New Year Festivities: Office Christmas Party & Gran Melia New Year’s Eve Gala Dinner

Since the Festive Season has just passed and we’re left to move on with our lives, I think 2012′s Festivities are worth remembering – thus this post

The Office Christmas Party

For years, I dreamt of having one. This year, WE threw one!

You do happen to know that we have the coolest office in the world, don’t you?

Well, the office itself is nothing without its lively people. This is the best team I’ve ever had in years, and I do appreciate them all. They’re a happy bunch consisting of a strange mélange of people originating from different backgrounds and doing different things in the office, and even it’s not just one company – there are three! (And this week – the second week of January 2013, three become four, after that, four will become five in the next months – and hopefully by the end of the year 2013, this office will house nine to ten different companies altogether like branches rooting to the same tree)

The office has everything that makes you want to move here. And I truly hope everyone at the office will be happy, staying for a long time there!

So, the office Christmas Party was planned two weeks prior to the date. I wanted to invite everyone to a classy JW Marriott dinner, but J says “That’s so NOT special – you can do it any other time! This is Christmas. I want something special. So screw JWM and let’s cook the meals ourselves!”

So it happened as the boss’ wish is always our command.

And t’was extremely FUN! FUN with big F. I didn’t know I’d enjoy cooking with everyone that much. Everyone cooked something. We even made sangria – lots of fruity bits chopped in small cubes (Thai fragrant mangoes, lemons, blood Valencia oranges, kiwis, Black Autumn grapes and whatnots) soaked up in a punch bowl filled with a blend of Vodka, Red Wine and no-added-sugar OJ) – surprisingly the sangria was sooooooooooooooooo good even though, against all regulations, it was only soaked up at 3 PM in the afternoon to be enjoyed at 7 in the evening (usually it has to soak up overnight).

In short, we had these wonderful itsy bites of food to share: Stuffed Chicken, Swedish Meatballs with Parisian Champignon Mushrooms, Grilled Blackpepper Salmon Steaks, Chicken Cordon-Bleu, Baked Macaroni, Baked Bacon Garlic Bread, Fresh Garden Salads with French Vinaigrette Dressing, Tuna-Mayo with Asparagus & Cherry Tomatoes, looooooooooots of Canapés and my ever-famous No-Bake Strawberry Philadelphia Cheesecake.

We also had a lot of drinks and talks and laughs.

We exchanged gifts too – I got a very cute Bath & BodyWorks Pocket Bacteria Holder in Pink Paris!

The BlackBoard Wall in the Playroom with our own ecological Sapin de Noël (ecological cos it’s not a real one, just a sketch one of the graphic designers made)

Some of the food – Swedish Meatballs and Tuna-Mayo with Asparagus and Cherry Tomatoes

Louis surrounded by his groupies (wth with that Minnie Mouse Hat!! *_* But he still manages to get away with it thanks to his cuteness)

Some of the food – Fresh Garden Salads, Baked Macaroni and the presents

Some of the food – Stuffed Chicken, No-Baked Strawberry Philly Cheesecake and Blackpepper Salmon Steaks

The Office’s personal bartender (stolen from one of the guys’ Instagram)

The PlayRoom (stolen from one of the guys’ Instagram)

New Year’s Eve Gala Dinner in Gran Meliá Hotel Jakarta

Another thing that was guh-reat was that we got to spend the New Year’s Eve in Gran Meliá Hotel Jakarta.

We. LOVE. This. Hotel!

The food is always excellent, the staff super-friendly and the service impeccable.

So, when we got the chance to spend NYE there, which was kind of last-minute plan to be honest, we just hopped in to the car and off we went!

The Gala Dinner was amazingly delicious. We had turkey, foie gras with mango jelly, foie gras with fig compote, Wagyu sirloin, Alaskan King Crab, almond bread with blackberry confit, Raclette fondue, and what else – a lot, actually. Let the photos speak for themselves.

Louis was also too cute for words. He loved being with us and enjoyed every bit of the moments as much as we did.

We’re definitely going to do some staycations in 2013!

PS: Their Sunday Brunch is also the best brunch in town

Christmas Roses at the Hotel’s Lobby

My own personal Christmas gift! Guess what’s in the box??

The Premium Room at the Gran Meliá Hotel Jakarta

Candy Fondants made by the The Meliá’s Pastry Chef

Croquembouche! Like the one Bree van de Kamp made!

Salmon Gravlax with Dill, Foie Gras with Fig Compote, succulent Prime Wagyu Sirloin au jus, Almond Bread with BlackBerry confit, Turkey with Cranberry Sauce

The amazingly delicious Macaroon Christmas Tree / Tower

Seafood Galore with Alaskan King Crab crowning the middle

Summer in France – Part 2: Paris

Back again!

We left Paris on a sunny, albeit a little bit windy, Tuesday morning. 2.5 more hours of TGV where we could finally sit down in a private compartment – empty save for us and the TGV controllers. Louis was behaving OK – apart of the TGV magazine whose pages he took pleasure in ripping and the chocolate yoghurt he “accidentally” poured everywhere, everything went fine.

Arriving in the Gare de Lyon, I honestly didn’t want to take any metro with all our luggage, so we just hitched a cab to our flat, which was located in the Beaubourg – Pompidou at the 3rd Arrondissement.

(Now, if you have never been in Paris before, Paris is divided into 20 areas called the “Arrondissements”. It goes from the middle of Paris, Isle Saint Louis, which is the 1st Arr, and it rolls outward like a snail house / shell. The best things happen in the middle, of course. I personally love the 3rd and 4th Arr best. The 1st and the 16th Arr is mostly the posh ones, while the 19th and the 20th are considered ghettos – even though this is going to change soon. We are buying an apartment in the 3rd – fingers crossed!!)

Things to do in Paris with a baby

This summer, actually, what we wanted to do was just relaxing. Afterall, it’s not like we were tourists. We just wanted to walk around, stroll around, go shopping, relax, dine & drink in nice restaurants and spend time playing in public places like parks – basically, things we don’t have in Jakarta.

Since our apartment was literally IN FRONT OF the Paris MoMA (Museum of Modern Arts), the Centre Georges Pompidou, it was near everything. Restaurants, bars, cafés, small boutiques, nice shops, and the Forum des Halles!!!! Hurrahhhh!!! Shopaholic hormones speaking up

So, we spent a week just like that: we didn’t even go visit any touristic spots – we just spent quality time, the three of us, going everywhere in ballads of Paris, and shopped a lot. The highstreet shops being mere minutes away on foot combined with a couple of shopaholics with their baby would not be a good combination for the resulting luggage going back home.

But, in case you’re going to Paris with the kids and wonder where we also went, here are the places you might consider, apart from the EuroDisney of course.

Along the Canals of Paris toward the Parc de la Villette

Paris is small!!! Compared to Jakarta, of course. Jakarta is a gigantic 661 km2, while Paris with its agglomeration only makes 100 km2-ish. It’s 1/6 the size of Jakarta, but it’s full of great things friendly for kids.

Parc de la Villette is located at the end of Paris, at the northern tip of the city just under the city limits of the 19th and 20th Arr. From Pompidou/Beaubourg, you just have to go up north, along the Canals of Paris, about 6 kms of walk. We chose JUST THE PERFECT DAY for this stroll: the sun was shining bright, but there was some breezes which made things comfier.

We put about an hour and a half because we took our time to take photos and stop everywhere. Louis was behaving very very nicely and he even fell asleep inside his stroller. (Bless Aprica Karoon, this stroller is just magically lightweight – we will soon buy the Karoon 2 to replace this old soldier so very used already)

It was NICE! We loved the canals – so quiet, under the shades of the trees, listening to the running water. We passed through the Canal de l’Ourcq where there are a nice park and restaurants, with two cinemas, one in each side of the river.

And Parc de la Villette itself! It’s huge. We arrived on its southern tip, near the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie Paris, which is Europe’s biggest Science Museum. There’s always something cool for the kids here, so we promised ourselves to return when Louis is older.

The only downside of Parc de la Villette: sandwiches were expensive and the taste so-so – we should’ve prepared our picnic basket from home.

Next summer we’ll definitely be back at this park. Loved it.

More info here: Parc de la Villette – Paris

Metro: Stop at Corentin Cariou on Metro Line 7 or Porte de Pantin on Metro Line 5.

Entrance Fee: Parc de la Villette is free. The Science Museum I’m not sure, something like 8-10 € I guess.

Jardin des Plantes de Paris and its Ménagerie

This is Paris’ Botanical Garden, located at the 5th Arr near the Mosque of Paris (next to it).

It’s not so big, but it houses a lot of very, very beautiful flowers and plants and it has its own mini-zoo, the Ménagerie, as well as some museums (Museums of Natural History, divided into 4: The Evolution, The Mineralogy, The Paleontology and The Entomology Galleries).

It also has a beautiful maze, atop a hill, a dreamy-looking rose garden with hundreds of varieties of roses, dahlia garden, tropical garden and a field of sunflowers.

The Ménagerie itself isn’t so big as a zoo. But it was okay – it even had some pink-almost-red flamingos, reptiles, leopards and some orangutans (which are of Sumatran origins!).

More info here: Jardin des Plantes de Paris

Metro: Stop at Austerlitz on Metro Line 5 or Censier Daubenton on Metro Line 7.

Entrance Fee: Jardin des Plantes is free for public, the Ménagerie 10 € per person (adult, I don’t remember how much would be for children, but it’s also free of charge for babies under 2).

Centre Pompidou for children & Fontaine Stravinsky

Centre Pompidou has its own children gallery (Centre Pompidou Juniors) and from what I saw on their official website, it’s quite interesting – too bad Louis is still too young to explore it.

But we had some fun time sitting near the Fontaine Stravinsky – a very whimsical fountain just some steps away from the Centre Pompidou. Louis liked to observe the fountain and all its sculptures.

More info here: Centre Pompidou Junior Paris

Metro: Stop at Rambuteau on Metro Line 11 or RER A, B or D, stop at Châtelet-Les Halles.

Entrance Fee: Entering the museum itself is free, entering the galleries I’m not sure (we didn’t get in far). Stravinsky Fountain is of course free – it’s located outside, in a public space.

Shopping for Children’s Stuff in Paris

When we arrived in Paris this time, it was the final week of SUMMER SALE! OH. MY. GOODNESS. Everywhere we went, there were signs of “FINAL REDUCTIONS” on the display windows.

We bought quite a lot of things for Louis – clothes and some toys, mostly. The Summer Soldes will make everyone completely insane. Okaïdi Obaïbi, Nike, Adidas, what else? Oh, also Lacoste.

Except the Lacoste red polo shirt with long sleeves that we got at Lacoste Champs-Élysées where there were no reduction whatsoever, everything we bought never exceeded 15 €. The Nike ensembles at 15 and later on 10 €, swimshorts from Okaïdi Obaïbi for 3-5 € – it’s Jakarta prices slashed in 3, sometimes 4!

At Gap, H&M, Du Pareil au même – everything was on sale. We didn’t find anything for Louis here but we found some cute little things for families/friends’ kids at home.

If you’re going to Paris, I really, really advise you to go between end of June till end of July – where all the Summer Soldes happen.

There is no Mothercare though – I think that brand is native to the Great Britain – but anyway there are more brands to shop at in Paris.

AND! If you have a daughter, you would’ve gotten crazier than we were. Boys’ stuff are like 1/4 of the total stock – there are more stuff for girls – all beyond the highest cuteness level possible.

Now that I’m making all these posts, I start missing Paris badly…

Anyway, everything went smoothly! Louis was like an angel – always smiling, always nice, cried only a little and the rest of time he was happily sitting on his stroller and observing things around him. He was also behaving very nicely meal-wise – he liked baguette and soups and purees so no problem on that side.

During our stay in Paris, I also had to wash the clothes, clean up the apartment and do all domestic chores I usually never lay my hands on – all by taking care of Louis. Now, we also knew how hard it is to take care of a household and raise a kid without any help – I know this sounds so lame, but yes, we do need help from our family – in my case, mother and aunt – to raise Louis. It really does take a village to raise a kid.

This was the first time ever we went so far and so long just the three of us – and we succeeded! Two great weeks in France. Not a crisis – well perhaps just one or two (On the way back to Jakarta, Louis was unhappy and crying badly on the plane and even puked on a stewardess) – but that was all!

We’ll be back soon, Paris!

Lost in Tokyo Part 1: Hunting Designer Stuff in Shinjuku

We’re in Tokyo!

Well, isn’t that obvious. We’ve been planning to go to Tokyo for over a year now – last year our holiday was cancelled due to the tsunami that suddenly hit Japan. And earlier this year due to some problems with the airline.

Anyway, we’re in Tokyo since Wednesday night and it’s been fun! We’re staying at the Park Hotel Tokyo at the Shiodome Media Tower.

Japan is really a world apart. Most people don’t speak English here and almost everything is written in Japanese, sometimes with translation in English, sometimes not. We’ve got some difficulties in asking directions for example – nobody answers your questions if you speak English! Moreover, people always mistake me for a Japanese – so they don’t bother speaking in English at all. The first day, it took us about ten minutes before we got to operate the Tokyo Metro ticket vending machine correctly.

But I’m not going to talk about Tokyo first – as per request from my friends on Twitter, BBM and Whatsapp, the first episode of my Lost in Tokyo Series is “Hunting Designer Stuff in Shinjuku”.

Brand fanatics? Welcome to the Paradise of Shinjuku

I love branded designer stuff. OK, you can call me shallow or whatever, I also used to think that branded stuff were not for me and simply too pretentious, unaffordable, useless. But then I had my first Marc Jacobs and then Louis Vuitton bag and I was instantly hooked. I’ve been collecting them since. And believe me, once you cross over to the other side, there’s no getting back. You will always want more and more.

So when I heard from a friend of mine who just visited Tokyo that you can find real designer stuff for so much less in Tokyo, I absolutely had to go where she went.

I don’t usually buy secondhand stuff – I like my Louis Vuitton vachetta light-colored and clean (my husband pointed out that the fakes’ vachetta don’t age and don’t develop any patina and he told me why buy authentic bags when they age faster than the fakes? OH. Men. I haven’t yet started talking about him going crazy on vintage Nintendo consoles in Akiba yesterday), but from time to time, why not? If the stuff is mint and almost like new.

Anyway, my friend had emptied all her bonus in her Tokyo shopping spree. She went there with a Japanese colleague from Tokyo, who guided her throughout the hidden treasures in Shinjuku.

She also told me an interesting story she got from the Jap colleague: the fact that these designer stuff usually come from “working” girls.

In Tokyo, it is a common thing that a girl who works also gets supported by her lovers /admirers / sugar daddies. Not only the ones working in karaokes / bars but sometimes also girls who work as shopkeepers, waitresses – well, you never know. I can understand – the three days we’ve been spending here have shown us how much Tokyo is the palace of excessive consumption even worse than Paris. Almost everyone wears designer stuff here. In the metro, on the streets, everywhere I see women and men sporting designer stuff. Clad in everything that has a name, from top to toe.

So, these girls are happy to accept men who maintain their lifestyle – buy them branded stuff, jewels, watches…but then often they get tired of the gifts or they need money or they just want something else, so they go and sell or exchange the gifts off for so much less and get something else they prefer – another model of bag, another kind of jewel, whatever – that’s how the designer stuff end up at the secondhand shops for so much less.

This kind of business could work good in Jakarta – where you see a lot of kept girls. But then again, maybe not. Indonesian kampong girls like to keep the stuff their sugar daddies buy them – afterall, not everyday a kampong girl could get designer stuff, am I right?

I, for one, know of a girl who earned merely the minimum wage but went wild and spent twice her salary, over US$ 300 in Zara and Mango when her European sugar daddy came visiting her. (OH. You get it now. For Indonesians, Zara and Mango – and soon H&M – ARE luxury. Thanks for the importers who deliberately sell them way overpriced. I almost never buy anything from them because they’re overpriced in Jakarta and being positioned too up high. Been saying it over and over again: in Europe, wearing Zara or Mango and even more H&M means you’re a student or young – nothing luxurious about it, it’s just stuff you wear everyday – while in Jakarta, it’s HIP and POSH and TRENDY! What? You don’t like Zara and Mango? Can’t afford it? You’re not cool, then!)

Anyway, girls like these abound in Jakarta as well. But they’re perhaps simply “less expensive” than their Japanese counterparts because they could be happy just by going to Zara or Debenhams. So maybe this kind of business model – secondhand shops – could work good in Jakarta but you gotta lower the standard: instead of selling Louis Vuitton,  Chanel, Bottega Veneta, Gucci, Balenciaga, Hermès and the likes, you gotta sell the high street brands like Zara, Mango, Uniqlo, H&M.

I’ve strolled out too far I guess – enough about it, let’s get back to my Tokyo story.

This morning, it was raining in Tokyo so we decided the shrines and the palace were off the track and chose to go to the commercial centers instead. I opted for Shinjuku. That’s where my friend found her steals.

We got out at the Shinjuku Station, the exit next to SunRoute Plaza Shinjuku, and some fifty meters farther, I was crazed to see the first of the stores: DAIKOKUYA.

Daikokuya

Daikokuya are small shops scattered a bit everywhere – later I also saw their signs in Ginza and in Shibuya. I got into about 4-5 Daikokuya shops today in Shinjuku and Shibuya.

Daikokuya are small shops where you can purchase and sell back designer stuff. Not only bags – also shoes, wallets, accessories, jewelries, even watches.

They price the bags at reasonable range – a small Louis Vuitton women’s wallet in monogram starts at ¥ 8,900 – which literally translates to € 89. Monogram Neverfull starts at ¥ 38,000 for ones with whose vachetta has already developed patina and Monogram Speedy (not the Speedy B like mine, though – I didn’t find the Speedy Bandoulière like mine anywhere in the shops today) starts at ¥ 15,000 for the smallest one, size 25, and ¥ 23,000 for size 30. Gucci and Prada bags start at ¥ 20,000 while the Coach bags are even cheaper – as much as ¥ 8,000 for a Poppy tote. Google yourself the real price on their website.

Daikokuya also sell men and women’s watches and jewelries. I even saw some Cartiers and Rolexes sold at ¥ 60,000 and beyond today.

Komehyo

Second stop after Daikokuya was Komehyo. It’s an eight-story building in main area of Shinjuku, located across the big Isetan which is literally like Printemps or Galeries Lafayette in Paris. We didn’t go to Isetan – what for? I prefer going to Lafayette next month for the mid-year soldes/big summer sale.

So, Komehyo is a paradise for secondhand stuff. All designer, all branded, all real. People don’t sell fakes in Japan, unlike in China or Jakarta or Bangkok or even Paris suburbs.

First floor – bags, perfumes and jewelries. I saw some Birkins there, priced at ¥ 220,000 to start with – I have never seen any Birkin priced so cheap – the Jakarta-based online shops on Facebook usually sell them at Rp 55,000,000 and beyond which converts to US$ 6,000 and that’s rare – very rare.

Well, not in Japan, apparently.

Komehyo is eight floors of secondhand steals. Almost everything is secondhand and so much cheaper here. Bag-wise, they have everything: from the first-tier brands such as Hermès, Vuitton, Veneta, Balenciaga, YSL, Gucci, Dior, Chanel, they also have the second-tier ones such as Kate Spade, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, Tory Burch, Coach.

On the first floor, a Kate Spade purse was ¥ 7,900 – mint condition, Stevie Classic Stucco monogram was ¥ 10,000 something. Marc by Marc Jacobs start at ¥ 10,000 as well. Balenciaga Vélo starting at ¥ 35,000, while a Chanel Cabas Maxi 08 Series was around ¥ 70,000.

Second and third floor boast luxury watches. We saw some Cartiers and Audemars-Piguets priced at ¥ 1 millions and beyond. Fourth floor is jewelries – from Tiffany & Co to BVLGARI to whatever is Swiss and expensive.

Komehyo’s Fifth Floor

Fifth floor. Now, fifth floor is solely dedicated to branded leather goods: handbags, wallets, luggages – they even have the DISCOUNT BIN where they toss in Louis Vuittons of various standard monogram basic models starting at ¥ 25,000!! You also have some Coach and Hermès Garden Party.

See? SEE WHAT I MEAN?? I went crazy here!

Komehyo’s Sixth and Seventh Floor

Sixth floor has secondhand clothes and shoes for second-tier brands such as Marc by Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors etc. I saw some cute MJ espadrilles and flats but they’re all size 36-38. Too small for me. Prices start as low as ¥ 800 on this floor.

And on the seventh floor you have first-tier brands: Chanel jelly tongs for ¥ 5,600, Louboutin flats starting at ¥ 15,000 and endless Jimmy Choos, Manolos, Prada, Ferragamo, Miu-Miu, Gucci, Vuittons and Dior from practically the same starting price.

If you’re traveling on budget, Komehyo best stays avoided. Believe me, even the least shopaholic person will go crazy here.

Brand Off Tokyo

After we went out, we found another shop not so far from Komehyo, on the same side of the road. It’s called Brand Off Tokyo. I couldn’t take any pictures there since it’s so small and the salespeople were all looking. (It’s actually forbidden to take photos in the shops)

Brand Off Tokyo also had super cheap stuff – like a monogram Louis Vuitton Aquarelle and Dentelle starting at ¥ 30,000. Second floor is entirely Hermès – I’ve never seen so many Birkins and Kellys in my life! They have new Birkins – the most expensive one is the pumpkin orange Hermès signature color made from Ostrich leather with gold hardware and teeny mini diamonds, priced at ¥ 1,580,000.

The cheapest Picotins were about ¥ 50,000 and one I liked, Shoulder Kelly in tan leather is ¥ 200,000.

Other Small, Privately Owned Boutiques in Shinjuku

In Shinjuku you also have lots of smaller, privately owned secondhand boutiques. They are the CHEAPEST ones by far, with LV wallets starting at ¥ 3,000 – downside is, the collections are incomplete and most often are more vintage / older.

The Vuittons’ vachettas are almost always so dark already – end patina stage. But well, for that price, shut up and stop complaining already. If you want a white vachetta you have the official stores, right?

Now, are you booking the next flight to Tokyo??

Well, that’s about it – I’m glad we went to Shinjuku today. It’s going to be my must-list from now on if I go back to Tokyo.

Stroller Review – Sola by Mamas & Papas

Surprisingly, quite a lot of people asked me about the Sola stroller. So here’s an honest review from a satisfied customer.

The first time I looked into strollers, I wanted a super-stylish looking one. Either the Silver Cross Surf or the Stokke Xplory.

I fell in love with the way they look. But Surf has a winning point against Xplory: it can be used up to the age of 4 years old while the Xplory only up to 2 years old.

So I ordered a Surf. Only to cancel it several weeks later, upon stumbling upon the real model at Mothercare Senayan City. I was shocked because it was BIG – err, HUGE, and HEAVY. Oh so very heavy. Even the sales lady had a difficulty in showing me how to fold it…plus, the chassis and the cot will become two separate parts when folded.

I couldn’t imagine having to make do with the Surf, so I canceled it. And ordered Stokke Xplory instead. And bumped into an old friend the next day at (yet again) Senayan City. And shocked (yet again) because it is just AS HUGE AND AS HEAVY AS THE SURF! (Albeit its beauty and stylishness)

So I, being my own wishy-washy self, canceled the Xplory and started panicking – baby going to arrive in less than 3 months and no stroller yet!

There was also the MacLaren XLR. But I somehow hated the bland pastel colors, and I wanted the baby to face me not facing people when he’s being pushed around in the stroller, so, soon XLR was off the list.

There was also the Bugaboo Bee but I just stopped loving it the moment I saw it on display at the mall. I don’t even know why – perhaps because it was too small for my taste.

But just as I started overreacting about the fact that none of the strollers I fell in love with online is eventually my dream stroller in real life, I stumbled upon the Sola Buggy by Mamas & Papas.

Its name is not as cool as the Stokke Xplory or Bugaboo Bee or MacLaren XLR or Silver Cross Surf (oh come on, MAMAS & PAPAS as a brand name? Seriously???) but I love the Sola buggy the moment I laid my eyes on it.

It’s sturdy, modern, stylish and just beautiful. A bit big – 8.5 kg altogether chassis and seat, but it’s so pretty and it looks so comfortable for a baby. Super friendly price as well (almost half the Xplory/Surf). I had no second thought – I just bought it (in Truffle) and a few days later it arrived at my office, all wrapped up, ready to be opened like a huge Christmas present.

And so far, we’ve been happy. At first, J said that it was a bit too much “encombrant” / taking up a lot of space, but as we also have the Peg Perego Pliko Mini for comparison (gift from my cousins – review on the P3 later on in another article) and even though P3 Mini is kind of practical, Sola is much better in maneuver, sturdiness and comfort.

Louis also loves his Sola! Most of the time he’s riding on it, he’s been so kind – but then again, he is a nice baby.

Mamas & Papas Sola

Plus Points:

- Sturdy

- Comfortable for baby

- Can be used from newborn (total recline) up to 25 kg (approx 4 years old)

- Stylish

- Colorful

- Great maneuver

- Seat can be taken off and the sales lady said it could be used as a carseat – we’ve never tried it though, since Louis has another carseat already

- Friendly price – half the Xplory / Surf

- Raincover is big and covers everything

- The basket under the seat used to put things is also quite big

Minus Points:

- A bit heavy, 8.5 kg total weight

- Chassis is kinda big even when folded

- It’s not an umbrella stroller so not folded easily with one hand – you have to use both hands

- Taking up quite big place – you need a car with a big trunk to bring it everywhere

But so far, we’ve been VERY HAPPY with Sola.

Review on P3 Mini coming up next…