Thursday, January 31, 2013

Mama's Got a Brand New Bag

Wow. Sorry, it's been a while! We all got sick, stomach bug sick, at the same time, and it has taken a while to feel better and then to feel caught up on all the stuff that didn't get done while everyone was sick. It was one of those times when you need to wash everything, kids included, but everyone felt too sick to do anything.

PJ jokingly offered to wash the baby.... in the washing machine! Meanwhile, Joshua is about to turn SEVEN months old and Lydia is needing paperwork turned in to register/apply for Kindergarden! (I'm torturing myself by keeping several options open, which meant several forms needed to be completed this week)

I have not had the time or the energy to craft anything. Even Lydia's Valentines will be store bought this year, which suits her just fine as they are REAL Disney princesses. While I haven't been crafting, I have put a considerable amount of brain power into finding a brand new "mom bag". I was getting really tired of having a purse, a school bag, a lunch bag, and then there was the diaper bag! I got the idea to look for a diaper bag that looked like a purse. That way, when the diaper bag is with the baby and I go to work, I'm carting something purse like, but after work and on the weekends I don't have to switch bags. I looked around and quickly identified Timi and Leslie as a brand to watch.

All of the bags that I have found by Timi and Leslie are these beautifully purse like on the outside, but with diaper bag like pockets and extras on the inside!

Timi and Leslie bags come with a lot of extra accessories; like stroller straps, a changing pad, an insulated bottle bag, zippered bags for wet clothing, a clutch for your wallet and keys when you don't need the whole bag, and sometimes even a "feel better' bag for medicines and creams!

Unfortunately, they also come with a large price tag and reviews on Amazon.com that ran hot and cold. Either people loved the style and versatility of their bag, or they complained of cheap fake leather and a terrible smell. The funny thing was, even the girl who said her bag smelled like rotten fish was upset because it was SUCH a cute bag, she hated that the smell was keeping her from carrying it. (One review theorized that there might be a batch of cheap knock offs that were passed off as the real deal creating the problems........ and the odd smells).

I decided to check eBay just to see what I could find and thinking that for a low enough price, I might not mind if the leather didn't hold up. (If it smelled, though, I was totally sending it back!) The bag that I found had zero bids and did not list a style name. (Names like Rachel, Marilyn, and Marie Antoinette make it easier to search for a favorite bag.) A little research quickly revealed that the bag I liked was a Ruby in patten leather. My bag was missing several accessories (it came with the clutch and one wet bag) but it also had a really low starting bid.

I won the auction and my bag arrived while I was home sick. I've now had a week to carry it around and so far I am really happy with it. No weird smells and it is even large enough to hold my laptop and class materials at school!

My only complaint is that it is SO big that if I am not careful about which pocket I put things in, it can be hard to find things. So far it is holding my purse stuff and some diaper stuff but it looks nice and has room to spare. I couldn't ask for more...... Unless maybe I was asking for a second bag.... Like this amazing yellow and white bag in the newest line of Timi and Leslie designs!

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