Purse x Diaper Bag Hack

As a mom, I find myself getting tired of carrying a diaper bag everywhere. I walk through Target with a giant backpack slung over my shoulder full of cheerios, diapers, and toys. Then on the rare chance I get a night off, I'm scrambling to find my wallet, keys, and a place to put them. Or if I drop my kids off at Sunday school or childcare, I'm left carrying my wallet and phone without a bag to put them in. I've tried a different diaper bag with each child, and while I've loved features of each one, nothing has been quite right. And I'm always frustrated when I try to use both a purse and a diaper bag at the same time. After three kids, there must be a better solution!

After doing some online research, I came across these stunning bags a few years ago. Lily Jade offers a beautiful leather bag with a removable diaper bag insert inside. And while I desperately want one, they are far out of my price range. I cannot justify spending $300 on a bag.

And so the search continued, until I realized, why not create the same type of bag myself? I'm always seeing cute tote bags at Target. Could I add a diaper bag insert of some kind? After a quick browse on my trusty Amazon app, the answer is yes! And so, let me let you in on my new way to do both a diaper bag and a purse.

First, grab a favorite tote bag. I found this one at Target. The fantastic part about this bag hack is that you can use ANY large tote you have! That beautiful Coach tote or the cute bag you've been saving can work great for this. The one important point is that the bag cannot have any interior dividers. It needs to be one large, open space inside.

Second, add an insert. This insert will act as your actual diaper bag, so you want something structured with lots of pockets or dividers to hold what you need. I searched "diaper bag insert" on both Amazon and Etsy and found some great options. I ended up ordering this one from Amazon. Two things: Be sure you check the measurements of the insert so that it fits in your tote. And get one with handles! This will allow you to easily pull it in and out of your bag.

Once you have your pieces, you're ready to assemble your new diaper bag purse. Load the insert with everything you need for your baby. Then slip it into your tote. Once that's complete, you can add a small zippered bag for your own items, or just stick them in the side. The tote I chose has a couple zippered pockets that I use for my phone, keys, etc. I also added a name tag to my insert so it's labeled for childcare. (I love TinyMe for bag tags and labels.)

Now, when you drop of your little one, simply slip the insert out of your purse and leave it with the caregiver. You are left with a bag for your own stuff, and baby has everything he/she needs.

Do you think you'll try this? Share your picks for totes and inserts in the comments!

An Honest Review of Stitch Fix Kids

Stitch Fix is a subscription service that mails you a curated box of clothes in your size-- it's a fun way to find new styles and try out items you may not find at your local stores. I've used it a couple of times, and last month I got a box I absolutely loved! Recently, Stitch Fix added a kids subscription service for sizes 2T to 12. Both Eli and Tessa needed new clothes for school so it seemed like the perfect time to give it a try!

This review is my honest opinion-- I was not compensated in any way. If you do click my Stitch Fix link, though, you can get $25 off your first fix and I will get a referral credit.

Kids clothes shopping is exhausting. Taking all three kids, plus all their begging (no I won't buy you six Star Wars shirts!!! ) makes me a little crazy. It was so nice to have their clothes delivered to my door. Eli and Tessa both got their own box with 10 items. The way Stitch Fix works, you pay a $20 styling fee that is applied to any items you keep. If you keep the entire box, you receive 25% off the order.

Eli's Box:

Eli is 6 and wears a size 5. I ordered him a size 5/6. (And he hates getting his picture taken! Can you tell?)

Eli's box was a good mix of graphic t-shirts, athletic wear, and a jeans/shoes/shirt combo for school. He was really excited about it all! I didn't love some of the graphic tees (a big complaint I have about boys clothes in general) and about half of it was too big on him. I always forget how little my kids are! His box was also priced a little higher-- it included a pair of jeans for $38 (he's wearing them in the picture above). He ended up keeping a t-shirt and the shoes.

Tessa's Box:

Tessa is 3 and wears a size 3. I ordered size 4 so I could have clothes for her to grow in to.

You know what I forgot when I ordered Tessa's box? How specific her style is. You guys, her box came with some darling pieces: two cute dresses, fun leggings and shorts, adorable shirts. I honestly would have kept the whole box! But my sweet Tessa-girl likes solid colored shirts and leggings. I managed to talk her into two shirts and a set of leggings, but she flatly refused the rest.

What I Loved:

1. Having the boxes delivered to my door for my kids to try on at home was fantastic. I loved that I had time to go through the clothes, have the kids try them on, think through what each child needed, and then keep items right then. I also love that the boxes come with a pre-paid shipping label to make returns easy.
   
2. Another fantastic feature is their exchange option. One of Tessa's shirts was huge on her, so I was able to exchange it for a smaller size at no extra cost to me.
   
3. I thought the girls clothes were particularly cute. If Tessa wasn't so picky I probably would have kept the whole box. And with the 25% discount, the box was around $130 which seemed fairly priced for 10 items.
   
4. My favorite item from Eli's box were his shoes. They were classy but still casual enough for everyday wear. I never would have found them on my own, and that's what I love about Stitch Fix!
   
5. The clothing in both boxes was incredibly soft. I know many kids are picky about how their clothes feel, and I thought Stitch Fix really delivered on soft, comfortable kids clothes.
   
6. Both boxes came with stickers, a note written directly to the kids, and pictures inside the box to color. Tessa was especially delighted by this!

 (Eli's shoes are by Sperry and can also be found on Amazon.)

What I Didn't Love:

1. While Tessa's box of clothes was reasonably priced, I thought Eli's box was expensive. The athletic wear was around $25 per piece and the jeans were $38. As a six year old boy, Eli is super hard on clothes. I am absolutely not going to pay top dollar for him to ruin his clothes the first week of school.
   
2. I am incredibly picky about graphic tees. I find I don't care for many that are in fashion now, and that was true in Eli's box. There is an option to check "no graphic tees" but my kids do love them. I think I need to be more specific next time on what I like and don't like.
   
3. When you have a kid like Tessa with a very specific sense of style, this type of box may not be the best fit. While I loved the clothes, she was not interested in wearing them.

This is the shirt I'll be exchanging for a smaller size.

My Verdict:

Would I order another Stitch Fix box? Probably yes! My word of caution (to myself and you!) is to be as specific as possible. I also think that while I didn't keep either box in its entirety, the pieces I did keep were worth it. I'd pay the $20 styling fee again, knowing that if I buy 1-2 items it is worth it. For Tessa in particular, I think I will order another one when I'm ready for her to have some nicer clothes for school or church. While she is picky, I do love little girl clothes and hope to help her broaden her style as she grows.

If you try a Stitch Fix kids box, let me know what you think!

More Great Nursing Dresses

I'd posted a couple months ago about dresses to wear while nursing. I hadn't tried any of them in real life, but I have found a few recently I've actually worn! They are affordable and stylish, and I'm loving that you wouldn't guess you could nurse in them unless (like me) you test that feature out in the fitting room.

This black and white one is from Target, and the dress I wore to my sister-in-laws wedding. It's very flattering because it has a tie at the waist and the fabric flows beautifully.

This navy one is from Loft. I bought it in green, and it also comes in light blue and yellow. It has a stretchy neckline so it easily pulls down. Loft also sells a shirt with the same basic style.

As I find more great dresses, I'll keep you posted!