#TBT to That Time Our NONA Bag Saved the Day

As much as we know that kids impact every aspect of our lives and we plan around it, (like my dream home complete with all-white interiors that will just have to live on my pinterest board, never to become a reality) we are all also guilty of having those moments where we think we can avoid the pitfalls that accompany parenthood (usually these thoughts start with "when i have kids, they are never going to...) and then a short while later we are eating said words. This usually turns into a battle between having nice things versus purely practical. 

For Thanksgiving weekend, we rented a house in the countryside which required a long and very windey journey to reach our destination. Of course, I brought my Nona bag because I basically never leave the house without it and this time it was doing double duty as my diaper bag and also my weekender bag- one of the perks of going on a tropical vacation is the ease of packing flip flops/bathing suit and calling it good. The bag sat securely between 2 carseats so I could easily access whatever I needed from the front passenger seat. All was well until my older toddler got carsick. Several times. Luckily, the vomit seemed to be contained to his carseat and clothes, but of course I did a quick inspection of the bag to make sure 'she' was ok and all seemed fine so we cleaned up what we could and finished the voyage in the puke-mobile.

Upon arrival though, I realized that somehow some of the mess made it's way into the interior of my bag. How this happened, I still don't understand as it seemed to defy science and logic. The exterior fabric and leather were completely clean! It was just another example of my best-laid plans going awry and ultimately what I have learned after several years with young children is that sometimes puke (or blood or what I like to call "miscallaneous" just happens).  Had this been any other luxury bag, I would have been beside myself but all I had to do was zip out the removable insert, give it a quick wipe with some mild soap and water, and voila- good as new. It also helped that the bag has a 2nd layer of water-resistant lining, which prevented any liquid from seeping through to the outer leather. 

Life gets messy whether you are a parent or not. As much as I would love to have that precious white upholstered furniture, I know that I can't handle the emotional roller-coaster that goes along with every mark and stain that will inevitably show up. When Bea and I started working on the concept of NONA, it was equally as important that the bag be functional in addition to looking like a luxury tote. While good care and maintenance will go a long way, we understand that accidents happen. We designed a bag that can handle the craziness of life. This is just an one example of how I put my bag to the test nearly every day. The more it delivers, the more indispensable it is to me. I don't leave home without it, and from now on, maybe some dramamine too.