Things You Want Wednesday - Diaper Bag Edition

Let me start off by saying that I'm not a "purse girl." Right now I carry my stuff too and from work in a cloth shopping bag. I own one real purse, not by any brand name, and it's from 1997. I also have a purple hexagon purse from junior prom. Purses just never appealed to me, so you won't be seeing me drop serious $$ on a Coach bag or anything like that.

This is probably why I struggled so much when it came to picking out a diaper bag. I wanted something that didn't look too baby-ish or too mom-ish. I wanted it to be functional but not boring, big enough to hold a stash of cloth diapers but not grandma-sized (the running joke in our family is that the older you get the bigger your purse). I also wanted something that was going to last. The diaper bag became my big personal splurge item. I turned into a madwoman searching for the perfect bag, pouring through what felt like thousands of images on hundreds of websites. I enlisted the help of the Nesties, asked for recommendations and reviews, and visited a few bags in person (FWIW, I still wish that "not ugly" was a search criteria for online shopping).

I eventually settled on a JuJuBe BeAll. I was so excited when it finally arrived! It's a very pretty bag, black and silver.

Just as I had hoped, it worked perfectly with the bulkier cloth diapers. I still love this bag, and it's definitely my style, but looking back I wish I would have gotten a backpack either instead of or in addition to the messenger-style bag. Sure, this one is easy to pack and throw in the car, but it's not so easy to maneuver for long day trips when we're out and about, like days at the zoo or anything else that requires a lot of walking.

When you're looking for a diaper bag, consider how much room you're going to need (cloth diapers take up more space than disposables, plus you'll need a wetbag), what kinds of things you'll need it to hold (extra clothes, toys, bottles, wipes, diapers, bibs, snacks, silverware, sippy cups, washcloths), and whether or not you're willing to carry a purse along with the diaper bag. One of the things I love about the BeAll is that it has a "mom pocket" where you can stash all of your own stuff and a small clear carrying case for important things that you can just move from bag to bag. I keep my wallet, phone, cards, and a few other random things in mine so I can just throw it back and forth between the diaper bag and my work bag. Just a feature to keep an eye out for.

So there's the big takeaway. Look for a bag that fits your needs and try to think beyond the baby years. I feel like I was a little shortsighted when I chose mine, even though I still love the bag. Definitely consider getting a backpack, too.