Hellobee Boards

I really wanted either a Petunia Pickle bottom Boxy backpack or a Vera Bradley baby bag but couldn't justify the expense at the time. I ended up sewing my own bag. Now I wish I had splurged on the bag I wanted. My bag is fine now but the straps are in horrible condition and when H was younger I needed a bigger bag.

One of my big concerns was the weight of the bag empty. So many of the nice looking ones are pretty heavy before you even put something in it, so filled with baby crap they are really heavy. And definitely wish I had gotten one with a long cross body strap. I have a skip hop studio and don't love it, it's bulky and kind of heavy. I use a le sport sak messenger bag more often just because of the cross body strap and its lighter. Hopefully someone has better suggestions!

I have the Stevie and LOVE it. The handles fit over my shoulder am I am plus size ( I can do it one handed and a lot of purses I can't ). I have had it for about 2 years and it has held up fantastically.

I would not get the Kate spade Stevie...I have it and don't really like it. I would look at stork sak, they have a lot of cute stuff.

@hilsy85: I love the Storksak Olivia!

@LindsayInNY: I love my Stevie baby bag.

@LindsayInNY: sounds like a great deal!

@LindsayInNY: i think it's heavy, the handles are too short with the bag also being too long, so I can get it over my shoulder but the bag sticks out awkwardly, the straps also are slippery and slip off my shoulder, there's no cross body strap. That being said, it holds a lot and the material is very nice and it looks nice.

I've had the Stevie, the PPB Boxy, a Timi and Leslie, and Rebecca Minkoff. While I love the Stevie and the Boxy(in the beginning, I rarely wore them. Usually put them in the stroller basket. They're both heavy whrn stuffed. Since LO was running everywhere, I've been using my Rebecca Minkoff "Marissa" bag all the time. It's lightweight, structured yet soft, has long, soft leather handles, and a soft but sturdy cross body messenger strap. I really love it. I returned the T&L, a Danzo, and a Mia Bossi.

@LindsayInNY: I have both the Storksak Olivia and the Kate Spade Stevie. I actually prefer the Kate Spade because it's bigger and the material is nicer than the Storksak. My Storksak was never big enough to carry everything I needed. I was always packing it full to the max and then having to pull out half the bag to find what I needed. The Stevie was much roomier and I could see everything. That being said, I wished that the Kate Spade had a few more pockets like the Olivia and I wished that there was a cross body strap. However, I never really missed it and you can always buy one to attach to the stroller hooks.

If I was doing it over again, I'd get the Storksak Bobby, hands down!

Commenting to follow!

I honestly think there is no ONE perfect diaper bag. I think you really need one option for using on the stroller, another option when you are baby wearing, and maybe even another option when you switch to using an umbrella stroller more often, because most diaper bags are too heavy to hang off an umbrella stroller (although at that point you may be able to get away with using a regular purse). I wanted to find the perfect diaper bag, and I don;t think it exists. Whenever we have #2, I think I'll probably keep using the stevie on the stroller exclusively and get a different one to use while baby wearing/traveling in the car.

I hated the coach I had, it did not close with a zipper, only a button/magnetic hold so when I put it down, the contents would always spill out. I sold it.

I use a Kelly Moore Libby bag for my diaper/camera bag (I carry a DSLR everywhere) and love it! Tons of pockets, great straps, and plenty of room for 2 kids plus my basics and basic camera/flash/extra lens.

I have the Stevie and it's just OK: it's really pretty, nice stroller straps, but bulky and it isn't super easy to find things inside the giant main compartment if you have more than a couple things in it. It's also heavy and barely fits over my shoulder— definitely have to use one hand to hold it, even on my shoulder. We're trying out Tom Bihn's brand new Parental Unit bag, and have to say, I love it. It's comfortable for me to wear, DH isn't embarrassed wearing it because it's a nice-looking bag for both men and women, it's streamlined and is worn over the shoulder, or across the body like a messenger bag so your hands are free, it's light, and SO organized— I've never found things inside a bag so quickly before!

I have the storksak Olivia and I really wanted for a while before buying it. I liked it but there was no good way to store paper products in it without bending which bothered me quite a bit since it had little structure. Also carter sells something very similar and way cheaper but that version does not have a cross body strip.

http://www.diapers.com/p/carters-zip-front-diaper-tote-black-382491?site=CA&sku=WB-104&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc_D&utm_campaign=GooglePLA&utm_content=%7Badtype%7D&ca_sku=WB-104&ca_gpa=%7Badtype%7D&ca_kw=%7Bkeyword%7D&CAWELAID=1406163381&kpid=WB-104

I believe it is sold at targets also.

Good luck!

We just used a backpack for the first six months when diaper changes changes and blowouts were more frequent. Now I throw a gallon ziplock into my Longchamps fabric tote. I can fit a few diapers, a disposable changing pad, a travel pack of wipes, a small tube of Aquaphor, and an outfit change that way. It is so much easier than having a second bag. I guess theoretically I could look for a pouch with similar capacity but that requires time and energy, and I already have ziplocks!

@looch: i totally agree with this.