Ever since my first son was born and it was clear that my cute, stylish purses would no longer work for all the gear I was about to lug around, I have struggled to find the perfect diaper bag that is big enough and strong enough and comfortable enough and sporty enough. I have tried actual diaper bags and purses I transformed into diaper bags and tote bags -- you name it, I've tried it. And then one day, I figured out the ideal solution -- a backpack. Not a school backpack but a purse that is carried like a backpack. It doesn't weigh me down on one side, it keeps my arms free for mommy tasks -- like controlling flailing babies and toddlers -- and it ties up tightly so little fingers cannot quickly grab and poke and shovel through my things. It's just right -- for me, anyway.

As my kids get older, my stock of gear gets smaller and smaller. And I am now down to carrying diaper wipes and diapers. One day, I will carry only my own personal belongings. Even so, I think I will stick with my backpack -- maybe even the exact one I currently carry which is in the collection of Vera Bradley's New Hope. It's a breast cancer product created in support of The Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer -- founded in 1998 after a dear friend of Vera Bradley founders Patricia Miller and Barbara Bradley Baekgaard lost her courageous battle with this disease. This foundation provides direct financial support to the critical research needed to understand and eradicate breast cancer.

This backpack carries all my stuff. It also carries power and courage and hope. It's definitely a keeper.