Busy Kit.  It's a lunch-box sized kit aimed at keeping preschoolers busy in the airport, on the plane, or during any outing where entertainment is necessary.  The Airport Busy Kit is geared toward ages 3+, and luckily my own product tester is just that age (barely 3 years old).   No sooner did I have the shipping box open did she scoop it up and start sifting through the contents. 

Our kit contained everything pictured here: an activity book, a blank notepad, stickers, washable markers, crayons, plastic kids scissors (that cut paper but not fingers), Wikki Stix, wooden wands to color, a lacing board, a tic tac toe game, a tape measure, and linking figurines.  For some of the games in the activity book, she did need my direction which is understandable as they are also geared toward a slightly older age group, but for the most part, she was able to handle the majority of the items herself.  She happily sat at the kitchen table and played for an hour before dinner, showing off her linked acrobats, measuring things, putting sticker fish into the fishbowl, coloring one of the wands, and cutting paper.  We repacked everything easily into the carrying pouch and first thing the next morning, she went right back to it and played some more. Our conclusion: the kit is a great tool to add to the arsenal of things to keep the 3+ age group busy on a plane or in the airport!

If you're renting cribs, car seats, or other gear from Sweet Pea Baby Rentals while on vacation in the Phoenix-metro area, we offer FREE SHIPPING with your purchase.  If you rent a CARES harness from us, we can add the kit to your shipment too.

Cost to Rent vs. Cost to Bring

The baggage fees that airlines are charging this holiday season might have you thinking twice about what to bring with you.  Take a look at our comparison chart by Sweet Pea Baby Rentals that shows you the cost to rent versus the cost to bring your gear along. 

Picture yourself standing at the ticket counter, checking in for your flight.  First you get hit with at least $15 for each bag you check, so for mom and dad's two bags, that's $30 on top of the price of your tickets.  If your airline gives your lap child a baggage allowance, that'll be another $15 for his bag.  If they don't, then it will count as a second bag for you and cost at least another $30. 

So now you're probably up to $60 and haven't gotten to baby's essentials, like the Pack N Play, car seat or stroller.  You're most likely in luck with the car seat and stroller fee-wise.  Typically you are able to check these at no charge but you run the risk of them being smashed, broken, lost, or at least dirtied in the baggage hold with all the other suitcases.  You cannot carry either of them on board unless you have purchased a seat for your child, in which case you can bring an FAA-approved car seat (most car seats are). Another alternative to the car seat is a CARES harness and you can even get a free rental for your flights when you rent a car seat from us while you here.

If you decide to bring along the Pack N Play, now you're up to a 3rd checked item which carry fees up to $130!  At this point, you're already standing there with it in hand, so what else can you do besides take it along.  That's most likely more than a new Pack N Play would cost if you bought one at your destination.

Our best advice is to put smaller babies in a soft front pack carrier or bring a cheap $10 umbrella stroller with you to get through the airport, preferably one that you don't care if it gets smashed along the way.  Save yourself the headache and expense of checking the car seat, pack n play, portable high chair, toys, and other essentials and rent them from us.  We'll have everything waiting at your rental car counter when you arrive, or can deliver to a local residence, resort, condo, or wherever you need the gear.

New Mini-Crib

We've added a few new items to our inventory recently here at Sweet Pea Baby Rentals. Our newest addition to our rental inventory is the Mini-Crib, just in time for the holidays. The Mini-Crib is smaller than a full sized crib and comes with an upgraded 3" mattress (more plush than the standard 1"). The mini-crib (also known as a compact crib or portable crib) is good for kids up to approximately 2 years old, depending on their height. The length of the mini-crib is 38", so if you're child is close to this height, it might be better to go with a standard full-sized crib or try the phil & ted's Traveller, both 51" in length. The compact mini-crib is perfect for tight spaces where a full sized might not fit, like next to a bed, or in a den / office.

How To: Part 2 - Bob Strollers

As a follow up to last weeks post about how much we love BOB, I wanted to share some tips on how the stroller actually works. If you've just reserved your first BOB Gear jogging stroller for your Arizona vacation from Sweet Pea Baby Rentals, read on! Maybe you'll be showing your children the beautiful back country of Sedona, taking a walk in the warm desert evening, or just giving a ride to the resort pool. Here's some tips on our BOB jogger rentals that might help get you on the road that much faster. The Bob Revolution Duallie (double) model is show in the photos below but the process is exactly the same for the Revolution single and other models.



1. The fold is very easy.

To fold the stroller, pull up on the red tabs under the handle bar and flip the handlebar forward toward the foot rest.

Pull up on the red cord at the base of the seat to collapse the wheels.









For extra storage space, remove the rear and/or front wheels with the flip of a lever.











To unfold the BOB jogger, swing the back wheels out until they lock, then unfold the handlebar to the upright position.

2. The canopy is great.
Extend the canopy all the way out (shown on the right side). The two stage canopy can be pulled back half way and locked into place by using the draw string on the top of the canopy (shown on the left side). The draw string is only accessible by the parent from the top of the canopy. (A request from us - parents please don't put your drinks or coffee in the folds of the canopy. Thanks!)




3. Lock the front wheel straight for pushing through sand or on rough terrain. Flip the red button on the front of the wheel, then rotate the wheel around until it locks straight. This helps to keep it from catching when pushing it through the sand or over rocks and rough terrain.

4. Adjust the suspension for older children. Since the BOB strollers can be used up to 70lbs total(single) or 100lbs total (double/duallie), they have two suspension settings. Our rental strollers are set on the softer setting for younger children, but if you have older toddlers and pre-schoolers riding, adjust the suspension to the stiffer setting to give them a better ride.

5. Recline one or both seats independently.

Shown in the Bob Revolution Duallie here, one seat is upright and the other is fully reclined. The recline is infinitely adjustable to this position.





Try out one of our BOB Revolution strollers for your family today. Our Try & Buy program makes it easy and affordable to test drive one of our rentals risk-free too. If you decide to buy one from us, we'll credit the rental cost toward your purchase.

Bob Jogging Stroller Review

Here at Sweet Pea Baby Rentals, we carry top of the line Bob jogging strollers in our rental inventory. After reviewing tons of models on the market, we chose to carry them for several reasons: they are durable and the fabric cleans easily, they have a high 70 lb weight limit (100lb for double), built in adjustable suspension, and a great canopy to keep our Arizona sunshine off your little one. And the best feature of all? The swivel front wheel of the popular Revolution line.

The swivel front wheel makes the stroller a dream to push, even in the Duallie (double) model. I've loaded the Duallie with 100lbs of kids (or other rental gear) and have never had a problem pushing and turning it with one hand. This includes wheeling it through airport elevators and doorways, and up and down curbs, with no problem. The air-filled tires make for a great ride combined with the suspension system. I have had a few flats on our fleet, including one from a very large cactus thorn, but it's nothing the local bike shop can't repair in a matter of 5 minutes. (A recommendation, buy a tube of Slime and fill the tires to prevent punctures.)

We've personally used the Revolution for jogging, walking on the beach in the sand, on desert hiking trails, and in the mall. The swivel wheel is able to be locked into a straight position for added stability when jogging too. It's a great all-purpose stroller and the rear wheels slide off with just a flip of a lever for easier loading into the car. If you'd prefer a smaller set of wheels for storage purposes, try the 12AW model (12" aluminum rear wheels versus standard 16" plastic).

Many accessories are available and I'd recommend the handlebar console, which give the parent two cup holders and a zippered pouch for extra storage. An infant car seat adapter is also available and it comes with a tray attachment to add on when baby gets older. We prefer not to have the tray attachment so our toddler can climb in and out on her own though.

If you've been thinking about buying one but aren't sure, check out our Try & Buy program. You can test drive one of our rental models and if it works for you, we'll credit your entire rental fee toward your purchase.

Random interesting things found on Twitter today

I try to be up on the latest tech crazes...try is the key word. I wanted to share some interesting links I found while reading through my Twitter posts this morning.

1. Museum Day - 9/26 FREE Museum admission to hundreds of venues sponsored by the Smithsonian. Check your state or vacation destination for some place fun and interesting.

2. Flye Baby - An air travel baby hammock that attaches to the seatback tray infront of you, allowing your baby to lay and stay in your seat without you having to hold them the entire flight.

3. A one-week packing list for traveling with kids. Assuming you can do some laundry while you're gone, this will cut down on the amount of stuff you need to take. Also visit one of our Baby Travel Pros partners to rent kids gear at your destination.

4. How to spot fake reviews of travel destinations, hotels, restaurants, etc. If you think it's fake, it probably is. Trust your gut!

How To: Part 1 - Set Up a Pack N Play

It looks easy enough, right? After a long day of traveling with an overtired crying baby, popping up that Pack n Play doesn't always go so smoothly. Maybe the last time you did it was months ago when you set yours up in your living room for baby to play in. If we aren't there to set it up for you, here's a video we found on exactly how to get it up in about 30 seconds.

The basic steps:

1. Remove carrying bag

2. Un-velcro the straps holding the mattress pad around the pack n play and set it aside

Now, the important part and in this order:

3. Pull up all four side rails until they audibly lock

4. Push down center floor support until it audibly locks

(if you push down the center BEFORE locking the rails, they WILL NOT LOCK)

5. Position mattress pad in bottom of Pack N Play, securing it underneath by passing the velcro straps through the slits in the floor fabric to the underneath side of the pack n play.

Our rental Graco Pack N Play's are all of the same basic design. The accessories and the way they attach to the Pack N Play do vary from model to model, but instructions are provided with all of our rentals.

Payson, AZ - Photo Friday

Last weekend we escaped to Payson, just a short 90 minute drive northeast of Phoenix, to visit some family. I say "some family" because I honestly couldn't tell you how we were related. We took my parents ATV's up to the Mogollon Rim in cool country to enjoy the view and give our 3 year old her first potty-in-the-woods expierence. It was a beautiful view and we were almost cold in the 70-degree weather. It was wonderful!


We also took a nice long drive down a very winding dirt road on the edge of a cliff to find Fossil Creek, out of Strawberry, AZ. It had some great swimming areas and a small campground too. Here's Cameron and grandpa enjoying the scenery and tossing sticks into the creek.

Want to see more family travel photos? Find out more about Photo Friday at Delicous Baby!

Heat Wave

To escape the recent record setting heat in Phoenix (and across the northwest too!) we took a nice 5 1/2 hour drive over to Orange County for another little weekend break. We hit the highest average temperature and the highest average lows ever recorded for July. Many, many days of temps over 110 degress also gave us our highest a/c bill ever recorded too!

We stopped by the San Juan Capistrano Mission, pictured below, had lunch at the old train depot then headed down to San Clemente to the beach and watched the passenger trains go by as we played in the waves.

We used the Phil and Ted's Traveller for our almost 3 year old daughter that we just added to our rental inventory at Sweet Pea Baby Rentals. It worked out great and was a good follow up test to our review a few weeks ago. I popped it up in a few minutes and packed it neatly into it's tiny carrying bag when we were all done. I do wish they'd designed some way to put a sheet in the bottom though. Sleeping on the nylon bottom doesn't seem to bother our daughter but it does seem to make her a little hotter than normal. Another good option is the Kidco Pea Pod that we just reviewed too. It is smaller but also does not have a sheet like the Traveller.

Check out more travel pics at Photo Friday over at deliciousbaby.com