Isoki Bag; Yes, Please!

The October 2010 issue of Parents magazine featured this diaper bag in a mini-article about "awesome imports from Down Under".

It's the Urban Reversible Saddle Tote Bag from Isoki. Hefty price tag aside, (it's nearly $200), I really like this bag. Not only is it pretty stylish, resembling a purse more than a diaper bag, but it has a lot of bonus goodies that come with it. I don't know how well you can tell from the picture, but it comes with a smaller storage "satchel", a changing pad, and an insulated cooler bag.

Other items offered on the site are a small storage wallet, (I wish that I had had one of these!)

 

And a really great looking portable changing mat.

 

Of course it's too late for me to make any splurge purchases for items like these. I'm actually in the process of getting rid of my baby items. But I thought that they were really cool and wanted to share them with anyone who might have the opportunity (and the means!) to get one of these in the future.

Even if your not a parent, or interested in these items, you still HAVE to visit their homepage to take a gander at what I'm assuming is Australia's version of a stripper mom? I'm a little confused by the woman featured with her boobs up to her chin, wearing Daisy Dukes, red stilettos heels, and clinging to a rope pole. Seriously, why?

Upon further investigation, it may be worth noting that this woman is only featured on their US website, marketing bags available to the United States. (Their Australian site shows more sophisticated, and fully-clothed moms and their children). Is this woman the image Australia immediately associates with American mothers? Do they think this is what a typical American mother looks like? Or dresses like? I sure hope not!

Thoughts?



.

Designer Diapers?

I recently came across an article on the web about some new designer diapers that Pampers is going to start selling. Apparently Cynthia Rowley, (yes, THAT Cynthia Rowley) has created 11 different designs, including these:

I wonder how much they paid her?

I think it's probably safe to assume that these are Pampers' (classier) version of Huggies' new denim diaper design:

I had some mixed reactions while reading this article. First, how on earth has it taken these companies this long to come up with a diaper design other than the usual cartoon characters? This seems like such a simple marketing concept that should have been done years ago! This is brilliant! Cha-ching! Pampers is going to make a fortune from this!

Or are they?

I then started wondering if people would actually BUY these diapers, or just admire them from afar. I certainly have no plans to buy them, for several reasons. The most important reason is the cost. These diapers cost a whopping $15.99 for a package of 24! I do not have that kind of money to waste on designer diapers. My second reason? I am a Huggies mommy through and through. I am not, and never have been, a fan of Pampers diapers. I don't like how flimsy they feel or how they fit a baby. (I will not, however, turn down a package of free Pampers diapers from the hospital. When it comes to delivery-room freebies, I do not discriminate. Load me up!).

I also started wondering what purpose, or point, there is to these diapers. I mean, they're diapers. No one is going to see them, right? As adorable as they may look in the commercials, I really don't know of too many parents who actually allow their babies to run toddle around in just their diapers. Are these supposed to be in place of pants? Start putting designer diapers on your baby and they don't have to wear pants anymore? (After all, it really IS annoying to have to keep unbuttoning or taking off pants each time you change a diaper).

They are cute and everything, and they seem like a good idea, from a marketing aspect that is. I just don't know if I get how practical they are. I imagine that the only people who would possibly consider buying these are most likely made of money and have enough to spend willy nilly on impractical items.

For the rest of us living in the real world, might I suggest the following alternatives:

 

                    Lil' Pixie Boutique                                       Swaddle in Cloth                          

                                                                    MamaSan Maternity

And for those of you who actually like the Huggies denim diapers:

 mabellabel

I mean, if you're going to spend the money, you might as well spend it on something that is going to last longer than three hours, right?