bag 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.

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.

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.

Clean up in seconds with Lay-N-Go ~ a totable mat for everyone in the family

Now that we’re in the early stages of re-baby proofing our house for our new little one, I’m realizing more than ever all the small choking hazards that litter my floor as the kids play. Since getting rid of toys that have small parts isn’t really an option with a LEGO fanatic and a whole house full of miniatures, I’ve been brainstorming ways to corral the toys and keep the little ones safe. I’d be mad at all the little pieces everywhere but it’s not entirely their fault as our current system involves dumping bins which causes small pieces to scatter. And, in all fairness, they are actually quite good about picking up the pieces when they are done playing, which is why the bin system works for us. It was an obvious improvement upon the toy box system which had little pieces in thin layers along the bottom of the box, but clearly neither option is going to work well once we have a mobile baby.

While looking for something that allowed the small toys to be put away while still allowing them to be accessible, I found an awesome company called Lay-N-Go. Not only do they solve the problem of how to store all those small toys, their products also add the benefit of giving the kids a safe place to play with those toys, and an easy clean-up process.

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

Deuter Fox 30 kid’s pack fosters a love of the outdoors from tot to teen

My daughter likes nothing more than to match hubby and me. While this is completely adorable, it makes shopping very difficult as I have found that it’s almost impossible to find matching items for us that we both really like. In her size we find cartoon characters and excess amounts of pink, and adult sizes don’t go small enough to fit her.

Thank goodness there are companies like Deuter that specialize in both adult and kid’s gear that is the real deal. No frills, no cartoons. But, that doesn’t mean they scrimp on features, in fact quite the opposite.

We got to review the Deuter Fox 30 backpack for our little explorer this month and she was beyond thrilled. She had been eyeing it at REI for quite a while and talking of all the reasons she needed it, so it wasn’t surprising that she was jumping up and down excited when she realized she got to try one out.

While our next serious camping trip is still a few weeks away, we’ve already gotten a ton of use out of this amazing bag. From weekend trips to days out, the Deuter Fox 30 has been a lifesaver carrying the kids gear, their toys, or just the large amount of stuff we seem to require for all-day excursion.

Whenever we can, we let my daughter pack her own stuff in the bag and then she can help carry any gear we have, any souvenirs {AKA rocks, sticks and other treasures} she picks up, and can access her stuff whenever she wants. We also went out and got her a Camelbak hydration pack that can fit right into the Deuter Fox 30 so she can drink through the straw secured at her shoulder all along the trail instead of having to stop for each sip.

The Builder Bag

In terms of great educational toys, you really can’t go wrong with building toys. You just can’t beat the learning that happens when you let your little ones create whatever their heart desires with no rules but that of gravity and physics. I love watching my kids build and manipulate all the small pieces to … 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