Let’s talk about pockets for bottles. I know, exciting stuff, but for reals … this is HUGE. When I first started on this journey of finding and then ultimately creating a diaper bag (you can read about it here), I knew there were a couple of key components that I needed to hit. Number one, I did not want the bag to look like a diaper bag. I wanted a nice modern look that did not have cute animal prints or “interesting" patterns on it. The thought is that if the diaper bag did not scream “hello, diaper bag over here” then you can be more versatile with it and just use one bag for everything and not have to carry multiple bags. It is both a visual and efficiency thing. Not to mention, the bag will last way past the diaper bag stage of use. You get more bang for your buck and can be more sustainable at the same time! Number two, I knew that I HAD to keep the essential bottle pockets. That was absolutely crucial because let’s face it, that’s the most important component of a diaper bag. You need a bag that can hold your baby bottles and sippy cups and you want the bottles to stay up right and be easily accessible. Everything else you can wing. I know I have a lot of pockets strategically placed throughout the bag, but really, all you need is a big bag with bottle pockets because you end up quickly throwing everything in your bag anyway. I promise you this.
As a designer and a problem solving mommy, I knew I had two components to marry now: diaper bag disguised as sleek everyday bag and keep the bottle pockets. Well, that turned out to be so obvious; instead of putting the pockets on the outside, I designed the bottle pockets to be on the inside. It’s not reinventing the wheel, it’s been done before, but oh my gosh if there is one thing that shouts out diaper bag from afar, it’s seeing those baby bottles on the outside of the bag. Of course, you need to have more than one pocket, because you will likely need to carry more than just one drink. The bottle pockets are situated on both sides of the bag so your beverages of choice are easily reachable. Let’s face it though, sometimes I don’t even use these pockets for beverages, instead I often use them to hold my lotion that I want to easily access to or gum / candy that may get lost in the bag. Since the bottle pockets are situated deep in the interior of the bag, it’s a pretty safe nook to keep items which may need more security. For instance, I have a friend that used the bag as a travel bag and her extra camera lens fit perfectly in the bottle pocket!
Finally, as a bonus, the pockets are large and deep enough to hold various types of drinks, which comes in handy since ultimately Notebooks & Honey bags are designed as a carry it all bag. So guess what fits in there? … Large water bottles, sippy cups, baby bottles, beer cans /bottles, coffee thermoses, wine bottles … yes, some wine bottles can fit in there. Oh, these pockets come in handy, from playground hour to happy hour! The goal and design of the bag evolved from diaper bag to diaper/laptop/carry all bag, which I absolutely love because it shows that women wear so many hats, but now you just need one super cool bag to go with all of your awesome hats.
