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I never tire of the hunt for a better baby bag. Something more fashionable, more functional, more fun. Even after a decade of diaper bag toting I still thrill to the chase. Sometimes I find inspiration in unlikely places. Which is why I’m going to tell you to ditch the diaper bag, and pick up this purl of wisdom. Namaste Bags, designed for crafters to tote their projects in, also make fantastic diaper/mom bags. These are not your granny’s knitting bags!
I knew something was up when three friends recommended Namaste bags to me in the course of one week. Two were knitters, but the third was just a bag freak like me. And one who was more likely to be found shopping for a new Vuitton than a diaper bag of any sort. But Namaste bags, she insisted, were just gorgeous. Lightweight, terrific selection of colors and super well organized. I had to get the scoop. So I investigated two models from their Cali Collection: the Laguna and the Malibu. The Laguna is the teal bag in the slide show and the Malibu is the gray one!
First impression of these bags was a good one. They are made from animal friendly, PVC free faux leather. It’s extremely durable and soft to the touch, plus (yay!) wipes clean in a flash. I was immediately impressed by the details galore. The findings are all extremely high quality and make me think of high end handbags. People are constantly stopping me when I carry these bags, often doing a double take to admire them. They look expensive, and wear well. This is of course due to the high quality materials and attention to small details – for example, the bags have metal feet. Small touches that make a huge difference. Check out my photos of how all my stuff fits into these bags! I really put them both to the test recently while travelling. I had to have my baby stuff, my mom stuff and my crafting stuff on me at all times as we took a ferry and hotel hopped on our own Southern Cali adventure.
I also love the accessory organizers from Namaste. They make the bags even more functional.The “Oh Snap” Mesh pouches are perfect for storing both crafting needs and baby diapers and wipes. All the things you need to be able to see and find in a flash. The Catalina pouch actually came with me to Catalina Island recently and was the perfect size to store my makeup essentials.
Break out of your bag rut, get your crafty groove back on and check out Namaste Bags. It’s a perfect pick for trendsetting moms.
We always love to go to Disneyland. Where else can you see grown men roaming around in silly hats on a regular weekday? Here are a few of the hats we snapped on a recent visit. What should we take pictures of next at Disneyland? Tattoos? Strollers? Leave us a comment!
Take it from me, there’s a lot of planning that goes into a trip to Disneyland. We come from Utah, and want to make sure we’ve got everything ready when we meet Mickey Mouse. Here are a few things to know before you plan or prepare your next Disneyland Trip.
Autograph Book: Get ready to hit all the Disney Characters up for their John Hancock on every page. Then add that charater’s picture to the opposite page. I love it. My kids really think that these cute characters are real. It is just too much fun.
Character Call: This is so fun. I planned to have a Character from Disneyland call my kids the day before we leave. It is Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy’s voices in a recorded message to my kids. They say they are so excited for them to come and visit and will see them soon. Sooo Great!!
Matching Shirts: My sisters family went to Disneyland and there are sooo many of them. So they all wore Bright Green shirts. It was great, they could always find or spot one another. There are just 4 in my little family, but I think we will find some good matching shirts.
Child Leash: It sounds cruel, but in a place like Disneyland, I don’t want to lose my little toddler. She will most likely travel in her stroller, but this is a great way for me to feel safe with all those people.
Here are some other great Websites that aid in the Disneyland Adventure:
Before you Leave: What to do a month before, a week before, a day before.
Packing Tips: Everything and more that should be in your suitcase.
Wheelchairs: Here are some great tips if you are using a wheelchair at Disneyland.
Ride Max: They give the best time to ride the rides and what Fastpasses to get!
I’ve been on a home organization tear recently. My kid’s closets, the kitchen cabinets, the garage… Meanwhile the back of my van still looks like a bomb went off.
Keeping all kinds of kids stuff in our car is a necessary evil. We’ve got four kids with assorted gear to ferry. Sports gear for the oldest two, baby gear for the youngest, and coloring books and electronic toys to occupy my four year old on long errand jaunts. Toss in a change of clothes for everyone, some snacks, an umbrella or four and before you know it – disaster.
Last summer while on a roadtrip to Oregon I was sent a Bin Buddy tub organizer to test out. While we did not have room for a rubbermaid tub in the car on our trip, it’s become a staple of our everyday in-car lives. I cannot imagine the back of my van without the bin anymore! It really makes getting my car cleaned out and reorganized a snap.
Having just reorganized the back of my car, I thought I would share a photo of our Bin Buddy, all packed up with essentials and ready to take on the day, while I take back the rest of my car, free of clutter.
If you’re looking for a car clutter solution I highly recommend Bin Buddies! They are the bomb! Or more accurately, the answer to the bomb that seems to have gone off in the back seat, when your kids climbed into the car!
We’re usually about the travel gear here at Car and Caboodle, but sometimes we do stay at home. And when we’ve got the whole Caboodle in the house for a rainy day, we like to pretend we are off on an exotic trip to imaginary locales like Neptune, Jupiter or Xanadu. In our fabulous spaceship built with the Zinkotek building system, of course!
This is the kind of toy that will stand the test of time and get used again and again over the years. You’ll pull it out on rainy days and rather than curse the weather, you will marvel over your children’s creativity and wonder how it got to be dinner time already. There are no end to the possibilties of what you can build with this set. Check out the ZinkoTek site for inspiration and ideas.
It’s that time of year when our family seems to be rolling through one illness after another. I’m about ready to encase my one year old in a hygienically sealed bubble.
Would that I could. Unfortunately the daily routine marches on and we have grocery stores to go to, lunches grabbed at the neighborhood cafe and more. Which is why I am so glad that someone thought to send me a Ritzy Baby Cart/Highchair cover last year. I am really using this thing now!
What I really love about the Ritzy Baby Cover is that it is so meticulously crafted and uber luxurious. I kind of wish I had one for all the places I have to sit! Ours is a scrumptious minky dot that reverses to a colorful animal print. Ritzy Baby has thought of everything and included pockets for my stuff, a sippy cup holder and toy clips. I love that this cover also fits on playground swings, and public (theme park, mall etc) strollers.
I never used a cover with my other (3) kids. I just did a quick swipe with a wipey. But after meeting a family that nearly lost their baby to MRSA which they believe was contracted from a public highchair, I have been evangelized. The cover lives in my car and we now wipe AND cover.
If you are looking for a versatile luxurious and practical cart/highchair cover, that comes in great color combos, check out the Ritzy Baby Site!
It’s a baby blanket. And it’s a soft cuddly ball to toss. It should have been obvious, given how we moms are always shoving a balled up blanket into our bags. But leave it to the team at Wagamama baby to have the lightbulb moment of figuring out a way to sew a little stretchy round “case” on the back side of the blanket that allows you to stuff the blanket into it, creating a perfect little playful sphere.
Aside from the fun factor of “Now it’s a ball! Now it’s a blanket!” this product is practical as well. The case/ball form prevents the blanket from being dragged along and keeps it clean and contained in your bag.
Wagamama’s Blankie balls won a prestigious award at the recent ABC trade show. They are available in a variety of fun fabrics.
Are you one of those people that is secretly convinced they are too uncoordinated to sling a baby? Putting on and adjusting a sling can be tricky business! Getting the fit right is very important too. If the fit is compromised, the sling is not comfy. Or safe.
Roundhouse Design Collaborative has made it easier to get your sling on and adjusted in a jiffy with their Roundhouse Carriers. These slings feature a seatbelt-like buckle that snaps together and adjusts with a tug of the belt. It’s genuinely easy to maneuver with one hand. And less likely to mangle your long hair (I live in fear of getting my hair caught in ring slings!).
The slings are very well made in a variety of cute, quality, washable fabrics. The Roundhouse site offers detailed instructions on how to wear your sling. They even have instructional videos that make it easy to learn how to get the most use and comfort out of your sling.
If you have considered slinging but worried about the fit, being coordinated enough to try it, and/or if you wanted to be sure to get a simple sling that would work not just for you but also for your partner or other caregivers – the Roundhouse Sling Carrier is a great one to try.
Have you seen Boon’s line of feeding items? They are all so cool! From the snack ball to the ergonomically shaped sippie cup, bendable spoons and drip catching bowls – these items are all fun, functional and fabulous looking. Plus they are now available in pink.
This week is the best time to shop for these items at Boon because now through the 31st, Boon is donating $1 from every purchase to breast cancer research. Enter code pink08 for an additional 10% off your order.
Here’s a little video clip of our favorite Boon feeding implement – the Squirt babyfood dispensing spoon. It makes it easy/clean to feed baby anywhere, anytime (including on the couch with daddy!) and is a real conversation starter when out and about with your baby. We get more comments about this spoon than we do about our pimped out Bugaboo!
I’ve been on a home organization tear recently. My kid’s closets, the kitchen cabinets, the garage… Meanwhile the back of my van still looks like a bomb went off.
It’s that time of year when our family seems to be rolling through one illness after another. I’m about ready to encase my one year old in a hygienically sealed bubble.
It’s a baby blanket. And it’s a soft cuddly ball to toss. It should have been obvious, given how we moms are always shoving a balled up blanket into our bags. But leave it to the team at 
