The Perfect Teacher-Mom Bag: The Renaissance Tote – Haiku Bag Review

I am happy to announce that my search for the perfect teacher-mom-fitness tote bag is so O-VAH! If you’re like me, you need a multipurpose tote to get you and your stuff to all of the gazillion places you need to be every day. I have been carrying around a giant, bulky striped tote, which holds it all, but everything flies around in the bag and gets crumpled or, in the case of small items, lost somewhere in the depths where it’s hard to see, let alone reach. Today I’d like to introduce you to the Haiku Bags “Renaissance” Carryall Tote, which has solved about 80% of my logistical problems lately.

 

I was beyond thrilled when Haiku Bags contacted me to see if I’d like to try out one of their tote bags and see what I thought of it. I chose their Renaissance Caryall Tote because it has SO many functions and fits the crazy-busy lifestyle of a teacher-slash-mom-slash-fitness instructor. When it arrived I was a little hesitant because I thought there was no way this cute–and not ginormous looking–bag would hold everything I need it to. But then I started loading it up and discovered this bag has obviously been charmed with the same “Undetectable Extension” charm Hermione Granger used on her little beaded bag in HP & the Deathly Hallows because it holds all of my stuff and still has room for more!

 

I chose the Black Juniper color. Here’s a peek inside: lots of pockets, a laptop sleeve with velcro strap, and a roomy interior.

 

Loaded up for kickboxing class:

Here it is easily holding my big 16oz boxing gloves, several pairs of wraps, a sweatshirt (beneath the gloves), and my protein shaker and water bottles. Boom.

 

Loaded up for my school day:

Here it is at school with some books, folders with grading, lesson planner, my lunch box, and my water bottle. Bonus: there is still room for my laptop for those nights when I need to take it home to work.

 

Loaded up for yoga class:

Again, I can throw shoes and clothes into the bag, have bottles in the side pockets, and there is a strap on top where you can clip in your yoga mat (or whatever else).

 

As you might guess, it’s great for taking to kids’ sporting events, too. You can hold all kinds of snacks and activities in here.

 

Ergonomic and Aesthetic

I love that the adjustable straps are wide and angled inward. This makes it a snap to carry in your hand without dragging along on the ground or whomping people (it’s not too bulky), and it also makes it comfortable to carry on your shoulder, which is what I do most of the time.

 

All of this and it looks cute when heading to school or errands….

 

…or out to a fitness class.

 

All this and you’re helping the planet, too!

Did you know Haiku Bags are made from recycled plastic bottles? Their bags are made from cyclePET, a fabric made from post-consumer recycled drink bottles. It’s also vegan and is made with nontoxic dyes, so it’s just as eco-friendly as it is awesome!

 

If you’ve seen some the videos I’ve made to demonstrate Saranghae skincare products (my first-ever video and my second video), you know I’m not the best at making videos, so I’m going to add a video here from Haiku Bags that shows you all of the features of this bag:

 

And did you see my lunch tote?

I am eternally grateful to Haiku Bags for also throwing in a Repast Lunch Tote from their new spring 2018 line. This insulated lunch tote can be filled up with everything I take for my lunches at school and then folded/snapped down flat for easy transport back home. It has an easy-clean interior and zips closed so none of my goodies fall out. Best of all, you know this baby fits right into my Renaissance Carryall Tote.

 

Haiku Bags makes all sorts of bags, from diaper bags to totes to handbags and wristlets. You can shop these bags lots of places: from Haiku Bags themselves, on their Amazon store, and I’ve even seen them at local boutiques like Blue Boutique, so keep your eyes open when you’re out and about.

 

So all in all my review of these two Haiku Bags is definitely two thumbs up. They are so much stronger and higher quality than the tote I was using before, and I love that I’m able to get into the car and through doorways easier since I’m no longer carrying a kitchen sink-sized jumbobag around with me anymore. I am amazed at these bags’ capacity to hold things and not be ginormous, and I am thrilled that they are so eco-friendly. From now on they’re going to be my go-to bags for teaching, working out, and mommin’.

 

NOTE: This post contains affiliate links. Clicking on these links may result in my earning a small commission. Also, the Haiku Bags Renaissance Carryall Tote and Repast Lunch Tote you see in this post were gifted to me by Haiku Bags. They did not ask me to do any posts or reviews of their bags — just that I try them out and see what I thought. I chose to post about them to share how much I liked them with my followers. This post reflects my opinion of these bags based on having used them for 2-3 weeks so far. They are as awesome as they look!