That is durable and indestructable. That’s some big claims.

Yet as a mother, I wanted my daily bag to be stylish enough to take anywhere yet practical enough to withstand the dirt, food, sticks (yes, many of them that needed to come home) and immense about of items needed to navigate life with a child.

Like any new mumma to be I went on a research and buying rampage before Jake was born. Suddenly I had full permission to buy whatever I needed (and wanted) for our little baby boy.

We had financially planned for this shopping spree by putting away a set amount per week from the moment we found out we were pregnant…so when the third trimester came along the iphone became my favourite device.

I researched every item from the palm of my hand. Oh what joy Mr Google brings

But when it came to choosing the diaper bag I just couldn’t set my heart on anything.

The ones I actually liked where up around $300 AUD.

This is what you would pay for beautiful designer handbag?! It just didn’t make sense?

Now I know that this diaper bag would be attached to my right hip but I just didn’t l-o-v-e the options available.

Enter ‘Tote Savvy’

I’m not sure where (or at what hour of the day) the heavens opened and the angels sung but it was no doubt on a mumma blog or winding down the Instasphere path*

(*when you find a great instagram account, that links to another great insta account, and then another. And before you know it you have followed 468 inspiring instagram accounts).

I came across the most intelligent idea I ever did see (oh, apart from Plane Pal) brought to us by Tote Savvy.

Designed by Lauren who found herself disappointed with the selection of diaper bags available (um, yes. me too!) and instead opted to carry a favorite tote bag in lieu of a diaper bag (yep. Me again!) but quickly discovered how unorganized and chaotic my tote had become (and again… me. She wrote the words from my head)

So of course the moment I laid eyes on their website they had be at ‘Make Any Bag A Diaper Bag’.

Why spend a small fortune on a nappy bag when we can buy a new tote and create a diaper bag and new hand bag in one.

Freakin’ genius!

(and yes husband’s, even though we now have a solution to making ‘any’ bag a diaper bag we still need a new handbag because really, we would have bought an ugly diaper bag anyways #justsaying #thatshowIjustifedit)

So which are my favourite totes to rock your new non-diaper bag?

State of Escape & Prene are my top picks.

State of Escape was the first to launch of this kind of bag which is just a given for any mumma (if you live in Australia, you would know as EVERYONE seems to have one).

They are machine washable which basically means – just get it.

Because what bag looks stylish and yet is oh so practical that you simply throw it in the wash when food, drink, dirt and mess inevitably makes it way to the bag

Prene is the more cost effective option.

Mine has lasted 4.5 years and stood the test of DAILY use as a mother; including contents such as rocks, sticks, dirt, sand, extremely heavy items (and still the straps do not break), leaked food and more… It’s only now with baby #2 that I am investing in the exact same bag.

That works out to be $0.20c per day (price per wear is what matters, right?), which is actually super cost effective and as a conscious mother this ticks my box of values.

With love,

Debbie x

main image source: here