Petunia Pickle Bottom Touring Tote

by guest blogger Christine Riordan

What a pretty bag! At this point in my mothering career, I’ve owned quite a few diaper bags. I had longed for a PPB Touring Tote for quite some time, but just couldn’t justify the expense, especially for a bag that wasn’t waterproof. But, when I found a great deal on one, I jumped at the chance and bought one. The minute I opened the box, I was in love. Really, this is SUCH a pretty bag!

But, the bag isn’t just about its looks. The interior has incredible organization. It has 2 pockets along each of its interior sides. These pockets are large enough to accommodate a Lexie Barnes micro-mini or a Vera Bradley small cosmetic bag. In other words, the mini bags which I use to keep my personal goodies (lipstick, blush, concealer, Listerine strips) and my emergency first aid supplies (band aids, Tylenol, etc.) I use one of the interior pockets to hold the extra straps which come with the bag, allowing it to be worn long or easily attached to a stroller. Did I mention that these straps come in a cloth pouch which matches the interior of the bag? There’s also a small interior pocket, perfectly a sized to carry a cell phone, a feature which I desperately need because I never seem to be able to manage to find my phone before the call goes to voice mail. There are two more interior pockets at each end of the bag. These pockets are perfect for sippy cups.



Even after you have filled all of the interior pockets, there is still plenty of room to accommodate additional supplies. These days, I carry my diapering gear in a JJB Be Quick. I carry things to entertain my children in a Lexie Barnes medium accessory bag and use a Vera Bradley Zip Around wallet as my wallet. All of these items fit inside the main compartment of the Touring Tote.



Of course, as many of us diaper bag junkies already know, no bag is perfect. The bag comes with a very small changing pad, which is contained in the long exterior pocket. The Touring Tote has exterior zipper pockets on each end. I had thought that these pockets would function to hold sippy cups (much like a Storksak bag) but they are not large enough. Instead, I use them to hold a travel size package of tissues and a small bottle of hand sanitizer. Otherwise, they’re pretty useless. The bag does have a nice sized front exterior pocket which snaps closed. I haven’t put anything in this pocket yet, but you could probably store a regular wallet or a small book in it.



With the exception of the few flaws that I’ve mentioned, I do think this is a really nice medium sized bag. It looks more like a regular pocketbook than a diaper bag and could easily transition from a morning at the office to an afternoon at Music Together class to an evening at a nice restaurant. I’m so glad that I decided to add it to my stash.

Touring Totes

* Black Water Resistant Liner
* Double-headed zipper for easy opening
* (3) Durable black strap options: small hobo, long shoulder, stroller clips, (1) Lined front pocket with magnetic closure, (1) Large back pocket with removable changing pad,(2) Zippered pockets for cell phone or iPod, (4) Spacious interior pockets, (2) Interior bottle/sippy cup pockets, (1) Interior pacifier pocket Sleek black PPB monogrammed plastic wipey case
* Dimensions: 12"x14"x6.5"