Up Close with Sabrina Sikora

We asked Sabrina Sikora from First Wife Studios to share with us a peek at what's in her bag. We met Sabrina a few years ago at a fashion event in Hong Kong, and were immediately charmed by her warm Southern belle personality and thus began our friendship! She started her career as a model, later became a style blogger and photographer (she shot our AW15 campaign) and more recently, a mother of two. Wonder woman! We spoke to her about how life changes after the little plus sign appears.

Once that little plus sign appears on the pregnancy test you may start to feel the world, and soon your body, morphing around you. From the changing wardrobe, to amended dinner and travel plans, to evaluating every food that passes your lips for contaminates it may feel like you are slowly becoming someone else… and you are! You are becoming a mom!

There are so many facets of your life that are changing that it feels even more important to surround yourself with things that make you feel like you. That is why I choose to carry an actual handbag instead of a diaper bag. I’ve looked far and wide for the perfect diaper bag that meets my fashion standards and the options are more or less lacking. Instead of buying something simply for function I decided to find a bag that wasn’t necessarily meant for baby-gear hauling but that would still do the job brilliantly. That is when I discovered the MISCHA Backpack on their Instagram and ordered it the day the collection launched!

As a second time mom, I know what is needed when it comes to a great diaper bag. Firstly, you need it to be big enough to hold everything. Second, the material needs to wipe clean easily. Third, it needs to go with every outfit, which is why I never liked the polka dot/paisley/striped ones on the market. You also need to have a hands-free option for carrying it and it should be able to be attached to a stroller. Last, you need pockets and several of them.

This backpack checked every box and was by my fave local handbag designer! I love having a backpack as I can push the stroller or use a front carrier without having to adjust a bag on my shoulder or worry about it slipping off. The top handle allows it to be clipped to the stroller as well. There is a front pocket so I can easily access my wallet while the large compartment boasts two more pockets perfect for separating small items and dirty clothes. Both pockets zip closed ensuring my items are safe once they are on my back. The black on black canvas and leather will never show the stains that motherhood brings and the pink lining is a little nod to my new baby girl, Eivor May!

Now for my go-to goods that I like to have on hand at all times… Besides my own gear, which has been paired down to the bare essentials (wallet, phone, lipstick) I pack a reusable changing mat by Tang Tang Tang Tang. I also have the bottle bag that they offer but my sweet girl is not on a bottle yet so no need to haul it around. Next up, is a gray nursing cover by Mayarya. This is brilliant as it looks like a scarf for me but has a hole for turning it into an apron perfect for feeding the baby under. There is plenty of fabric to hide all the limbs and it is also soft and heavy enough to double as a blanket for baby when needed. I would never leave the house without at least one extra outfit (sometimes more) and a pair of socks for baby. Socks are the first things that get lost so it is always nice to have a backup pair. Other essentials are, of course, multiple diapers, baby wipes, Vaseline, and sterilized water wipes for the eyes and face.

For the little extras I like to bring Lucas PawPaw ointment, which can work as a diaper cream if needed, but mostly I just use it for my lips and my son's lips, which are always chapped. I also have alcohol free hand sanitizer for those times when we can’t make it to a sink and organic bug balm. I can also use these items on my toddler quickly and without any mess making it that much faster for him to hit the playground while I sneak in a latte. Lastly, there is a pen and band-aids (in the wallet) because moms are nothing if not prepared. When my son, Adam Easton, joins our outing I add a few more goodies to my bag: some small scissors for cutting food, colored pencils and paper, a change of clothes and undies for him, a bottle of water, and snacks…so many snacks!

It all stuffs perfectly into my backpack leaving me hands-free to tend to my two sweet peanuts. If one runs off or needs to be urgently scooped up I can tend to the task without shuffling a bag from shoulder to shoulder. Plus, this backpack goes with every outfit (I typically only wear black and white since having kids) meaning that I don’t have to spend anytime coordinating my look. I leave it packed by the door and we are ready to rock at a moment’s notice. Getting out the door is still tricky with chasing kids and managing their fluids (both in and out!) but at least I’m the easy and prepared one of the bunch, a characteristic that my husband greatly appreciates! Overall, this has been my favorite baby purchase and the one that I use the most!