Skip Hop Satchel

When I became a mom three years ago, I knew things would change. Some of those things would change for only a few months/years, and others might be a lifetime change. And, I'm perfectly fine with that. One of those changes was my accessories. I don't wear the jewelry I used to, but I still wear my favorites so I don't really feel like I'm missing much in that department. But, when it came to a handbag/purse, that has been something I've really missed. Diaper bags are big and bulky enough without having to add additional bag to carry. And when you add a baby carrier with that, yep, you know quickly that leaving your handbag/purse behind is the best decision you'll ever make.

Fast forward to where we are now. Our girls are toddlers, but we still need a bag to carry diapers, wipes, extra clothes for both girls, snacks, thermoses, and then I have items to pack, too. At first, I let them carry their backpacks and then I'd have my purse, but that wasn't working because I ended up carrying both of their bags, too. So, I decided I'd get a backpack for us to carry all of our stuff. And the one I got off of Amazon, well, it apparently wasn't made to hold all the gear we needed. It ripped at the seam the first day we used it. I was so bummed about this, because this backpack was my style! I loved carrying it! Since this bag didn't work, it made me do some major digging on the internet for the perfect bag (for me). For over a week, I researched hundreds of bags and read even more reviews. I would drag my husband over to the computer at least a dozen times, and he would always say, "you are the one carrying it, you decide" and then I would second guess my opinion again. I'm sure a friend of mine would tell you that if I never mentioned diaper bag/backpacks ever again to her, she would be a okay with that! I really thought I wanted a backpack, but all of the reviews were leading me to a satchel.

I bit the bullet last week, and decided to go with the Skip Hop Chelsea Satchel. It came in and I started filling it up with all of my items from the backpack that I was still carrying around with a ripped seam. It has so many pockets for all of our needs. And dare I say, I still have room in the bag for more?

The bag is stylish and it looks great when I'm carrying it around. It has two pockets on the sides, one for each of the girls' thermoses. It has two pockets in the front with magnetic closure. I use one to store paci's for emergencies, and the other holds my lip gloss.

Then the bag has a zip up section that I keep all of my personal things in like my wallet, makeup, and eye glass case. It is deep and I have a lot of room left if I decide to add more items.  There is also another small zipper section where I keep my keys and my cell phone. I can get to it easily, and it's a shallow pocket so I don't feel like I'm searching forever to find those two things.

The back pocket has a changing pad included with the bag. Right now I'm keeping it in there because we still need it, but once we are out of diapers, I can put my laptop, ipad, planner, etc, in that section.

The center zipper compartment is huge! It has four pockets (two on each side) and it's deep. I keep the girls' extra change of clothes, wipes, diapers, and snacks in there and we still have room to add more. And with all of this in the bag, it still doesn't feel weighed down.

Overall, I'm really pleased with this bag! We tried out the stroller straps at the grocery store yesterday, and it freed up so much space by not having it in the buggy! The girls have even told me they like mama's new bag.

Do you have this bag? What are your thoughts on it? If you are a mama or mama-to-be, I highly recommend getting this satchel. They also have the Chelsea in a backpack, too!!