Best Vera Bradley Bags for Traveling

Now that I have three kids, I don't fly as much as I used to. The first year my son was born, we flew all over the country for my husband's then new job. However, now that we live the middle of nowhere and have to drive at least two hours reach a “city,” we drive a lot! Not to mention how much we drive for our annual pilgrimmage to visit Indiana once a year.That trip takes 2-3 days to get there, driving five hours between families, and 2-3 days to get back. Needless to say, we've put some miles on the mini van! I stuff our van with lots of travel necessities packed in my Vera Bradley bags. Here's a list of what I like to travel with:

1. Market Totes $8 – I take at least two with me. I'm so glad they make them bigger now! I can fit a lot of snacks and drinks for the kids in these, and not have to worry about getting them dirty because they are easily wipeable. I have really packed these and they hold up no matter how much weight is inside.

2. Cooler Tote $78 – Two of my kids drink milk and water only. Thankfully they don't care for soda (my oldest one is another story!). However, keeping milk cold isn't an easy task. I usually buy smaller containers of milk along the way and store them in the insulated Cooler Tote until they are ready for more. We also keep medications that need to be refridgerated in the Cooler Tote, until we can get them in a fridge at whatever hotel we are staying at (for a family of five, we stick to suite hotels like Homewood Suites)

3. Drawstring Family Tote $58 – This one is new and I can't wait to try it in a couple of weeks! It's lined with almost like a rubber (not sure what it is), so it seems really durable. People have complained about a smell with it, but I didn't notice it and I've had it for almost a month. The fabric is the Lighten Up, so it's waterproof. It has a drawstring closure, but also has mesh material at the top so you can fit even more in it. The mesh is to help sift out sand if you use this as beach bag, which would have been so helpful when we lived in California!

4. Ditty Bags $28 – I like to take a few with me more for accidents, just in case. You never know when you'll have wet clothes and on our trips there are no bathrooms for miles and miles. The Ditty Bag is lined, so it will keep the fabric and whatever is touching the Ditty Bag dry. I used to use these at the beach when I couldn't throw a swim diaper away. I just throw them in the wash and they do great!

5. Lighten Up Baby Backpack $108 – Although my youngest just turned two, he's still very muc h in diapers. As I mentioned, we travel through remote areas where there are no bathrooms within miles. It's great to zip down and lay him on it to change in the van when pulled over on a dirt road. It's handy to keep all his diaper stuff in one place, and the material is waterproof.

6. Vera $86 – I don't use this bag as much for road trips, but it saw a lot of action when I used to fly with my oldest son. I would fill it with toys, books, snacks, you name it. My trusty Java Blue Vera never ripped and was stuffed under so many airline seats! I don't use it much for road trips because I need bags like in points 1, 2, and 3 to have wipeable bottoms from being on the van floor.

7. Get Carried Away $92 – Like the Vera, I don't use this much for road trips anymore. I did use it a lot for trips to the beach and times I didn't need worry about not having a closure. I'd stuff it with extra clothes, diapers, toys, snacks... I'm pretty sure there's still sand in the bottom of it!

8. Cargo Sling $62 – Such an easy bag to travel with! I can fit all of my toiletries in it, including my hair dryer. It's crossbody, so I took it along lots of flights before I had kids. I like traveling with my toiletries and extra underwear with me, instead of stowing them away. It's a perfect size to keep on you, and flight attendants have yet to tell me to put it in the overhead bins.

9. Luggage – Price Varies – My oldest LOVES his A to Z rolling luggage! It's small, and fits his clothes perfectly. The random letters spell out “Vera Bradley,” but until recently he was convinced they spelled his name. He's played with it a lot, and traveled with it a lot. It's easy to pick up and we've not had a single issue with it. I have larger pieces in older patterns like Java Blue, Mocha Rouge, and Boysenberry, too. Vera Bradley luggage is high quality.

10. Fleece Travel Blanket $38 – I know this isn't a bag, but it's GREAT to travel with! I bought each of my kids one for our road trips. They can easily fold up into a pillow or be used as a blanket. They are just as super soft as the regular throws and wash well. It may not be as folded as nicely as in the pictures, but you can fold them back into a pillow while in the car. They are large enough to cover one person.

Top 5 Vera Bradley Picks for Graduation Gifts

Tis the season to graduate! It feels like yesterday when I was heading off to college... Then I look at my kids and feel a hundred years old! I never received Vera Bradley for graduation gifts, back then Vera wasn't as geared to younger ladies. Now there are so many possibilities for those graduates with style!

Please note on all of these, like the Mother's Day Guide, take extra care to find out the graduate's favorite colors and/or dorm décor. Vera Bradley comes in all colors of the rainbow and then some! She will definitely appreciate that extra touch if you get her something in her favorite colors.

Vera Bradley has also expanded their collegiate line. Although I'm not holding my breath to see if my small Alma Mater gets picked up, many schools are now included. The items included are the Zip ID Case/Lanyard, Front Zip Wristlet, Triple Zip Hipster, Vera tote, Campus Bacpack, and the XL throw (which is more luxurious than the regular line of throws).

1. Vera Bradley Jen Zip ID Case ($18) with Lanyard ($12) and/or Gift Card –  The Jen Zip ID Case is such an all-around gift, perfect for any occasion. Stocking stuffer? Check. Easter basket? Check. Teacher's gift? Check. Same for the graduate! The Jen Zip ID Case seems to be more popular with the younger crowd than the original Zip ID Case ($12). It is a little larger and only $6 more than the Zip ID Case. I included the Lanyard with it because many colleges require students to carry their college ID's with them. The collegiate line as the Zip ID Case and the Lanyard together as a set ($38). Of course, you can always slip in an additional gift card into one of the cases.

2. Vera Bradley All in One Crossbody for iPhone 6+ & Wristlet ($54) – This is such a versatile piece! It can be a wallet, a wristlet, or a small Crossbody bag! It's compact, but organized. The one complaint is that the iPhone doesn't fit well with a bulkier case; however, many college students don't use tanks to protect their iPhones like their mothers' do. Not to mention, Vera Bradley keeps revising this piece to accomadate the ever-changing size of iPhones. Two years from now, you could possibly buy this piece for an iPhone 8, 9, or whatever number they come up with next.

3. Vera Bradley Travel Cosmetic Set ($58) – This is new piece from Vera Bradley, although they've had plenty of versions of this in the past. The reason this one is different, and why I chose it, is because the outside is made of PVC. How handy! She can take this to the showers on her dorm floor, and not worry about spilling stuff on it in her crowded room. Inside the PVC case, it has three cosmetic bags, perfect to organize her cosmetics and hair accessories. I really wish I had this when I was in school!

4. Vera Bradley Campus Tech Backpack ($108)  –  This is a great backpack for campus! It has a place for her laptop, as well as a trolley sleeve if she needs to use rolling luggage for travel (or maybe she just needs to lug around that many books, yikes!) If you can spring for more, you could get her the Keep Charged Campus Tech Backpack for $148. It has a built in cell phone charger. If it was my daughter graduating, I'd buy the Keep Charged so I don't have to worry if her phone goes dead. The collegiate line has the Campus Backpack ($108), but I wouldn't surprised if they switch to the Campus Tech. The Campus Backpack doesn't have a place for a laptop, nor a trolley sleeve.

5. Vera Bradley Throw – ($49)  Vera Bradley throws are very popular and famous for their softness. The colors are eye-popping and fade-resistant.  She will definitely want one! My husband sleeps with at least two of them every night. Vera Bradley has some bedding, but I feel that it's her choice as to what bedding she wants. However, a nice throw to coordinate with her new bedding will be appreciated!