Bags & Totes Archives - Rave & Review

Less is more: life without a diaper bag

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MoreHuggiesMoreSavings #CollectiveBias I’m 9+ years in on this whole mom gig, and at this point I would definitely consider myself an experienced mom. In the past decade I’ve had three kids, I’ve babysat several dozen more kids … Read more

Back to campus with the lightweight and rugged Altitude Backpack from Solo

Have a college student that is heading back to campus this year? If so, you’re going to want to listen up because I think I found the best backpack ever for college living. Hey, even if you’re not buying for college and instead just want a super cool daypack, light hiking pack, or commuter backpack, … Read more

Seattle Premium Outlets last-minute gift guide

Are you worried there isn't enough time left to pick up thoughtful gifts for everyone on your list? Never fear, Seattle Premium Outlets is here to help and no one will ever have to know that you shopped last minute!

I'm sharing with you our gift guide for every age on your list. Every item was found at Seattle Premium Outlets this past week and is perfect for gifting this holiday season. Flannel: Eddie Bauer, Boot Cuffs and Socks: Timberland, Bracelet and Bag: Coach OutletFlannel: (r) Eddie Bauer (l) Timberland, Socks: TimberlandPajama Pants for Women: Hanna, Pajamas for Baby: HannaStar Wars Shirt and Bow: Hot Topic

Festive and fun last-minute shopping for everyone on your list at Seattle Premium Outlets

Can you believe Christmas is less than a week away? It seemed like I had things under control and then late last week I checked I still had a dozen of presents left to buy and the days were flying by. Instead of stressing out, I decided to take an afternoon off and head up to Seattle Premium Outlets in Tulalip, WA for a day of shopping, meeting up with friends, and ultimately, crossing off my list once and for all. Baby and I set off on an epic shopping trip that started with meeting up for coffee with a long-lost friend, and then ended with her falling asleep clutching an empty Coach shopping bag, a Tigger bracelet, a handful of stickers, and a notebook – all of which were given to her on our shopping trip for being such a delight. We stopped by guest services where we were greeted with beautiful holiday decorations on the fireplaces flanking the food court. This is where you can pick up mall gift cards as well as shop their huge selection of restaurant, store, and experience gift cards at the gift card kiosk.

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.

10+ tips for road trips with young kids

In the past 8 years, my children have visited 6 different countries, 3 continents, and countless towns and cities in the United States and abroad. We’ve traveled by train, plane, boat, and car, and at this point our kids can pretty objectively be referred to as seasoned travelers. Recently, we’ve been doing a lot of road tripping, and while it’s nice to not have to plan for airlines, train stations, and long waits before departures, trips in the car with young kids have their own set of challenges. Over the years I’ve learned that these challenges can be minimized by how I pack, prepare, and execute a road trip with baby, and we’ve gotten our system down to a science thanks to Huggies at Costco.

Photo gifts and surprises from GingerSnapCrate

I just received one of the coolest packages I have ever gotten. Yes, ever. I’m a hard person to surprise, but I was so shocked by my GingerSnapCrate that it felt like Christmas, my birthday, Valentine’s Day, and Mother’s Day all rolled into one.

Picture presents are my absolute favorite, but that’s one thing that’s really tough for other people to get me. You see, I’m my family’s photographer, which means unless my photographer aunt is around with her camera, I hold all the pictures. And, I have a ton of pictures {I actually probably have a few dozen tons of pictures}, which no one wants to dig through to surprise me.But, GingerSnapCrate really surprised me, in such a good way. GingerSnapCrate is a customized monthly box of your favorite images made into custom photo gifts perfect for keeping or for giving.

I was honestly so surprised that I was confused. How did they get these adorable pictures I love so much? I know I didn’t send them all of these, so where did they come from? When they asked for a few pictures, I just drew a blank and sent the four most current pictures I liked of this spring. So, where did the rest of these come from and how did they know my taste so perfectly? And, then I realized that they had found my pictures on Instagram, which is so awesome. Out of my Instagram photos and the photos I uploaded to the GingerSnapCrate site, they made me some super awesome photo gifts that I am simply in love with. From calendar sheets to framed prints and photo bags to magnets and beautifully printed photos, they nailed every single item in the crate.

How to pack the perfect carry-on for baby

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SkinCareForBaby #CollectiveBias Our kids go just about everywhere with us, and that includes when our adventures take us out of state by plane, train, and automobile. This go-anywhere, do-anything lifestyle started with our first baby when she was just days old. Even back then we’d have parents come up to us incredulous that we were able to travel with baby and now that our family size has increased their curiosity has only grown.

And I always tell them that traveling with babies was one of the best things we ever did. Not only did it make them more adaptable and flexible, it also made it easier to keep our adventurous side, which makes us all happier. The kids are growing up seeing things others only dream of and we’re spending some really awesome quality time together starting from day one.

My first tip for traveling with baby is that preparation goes a long way. Before we ever set off with baby, we read a ton and played out all of our worst-case scenarios. There were a few missteps along the way but for the most part we were prepared for just about everything that has come up, and even when we weren't, we were able to approach it with a roll-with-it kind of attitude knowing that you can't account for every emergency.

If you are a new parent wondering about the logistics of traveling with baby, you can relax because we are giving you a peek into our carry-on for baby. This is exactly what we'll be packing for our cross-country trip with kiddos this month, and has worked well for us on all of our adventures. Are you ready to start? Great, let's break down our packing list by category: food & snacks, soothing & comfort, playtime, clothing, changing, and just for parents.

The complete guide to storing and organizing children’s clothing: hand-me-downs, outgrown clothing, and long term storage

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #ZiplocSavesSpace #CollectiveBias I love the spread of ages of my children in most instances. I love that the three of them are incredibly close friends, but just enough apart in age so that they each have their own time to shine in their different stages. Really, the only time the age difference bothers me is when I’m packing, storing, and then keeping track of all these different sized clothes, blankets, and seasonal gear. But, as miserable as running my own personal small children’s boutique can be at times, there is nothing sweeter than knowing that all of my children wore a beloved item, or when I realize how many memories are in those tiny clothes they are handing down. Stories of places we’ve been together, people that gave us the clothes who are no longer with us, or simply amazing memories we’ve made while the kids were wearing the items. That makes it all worth it in the end.

Ready to get started organizing all your little ones’ clothing? Great!

Peripop: the perfect blanket, play mat, and cushion for baby and beyond

As someone who is always on the go with kids, I feel like I am constantly shuttling belongings from point A to point B, then to point C, and back again. It used to be that I would arrive at my destination and unload bags and toys and gear just for a few hours and then would cart it all back home again when I was done. But, my years of doing that are over now that I have three darlings who all need gear and I still only have two hands.

Since baby items are traditionally big and bulky, they were the first things to get abandoned for the sake of not feeling like a pack mule. But, then the problem arises of where I can set baby safely once we get to our destination so that I can actually use both those hands every once in a while.

That's why I love Oribel, a brand that completely understand that parenting often happens on the go. Their new line of baby gear is not only lightweight and portable, but also multi-purpose so that it solves numerous problems at the same time. Introducing Peripop, the coolest baby mat, ever.