Right addicts I need your help... bug + buggy board or icandy peach blossom or P&T

[igglesniggle]

Im hoping you lot can make my decision for me!

Basically DD1 will be 23 months when DC2 is born. She started walking at 10 months.... not sure if that makes a difference in all this but could be key. I drive so walking is limited to shopping trips round town for perhaps an hour or two max and 10-15 min walking trips to friends, the park, granny, surestart etc

I have a bugaboo cam which im more than happy with. We brought it as an investment in that we hoped we could use it for all future DCs to make the price 'worth it'. However we didnt for one minute think DC2 would be coming along this quickly!

My ideal solution would be to buy a buggy board for DD1 and be done with it but DH thinks she will be too young for this to begin with.

Need to rule out the newborn in sling idea as a very nasty accident in my younger days has resulted in a forever duff shoulder blade that still requires physio today.

my sil has thrown another option to the buggy board into the mix. She has the icandy peach for her DS but since he turned 1 she has only ever used her maclaren so £700 worth of pram is sitting idle in her garage. She has offered to lend us the basic peach but we would need to buy the upgrade to the peach blossom.

From looking at the price of the upgrade in looking at over £350 by the time I have purchased the extra seat, footmuff and carry cot. (I have real issues with newborns plonked on buggys in car seats so would def be wanting the carry cot) I could potentially knock this down to £300 by getting the lower carry cot on ebay but they dont seem to sell any second seats on there.

BUT for £300 I then realised I could buy a whole second hand P&T package on ebay!

So what do I do?!

Is DD too young for a buggy board?
If i do go for a double is it worth forking out for the icandy extras or is it no better than the P&T in terms of ease of use, pushability (is that a word?), size etc

My children are 21 months apart and walked at 9 months. She was and is a confident walker but there in lies the problem! She knows what she wants whether its to head in one direction, to hinder "help" with the shopping, dictate the direction, dawdle or have a full blown temper tantrum (rare but they are spectacular when they happen). None of these happened until she was well into her two's and believe me time and time again I have been thankful of a double. Oh and before you think I have a little brat - I don't. I have an extremely well behaved DD but still too unpredictable to be let loose on a buggy board or walking (and it makes my life soooooo much simpler!) She walks when DH is with us.

I used to have a Chameleon and looked into buying the buggy board with seat that fits onto the Bugaboo board and the cost was very high - well over £120. I sold my Chameleon for a profit (inflation) and bought my Peach. The Peach was and still is my favourite single and the sturdyness and open basket were a breath of fresh air after the Chameleon (which I loved!)

However, dont buy the current Peach Blossom kit - wait for the new one! The current one won't last long, whereas the new one will last you a couple of years if necessary.

BUT...if you need to buy a carrycot in the interim, you will need the pip convertors to fit it onto the chassis, and those tend to be sold with the second seat. If you can hit it lucky with a set on their own, then grab them and then get the lower carrycot to see you through until the new kit is for sale.

I have tried all sorts of tandems and doubles and the Peach (along with only a couple more) has outstanding manoeuverability with two heavy children on board. It is also an absolute joy to push and to enjoy. Plus you can get shopping or a changing bag under the seat which you can't on a P&Ts.

Go for it, and love it :)

Just to add, I wouldn't get the cosy toes for your eldest. I understand they are pretty small. I went to look this weekend and decided against it.

BTW there are convertor bars on Ebay at present but they are already at £92!!!!

23 months is a little young for a buggy board, dd4 is 2 years 10 months and no way would she stand on a buggy board for more than a minute, i have tried when ds whated to get in the pushchair. i have had most of the p&t and they are great, i have the verve now and love it, its very stable with the four wheels and with the panniers holds loads of shopping, i love it i really can not fault it