Skip Hop Grand Central

I’ll admit it, I like bags. OK, I love bags. Bags of all types attract me: purses, gym bags, luggage … I even have an assortment of recycled bags to choose from when I go to the grocery. There is probably some deep psychological root to my obsession. Possibly it’s the fact that a bag is one size fits all, through thick and thin, and a bag does not judge. And a diaper bag, well of course in those vulnerable days, months, (ahem, years) postbaby, a diaper bag can be a mom’s best friend. So today I want to introduce you to my latest friend, er, bag, the Skip Hop Grand Central.

Grand Central and I have been attached at the hip, well really shoulder, for a couple weeks now. I’ll admit when she arrived and I admired her 11 pockets and sturdy zippers, her immense depth and width, I imagined she would be reserved to accompany me on trips of great scale and grandeur-you know, the zoo, the weekend away at Grandma’s-and trust me, she did. But then I couldn’t put Grand Central away.
It all started with a day at the zoo. I packed up the night before. Grand Central stood on the table, taunting to be filled. Insulated sippy cups, snacks, band-aids and a change of clothes for my accident-prone 4-year-old. Diapers, bottles, changing pad (included with the bag), bibs, baby food with necessary accessories, wipes, more wipes and a change of clothes for my 7-month-old, all in perfectly sized pockets. Toss in the sunscreen, teething gel, sun hats antibacterial gel and antibiotic cream.
Sigh.
This is usually where I would pull out my second bag to fill, or even reconsider the trip altogether (seriously, would you blame me?) But no, like Clark Kent in a telephone booth, Grand Central turned into super Grand Central and to my surprise, room still remained. In went my rather large wallet in the side pocket, a bottle of water (I was going to need it), and my camera and smartphone into the clear plastic (and by all appearances waterproof) 11th zipped pocket. I couldn’t believe it … everything fit.

I was relieved, but quite frankly, still skeptical. Large bags like Grand Central had led me on before, only to fall off my shoulder when I most needed her or drop items from the overflowing brim throughout my day like breadcrumbs in a forest. But then it happened. She zipped! Yes friends, Grand Central held all a zoo trips worth of survivables, zipped and, dare I say it, with her nifty stroller straps made my double stroller appear to only be a thin single. Well, maybe not quite. But she’s pretty darn attractive on my shoulder.
We had a great trip. And with so many pockets and sections, everything really had a place and not even once did I find myself unloading every item onto the snow cone cart in an effort to find a quarter. For the first (or certainly only third or fourth) time in my life, I almost felt organized.

Since that time, we’ve run to the grocery and gone for coffee, and she even carried my laptop to the play cafe last week. Grand Central really does it all and even after an emergency clean-up involving a juice box, her sturdy, sleek chocolate fabric is holding up well. She might even pass as a non-mommy bag to those who don’t know better.
I can’t believe I’m saying it, but I may finally be able to commit to this bag and not submit to therapy after all (unless of course, it’s for shoes). No matter what, Grand Central will always hold a place in my heart and definitely on trips to the zoo.
Price: $90
To buy: skiphop.com