skip hop to it

The other day I posted about not being able to afford a Skip*Hop tote. I already had the Skip*Hop splash (in red to match my kitchen accessories). I bought it for myself for Christmas as a little pick me up, since pumping and bottle-feeding are never all that glamorous and I hated the little while plastic crappy rack I had before.

Since I’d already been a serious fan of their design and products, I just about died when a representative emailed me offering a diaper tote for me to try out. It arrived on Thursday and let me tell you, it’s highly cooler than the $1 tote I picked up at the Target dollar rack. I'm under no obligation to review it, but I want to let you guys know what I think. Luckily I don't think it sucks!

The Spark is designed exclusively for Target stores, and it turns out, it’s only about $30. This means that A. it is in fact in my price range and B. I can pick it up across the street at my local Target. (Otherwise known as the Place I am Not Allowed to Shop at Without a Real Reason.) (Cause I want to buy everything.)

I’ve been using a sling/messenger type diaper bag for three years for the Chipmunk. It looks nice on my husband and has a good bottle-insulating area, but other than that it doesn’t really have that much room in it and it expands to a weird shape when it’s full of stuff. I've actually been in the market to replace it all month, and now I'm settled on using the Spark instead of trying to rig a normal tote-bag into something useful.

The Spark, unlike my previous bag, still stays reasonable “flat” when it’s full thanks to the way it's constructed. It has a crapload of storage areas, including four easy access compartments on the sides. (Two of them zipper—perfect for your wallet/keys/iPod.) The inside has a bunch of little areas, and it comes with a nice changing pad in a very cute grey/black/red pattern. My husband would definitely not feel like a dork carrying this around. (That being said, I wouldn’t object to one in pink. He’d just have to suck it up.) They actually have a camo print one at Target which is a nice alternative. If you want the super cool prints or other designs, the bags from Skip*Hop are still badass, but the price range jumps up a bit. Here's a roundup on the Spark:


Pros:
Sturdy material
Price! ($29.99)
Good shape, doesn’t look like a “diaper bag”
Lots and lots of compartments
Nice waterproof changing pad
Snazzy design
The shoulder strap is removable so you can use it as a messenger or tote
Converts to stroller bag!
Two side bottle compartments (great for extra sippy cups)

Cons:
No insulated bottle area (okay for me because I breastfeed when we’re out and about)
No easy-access cell-phone holder (although I would use the mesh bottle compartment for that)

I’ll definitely be recommending the Spark to my pregnant friends, especially ones with husbands/daddies who will be out and about with their kids. Now that mine’s all loaded up with my gear I have that fresh happy feeling I get when I get a new purse. (Formerly that feeling I got as a kid when I got a new backpack.)

As a final note, according to the Skip*Hop blog, a percentage of profits from every purchase go to The Pediatric Aids Foundation and The Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. My awesome Nana died of ovarian cancer in her early 50’s when I was nine-years-old. So on a personal level, I can really appreciate what they’re doing.

(Um and speaking of Frugal Friday, the Skip Hop site totally has a bunch of bags on super clearance right now. Fwee!)

Here’s my list of things that look Totally Cool on their site:

• The Swipe (Swiper, no Swiping!) (Because I never want to play the “is that shit or mustard” game again at Busch Gardens.)
• Palette Plate (Because maybe this would make my rebellious toddler eat dinner… and it doesn’t have Dora on it)
• Day to Night Baby Log (Dude, it’s a book with a nightlight in it. Perfect for my obsessive early baby day tracking.) (Man I’m glad we’re past that stage.)