It has taken almost just as long as the whole bedding fiasco trying to pick a diaper bag that is both functional and fashionable for both of us without breaking the bank too much!
We (well Meryl) started with just looking around at just anything, to get any ideas. I looked at all of the high end labels, of course… what kind of shopper would I be? HA! Coach had a very ugly bag and Burberry was obviously too expensive… (I think I have read too much shopaholic series!)
I then remembered an awesome handbag that a friend of mine purchased and so I took a chance. Low and behold Harvey’s seatbelt bags also came in diaper back form! It was probably around month 3 or 4 that I started craving this bag. Months have gone by and I have looked at this bag every day! It is made out of recycled seat belts, comes with all of the necessary additions to make mommy hood easy and such. I have wanted a seatbelt bag ever since I saw my friends and now I can have one… or so I thought.
As the months went on apparently practicality set in and I realized that carrying around a ton of recycled seatbelts over my shoulder is really not all that practical, regardless of how stylish. So I started thinking a bit more and about a month ago started going through all of the bags in our household, trying to see what it was about these bags that I liked and could convert into a new diaper bag or something… It was the crumpler that sold me.
Short story: Many moons ago, Michael and I participated in a fabulous promotion, “Beer for Bags” where we carted cases of beer around New York city in exchange for some pretty awesome bags! It was so worth it, as these bags are seriously our life lines! Michael uses his for school every single day and I use mine quite often, unless I am all business 🙂
Tons of pockets, dividers, zippers and room… Over the should messenger, easy to attach to the stroller. What could be wrong with this bag? No waterproof liner… and no baby accessories. So then I thought… Timbuk2! Another light weight, almost similar bag, but this one had it’s own flaws….
Although waterproof, messenger style, appropriate for both mom and dad, we could design our own! It had all of the makings of the perfect bag, yet… no accessories or extra pouches. I did some searching of the registries for all of the add-ons and after the cost of the bag plus cost of accessory pouches… it made no sense. Very Expensive!
So then I stumbled on this semi-new company… all of the makings of the other two bags, but with a few smart changes and add-ons that made it perfect for our needs! Rickshaw Bags to the rescue!
These bags are great! Just check out the site! Yes, the company is a bit new, and so this really is a shot in the dark for some things, but it has a specific messenger bag for use with baby (all add-ons included). I searched around for some reviews, found them, liked them, and so once Michael came home tonight we ordered the bag…
So now we wait and see if it truly is everything we wanted in the first place 🙂
I know, the picture is rather small, but this is what comes with it. One of the inserts is insulated for bottles and snacks, the other is split in half for diapers and wipes and then the pad for all of those nasty places we like to change our babies! On the bag itself are several small pockets for all of the fun gadgets and such. On either side are removable diaper/water bottle holder and extra pouch. We chose a brown fabric, as it suits us the best. Wanna hear the coolest part? Come closer… The external fabric is Cradle-to-Cradle certified (safe for baby) and made from 100% post consumer recycled beverage bottles.
AND
Bags are made to order, so there is zero waste from bag creation!
So what’s next?
Ah yes, we are packing the hospital bag 🙂