Mixed Bag Designs Review and Giveaway!

     I've never been much of a handbag person.  Even in my teens I only really used a few sporadically.  I never really saw a use in them.  I didn't have makeup to cart around and I didn't have a wallet or hairbrush that I carried on a daily basis.  Feminine products could just be stashed in my pockets, so I wasn't interested.  That frame of mind has definitely changed now that I'm a mom.  I still don't carry around a ton of makeup, just mascara, eyeliner, a tiny tube of concealer, and a small baggie of eye powder if I carry any at all.  It also kind of seems like I have been pregnant or nursing for the last 6+ years, so feminine products aren't an issue either.  But man, do these kids require their accessories!  From their diapers and wipes to their extra clothes and sunscreen, I need a bag that will handle the mother load.

     That's where Mixed Bag Designs comes in handy.  Mixed Bag Designs is mainly a fundraising company.  You can organize your fundraising event, whether for a good charitable cause or for school team jerseys, right through Mixed Bag Designs. They offer two fundraising catalogs per year and work hard to help organizations meet their goals.  They also offer a guide for successful fundraising to make sure that you are well informed before starting your venture.  You could also check out the Mixed Bag Designs Blog for more ideas on how to have a good fundraising outcome and more.  They also offer their products wholesale.

     That bag in the back is the Damask Big Travel Bag, it's huge.  It is actually bigger than I need it to be, which means it is just the right size.  I use this bag for everything from diapers and wipes to books and snacks, groceries, extra clothes and even a blanket for just in case.  The bag holds everything... at the same time.

     It has a bright pink liner, which I adore, with a zipper for anything you don't want getting lost in the massiveness that is it's inside.  I chose Damask because I love Damask, but it comes in several patterns, such as Petals, Pink/Green Swirl and Navy Flower.  It is one of many options in their travel bags section.

     When choosing which bags to try, I wanted everything to match, so along with that amazingly large travel bag for the back of the van, I figured I would probably need something for the front to help me stay organized.  So I ordered both the Damask File Box and the Small Fold n Hold, also in Damask.  The File Box is great.  I love that it can stay right between my two front seats and if the girls have any papers that need returning, I can simply grab the box, bring it in the house, sign them as I get to them and bring them back out to the van the next morning to be handed out as they get out and go to school.  It is the perfect size to also stick mail and magazines that I get in the mail.  The box shape of the bag makes it ideal for any paper organizing that you need.

     The Fold n Hold is the perfect size to place in front of my never used passenger seat.  It would also fit perfectly on top of my living room bookshelves.  I placed some magazines inside it for size comparison.  It is 13 inches squared and 6 inches deep.  I use this for any big things that accumulate in the van, like spare hats and mittens that get brought and left in the van, books, toys, etc.  It helps keep the passenger seat empty and if I have company, I can quickly move the Fold n Hold to another location and bam!.. instant seating :)

     I should mention here, that although it was obvious to me, it seems that others had absolutely no idea that these bags are mostly made of a recycled material very similar to the material your winter tarps are made from.  The bags do have a crunch sound to them, just as tarps do.  They are washable and weather resistant because of this.  However, if you are looking for a bag to show off to your upper class friends, these aren't it.  These bags are made to be useful, inexpensive for fundraising reasons, and durable.   Things like the File Box and the Fold n Hold will not suffer any due to the material, but the bags themselves with flexible fabric liners will make some noise.  if you are aware of this and are not worried about it, you will love these bags!

     The last thing I got to check out was the Damask (of course) Hot Tumbler 16 oz.  It has a black lid and can be put in the dishwasher and is ideal for morning coffees, especially if you are running errands right away.  Usually I schedule my appointments for the morning to save gas, that way I don't travel back home from dropping kids off at school just to wait an hour and head back out.  A tall cup of hot coffee or cocoa is nice to have on hand.
     Mixed Bag Designs is so awesome that they are going to offer two of my readers a $50 Gift Certificate to their site.  TWO!  The contest will last for two weeks and winners will be notified by email.  As always, we are using the wonderful Rafflecopter widget to keep all of our entries and to choose a random winner, so have fun and good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Except for the product(s) given to me for the purpose of reviewing, I received no compensation for this post. All opinions are 100% my own.