I love all the products we carry. Really, I do, otherwise I wouldn't carry them. That's my promise to customers. But once in a while something comes a long that I get REALLY exuberant about. Chico bags are one. The thinksport insulated water bottle is another. And now, enter the Ju-Ju-Be BeTween bag. (dum-da-da-DUM)We don't even carry this product in the store...yet. But we'll be looking into them seriously at the ABC Kids product show in September. Here's why...
Let me back up a little. When my second baby was born, I had 2 kids in cloth diapers for a while. So I treated myself to a really nice diaper bag - the Ju-Ju-Be Packabe. Loved that bag. I used it (really used it pretty hard) for just over two years, and it still looked fabulous. But with no more kids in diapers, I no longer needed it. So I sold it on ebay (for about 1/2 the original retail price, after 2 years of hard use). But...I missed my Ju-Ju-Be. I went back to carrying one of my pre-kid purses, but that just didn't have enough room for the stuff you need going out and about with kids - wipes, hand sanitizer, snacks, band-aids, you know the drill. Hmmm, back to the Ju-Ju-Be website I went, then to Simply for Giggles, my current local source, to browse.
The second time I went back to Simply for Giggles, I took along my new (pink!) Toshiba mini laptop (another love affair, but that's a different post), and oh my - it fit perfectly in the zippered top pocket. SOLD. It's my WAHM Briefcase. My non-diaper-bag. Or just simply, it's "My Bag."
I got home, "moved in" to my new bag, and I've been irrationally exuberant ever since.
I don't need the changing pad at this point, so that outside pocket holds quickly-accessible kleenex.
The top zippered pocket can fit either my mini laptop (with mesh pockets inside for the charger) or our portable DVD player (for keeping kids content during multiple-errand excursions). Or, for trips with more walking, I can tuck my new Sakura Bloom Linen Sling in there - lightweight and perfect for when someone wants to be carried.
The main compartment holds so much stuff it's incredible, but it's all easy to find! There's an inside zippered pocket for credit cards, checkbook, a mint tea bag (because you just never know), and a few coupons. Then there are two mesh pockets: one for Bandaids and Bumps n Bruises tablets, the other for extra ponytail holders, dental floss, that kind of stuff. In the main area I have snack containers, lotion, sunscreen, hand sanitizer, bug repellant, a couple Chico Bags, the kids' sunglasses, and some wipes.
AND then there's the front pocket. Oh, the front pocket. I just smile everytime I open it. A sewn in sunglasses case that literally cleans my glasses every time I put them away. HOW smart is that? (Plus, I can always find them.) A pocket just for my iphone. (Hallelujah, now I can always find that, too, without having to call it to see where I put it down.) A zippered pocket for change (no more change falling out of my wallet onto the floor of the grocery store). And two more mesh pockets: one for business cards and my gym pass (because hey, I might actually use it again someday - it would be good to know where it is) and the other for lip balm and a pack of gum. And there's still room for me to tuck in my wallet and a pen.
Now tell me that's not the PERFECT bag??? So smart! And cute. And durable. Sometimes moms just need a little help to keep life under control. And this, this is it for me right now. Ahhhh, thanks, Ju-Ju-Be!
