One thing that has changed in my life since having a baby is the amount of stuff I must carry everywhere and how I carry said stuff. Seriously, who knew having a baby would turn me into a pack mule? It’s very hard to go anywhere without making sure we have “the basics” and those fill up a small bag fast. For awhile I tried to carry a purse AND a diaper bag around. *snort* How ridiculous was I? It was too much to keep track of and just made me look and feel like a disheveled bag lady.

I have a couple diaper bags that I like “okay.” They meet my needs well enough, but things are easily lost and my arm gets swallowed up as I try to fish around for this… and that… and this… And they look pretty diaper bag-ish. That’s not all bad, but sometimes I miss having a cute purse to run errands with or take with me out to dinner. Though, baby is usually along, so I still need all her stuff!  So how could I possibly find a bag that would satisfy both our needs and look nice to carry around?  Let me introduce you to Amy Michelle!

Amy Michelle Go Totes was started by two women (also moms!) who were chit chatting about balancing their lives and about the bag issue.  They questioned why function and fashion couldn’t be combined and thus this conversation from 2004 led to their line of chic functional bags you see today.  They have bags designed with baby belongings in mind as well as work and travel.  Who says we can’t have it all, right?

I received a Lotus diaper bag to review.  I was excited by all the compartments shown on their site, but also wondered if the bag would look too big and bulky.  I am happy to report I am very pleased with the Lotus bag!  I thought I really liked the diaper bag I bought while I was pregnant, but it just wasn’t the same when I started using it.  But this bag…. uh! Love!

The strap is not too short or long, so it sits nicely on my shoulder.  I do have some issues with it slipping down depending on what type of shirt I’m wearing and what else I might be doing/carrying, but it’s not anything unusual.  I have that issue a lot with a variety of purses and bags, actually.  It easily goes onto a stroller.  If you can’t get the shoulder strap over the stroller handles, no worries – there are special attachments to hang it!  There are nice zippered compartments in the front to get at small items.  There’s a nice place to hook keys to inside.  There are nice pockets to stick things in to stay organized while still keeping nice “floor” space inside the bag.  There are credit card slots and zippered inner pockets making it easy for me to hold my phone and wallet.

Oh and the changing pad – I love it!  It’s slimmer than the other one I have so it helps cut down on the poofiness of the bag.

And it just LOOKS nice, doesn’t it?

Here are some more features of the Lotus bag that you might be interested in:

Baby’s Section:

• Changing pad (24″ x 14″) – Remove padding to wash lining
• 2 Internal & 2 external baby/water bottle pockets
• Quick release pacifier holder
• 7 pockets for maximum organization
• Compartments for diapers, wipes and bottles
• Stroller attachments included

Mom’s Section:

• Top zippered closure
• Zipper closure outside front pockets
• Credit card slots
• Easy to find key ring
• Bright antimicrobial lining
• Slip pocket on the back
• 4 metal feet on bottom

Final thoughts:  I really do love this bag and recommend moms check out the line of bags offered at Amy Michelle.  I wish I’d known about them before, but I only recently learned about them!  So, I think more women need to learn about these bags.  They are quality made, fashionable, and functional.  Though I know mine is designed with baby in mind, I can realistically see using this bag even after the diapers are done.  (Though I hope there will be more babies to load up this bag for!)

Connect with AmyMichelle.com on Twitter and Facebook!

I’m happy to share that Amy Michelle is sponsoring a Madison Avenue diaper bag for our “Baby on the Go” prize package. Be sure to come back next week and enter!

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FTC Disclosure: I received the product(s) mentioned above free of charge by the company or PR representative in order to conduct an honest review. I was not compensated in any other way for this post. The thoughts, experiences, and opinions included are entirely my own and may differ from that of others. I am not liable for any issues you may incur from use of said product(s). Images used are owned by me or provided with the company’s permission unless otherwise sourced. See full disclosure information. If you have any questions you can contact me or leave a comment.

About Darcy

Darcy Zalewski is a married, stay-at-home mom who is discovering her greener side, starting with advocating for cloth diapering. When she's not changing diapers or singing the Itsy Bitsy Spider, she can be found at Tales From the Nursery, where she shares tales of motherhood as well as product reviews, or at ShePromotes, a resource for blogger support.

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