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View Full Version : Does anyone use a big purse instead of a diaper bag?



artvandalay
12-29-2010, 03:06 PM
I am having a hard time finding a diaper bag that I like. I am thinking about just getting a bigger purse and using that. I suppose my concerns with doing this would be that I won't find one with stroller straps or side pockets for a sippy cup.

Anyone else just use a big purse? Are there enough organizational pockets to make it functional? Is there one in particular that you like?

I really wanted to like the Skip Hop Studio but it was just a tad too bulky. I loved all the pockets, though. I keep thinking I could just go back to it because it was the nicest of all I've tried. Part of me likes a cross body style, though. Ugh. I can never find the perfect diaper bag... and I've been looking for years it seems.

BabyBearsMom
12-29-2010, 03:11 PM
I do that sometimes. I just use one of the big Vera Bradley bags like this: http://www.verabradley.com/product/Category/Handbags/Tote/154817/defaultColor/Hello+Dahlia/pc/638/c/0/sc/641/p/154817.uts

I use a Mommy Clip to clip it to the stroller if I need to. There isn't a place to put a sippy or a bottle. If I want to bring DD a sippy (she is a bit young for them so I don't do this often), I just keep the liquid in a water bottle and pour it into the sippy as needed. I also have a diaper bag, but I use this more often for quick outtings.

WolfpackMom
12-29-2010, 03:13 PM
Now that DS is older and I carry less, I have been using a pruse. And was pleasantly suprised that my Coach purse that happens to have pockets on the sides can fit a bottle in said pockets. :D I will need to look up which purse it is, I got it at the outlet...

resipsaloquitur
12-29-2010, 05:02 PM
I had a nicer diaper bag for DS 7 years ago but IMO even nice diaper bags always look like diaper bags. It took my a long time to get pg again. I promised myself if I was lucky enough I would splurge on an amazing handbag to use as a diaper bag, justifying it by saying I would use it for years after. I did- huge splurge- Louis Vuitton. And I love it. I just put things in plastic sandwhich bags inside if I think they are going to be messy. I've never had an issue with it and I take it everywhere. You couldn't pay me to carry a diaper bag again.

♥ms.pacman♥
12-29-2010, 05:25 PM
i'm another one that uses an LV purse for the most part. neverfull or totally are good ones that are big enough to hold extra stuff (toys, sippies, etc).

i'm also one that hates to carry around bags that look like diaper bags (those big cube-like things). we have a columbia trekster diaper bag backpack. i stuff that with all the crap i could possibly need for ds (extra outfit, bibs, dipes, wipes, snacks, changing pad, you name it). then when i go places with ds (like grocery store, etc) i usually just take in my purse and leave the diaper bag in the car and only toss the essentials (toys, snack, etc) in my purse. i've never needed full diaper bag in store anyway. when we go for long outings we just dump the diaper bag backpack in the basket of the vista, and i carry my own purse.

ang79
12-30-2010, 10:26 AM
Now that my girls are 2 and 4 I use mostly purses. My Vera Bradley Cargo Sling and Lesportsac Everyday bag are great for shopping because I can wear them cross-body. And I have a Vera Bradley Pleated Tote which has two outside pockets that fit sippies well. The inside organization isn't that great (just 3 little slip pockets and a large zipper one), but I use organizer bags like JuJuBe BeQuicks and Lexie Barnes minis to hold dipes, wipes, spare clothes, toys, etc. It holds more than the first two bags I mentioned and would probably work for a baby. Another tote bag that I like that looks like a regular tote bag is the Fleurville Lark. The pockets inside are great sized for diapers and wipes case and I can fit a water bottle or sippies in the two outside side pockets, though the flaps don't close then. I actually use my Lark as my church tote, not for the girls stuff!

There are some companies that make nice leather diaper bags, like Not Rational and Ramalama. Very nice bags I've heard but also very pricey! Also, I think that the Storksak Emily looks like a nice larger purse.

My SIL uses a normal Columbia backpack as her diaper bag for two little ones. So you can use whatever you want as long as it works for you :) My only thought with using a purse is that sometimes you do get messes (leaking sippies or bottles, spilled snacks, or baby spit-up), so going with something washable might be a good thing (I can handwash my Lesportsac bag and machine wash my Vera Bradley bags).

blondflava
12-30-2010, 07:56 PM
I've tried to use a regular purse (bigger size with more pockets) but it all came down to me leaving it in the car, and carrying a Quick Changer, wristlet with my cards and money and a cooler with snacks for DD. The regular purse seemed so uncomfortable, finally I just got a Studio Tote and love it. Yes, it's spacious, but only a little bigger than my handbag I used to carry to work everyday! I don't fill it completely on our outings and it's good to know I have enough space for all the junk when we go for half a day (or longer) outing!
You can find a great purse to use, I wanted a cute diaper bag for a change!

salsah
12-31-2010, 12:01 AM
absolutely. of course now that i don't need a diaper bag, i see nice ones that i want.

ThreeofUs
12-31-2010, 09:47 AM
I used a medium-size briefcase. It had lots of sections and looked fantastic. I loved the little brass feet on the bottom - really made for a stable platform to be rooting around in with on hand. Held up *really* well, too - still looks just as nice as when I bought it NWT at a yard sale for $8.

This is the one:

http://compare.ebay.com/like/320633102963?ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar&rvr_id=192008330918&crlp=1_263602_304662&UA=M*F%3F&GUID=ed268f8611f0a0aad25153a1ff859971&itemid=320633102963&ff4=263602_304662

Claki
12-31-2010, 10:13 AM
I am tempted to do this, but I really need a sturdy pocket for sippy cups/bottles of milk.

DrSally
12-31-2010, 11:10 AM
I use my LL bean touring bag as a purse/diaper bag. It has a side pocket for a water bottle and tons of pockets. They sell the exact same bag with a changing pad for more $$, so technically it is a diaper bag I guess. It's pretty big for a purse, and I've been trying to change over to a nicer purse for myself, but it's hard to let go of the big LL bean bag for running out of the house with everything in it. My compromise has been to put a few things in a nicer purse when I go out by myself.

vonfirmath
12-31-2010, 02:27 PM
i've never needed full diaper bag in store anyway. when we go for long outings we just dump the diaper bag backpack in the basket of the vista, and i carry my own purse.

You are way lucky. It seemed that every time I decided I no longer needed to take my diaper bag into the stre, my son would have a blowout. And I'd be stuck in a bathroom with no paper towels trying to clean him up, with no diapers, no extra clothes, etc.

Beth24
12-31-2010, 02:47 PM
You are way lucky. It seemed that every time I decided I no longer needed to take my diaper bag into the stre, my son would have a blowout. And I'd be stuck in a bathroom with no paper towels trying to clean him up, with no diapers, no extra clothes, etc.

LOL. I had the same experience...the only time we had blow outs was when I didn't have my diaper bag!

salsah
01-01-2011, 12:41 AM
You are way lucky. It seemed that every time I decided I no longer needed to take my diaper bag into the stre, my son would have a blowout. And I'd be stuck in a bathroom with no paper towels trying to clean him up, with no diapers, no extra clothes, etc.

why not go out to the car?

abh5e8
01-01-2011, 12:49 AM
good ques salsah! i just use a purse. sometimes its a bigger vera bag, but right now its just a vera tote. plenty of room for my phone, wallet, keys, pens, gum, etc plus a couple of diapers, wipes and an extra onsie or two. if its a big all day trip to the zoo or something i pack a bigger bag but for daily stuff i've never needed one. with every baby i keep thinking, this time i will get an awesome, beautiful diaper bag...but i just never do. and i havn't missed it.

♥ms.pacman♥
01-01-2011, 01:02 AM
why not go out to the car?

:yeahthat:

this is my backup-plan. if ds ever poops or whatnot while i'm out shopping with him, i figure i can just go out to the van, where i have my diaper bag that contains changing pad, diapers, wipes, change of clothes, etc. imo much easier than trying to deal with changing my DS in a random public restroom.

mnosky1
01-01-2011, 01:41 PM
I do - I just sized up a little in my coach purse. I have a 2 and 7 year old. For a day at the children's museum with DD2 (no stroller), I add a dipes and wipes and throw-a-away bib and maybe point and shoot camera to my purse. We never went the sippy cup route (we did straws) so I never carry a sippy, if we're thirsty we just stop and get a drink form the cafe. I try and carry a straw in my purse so she can drink from a water bottle without a mess.

Anyway, I was really liking not taking a diaper bag and then she got potty trained so I am sometimes back to taking a bag for the change of clothes -but sometimes I leave it in the car and go with nothing. I do take a diaper bag to church just so she has her own bag of books and stuff and isn't getting into my purse.

For a longer trip, like the zoo, we usually take a crocs sling shoulder bag (DH can carry or it can go in stroller) and this has my purse stuff plus everyone's little items, camera, wipes, wallets, sunblock etc. - it's mostly my purse stuff :)

Michelle

indigo99
01-01-2011, 11:19 PM
I do about half the time. I was never into carrying a purse so it's mostly just full of DS's things. I have a funtainer that I just throw in with everything else so I don't need a bottle pocket.

TwinFoxes
01-02-2011, 02:21 AM
I stopped carrying the diaper bag before the girls turned one. It was too cumbersome. I just put diapers and wipes in the stroller pockets or my regular purse. I'm not one of those "I'd better take everything just in case" sorts of people though. Also agree w/PP, I kept extra stuff in my car.

ang79
01-04-2011, 08:36 PM
I picked up one of these Pish Posh Carryalls from a daily deal site a last week, just got it in the mail and am eager to test it out in some of my larger purses. It is lightweight and not very structured (doesn't stand up on its own), but has a ton of pockets inside and out to hold all sorts of things. I also like how the inside material is water resistant if I carry sippies in the two elastic pockets inside the bag (as I'm fearful of carrying water sippies in my nice leather bags!). My plan is to keep all kid related stuff (dipes/wipes, snacks, spare clothes, tissues, hand sanitizer, wet ones wipes, crayons and paper, etc.) in this organizer bag, and that will make it easier to transfer from one bag to another (I like to switch out my bags frequently depending on my outfit, mood, or the activity), and all the pockets will also make it much easier to organize my big purses (that usually only have a small zip pocket and two small slip pockets).

I'm frugal and would not pay $45 for one of these, but ecobabybuys had them for half price so I thought it was worth a shot!

http://pishposhmommy.com/carry-alls/pull-string.html

tarnator
01-05-2011, 02:54 AM
My lululemon gym bag has been perfect. Just the right pockets. And in my city it is 'stylish'. (yes, I am from vancouver.... :))

I spent a lot of time lusting after expensive diaper bags, bought one and hated it! Too big for little me.

Add me to the list of folk who also hate the look of most diaper bags too. Can't stand loud prints or babyish colours....

Eris1995
01-08-2011, 04:28 PM
I used my purse for a while with DS1. I had the diaper bag in the car with an extra change of clothes and I would throw a Ju-ju-be quick with diapers and wipes in my purse. It worked out great but now that I have 2 I'm back to using a diaper bag. I think it might be time for a bigger purse.

vonfirmath
01-17-2011, 06:25 PM
why not go out to the car?

No water. And I never got used to changing my kid in the car. I'd be schlepping him out to the car to get the diaper bag. Then back to the store to clean up. (and if the blow out is in the BACK of Wal-mart -- that means transversing the entire store, leaving purchases behind to go to car, hoping no one takes your cart apart while you are gone. Etc)

ChristinaLucia
02-10-2011, 01:39 AM
I use a huge Vera Bradley bag. Works great!

lizzywednesday
02-10-2011, 09:45 AM
I found a canvas purse at Target that I used for DD's diaper bag when she was teeny-tiny and added a travel changing pad. Everything else went into zip-top baggies. I kept overloading it and it was next to impossible to use while babywearing, so I started to ditch it. It had pockets galore, with two pouch-type ones that were the perfect size for MY water bottles and an empty bottle for DD (when we were still supplementing) as well as snacks and toys.

When my brother & SIL announced they were expecting, I bought them diaper bags from DadGear - a messenger bag style for my brother and a tote style for my SIL - and, since they were running a free shipping deal, I bought a backpack style one for DH. It was our primary diaper bag for a LONG time.

I recently bought a giraffe print diaper bag for us to use on a plane (smaller footprint than the backpack) and believe that I would use it long after DD has outgrown it. It came with a bottle cooler (which is where I store my nursing cover), changing pad and diaper pouch (that I use for storing an extra outfit because the lining is PUL or vinyl or something) ... and it has a wipe-clean finish, which I appreciate while in a restaurant.

I no longer lug a diaper bag into the grocery store (I'll usually check DD's dipe before we go in & have mastered the art of changing an uncooperative child's diaper in the back of my PT Cruiser) ... however, I always take it to the mall.

amldaley
02-11-2011, 08:15 AM
I have this in black. I used a regular diaper bag for the first 6 months or so, then used this for a diaper bag/work bag/purse. Loved it! Finally able to downsize now and just keep a few pull up and wipes in the car.

http://www.endless.com/dp/B001HSMD1I/191-7163241-5844344?ie=UTF8&creative=395033&linkCode=asn&tag=googlecom09c9_endless-20&suppressRedirect=1&creativeASIN=B001HSMD1I

arivecchi
02-11-2011, 11:59 AM
I just did the opposite. I needed a bag to commute with on the subway train and did not want to use my handbags because they were too open/wide/flashy. I so love my Skip Hop Studio in pewter that I got a black one to use as my daily bag!