You’ve probably noticed that I show up at a few other writing venues in addition to here at Not Just Cute. One of those is over at The Organized Parent. With the arrival of our sweet little boy, the folks over at The Organized Parent were kind enough to send over one of their great diaper bags. They have a wonderful collection of bags spanning the whole spectrum of diaper bag styles, but this one from Diaper Dudes was the perfect bag for us.
Though this bag is totally my style, it was actually created by a dad for dads who were tired of carrying around their wives’ “cute” bags. Dads like my husband, who’s more than happy to chase the kids and change the diapers, just don’t make him carry a flowery bag!
In fact, early in our marriage, I commented on how cute a friend’s diaper bag was. My husband covertly whispered, “Yeah, but don’t expect ME to carry around a diaper bag like that!” That’s when I realized that if you want your hubs to take the baby, you better have a diaper bag he’ll take too. For some that means they go for two bags to fit the his and her style, but lucky for us, I’m kind of a no-frills gal, so the sleek, sporty look fits my mom style too.
As more dads are taking a hands-on role with the kiddos, brands like Diaper Dudes have emerged, making baby-gear that’s practical and dad-friendly. In fact, from what I’ve read, dads like Brad Pitt and Patrick Dempsey have sported the dad-gear trend, which is great news since my hubby is so fashion-conscious like that (or not — which is probably why I had to convince him to get rid of the 15 year-old polo shirts in his collection when we got married).
So how about a tour of the bag.
I love that there are so many pockets on the outside of the bag. So instead of fumbling blindly through the inside pockets, you can quickly access anything you need without even setting the bag down. Hands-free. I could use more of that considering my two hands have four boys to keep up with. Here’s how I’ve been packing my bag with my newborn in tow:
In the front pockets I’ve stashed diapers, wipes (lots and lots of wipes — there are three big boys around getting dirty too), and extra clothes and binkies.
On this side you can see where I stash my stylin’ circa 2001 cell phone, my baby sling, the hand sanitizer, and this clever key clip. You can attach your keys and then slip them into a small pocket by the strap. Ready for the keys — just pull them out by the clip. This simple feature was made for me. I’m notorious for “losing” my keys inside my own bags. In fact, I left my car parked on campus for several days back in college because I lost my keys…..which were in my backpack the whole time. Yeah, the same one I was carrying around for three days searching for my keys. Embarrassing. But I digress. With all the essentials locked and loaded, you’d hardly think you need the inside pouch. But that’s where they have this handy diaper changing pad in its own little sleeve. I’ve also thrown in a burp cloth and my “wallet” — a FranklinCovey planner I’ve had for ten years (because I’m just that kind of a gal). Those of you with iPhones, iPads, Kindles and other fun gadgets will be happy to know that there are plenty of perfect pockets for those too.
So I can get everything I need in this sleek messenger style bag and there are still pockets and spaces I haven’t even used. Having this bag packed and ready to grab and go is one of the reasons I manage to actually get out of the house these days (and only running 15 minutes late instead of 30).
Best of all though, I can hand this bag –and the baby– off to my husband without getting an uncomfortable look back from him about either one.
From now until July 15, The Organized Parent is offering 15% off of any of their Diaper Dudes diaper bags, just for readers of Not Just Cute. All you have to do is enter the discount code 21511 at checkout. Enjoy!
I used one of these bags for myself when our third was born. I loved the separate compartments that kept our baby’s things organized. And, I loved how roomy and comfortable it was to sling over my chest, like a messenger bag. Well designed and durable.
We L*O*V*E the Diaper Dude! 1 little girl. Mom with health issues and a dad who hates frilly! We are busy but this helps sooo much!
Would you go for a diaper bag with a shoulder strap or one in backpack design? A lot of the designs that are coming out in the market are in backpack design which is more convenient for any parent. With a backpack diaper bag, you have both hands free to take care of your baby and carry other stuff…;
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