Me, Myself, and Bags

I have a secret, illicit affair with bags. Secret because only a few people know about it, and illicit because I could not commit. Yes, I drool over bags but only behind the comfort of a screen.

I've never made a splurge yet.

If I am to choose between shoes and bags (clothes are, of course, necessary), I would choose bags because they are useful to me and I think they're a lot prettier. As a mom, I think I can live in my flat shoes and Crocs forever. Haha!

But bags? I couldn't have enough of them - well, virtually anyway. In fact, I'm kinda ashamed to admit that during the Accreditation seminar I attended last weekend, whenever things get boring, my eyes would wander over to my classmates' bags. We were only 14, but I spotted at least 2 LVs and a Tory Burch. My own seatmate's bag was a black Prada Tessuto Nylon & Saffiano tote bag.

Image: http://deluxemall.com/

Ugh, I am hopeless.

What's funny is that I always chicken out whenever I finally find a bag I like. Last time, I mentioned that I bought a new phone, but minutes before that, I was THISCLOSE to buying this pretty black Kate Spade bag:

Image: katespade.com

For serious bag lovers, this is no big deal, but I'm only an admirer from afar hahaha. I really liked the bag, but as usual, back out na naman ako. In fairness, I was able to buy a phone at half the cost of the bag. #kuripot

Well, I can't keep myself from bag-hunting, though, and here are my other crushes:

The Battle of the Bags

So Job and I aren't officially "together" now (Woah! Shocking, right? I will write about this in a future post). However, he insisted that I still get a bag for myself. Months back, he asked me what I would like for Christmas. He knows that I'm not very fond of surprises when it comes to material things - I'm very fickle-minded and OC; I even weigh the pros and cons of every planner out there before I finally decide on one!

Anyway, I digress. So he asked me what I would like for Christmas. The first thing I said was "a blender" because my blender broke down a few weeks ago. However, he did not like the idea of giving me a blender!  So un-romantic! Haha! He told me I should buy a bag because, well, I have been bugging about my lack of bags since forever. He knows that I have a number of bags, but I want a new bag that fits my current lifestyle! *sniff*

Since he knows I like to choose what to buy and weigh the pros and cons, he gave me the go-signal to choose my bag. Here are my requirements (yes, requirements talaga!):

1. It should be nylon. Nylon is a good material for a bag because first, it is waterproof, and second, I need a light bag. Yuri might be light for his age, but it certainly doesn't feel like it!
2. It should have genuine leather trims. I don't want synthetic leather because I want a bag that would last for years, not months.
3. It should be roomy. Do I really need to explain this? :-)
4. It should have a sling. I'm a sling person; I was never a shoulder bag person. Of course, my bag should be versatile. If I feel like using it as a hand bag, I should be able to! But on regular days when I'm chasing Yuri around, I should be able to wear it in a sling and not have to worry about it.
5. It should be affordable. Job didn't specify a price, but I know he'll appreciate if I don't buy a bag that is too expensive because we need to be frugal. Remember: live within your means!

I have already found very ideal bags at Cuzo. Here are the top three contenders (all photos are from the Cuzo website):

Miranda (Black and Blue) - P1,995

Miranda (Blue) - P1,500

Carla (Blue-Brass) - on sale at P1,000

Aren't they all pretty? Nylon, check! Genuine leather, check! Roomy, check! Sling, check! Affordable, check! Check, check, check!

I have finally decided which to buy yesterday and, along with a gift to my mom, I already wanted to check it out. Alas! Walang BPI sa mode of payment! OMG! I don't have a BDO account, and I'm not planning on going outside the house to deposit over the counter. I also don't want to risk using my Paypal account because we have been hacked (actually, I should write about that!).

So now I'm back to square 1. I'm at a total loss. I tried looking for other bags in other shopping websites, but I can't seem to find any pretty bags with lightweight but high-quality materials like the Cuzo bags. Where should I buy a bag? I'm stressing over it, and for crying out loud, it's just a bag!

PS: I really like Longchamp Lepliages, but they're too expensive for a nylon bag - at least in my opinion. There are also some sellers over Instagram who sell them for cheap and claim they are authentic, but for 2,500 a bag, you've got to be kidding me! People, real Longchamps cost 7k pataas. I would rather spend my P2,500 on a locally-made leather bag than on a designer knock-off!

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What's in my Diaper Bag? (Toddler Edition)

More than a year ago, when Yuri was just 6 months old, I wrote my first-ever what's-in-my-diaper-bag post (you can read it here). I happened to be backreading when I stumbled upon that post. Ang dami ko palang dala noon! No wonder I got myself a huge diaper bag!

Now that Yuri is already 20 months old, I discovered I've been bringing a lot less stuff with me. Actually, compared to when Yuri was a baby, I've been bringing less stuff when he turned 1. Now that he's starting to be an independent toddler, I've been bringing  far less stuff. In fact, I got myself a small diaper bag to fit our more active lifestyle. Charot, kung maka-active! Haha!

Anyway, if you're curious, or if you have an infant and still hoping for a more streamlined diaper packing assembly in the morning, I'll show you what I usually bring when I go out with Yuri. Disclaimer: I still usually bring an even smaller bag for my personal belongings - AKA the mom bag. Okay, here are the contents of our toddler-edition diaper bag:

The bag: Carter's diaper bag, which is less than half the size of my previous Baby Couture bag

 Solid feeding essentials: Avent sippy cup, Richell snack cup, and spoon and fork from a set given by Auntie Melissa

I love our Richell feeding cup because it contains its own spoon! I bought it early this year from Zalora but found that they don't sell baby stuff anymore. 

 Must have: Extra shirt and a pair of busha pants which don't take too much room in the bag. These are important because (1) Yuri is a very sweaty kid and (2) you just never know when an "accident" will happen.

 Optional: We still breastfeed, and while Yuri very rarely nurses in public for months now, I still carry with me a nursing cover. Just in case.

Essentials: I've had the same clear pouch for more than a year now; it's from the Baby Couture diaper bag.

I bring with me 1 or 2 diapers (depending on how long we'll be gone), regular wipes, hand-and-face wipes, and Boogie wipes. I realize I'm now bringing more wipes than when Yuri was a baby!

 Essentials: Baby powder, either Human ❤ Nature or GIGA Baby mosquito repellent, and any brand of hand sanitizer (will try Human Nature next time)

Outfit of the Day Posts c/o Instagram

Ever since I got an Android phone (and a cheap one at that), I became shamelessly addicted to Twitter and Instagram. Well, I've had a Twitter account for almost three years, but it's only now that I catch myself reading updates every minute or so.

And as for Instagram, I know I'm late in joining the bandwagon. I've been wanting to join ever since, but the service was only available to iPhone and Android users. Shamelessly, I will admit that the only reason I bought an Android phone is Instagram.

At first, I only posted photos of Y. Then, I began posting photos of things I bought or the food I eat. Lately, I began posting photos of my outfits, too. Not that my outfits are hype-worthy; I just like posting them. I reviewed my photos and here are some "OOTD" photos I have posted:

In Forever 21's fitting room: I was showing off how I fit into size-26 jeans again. LOL!
Top: Zip-front minidress, a cheap find from aionlineshop.com
Shoes: Zebra-print flats from Solemates
(Not in photo: The generic leggings I originally wore)

Before going to church:
Top: Loose gray blouse stolen borrowed from my mom
Jeans: Forever 21 (yes, I bought it)
Shoes: Tan-and-brown flats from SM Parisian
On Y:
Rompers: Carter's
Shoes: Pitter Pat 

Over a month ago, before going to the mall for a bit of Christmas shopping
Dress: Teal dress from ForMe
Belt: Geneva Katina Skinny Belt
Bag: Brown satchel from SM Parisian

My sister has a couple of her own, too:

Floral dress from Forever 21

Green polka-dot dress, also from Forever 21

As you can see, I don't have a single outfit that can make someone look twice. In other words, I think my clothes are simple and, well, not that interesting. But as a mom, I would choose a simple top over an "over-the-top" outfit anyday - my Y would only pull the heck out of it! So, no-nonsense style it is!

None of my clothes are too expensive and not all of them are branded. My shoes are either closed flats or open-toed sandals (imagine shopping with a baby in high heels). Also, I'm not model-like. In fact, with my 50-kg body and medium frame, I'm far from it! But does that stop me from wearing cute clothes and trying to look nice? Not at all!

My New Diaper Bag

I used to have a very nice diaper bag from Baby Couture. However, I don't think the people who go out with me appreciate its size. See, because I carry Y, they have to carry the diaper bag. And since it's as big as an overnight bag, it's really not the most convenient thing in the world.

Sad.

My beautiful but unfortunately oversized diaper bag

So I needed to find another diaper bag, one that would also double as my handbag. I knew I needed a satchel, but I couldn't find one that would fit my budget. Hello? Who am I to spend 2k on a bag when I barely go outside the house? For a while, I used my old Fossil bag and stuffed Y's things into it. But it was too cramped, so I borrowed my younger sister's VS toiletry bag. It did well, but I didn't like the pink color - too kikay for a baby boy's diaper bag! Also, my sister wanted it back. Hehehe.

Luckily, I found a cheap but pretty satchel in, where else, but SM Parisian. My mom was just looking for a pair of shoes to wear to a wedding (not mine, though. LOL), but we were informed that we would get a discount if the purchase reaches a certain amount. So my sister looked for a pair of shoes - pink, duh - and I went off to find my new diaper bag. Here it is:

Crooked photo showing the front details. Behind bag: My UP Sablay. ;-)

Opened bag: lots of pockets! And roomy, too!

It easily fits all of my and Y's things. And we still use the Baby Couture diaper mat, much to the old bag's dismay.

I love using it because it's so casual - nobody would ever suspect what's inside are diapers and baby food. And the best part? It only costs P500! So much for expensive satchels haha. I guess my Baby Couture would have to wait for our next long distance trip to get used. It would be my go-to travel bag! :-)

* Grainy photos courtesy of my LG phone. Where the heck is my camera?!

What's inside my diaper bag?

What’s-in-my-bag posts always amuse me. I'm a naturally curious person and I would love to root around someone's bag to guess his or her character and personality. For example, someone who likes reading almost always have a tattered copy of a book in her bag. A techie person will have gadgets and wires all over. Anyway, because I’m amused with this kind of posts, I decided to have my own, too – this time, it’s what’s in my diaper bag.

I know, I know. What I wrote above is just a lame attempt to show you the contents of my diaper bag. I’m not even sorry! Haha! What’s in my diaper bag? Here they are:

My pink and brown Baby Couture diaper bag

An insulated pocket where I put Yuri's bottle -- if we bring one

Diaper mats -- one came with the diaper bag and one from the department store, which just costs P49 (teehee)

Details (macro haha)

Shawl -- in a distracting, orange color -- for emergency coverups

Y's record books from our pedia's clinic and from the Barangay Center

Extra mittens and bibs -- I don't know why I still bring a pair of mittens since Y doesn't use them anymore

Health care essentials -- Hygienix hand sanitizer, Cortizan cream for eczema, Diacare diaper cream (same bottle since he was born!), pen for signing autographs, digital thermometer, baby-sized cotton buds

All of which are placed inside the clear pouch that came with the diaper bag

Travel-sized wipes are a must!

And travel-sized wipes for hands and face

Just three diapers to last the whole day -- Y poops just twice a week (Before you ask, no, he's not constipated. That's normal for breastfed kids.)

Extra rompers -- I learned my lesson when Y accidentally pooped on his clothes in the clinic. :D

Extra shorts if he's wearing onesies

I also used to bring Y's pacifier, too, but he doesn't like using it.

So, there. Those are the contents of my diaper bag. What else should I have? I'm open to suggestions. How about you? What's in your diaper bag?

* This post has been sitting on my drafts since last week. I didn't post it yet because I felt I would be changing something in my blog -- and there really was!