5-Minutes with Nicole Erin, founder of @Strollin.GC

 

We recently stumbled upon Nicole Erin’s new Instagram account @Strollin.GC and were instantly smitten!

Nicole is a publicist, photographer and mum based on the Gold Coast and her gorgeous new IG account documents her adventures with her baby son, Noah in their hometown.

We caught up with Nicole to hear all about her background, family and, of course, her Joolz pram!

 

Q. Tell us a bit about yourself and your family? 

 A. My name’s Nicole and I’m 32-years-old and a first-time mum to our almost four-month-old son, Noah. We live on the sunny Gold Coast in Queensland with my partner Bart, and our labradors, Samson and Holly.

Having grown up in Brisbane, we spent most of our weekends as a family sailing, surfing and jet skiing down the coast so it was always my dream to be able to raise my own children by the beach. 

I’m currently on maternity leave until early 2022 so feel especially grateful to have so many amazing walks in close proximity to home.

Q. Which Joolz Stroller do you have?

 A. We purchased the Joolz Hub in Classic Blue, with the bassinet add-on. 

 

Q. Why did you pick the Joolz Hub? 

A. I wanted something a little different from the standard black / grey strollers, but still dark enough that it was practical to throw in the car. I also wanted to be able to get around easily and had seen so many friends buy monster prams that were heavy and/or hard to manoeuvre or store.

Q. What do you love most about the stroller?

A. I love that the Joolz Hub is so slim and compact and the tan detailing makes it such a beautiful looking stroller which also matches my own personal style (ie. handbags, shoes, neutral clothing). 

I receive so many compliments every time we take it out! 

 

Q. Tell us a little bit about your blog?

A. I started @Strollin.GC very recently, when I struggled to find one central point for stroller-friendly walking trails. We’re so fortunate here on the Gold Coast to have incredible scenic walks, and whilst there are apps that touch on pram (and wheelchair) friendly trails, I knew from personal experience there was so many more!

I’d also hit the point where I was becoming much more comfortable getting out and about with bub, so for me the page provides great incentive to experience all the amazing walks on offer while I’m on maternity leave. I’ve been aiming to try a new walk each week, and get out at least twice a week for a significant walk (other than around our local neighbourhood) when restrictions and weather permits.

Q. Favourite walking tracks in Australia? 

A. There are honestly so many, we’re so incredibly lucky! I’ve split my walks into beach, bush (including the hinterland), lakes, wetlands and metropolitan and it seems to be an ever-growing list.

Locally, I love the newly completed walk at the Spit. It’s gorgeous scenery, a super wide path (which is great for covid-times) and has the added bonus of natural white noise that helps bub relax / sleep. 

Q. What are your pram essentials when you are heading out on a stroll with your Joolz? 

A. My top items currently include:

☑️ Pram caddy

I bought the tan pram caddy from Aussie company, Vanchi, after attempting to juggle a coffee on my second-ever outing. I really liked the design and it means I don’t need to take a huge nappy bag with me everywhere, but can still keep all the essentials such as my phone, wallet, face mask, coffee and keys in easy reach!
☑️  Nappies, wipes, diaper bags and portable change mat. 

I love the gorgeous change mats from The Somewhere Co - it’s a local Brisbane brand that offers bespoke baby items. Their tan accents match our Joolz stroller so they’re stylish, yet super practical 

☑️ Bibs Pacifiers + portable UV steriliser

You really can’t go past all of the beautiful Bibs Pacifiers colours. We wear a lot of browns, greys and blues so have 2 x Sand and 2 x Cloud on rotation. 

As Bibs Pacifiers don’t come with protective covers, I also purchased the 59S UV Steriliser. It’s saved me and my mum friends so many times when our bubs have (literally) spat the dummy and we need to sterilise on the go.


☑️  Muslin wrap + pram blanket

I bought a beautiful personalised bassinet blanket from an Aussie business called ‘The Knit Studio’. So many people ask about it and it’s such a great size / thickness for our Australian climate. I also have a beautiful organic cotton wrap from another Aussie company, Two Tykes that I use to shield bub from the sun or for breastfeeding.
☑️  Baby carrier

We splurged a little here and bought an Artipoppe carrier. Noah’s known to be somewhat of a koala at times but we hadn’t come across a carrier he liked until a friend loaned me hers. He fell asleep instantly, so we take it everywhere with us now - it helps us navigate longer walks, those with stairs or extend our time out as we can switch things up. I have the Dark Leopard.

☑️ Jumper, hat + beanie (for bub)

☑️ Jacket + hat (for me)

☑️ Bottle (for bub)

I often take expressed breastmilk as a backup in case we need to feed somewhere awkward or there’s nowhere to sit. We use glass bottles at home so I have two of the (Australian owned)Lion & Lady stainless steel bottles that I can throw in the pram or nappy bag. They’re super handy if you need to warm milk out and about as you can use the lid as a hot water bath.

☑️ Double walled water bottle and coffee tumbler (for me)

I’ve been a huge fan of Corkcicle for quite sometime so have their huge 750ml insulated canteen that I take everywhere, and 475ml tumbler for (virtually) spill-proof coffee on the go.

 

Q. Any funny experiences or stories from your strolling adventures that you’d like to share?

A. On our first outing as a new family, I took my partner, bub and our Joolz on a “shortcut” that was part of a nearby walk at Emerald Lakes. I was so excited (and nervous) to venture out that overlooked the fact that I needed to apply a ‘mum lens’ to my former favourite walking tracks and we encountered stairs. Lots of them! 

Luckily our Joolz is relatively light as my poor partner was left to carry the stroller up and down all of the stairs. We then tried to avoid additional stairs as much as possible and wound up getting lost, so had to Google-map our way back to the car. All up it took us about two hours, for what previously would have been a 30 minute walk. 

Now that I look back, there was quite a few new-mum moments that led to the creation of @Strollin.GC.

 

Thank you so much for your time today Nicole and we can't wait to follow along on more of your adventures on @Strollin.GC!