Handbags and Strollers: The Easy Hack for Any Brand! Baby Jogger, Bugaboo, Steelcraft etc

If you've read my blog for any amount of time you'll know that I love my handbags! Despite having a toddler, infant, dog, stroller and baby bag, I'm still using and and carrying my bags. After a few months of just using the baby bag when my eldest son was born, I figured out how easy it is to carry a handbag with a simple hack for any stroller!

Picking a stroller can be difficult. You might know you want one of the many baby strollers by baby jogger because a friend recommended them, or you might have seen a celeb with a Bugaboo or maybe you've come across a Steelcraft on sale. When trying to pick one you need to consider weight, ease of use, accessories, lifespan...there's a lot!

The Australian government has a stroller buying guide that's really helpful. Here's what helped us narrow down the options:

• Price - we started with a budget in mind
• Weight - there is everything from lightweight to heavier than a toddler strollers
• Ease of use - something foolproof to put up and down
• Size - we needed a stroller that would fit in the car boot
• Compatibility - we wanted a travel system so we looked for a stroller and travel capsule pack
• Safety - as the stroller came with a baby capsule we checked the government ratings to find a safe one
• Functionality - the ability to add another seat for a second baby and being able to change the direction the seat faced in were extra functions we liked.

I'm really happy with our Steelcraft Strider Compact stroller, but the one thing that I didn't think about when buying it was my handbags.

Having a baby doesn't mean you need to give up your handbags though. You know I have a lot of bags I wanted to use! I did think about how I'd juggle everything (baby, stroller, dog and baby bag) and figured I might just use my Rebecca Minkoff mini MAC bags for a while as they slide nicely into the pockets on our baby bag.

I really needed an extra set of hands if I wanted to carry a bigger handbag with my things in it when we went out though. Throwing it into the base of the stroller was tricky get to when I was babywearing, and not all my handbags fit nicely into the baby bag or could be worn cross-body. When baby T was a few months old I found the solution to my problem.

All you need is a bag hook! It can be as simple as a carabiner or a specifically designed hook for your brand of stroller. Since I spent a few dollars on one it's made it easier to have my handbag with me when I'm out with the boys. When baby boy was born earlier this year, I kept on using and enjoying my handbags as I had that handy little hook!


It's the plastic clip you can see on the stroller handle in some of my pics. Such a simple solution, but I'm sure I'm not the only one who hadn't heard of it before. I get a few comments now and then from people wondering how I use more than just a baby bag with two boys. That little plastic hook on the stroller is my secret!

If you're a mum, how you carry your things? Only wear cross-body bags? Put what you need in the baby bag? Did you think about it when buying a stroller?

This post was created in partnership with Diapers.com. Occasionally, Away From The Blue blog may receive vendor or brand sponsorships for mentioning their products or services. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely my own.

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Ways to Wear JORD Wood Watches and a Giveaway

If you've read my blog for a while you might remember last year when I was given my first JORD wood watch. It became a firm favourite to wear to the office as glancing at your watch in a long meeting is a lot politer than pulling out your phone to check the time!

JORD kindly gifted me another beautiful watch. I was excited to start wearing a watch again, hoping it would help keep me on time for things. Really it's just become another way for me to see how late we are running! Typical of life with two under 3 I think. As well as a review, I wanted to show you some of the different ways I've worn the women's wood watches I'm lucky enough to own.

I picked the Cora watch as it's a little more dainty than the unisex Fieldcrest watch I have. I was also really intrigued by the purpleheart wood, which looks lovely with the mother of pearl face. As well as the little cut-out detail on the face to see the inner workings of the watch, the back of the face is clear so you can see all the cogs moving around inside which is fascinating - especially to a toddler!

Being a wood watch, it's splash-proof but not waterproof. It means I can wear it through all the constant hand washing that comes along with two boys still in nappies, although I do have to take it off when washing the dishes or showering. It handles stay at home mum duties perfectly. My Fieldcrest watch has held up to a year and a half of use and over 30 wears. It's also been tough enough to cope with being pulled off the bedside table and worn by the toddler more times than I can count, so I'm confident this Cora watch will last as well.

The ordering process was a little different this time around than last time. When you pick your wood watch, you can specify the size of your wrist and get it custom sized for you right out of the box. I used this feature, it's cheaper than getting the band changed at my local watch repair place and it fits perfectly. Being petite with tiny wrists and not always being able to find things to fit me properly, I appreciated this extra service.

The only downside I can find with this watch is that it's an automatic one, so it doesn't use a battery. This means if you get over excited and don't read the manual (guilty!) you won't wind the watch enough when you first set the time and you'll be confused the next day when it stops ticking. Once you read the manual and follow the instructions to properly setup the watch, you won't have any problems and the watch will keep the right time.

Just like my first experience with JORD watches, I was impressed with the speedy shipping time from the US to Australia and the absolutely beautiful presentation. I shared my delight at opening the box on my insta story. These wood watches make great gifts! They are so unique.

If you are inspired by the different ways I've worn my watches or have someone in mind to gift one to, you'll love this generous giveaway! Just by entering you'll get a little something and one lucky winner will get a $100 e-gift voucher. As this is my second wood watch from JORD, I'd be happy to help answer any questions you have about them in the comments too.


Click here for a $20 off code for JORD wood watches and a chance to win a $100 e-gift voucher!



Note: giveaway ends on 26th September. Giveaway is administrated by JORD for Away From Blue readers. I am simply promoting it through my blog. E-gift codes are automatically emailed to entrants. It is open world wide as JORD ships internationally and everyone who is reading here can enter.

This post was sponsored by JORD wood watches. As always, opinions and views expressed on this blog are my own.


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Monthly Purchases: June

May was a pretty big shopping month for me, so I decided not to buy much in June...then the Iconic had an extra % off sale items. I couldn't resist picking up a maxi skirt I' d had my eye on for months after seeing it on Beth's blog, and of course I had to add in a few extra things to get free shipping ;)

In the end I only kept 3 of the things I'd ordered and returned another 3 so I'm quite pleased I didn't buy too much this month. Definitely going to be doing No Buy July again this year though! No clothes or accessories purchases for the next month. I didn't quite achieve it last year, hopefully I can do better this year! Here's what I bought before starting #NoBuyJuly16.

What I bought in June:

• Atmos & Here Avery marle tee in navy 
• Dorothy Perkins 3/4 sleeve wrap top 
• Noisy May long denim maxi skirt 
• Sass & Bide Playman skinny jeans 

How I wore my purchases:

I have a goal of wearing things twice in a month after buying them. By setting myself this goal I'm making sure I'm only buying things I'll actually use now, and not just store in my wardrobe with the tags on. My wardrobe is full enough already! I'm trying to make sure I buy versatile pieces I can wear a few different ways too. I've started a Ways to Wear series to show the different ways I've been wearing what I bought. Really pleased I managed to wear everything twice this month!

Since we are halfway through the year already, I thought I'd do a tally on my spending so far. (I got this idea from Beth too, it's not just shopping inspiration she gives me!) I've spent a total of $1,510.77 which averages $251.80 a month. Most months, like this month, I'm well under that total. Considering I've bought 3 handbags this year I'm surprised the total is relatively low, but I'm hoping that for the second half of the year I can spend even less.

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Monthly Purchases: May

Despite buying a few things in April, I managed to buy quite a bit in May. I focused mainly on accessories as clothes shopping so soon after birth is tricky - it's difficult enough guessing what in your own wardrobe will fit, never mind trying to pick the right size from a store!

Lots of impulse buys but everything that is sure to work in my wardrobe over winter. It still feels strange to think that winter is just a few days away, with autumn being so warm. The weather is cooling though, already we have caught our first cold of the season. So no full video this month, I've lost my voice! I did take a reveal of my Yoox sale purchases before I got sick, so you get to see some of the things I bought in action but not all.

What I bought in May

• Jeanswest Alice longline Australian wool cardigan
• Marc by Marc Jacobs bright blue stole
• Marc by Marc Jacobs mauve square scarf
• Alexander McQueen Azure wool skull scarf
• Rebecca Minkoff neon pink mini MAC
• Target embroidered khaki tank
• Silhoupette gold plated Shih Tzu necklace
• Yondale Designs custom coordinates cuff bracelet

How I wore my purchases:

• Jeanswest Alice longline Australian wool cardigan (worn five times)
• Marc by Marc Jacobs bright blue stole (worn once)
• Marc by Marc Jacobs mauve square scarf (worn once)
• Alexander McQueen Azure wool skull scarf (worn once)
• Rebecca Minkoff neon pink mini MAC (worn six times)
• Target embroidered khaki tank (worn twice)
• Yondale Designs custom coordinates cuff bracelet (never removed from my wrist since I got it)

I have a goal of wearing things twice in a month after buying them. It means that when I buy something I've thought of two different ways to wear it, and that I can wear it right away. By doing this I'm hoping to add things to my wardrobe that will actually be useful and worn frequently.


Just like last month, I bought a necklace I haven't worn yet as I'm avoiding necklaces in the early days of breastfeeding. I know I'll wear it a lot in future though, I wear the silver version often, and it's nice to have a gold one of Cooper to match with the gold initial necklaces I have for the boys.

While I found it easy to wear the cardi and the top, I found the scarves trickier. As it's been a mild autumn I've been wanting to maximise the wearing of my kimonos before it gets too cold. I can't wrap my head around a kimono and scarf outfit, so the scarves haven't been worn much yet. I know I'll be wearing the scarves a lot more over winter though.

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Pregnancy Wardrobe Essentials: Favourite Maternity Outfits

While I'm in the hospital with baby, I've set up a few scheduled posts.

As soon as I can I will be back to posting my usual daily outfits. I'll be sharing bits and pieces on my instagram (@awayfromblue) about life with baby until I'm back to blogging. Until then I hope you enjoy the little break and slight change of format.


Today I wanted to share some of my favourite outfits and clothes I wore during my pregnancy, across all three trimesters. Bit of a picture heavy post!

You can click on each image to go to the original post and view the outfit details.


Mothers En Vogue Havana Maxi Dress

28 Weeks	32 Weeks	38 Weeks

Soon Maternity 'Madeline' grey print wrap dress

30 Weeks	33 Weeks	34 Weeks

Asos maternity tartan check pencil skirt

26 Weeks	34 Weeks	37 Weeks

Asos maternity graphic print pencil skirt

27 Weeks	32 Weeks	35 Weeks

Jeanswest maternity super skinny jeans in antique blue

23 Weeks	26 Weeks	40 Weeks

AT by Atmos&Here Mars striped maxi skirt

First Trimester	Second Trimester	Third Trimester

Jeanswest plain jersey black maxi skirt

First Trimester	Second Trimester	Third Trimester

'Ninja baby' maternity skeleton tee

34 Weeks	37 Weeks	39 Weeks

Target grey marle maxi skirt

35 Weeks	37 Weeks	39 Weeks

Target black and white striped maxi skirt

33 Weeks	35 Weeks	36 Weeks

I definitely made the most of maxi skirts this pregnancy! They are my pregnancy must-haves.

Which outfit or item of clothing is your favourite?


Linking up with Casual Friday, Friday's Fab Favourites, Fashion Item Friday, Friday's Fancies, Passion For Fashion, Monday Bloom, Funday Monday, Mix It Monday, Manic Monday today.

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Want more outfit inspiration and advice on how to come up with a wardrobe plan for your pregnancy? The ultimate guide, How to Have a Stylish Pregnancy On a Budget is available now!

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