Back when I was pregnant, and choosing kit for my impending journey into motherhood, I probably focused too much on being a mum to a BABY, rather than thinking about then becoming a mum to a child. What I mean by that is that I bought products that I knew would suit me well for the first year or so. When actually, looking back, I could have (and should have) been buying stuff that I could use for longer.
We bought a sturdy looking pram that eventually turned into a sturdy pushchair – I wish we’d bought a lightweight nippy little pushchair that had a sturdy pram attachment. After all, we used the buggy part of it for far longer than the pram, and we ended up with quite a bulky thing to push around.
When we decorated our then-unborn daughter’s bedroom, we decorated it with a baby in mind, but fast forward four years and it feels like she has outgrown it. I wish I’d thought about this back then and decorated it in a way she could grow into.
And with the change bag I bought, I went for a plastic coated practical and floral number that had a gazillion pockets. It was SO handy when my daughter was a baby, but has long been chucked to the back of the loft where it’s gathering dust. I wish I’d bought a change bag that would have served my needs back then, but could still be used now.
To prove that this is possible, Pink Lining sent me one of their Bramley totes. Now THIS is a bag I wish I’d bought back when I had a baby. It has all the pockets and handy elements you need when you’re heading out with a small baby and need to have ten nappies, four muslins, a bottle of formula, dummies, three changes of clothes, a Sophie La Giraffe toy and your purse, phone and that all important pocket where you can pop your sanity, to ensure you don’t lose it.
But it’s also a super lovely tote bag that can be used for non-baby stuff. Ideal for either popping all the things I need for a day out with my four-year-old (jumper, water bottle, snacks, book) or even for taking on a night away. Tonight, I’m meeting some friends for dinner and then staying overnight in a hotel, and the Bramley tote (£69) is perfect – I can rock it with my red lippy, jeans, sweatshirt and heels at dinner, but still fit in my PJs, toothbrush and change of clothes for tomorrow.
Now that’s a stylish, multi-tasking and future-proof change bag.
Thanks to Pink Lining for commissioning this post and sending me the tote!
Oh that really is lovely