5 Reasons Why the PPB Boxy Diaper Bag Was Not the Bag For Me (and Baby)

I bought the Petunia Pickle Bottom Boxy Backpack diaper bag when I was pregnant with my first son. I really didn't know what I was thinking then--I just wanted cute looking diaper bag but never took the time to really research this bag. Needless to say, I do not own it anymore as have sold it. I really wanted to like the bag but it was not the bag for us. So here are 5 things I really didn't like about the bag:

1. The foldout changing pad. This seems to be the popular reason why most moms choose this bag. I admit, I thought it was a great idea too but for the whole year that I used this bag, I never changed a diaper on it. If I lay the bag on a public restroom changing table and fold out the changing pad to change a diaper, then I would eventually have to fold back up the changing pad back into the bag and that's gross. I don't want the changing pad to touch anywhere near the rest  of the inside of my bag. There are pockets in the changing pad compartment but with the changing pad folded up, I couldn't fit a lot of diapers and diaper changing essentials in there, so it gets bulky. I just ended up detaching the changing pad so I could have more room in the bag.

2. The boxy-ness. My bag was the Tea on Thames in a glazed material. It's really sturdy, I'll give it that. But it's hard to store it under my stroller because it's so...so...boxy. It doesn't mold well to fit into tight spaces and as mentioned above, it's just overall bulky and heavy.

3. Although the diaper bag is pretty roomy, it wasn't wide enough for me. This is the kind of bag where you would have to pack things vertically. I would have to stack things on top of stuff. I like my diaper bags to be wide enough that I can unzip it and be able to see everything at a glance. With this bag, I would have to take things on top out just to get to what I needed at the bottom of the bag.

4. The velcro was loud. I think the newer versions have a magnetic closure now, so this reason doesn't pertain to those but mines had an annoying velcro closure and I can't tell you how many times it woke up my sleeping baby when we were in the car and I needed to get something out of the bag.

5. Inconvenient design. Overall, this bag was inconvenient than useful, in my opinion. Once you get pass the velcro over flap, there was still a top zipper to unzip before you're able to get whatever you need to get inside of the bag. When you have a crying baby and you need to get to a bottle or pacifier, trust me, the velcro and added zipper gets annoying.

Marc Jacobs Pretty Nylon Eliz-A-Baby Diaper Bag

My last splurge before baby Teddy arrived was my Marc by Marc Jacobs Pretty Nylon Eliz-A-Baby diaper bag. The print/color I have here is not available anymore or is discontinued, but the bag is available in solid colors on the Nordstrom website.

When I was diaper bag hunting, I was looking for a bag that was big enough to hold newborn and my toddler's things in, one that didn't look like a diaper bag and stylish to carry around. I didn't want one that had too many little pockets that my stuff can get lost in and also no velcro!

I do like this bag but must admit it's not the perfect diaper bag for me. It's a simple bag but it does hold everything I need and I've found ways to make it work for me.

Here are some of the things that I love and some things that the bag could improve on if you're interested in purchasing an Eliz-A-baby bag:

What I love:

• it's a lightweight bag
• the nylon material makes it easy to clean, just throw in the washer
• wide and deep outside pockets with magnetic closure makes it easy and quiet to open/close
• has pockets on the inside of bag to organize things and a also zippered pocket
• comes with detachable and adjustable crossbody strap
• bag unzips open very wide
• does not look like a typical diaper bag, bag can be used as gym/travel bag after baby
• available in pretty prints or solid colors
• comes with a matching changing pad 
• bag is very big, can hold a lot of things

What the bag could improve on:

• bag does not stand well on its own when set on floor so it can get saggy if you aren't carrying much in it or get bulky and fat if you overstuff it
• inside signature black and white MJ lining makes it hard to see inside pockets easily
• no stroller grips...but it does have d-rings on both sides of bag so you can buy a pair separately and attach it onto the bag 
•  the plushy nylon material makes the bag look bulky even if there isn't much in the bag
• double straps are not padded, digs into my shoulder when bag is packed full
• changing pad is included but is very small
• no protective feet at bottom of bag so the nylon might get scratched up if you aren't careful when placing bag on ground or rough surface

Overall, this is a nice, simple diaper bag. I would recommend this bag if you are just looking for a tote bag style diaper bag. I hope this review helps!

Click below for more pictures!

How many inside pockets can you see?
This is what I meant when I said it's hard to find the inner pockets!
 It blends in with the rest of the inside of bag, which can make finding smaller things difficult. 

Everything inside the diaper bag. It holds a lot of stuff! Not pictured are my son's bottles and sippy cup, which I would keep in the bag's side bottle pockets.

This diaper bag was purchased with my own money. I did not receive compensation for writing this review. I am not affiliated with Marc Jacobs or Nordstrom (I wish!). This review was written with my honest opinion. 

What's in My Purse Fall 2013: Marc Jacobs Turnlock Teri Tote

 

My fall bag right now is my Marc by Marc Jacobs Totally Turnlock Teri Tote. I love this bag--it has many pockets, it's in a classic color and it's big enough to hold some of my toddler's things in there. So really, it's a purse/toddler bag lol. I love that the bag has separated sections and a middle zippered section for organization.

I like to keep snacks and my son's things in the 2 open ones and my things like wallet and keys in the zippered compartment. Here is what's all currently in the bag:

 

open bag of Chessman minis; Wet Ones; Kleenex; Munchkin container of puffs; Marc Jacobs wallet; a book from Wendy's kids meal; ziplock bag with diapers, powder and wipes;  Vera Bradley checkbook;pens; a straw; mini VS coin purse with B&BW pocketbac attached; iron supplements; a Fossil card with my watch repair number on it; open bag of Welch's fruit snacks; a Hotweels car; rolled up socks for flats; a bouncy ball; Purell hand sanitizer; Burt's Bees lip balm; and Visine for contacts.

All that and with plenty of room left as this bag does expand wide.

 I'll be carrying this purse until my new baby arrives and then it's back to the diaper bag for me! 

Party Favor DIY: Car Themed Favor/Treat Bags

 My son's 2nd birthday party is this Saturday so I've been making some DIY car stuff. I made these favor/candy bags for the boys and I thought they turned out cute so I'm going to share how I made them. It's very easy and materials are inexpensive. Here's what they look like:

Materials I used:

Paper favor bags in Kiwi (Party City, $2.99 for pack of 12)
Mrs. Grossman's Chubby Cars stickers (purchased mines on ebay for a great deal from this seller)
Rectagular white labels (Target)
Scotch Plastic Black Tape (Target)

How to make these:

1. Take the black tape (this is going to be the road) and tape across the bag any direction/angle you want. Snip off any excess tape or fold over the rest. 
2. Cut the white labels (these are going to be the road lines) into skinny rectangular strips and place in the middle of the black tape leaving a a centimeter or two between each strip. 
3. Decorate with car stickers! Since these are white road lines, cars must go in the same direction. 

Each bag contains a Hotwheel car toy, car and truck erasers from Hobby Lobby, a bouncy ball and lots of candies!

A Doll's House

I've always wanted a doll house when I was a little girl. Small spaces like under my desk or book shelves were my pretend Barbie doll's house when I was younger. So when I saw an ebay listing for this doll house, I just couldn't resist! What a bargain! I got it for a whopping $9 bucks...which is a steal because these are usually priced at $100+ used on ebay right now.

So here's before and after pics:

Before the 'remodeling'

After remodeling:

Living room

Kitchen/Dining area

Bathroom

Bedroom

I love the way it turned out! I bought paint samples from Home Depot and the wallpaper and floors were  scrapbook paper from Hobby Lobby.  I can't wait to buy tiny furniture for it! I wish I had a little girl so that we could build this together but for now it's just a free time hobby of mine...will update on the progress of this soon!