Fashion You Can Feel Good About- NET Effects.

I would love to introduce you to a collection of amazing zero-waste purses and totes made by Cambodian designers for NET Effects. Each bag is like a piece of art—constructed and made out of re-purposed industrial and agricultural remnants.

NET Effects brings positive change for the disenfranchised women of Cambodia, providing unbeatable work conditions, quality training and good pay. A portion of each sale benefits Nothing But Nets, an organization providing mosquito nets to families in need.

Not only are these totes fashionable and functional, but they’re also lightweight, produced in a sustainable way, and they bring positive change for the women of Cambodia.  NET Effects is a great example of a socially responsible company making beautiful products that help create a beautiful future for our children.

My Thoughts:

I love the inspiration behind NET Effects beautiful products and designs! I decided to choose the Brooklyn messenger bag to try and was very impressed! It is wonderful for carrying everything you could think of in a bag that doesn't look huge. The color is absolutely stunning! It's a nice relaxing blue hue with stitched in swirls on the outside of the bag. There are also snaps on the front and a zipper as well. My mom and I have both enjoyed sharing this together!

On the inside of the Brooklyn bag, there are two long zippers with lots of storage space in each. The first one is perfect for putting something for school or outings. In the back, there is another zipper and then two pockets. That is a great place for your cellphone, wallet, keys, makeup and other essentials. On first glance, you'd never know there was so much storage space in such a comfortable bag! It hangs nicely on your arm or across your chest for traveling to class, shopping, beach visits or vacations. With all the different zippers and storage areas, your special items will be safe and secure in this durable bag!   

If you're looking for your new daily go to bag, backpack or purse, consider getting one from a charitable place such as, NET Effects, who gives back with every purchase!   

Connect with NET Effects: 

Website Facebook Twitter Instagram

The Gussy! @Gussycovers is making it easy for you to #Embracetherain!

Spring and summer may rain puddles on the sidewalk and give a soaking to hair and feet but - thanks to the Gussy - when the downpours come you no longer have to worry about drenched handbags and totes!

Introducing the Gussy - the purse-fect fashion accessory and seasonal must-have! The Gussy is a protective, waterproof patterned "umbrella" designed to be worn as a protective cover over a favorite handbag.

According to Jamie Hantman who designed this clever how did we ever live without it accessory, "Nothing can ruin a fashion look (or designer handbag) faster than getting caught in an unexpected downpour. Women pay a lot for their purses and want (need) to protect their investments."

The Gussy takes "rain gear" to another level - not only providing a protective cover that is functional, but one that is fashionable, pretty and in patterns and colors as trendy as the handbag it's covering.

Designer Hantman, a former Washingtonian and White House power player designed the Gussy to complement the wardrobes of well-heeled, fashion-savvy women whose multi-faceted lifestyles have them on-the-go and braving the elements day and night. The best-selling Caroline is the basic LBD for your purse; the Charlotte pays tribute to the classic trench coat, and the Jenny and Meredith feature trending chevron stripes and polka dots. There is even a style for edgier fashionistas, the Chelsea featuring a skull, crossbones and king crown.

The Gussy received a Best New Product Award at NY Now in February and there are already imitators of the design made from inferior materials and without the structural design and printed patterns that make this item a "must-have" fashion accessory. Continues Hantman, "We will continue to introduce new colors and designs each season to coordinate with runway trends and allow women to make bold statements with their handbags-even when they are undercover."

The Gussy is sized a generous 36" X 16" and has three Velcro tabs that adjust to different purse sizes, styles and handles. When not in use, it folds up and can be easily stored inside your handbag - rain or shine so you are always prepared. MSRP $20

Connect with The Gussy:

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Instagram

Connect with C.I. Visions:

Twitter Instagram

My Thoughts:

Like most women, I LOVE my bags and purses. I am guilty of having quite a few! The thought of going out in the rain with one that you've saved up to treat yourself with is a bit scary! When I heard about this innovative new idea from, The Gussy, I was thrilled! The design of the purse covers are fashionable, affordable, and there is one for every style! Between polka dots, skulls, and designs that look like an actual purse, everyone has the chance to keep their bag safe with a unique umbrella. The selection allows for each person to have their own trendy and unique accessory!  

When my beautiful cover arrived, I was happy with the thick consistency of it. I could tell right away this cover was durable and long enough to cover the smallest to biggest style of purse. It had three Velcro flaps on the back. To secure your purse, pull each one up individually, put the straps of your purse through the top, then secure the Velcro flaps back down. There you have it!

I was impressed with how well it kept my purse safe in the rainy conditions. It's easy to fold back up and keep in your car for emergencies or at home. With the affordable cost, you may want one for each place! I would highly recommend The Gussy for anyone looking for a fashionable way to keep your purse safe in the elements!

Reviewed by, Amber.

6 Pack Fitness Bags - take your food with you and stay stylish #giveaway

6 Pack Fitness™ creates iconic bags, luggage, and meal management travel gear for serious athletes, bodybuilding, CrossFit™ and fitness enthusiasts. They provide stylish and innovative solutions for those who live and breathe fitness. Their products are designed to keep every athlete organized and prepared so they can focus on training hard, eating right, and traveling fit.

Connect with 6 Pack Fitness

Website - Facebook - Twitter - Instagram

My Thoughts

This 6 Pack Fitness bag is really well made. It's a good size and looks like a designer bag. Even though almost the entire bottom half of this bag is a place to store food with the ability to keep it cold, I still found I had room in the bag to use it. But if you carry a lot of stuff, you might limited on space. You might be able to squeeze a laptop down the side of it where there is a slight opening.

There were plenty of zippers and pockets with places to keep my personal items. When carrying the bag, I wasn't cold from having ice packs in there. It was very convenient. Especially if you're trying to follow a clean eating lifestyle and avoid fast food. You can easily take your good with you and since it doubles as a purse, you know you'll have your food.

As far as quality, I couldn't find anything wrong with the bag I got. It was perfect and like I said above, very stylish. They compnay took the time to make sure you'd be getting a bag you loved and would want to carry. And this bag worked fine if I wasn't carrying food. It was a bit lighter that way.

This is a great gift or item for the fitness lover in your life.

The Giveaway

One lucky winner is going to receive a Renee Tote from 6 Pack Fitness. To enter, just fill in the Giveaway Tools form below. This giveaway will end on 4/5/16. Open to the US only. The winner will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to reply. Thanks again to the sponsor for offering this fantastic prize.

Entry-Form

Black Leather Clutch by Pink Tulips #Giveaway

Your destination can be anywhere this summer when you're accessorized with this beautiful Black Leather Clutch by Pink Tulips! This classy little evening bag measures 11" wide by 5.5" tall and 2.5" deep - perfect for your makeup, ID and anything you need without being too cumbersome.
I love that the Clutch has a bow turn lock so that you don't have to worry in those over crowded spots that your bag is open and accessible. I also love the detachable shoulder strap that can easily be used as a cross-body for dancing! This Rose Leather Clutch also is available in Ruby Red and comes with a super silky microsuede lining. It even has an inside pocket that's perfect for holding your ID, cash or credit cards.
The feel of the leather outside is nice and soft, but the rigid base holds the shape of the clutch. I wore this clutch for my niece's wedding and got many compliments! This is a very well-made bag and will last for many years, even with continual usage.

Pink Tulips has a huge selection of bags, from small clutches to shoulder bags - every bag different and unique! Their Spring/Summer 2015 Collection has an Orchid Leather Cross Body Bag that I definitely want in my wardrobe! I highly recommend that you take a peek! You can find Pink Tulips on their website, and follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

The very gracious folks at Pink Tulips are giving their Rose Leather Clutch in Black to one of my readers! Simply enter using the GiveawayTools below, US only please and good luck!

Entry-Form

Disclosure:  Monica's Rants, Raves & Reviews received products and/or compensation in order to form her honest opinion and facilitate her review.  No other blogger was compensated, nor are any other bloggers responsible for prize shipment, which Monica will take care of.   This giveaway is in no way associated with any form of social media and is void where prohibited by law. 

Mother's Day Gift Guide - olivia + joy Stephanie Convertible Satchel

There's no woman alive who wouldn't love to get a new handbag for Mother's Day. I'd  have a different one to go with every outfit, but who can afford that? I'm lucky if I can manage one purse per season. But now, thanks to olivia & joy, one purse is more than enough.  olivia & joy has a huge selection of beautiful bags in vibrant and unique colors that are just what you need to upgrade your spring wardrobe or get a head start for the summer. 

 For my review, I  received the olivia + joy Stephanie Convertible Satchel in navy blue, and I absolutely adore it.  This handbag is lovely, classy, and feminine.  It's very well made and will not get scratched or  damaged easily.  It's enhanced by beautiful gold-tone embellishments. There are two zippers on the sides that allow for a trendy winged look. 

The exterior of the bag is a lovely shade of navy blue. The seams of the purse are tight and sturdy. The inside is black with some blue bordering, so it won't stain easily, and it offers plenty of compartments and lots of space without being overly bulky. There's one zippered compartment perfect for storing your wallet, cell phone, and other small but valuable items, and two pockets great for lipsticks, pens, and more. The bag is large enough to toss your laptop inside if you want to. 

The Stephanie bag has been the perfect accessory for me.  It's versatile enough to use for a casual day with the kids or a night on the town. The color scheme works with any ensemble and any season. This is a quality bag that will provide years of enjoyment. With Mother's Day only a few days away, an olivia & joy  handbag would make a great gift for all those hard to buy for ladies in your life. There is no woman alive who wouldn't appreciate these fun and versatile accessories. The stylish options are endless and the quality is undeniable. Here are a few other bags I love!

Whether you're in the market for a great new bag for yourself or if you're looking for a gift that will score some real brownie points, now is the time to grab an oliva a& joy handbag of your own.    To see all the styles they offer, be sure to visit their website or follow them via their social media.

Connect olivia & joy

Instagram        Face Book     Twitter      Pinterest

Bestie Bag- A Little Girl's Best Friend.

When do very young girls get into fashion? The answer is MUCH YOUNGER THAN YOU THINK. Now even six year olds want purses, high heels, lipstick, the works. It’s clearly the byproduct of a fashion-crazed culture. The latest entry into the “little girls want it now” category is the Bestie Bag!

Katie and Kira Kosarin of Nickelodeon’s “The Thundermans,” LOVE the Bestie Bags on Instagram!

Entrepreneur Cari Cardaci thought it would be a great name for her faux fur shoulder bag with a cute print pattern.

The bags each represent a girl with her own personality. RACHEL loves fashion and music. CLAIRE loves animals, nature and exercising. KATIE is a huge sports fan, basketball and soccer are her favorites. VANESSA is a movie buff. Ever since she was a little girl, ZOEY’s been in the kitchen with grandma. She's taught me so much about life, food and her secret lemon bar recipe!

Pricing for the Bestie Bag is $19.99, girls will probably want to collect them. Key chains – purchased separately for $4.99.

Connect With Bestie Bag

Website - Facebook - Twitter

My Thoughts

We received the Vanessa bag. Each bag comes with a key chain with a character on it. Each characters is unique and comes with a card explaining a little about them.

I took a few minutes to inspect the bag before showing it to my daughter. I found the bag to be unique and not like any I'd seen in stores so far. The material was soft and the bag was made and put together with quality material. Its fashionable that I couldn't imagine a little girl not liking the bag.

As you can see in the photo above, the stitching is professional. The bag closes with a small piece of Velcro, so no zippers to worry about for the younger child.

So what did my daughter think of it, because that's important too. She loved it! Every since getting the bag, she's kept it with her, carrying around all her favorite things. She loves her Bestie Bag very much! The bag is in her favorite color, so she's had no problem coordinating it with her outfits.

She enjoyed the adjustable strap on the bag so she can have a long purse or a short purse, depending on her mood. We both think these bags are great and give them two thumbs up.

Holiday Gift Guide - timi & leslie Diaper Bag Review

timi & leslie’s designs are inspired by the philosophy that being a parent does not mean sacrificing style to gain function. With timi & leslie bags parents get the best of both worlds. They can look chic and stay organized.

The creation of timi & leslie revolutionized the diaper bag and ushered in an era where moms could also be style icons. In 2005, Women’s Wear Daily named timi & leslie number two on a list of those who have made a difference in the children’s business in the past 20 years. Sold throughout the U.S. and internationally at stores such as Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, and buybuy BABY, timi & leslie pioneered the stylish yet functional diaper bag movement. With celebrity fans that include Angelina Jolie, Cindy Crawford, Courtney Cox Arquette, Nicole Kidman, Jessica Alba and Jack Black, timi & leslie bags are the choice of parents who know luxurious style, practical function and great quality.

A compartment and bag for all your needs!

Our Thoughts

I usually just use large purses as my diaper bag, thinking it would do just fine, but honestly I didn't have enough room. When I got the timi & leslie diaper bag I had fun opening it. There was a ton more things inside the bag than I expected, and honestly, more room than I actually need. At least compartment room, but I don't carry as many things as a lot of other mothers.

There are these cool slots inside and outside the bag where you can fit up to four bottles (one for each) if you're a bottle mom. I don't use bottles so I've utilized these spaces for easy-access of items that I need a lot, that are small, and that I don't want to dig around in the bag (any bag) for a long time to find it. The items I keep in the "bottle" spaces are teething tablets, his pacifier clip and his socks or footsies.

There is a circular bag that you can use for your biohazard materials, aka, dirty diapers. And it's wipeable material too so that's good. I use the small purse as an actual  purse, it fits my wallet perfectly and I have just enough room for my phone and keys. Makes it much easier to just grab that and my baby if I have to go inside somewhere real quick that doesn't require the whole ensemble.

There is a changing pad that has a mesh slot for the wipes container and at 27" my son still fits on it just fine. I really like the bag that keeps the diapers. It's zippered and the beige-colored item pictured above without the mesh. I can fit 8 diapers (disposables) in here, four in each stack and the bag will still fold so I can easily put it in the bottom of the diaper bag. Super versatile, and I haven't even gotten to the slots inside the bag and credit card slots. There is plenty of room for anything you can think of with this diaper bag and it comes with clips for a stroller (shown below) that makes it super convenient to get into instead of storing it down below!

timi & leslie have many bags on their website to choose from, and many beautiful designs!

Buy yours here and don't forget to check them out on Facebook, and Twitter!

Reviewed by Jackie