I'm back!

Wow! I can hardly believe it's been over two months since I've blogged. Time flies when you are having fun. I've been working on adding new inventory and researching new lines although time and time again I realize I love the same bags. I just don't know if Ju Ju Be, Oi Oi, Lexie Barnes, Mia Bossi, and Skip Hop can be beat. Skip Hop is a newer line for me, very durable and unisex for the most part. I love the accessories! Diaper Bag Details is the latest I've added and it's a great value.




For $45.00 you get the following:
* Insulated Bottle Bag
* Laminated Zip Case & Detachable Strap
* Pacifier Pocket–holds 2 pacifiers
* See-through Wipes Case
* Diaper Holder–holds 4 diapers
* Gift Tote Dimensions (inches): 11.75" wide x 10" high x 4.5 inches deep
It comes in three prints; ocean stripe, flora and black geo. Love it!

The wipes case is eco-friendly, instead of buying individual small packages you can buy bulk wipes and re-fill as you go! When you are done pass it along to another mom in you family or in the neighborhood. Later on the diaper holder and gift tote can become home to first aid supplies or snacks. A very functional value to be sure!

Petunia Pickle Bottom Touring Tote

by guest blogger Christine Riordan

What a pretty bag! At this point in my mothering career, I’ve owned quite a few diaper bags. I had longed for a PPB Touring Tote for quite some time, but just couldn’t justify the expense, especially for a bag that wasn’t waterproof. But, when I found a great deal on one, I jumped at the chance and bought one. The minute I opened the box, I was in love. Really, this is SUCH a pretty bag!

But, the bag isn’t just about its looks. The interior has incredible organization. It has 2 pockets along each of its interior sides. These pockets are large enough to accommodate a Lexie Barnes micro-mini or a Vera Bradley small cosmetic bag. In other words, the mini bags which I use to keep my personal goodies (lipstick, blush, concealer, Listerine strips) and my emergency first aid supplies (band aids, Tylenol, etc.) I use one of the interior pockets to hold the extra straps which come with the bag, allowing it to be worn long or easily attached to a stroller. Did I mention that these straps come in a cloth pouch which matches the interior of the bag? There’s also a small interior pocket, perfectly a sized to carry a cell phone, a feature which I desperately need because I never seem to be able to manage to find my phone before the call goes to voice mail. There are two more interior pockets at each end of the bag. These pockets are perfect for sippy cups.



Even after you have filled all of the interior pockets, there is still plenty of room to accommodate additional supplies. These days, I carry my diapering gear in a JJB Be Quick. I carry things to entertain my children in a Lexie Barnes medium accessory bag and use a Vera Bradley Zip Around wallet as my wallet. All of these items fit inside the main compartment of the Touring Tote.



Of course, as many of us diaper bag junkies already know, no bag is perfect. The bag comes with a very small changing pad, which is contained in the long exterior pocket. The Touring Tote has exterior zipper pockets on each end. I had thought that these pockets would function to hold sippy cups (much like a Storksak bag) but they are not large enough. Instead, I use them to hold a travel size package of tissues and a small bottle of hand sanitizer. Otherwise, they’re pretty useless. The bag does have a nice sized front exterior pocket which snaps closed. I haven’t put anything in this pocket yet, but you could probably store a regular wallet or a small book in it.



With the exception of the few flaws that I’ve mentioned, I do think this is a really nice medium sized bag. It looks more like a regular pocketbook than a diaper bag and could easily transition from a morning at the office to an afternoon at Music Together class to an evening at a nice restaurant. I’m so glad that I decided to add it to my stash.

Touring Totes

* Black Water Resistant Liner
* Double-headed zipper for easy opening
* (3) Durable black strap options: small hobo, long shoulder, stroller clips, (1) Lined front pocket with magnetic closure, (1) Large back pocket with removable changing pad,(2) Zippered pockets for cell phone or iPod, (4) Spacious interior pockets, (2) Interior bottle/sippy cup pockets, (1) Interior pacifier pocket Sleek black PPB monogrammed plastic wipey case
* Dimensions: 12"x14"x6.5"

Fleurville Escape Pod, Cute and Stylish Diaper Bag

This cute and stylish little diaper bag is perfect when you are just running out for a quick trip and only need a wipe case, some diapers and a changing cloth. Maybe you are just running to the grocery store or your little angel is almost out of diapers. You can wear it as a clutch, and it doubles as a toiletry kit! Use it on your next vacation. This is a necessity for every parent and the prints are just beautiful! (I just LOVE this Goldflower Print.)



* PVC-Free
* Teflon®-Free
* Green-LAM Blossom Redcrane, Blue Chocolate, Botanical Azure, Floral Sky, Gold Flower, Pink Chocolate, Pink Ogo, Pink Stripe, and Yellow Seedpod

Dimensions : H 7" x W 11" x D3"

What is Green Lam?

"Green-LAM™ is created with ®Fleurville’s very environmentally friendly polyurethane laminate Green-LAM™. Green-LAM™ has superior attributes like moisture–repellency, UV-resistance, and overall durability. Most other bag companies use PVC for this application. We don’t. We hope you share our commitment to teaching children responsible stewardship of our environment." -- Fleurville

Mia Bossi has a brand new bag, introducing "Katie"

Welcome Katie, the newest Mia Bossi. She's as beautiful as her "sisters".

Katie "Pepper"


The lightest of the bunch! Mia Bossi has designed a super stylish and lightweight diaper bag, you will not have to strain your muscles to carry all your baby's needs. Made with nylon or Mia Bossi designer dotted fabric, trimmed with faux patent leather and finished with chrome hardware. Machine washable faux fur changing pad, zip-in and zip-out inside lining (additional insert for computer or briefcase available), cell phone holder, two exterior bottle holders, one interior bottle holder, key chain holder, diaper holder, baby wipe holder and a private zippered pocket for personal belongings. Straps have easy-open snaps to strap around stroller handles. Additional longer strap included for cross-body wear.

Retail $190.00

Katie "Sangria"


Available at www.miabossi.com and coming soon to other fine retailers.

Papa's Got a Brand New Bag!!

Daddy was cool and hip before he became a parent, but now he's even cooler and hipper with a new diaper bag from the Skooch new Urban Cool Collection. It's hip, a bit edgy, rugged, stylish AND functional. The Skooch Urban Cool collection is perfect for city dwellers and the urban style conscious dads out there.



What I really like about these new bags is that they have a clean and simple shape, no extra flaps with polished high quality nickel hardware. The first two introductions are desert and camouflage. And, they are made in the USA!



Skooch Urban Cool specs:

# Water repellent Nylon - face and lining.
# All zippers are YKK - known in the industry for it's quality and durability
# All hardware is polished quality nickel for a grown up, dressier look.
# Over the shoulder style bag with convenient sewn on straps to convert into a stroller bag with beautiful imported nickel hardware. No more struggling with switching or adding/removing straps.
# Spacious 12 1/2" hidden front zipper.
# 2 Convenient Front patch pockets.
# Easily accessible front cell phone pocket.
# 2 side bottle pockets.
# Convenient back pocket to hold the oversized (17" x 26") changing pad.
# Main compartment opens with a double-sided zipper pull to make opening and closing easy.
# 11" Inside zipper compartment.
# 2 ROOMY inside patch pockets.
# 2 extra interior, SPACIOUS and DEEP pockets for necessities.
# Adjustable shoulder straps with a rubber feature on the underside to keep the straps on the shoulder and prevent slipping.
# This bag measures 15 1/2"(h) x 4 1/2"(w) x 13"(l).
# Proudly made in New York.

Gasp! Aren't all Diaper Bags the same? Lord no!

Today I came across this blog on droolicious discussing a post from yesterday about a bag by Dwell, not going to post a photo because I don't really like it -- OK, I will it's not really that bad it's just not my style:



"Our post from yesterday about a new Dwell diaper bag we're digging found Babble commenter Nolasmom raising an interesting question: We're always telling you about the most awesomest, coolest-looking new diaper bags, but really, aren't all these bags just expensive variations on the same generic tote with garish print?"

GASP!

They must not have heard of brands like Rafe, Not Rational, Mia Bossi, Ramalama, Nest, even Oi Oi and Lexie Barnes. I feel like going to meet the blogger and putting my arm around their shoulders and taking them to a really nice boutique with all of the NON-diaper bag looking diaper bags that are on the market today. It's true there are quite a few people who can't afford an expensive bag (however groups like babybags, even eBay and craiglist can facilitate some really great buys) and not everyone needs the functionality but how happy would they be after they tried out one of the newer styled bags? I have to admit that I am a complete bag snob however so this is only my opinion.

I had to post a response (and I almost never comment on other blogs unless it really moves me). Holy Moly, I couldn't help myself. So this is what Droolicious had to say (which looks like a cool blog site by the way, worth checking out):

"most diaper bags aimed at modern parents seem to follow one of three stylistic variations: the tote, the messenger bag/man-purse, or the modified backpack." Ay-yi-yi! It's not so simple anymore. Diaper bags have gotten so sophisticated and I felt I needed to stand up for all of the newer bag manufacturers.

Options today are endless! Sippie cups on the outside or on the inside, stroller straps or not, do you need a convertible bag, strap length, strap type, fabric (yummy soft TDF leather?), wristlet style, do you need a mommy pocket, perhaps you only need a small toddler tote? I could go on and on. IMO all diaper bags that match your babies jammies should be banned. The hospital diaper bags are a nice gesture and good for some uses but not for everyday!

Well, I hope some of the readers make it over here and find some of the information we have useful. It's not just a diaper bag, it's a life support system!

Rian Handbags Tower Diaper Bag

This Bag Makes Me Look Cooler Than I Am!



Everyone knows that I’m slightly bag obsessed, so when I had the opportunity to check out this gorgeous, fashionable mommy bag by Rian Handbags, I was really excited!� I just love functional diaper bags that do not look like they are carrying diapers, and the Rian Handbag did not disappoint AT ALL.

Rian Handbags are the product of designers Julie and Rian Berry, who set out to design fashionable yet functional handbags with artistic elements incorporated into each bag. There are three mommy bags to choose from: a tower mommy bag that features a Paris city scene with mommies pushing strollers in front of the Eiffel Tower, a bay mommy bag that features a San Francisco scene, and a cab mommy bag that features a NYC scene.

I have the Tower Mommy Bag. It’s a great size to pack up with bottles/sippy cups, diapers, wipes, snacks, and even a change of clothes. The organization inside the bag is fabulous - there’s a bunch of pockets in a variety of sizes to hold everything from bottles to sunglasses. The included changing pad is small, and doesn’t take up too much room in the bag. Like most leather bags, it is a little heavy, but is certainly not too heavy to carry. However, it’s really the design that makes this bag special. The Paris city scene is bright and vibrant, and the pattern is silk screened on the leather one color at a time. As a result, it’s almost “baked in” to the leather, and is absolutely beautiful. Everytime I carry this bag, it attracts lots of attention!

Check out Rian Handbags at http://www.rianhandbags.com/. With the coupon code MFS, you can save 25% off the price of any bag until 3/31/08.

Reviewed by Jodi of Momsfavoritestuff.com