bags Archives - Rave & Review

The ultimate in versatility with the SOLO Velocity 17.3″ backpack to duffel

We’re on the go a lot around here. Whether it’s sightseeing around town, on vacation, or simply just during our day to day routines, we find ourselves packing a bag for our days out on the regular. Often filled with snacks, necessities, extra clothing, and all the gear needed for baby, but sometimes filled with technology for work, our needs change all the time and we need a bag that can adapt with us. We found the SOLO Velocity 17.3″ Backpack and I knew we had found the perfect hybrid bag that can go from work to travel and back again. It has a padded back and backpack straps that make it comfortable to carry all day while out and about. Since the compact backpack converts to a duffel and has a fully padded 15.6” compartment that can hold a laptop, tablet, or any small peripherals, it makes it the perfect bag for just about anything you can throw at it.

Adventure approved gear for little travelers from Wildkin

It’s a big day in our house – our oldest has made the transition from kid suitcase to real-deal “luggage”. This has been on my list to do for years now as her tiny going to grandma’s style suitcase has proven to be too tiny for all her clothing and gear as well as accommodating her natural ability to collect treasures wherever we go.

Her beat up old suitcase has been all over the world with us, but it was time to retire it for something that can hold more than a few changes of clothing and a book. Ideally the replacement would be wheeled so she wasn’t stuck carrying it across airports, colorful and fun so it would be fun to take with us, and it would grow with her so we won’t have to buy yet another suitcase in just a few years.

Our solution? Wildkin bags, backpacks and suitcases that have all the fun designs I love while still being uber practical and easy to travel with.

Stylish Quilted Koala “Mommy & Me” totes keep you organized on-the-go

If I could name one thing that keeps me sane as a mom of three kids, my answer would undoubtedly be “organization”. Gone are the days of happy-go-lucky Leanne where I would simply grab my purse and leave the house. Now going anywhere requires a few lists: the must-haves, the would-be-nice-to-haves, and the if-I-have-time items. I’m constantly organizing things into small piles each night, prepping what I can ahead of time so that our mornings and days run a little smoother, and for the most part I would say that I’m pretty well organized and we haven’t had any major catastrophes in terms of planning.

And, while I never committed to a full diaper bag with my two older children, I’ve reached the point where the “mom purse” is getting out of control. As if leather purses weren’t already heavy on their own, I’ve been known to find full-fledged rocks in my purse but there by my little darlings. Rocks, people. I carry around rocks in my purse.

Obviously, a mom purse is not the right solution to keep us organized on-the-go. What I have been searching for is a bag from Quilted Koala, the makers of the perfect lightweight 100% cotton tote bags totes to organize everything I haul around each day.

Start a love of biking early with the smarTrike 4-in-1 trike

Our family is huge into biking and the kids spend all spring, summer, and fall pedaling all over the neighborhood and beyond. But, with a new reviewer that is going to be too young to join in all the biking fun, I wasn't sure what her and I were going to do while the big kids played. Sure, I could push her in the stroller alongside them, but that's a pretty sad consolation to biking with the big kids.

Introducing the smarTrike® Boutique Touch Steering® 4-in-1 trike that can get her out biking even before she can reach the pedals. Besides starting a love of biking earlier than ever, it also has all sorts of little details that make toddlers and parents happy. It might be so cool that even the big kids love it. Being 4-in-1 allows us to start baby girl on the smarTrike at 10 months and then as she grows we can configure it to fit our needs. Just check out all the ways you can use the smarTrike to grow with your child, or make it useful for families with multiple young kids. Smartrike 4-in-1

Targus Demolition 17.3” backpack

In my home, there is absolutely no such thing as “just a bag”. Having grown up with a mom who was a luggage and handbag aficionado and then having married a man who knows more about heavy-duty multipurpose bags than most people selling them, we don’t own a cheap bag in all of our collection. … Read more

Briggs & Riley BRX Adventure Travel Gear

Get Out and PLAY Event – Day 35 While in San Diego for BlogHer, I received what is quite possibly the coolest email ever and made me a hero in both my husband’s eyes and our daughter’s. My mission: go to an outdoor retailer and shop for luggage. But, not just any luggage… the Briggs … Read more

Kelty Big Dipper Junior Sleeping Bag “Grows” With Your Child

Get Out and PLAY – Day 14 Getting our kids excited about the great outdoors is something that is a huge priority for us. Surrounded by mountains, ocean, and miles of forests to explore, enjoying nature is just a way of life here in the Pacific Northwest. However, loving the great outdoors isn’t easy if … Read more

The Mommy Hook: A Travel Essential

Get Out and PLAY – Day 6 As I prepared for my first little ones arrival, the items for babies and children began to fill the house. While it took some creative reorganizing and some gifting of old non-child oriented items, eventually everything found its place. So once, baby arrived I figured we were set … Read more

High Sierra Sport Luggage

Traveling as a family is something that is extremely important to me and something I hope we can continue to do more as our family grows. Unfortunately, traveling with kids and all their gear is sometimes difficult, especially when we are going somewhere that relies heavily on a public transportation system. When we are going … Read more