My new secret weapon…

BritMumInNZ

The Borne Naked Handbag Makeover Challenge has changed my life (or at least answered some of my style prayers – to answer all of them a miracle would be required!).

This was a typical Pre-Borne Naked occurrence in my life:

I hurriedly dive into the depths of my mega baby bag to retrieve the all time essentials; purse, keys, phone & sunglasses. I’m off out to pick up my big girl from school & enjoy a little one on one time, sans baby & pre-schooler, (who are being looked after by a friend).

Pre Borne Naked Makeover

I have promised her a visit to her fav cafe & really don’t want to lug the baby bag around unnecessarily. It’s such a rare treat to head out the door with a normal handbag and just the bare essentials.

Grrr… Where is my phone?!

I tip up the baby bag, emptying the entire contents on the floor…

Contents of bag

Much to baby Alice’s delight. One of her favourites past times is emptying anything within reach; bags, drawers, baskets of toys.

Ooooooh an upturned bag!

Ah! There it is! With all my essentials gathered together I reach for my lighter handbag and dump them in. No time to tidy up the pile on the floor. I race out the door, muttering apologies to my friend and cursing myself for being such a disorganized mother.

Once at the cafe with my big girl I reach for my purse; it’s covered in the remnants of a half eaten baby rusk. I cringe as the waiter watches me take out my bank card, whilst simultaneously wiping the rusk off my purse. Not very stylish.

The sun glares in through the cafe window and I reach for my sunglasses, thankful to have remembered them. I hurry to put them on. Sleep deprived eyes don’t fare well in bright light. I can’t see anything! They are covered in greasy smears from a rogue baby wipe.

Sigh!

Then comes the wonderful e-mail from the lovely people at Borne Naked to answer my style prayers…

    ‘Would you like to take part in a handbag makeover challenge? The Borne Naked Liner will become your secret weapon to staying stylishly organized.’

So I say, ‘Yes please!’

I had already read some rave reviews via bloggers on Kiwi Mummy Blogs (check them out to be in to win your own liner!) and was ever so grateful to be invited to take part.

This arrived on my doorstep a few days later… Which my eldest daughter very carefully unwrapped.

Borne Naked Liner parcel arrives!

There wasn’t just one liner, but two! Yippee, a giveaway!

Leaving one liner lovingly wrapped in pink tissue paper, my daughter and I opened the other one.

Borne Naked Liner Medium

Beautiful!

Baby Alice was quick to test its baby proofness and gave it a good maul and chew. Argh! I I couldn’t bear to watch, but for the purpose of being thorough and honest I did manage to take a photograph. I am delighted to report no damage was done to the precious liner (or the baby).

Baby proof?

Before she could inflict any damage on my iPhone and other essentials I quickly stored them in the liner and zipped them up. Here’s hoping by the time she learns how to unzip she’s also learned the meaning of ‘No’ and is well past the mouthing everything in sight stage!

Ta da… Zipped up safe and sound!

Zipped up Borne Naked Liner

Here is my newly organized big mama bag, with my essentials safely stored in the liner, free from rogue rusks and baby wipes:

Newly organised big mama bag

And when I need to dash out for a baby free moment, I simply take out the liner and pop it in a much smaller, more stylish bag.

No more scrambling around.

There! Looking good! Now, if I could just manage to get out the door without baby mess on my shirt and gleaming hair like all those models in the shampoo adverts I would be a style diva! I guess I should just stick to baby steps for now.

Stylishly organized I now am, but unfortunately the rusk on the shoulder loses me a few style points!

GIVEAWAY!

If you would like to be in with a chance to WIN a medium sized liner simply leave a comment below (and let me know what is the strangest thing you’ve ever found in your bag). Leave a separate comment if you tweet and if you Facebook this post. I will use Random Number Generator to pick the winner on 3 November.

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30 thoughts on “My new secret weapon…”

  1. What a great idea!!!! Years ago I had one small tooth one a plate for a missing tooth on my lower jaw, I lost this after an evening out (I had a habit of taking it out if food got stuck in it, yucky I know) and I didn’t know what I had done with it. Months and months later whilst having a clear out I was going through handbags and into the pockets and loh and behold the tooth turned up, I was sure I had looked there before.

    I must look on-line to see if you can purchase these in the UK.

    Thanks for sharing, I would love to win one.

  2. Ooooh, let me be the first to say..yippee count me in to the draw! Strangest thing I have ever had in my own handbag is probably a beeping R2D2 – I was just ‘keeping him safe’ for the day for Noah though so I did know he was there, and was obliged to hand him over as soon as I picked Noah up though 🙂

  3. Very cool! Strangest thing I have ever found in my bag was a half eaten chocolate bar! Why strange? Because I never only half finish chocolate!!!

  7. Can’t think of any stories so dragging out my current handbag –

    2 x purses (one of big money and cards, one for little money – not sure why I have 2?)

    Mr brown can moo can you and Toy Story shapes books

    ipod in arm thing ready for running

    camera (with lens stuffed up with sand and flat batteries)

    tissues

    one yellow lego brick from the legoland centre

    a straw

    a 3.5m tape measure

    Anya’s watch (been looking for that)

    work mobile (flat batteries)

    a KFC wetwipe (not sure where that appeared from as been veggie for 9 years)

    toys – a lego woody, 2 x cars, 1 x gogo, a tractor, small plastic alien and a lego surf board.

    4 x pens

    This is my small bag, surely one of those must be strange enough? (although I love the half choc bar line!).

  8. Wow, laughed at the contents – definitely strange enough! KFC wetwipe?! And the work mobile with flat batteries – definitely wise for the weekend 😉 The random straw is a regular occurrence in my bag too – along with wooden sticks, spoons and sugar that my little ones sneak in my bag in cafes!

  9. Hmmm, strangest thing I’ve ever found in my bag….a tape measure I suppose. Think I threw it in there at one point when we were measuring furniture and it stayed in there for a while before I found it again!

  10. cant remember finding anything I’d consider strange in my handbag,
    BUT i do know some of my friends look at me funny, when I pull out my knitting needles and wool (well the first time they see it anyway lol)
    and I guess to most people having nappies for a 9yr old is kinda strange (disabled daughter)

  12. Hi Katie,

    Good luck with your entry to the draw and I laughed at the tape measure. My bag is so like that – random things end up living in there for a while until I eventually do a massive clean-out!

  14. ok and the rest of my comment went missing lol the strangest thing ive found in one of my bags, where do i start, dog biscuit, worm tablets, a bag of live fish (in water) after ive been to the petshop, my bags carry all!!

  16. the strangest thing would have to be toilet paper once i had the flu and no tissues so took toilet paper lol.

  19. When researching baby carriers i read your review of the Oyako Mei Tai. I have since brought one too and just love it! my wee boy likes to sleep on me during the day, so this is the only way to get things done.!!!
    My bag is embarrassing, especially when you find old biscuit crumbs and Raisins in your purse!

  20. Ooo, yes please. Being a complete bag lady even before baby, I am in desperate need of some organising aid! Strangest thing, definitely a compass.

  21. That’s great bag organizer. This will turn ordinary bag into your own nappy bag too 🙂 The strangest thing I found and still am finding sometimes would crumbs, raisins and a very old pacifier.

  26. these look great! I never know what I’ll find in my bag but just went to have a look at what might be in there… I found a clothes peg, a bra strap and a piece of rope from the swing!?!

    * the bra strap is for one of those bras that you can take the straps off.. not sure why there is one in my bag because there are definately two on the bra!!!*

    Obviously I seriously need some organising help!

  28. Not too many weird things make it into my bag, my 4yr old did put a handful of glitter confetti and collage supplies in there once though.

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