I admit it: I expect my children to reflect how cool I am, how urbane, how out-of-the dreary-mainstream.  At least I expect them not to reveal how I sometimes fall from that grace into the plastic, mass-produced quagmire or cave in to unreasonable demands for inappropriate toys or accessories.  

Enter the Mini Messenger bag. The perfect opportunity for my eight-year-old daughter to carry around her wanna-be-tween flotsam and jetsam in an ultra-hip bike messenger bag rather than the transparent pink plastic petrochemical Tinkerbell nightmare from which everyone can see the bottles of nail polish and trainer lip-glosses that she has accumulated against my better judgment. A rugged, unisex bag suited to the collection of stones, cones, and sticks; sturdy enough for a water bottle and a hearty snack on one of our urban explores.  A bag to reflect well on mama’s tastes and choices.  

It’s cute.  I need a new bag, and have considered just commandeering this one, but as it’s now special enough to house the girl’s secret diary (“I have eight grown-up teeth, and my favorite foods are avocado and shrimp.”), I just can’t take it away.

The Mini Messenger bag is from Hood River, Oregon company Outside Baby, which produces high-performance outdoor playwear and gear for babies and children. The bag comes in three muted, tasteful color combinations (no petrochemical pink or big logos) and clips easily to a bike, trike, or stroller.  It features a large main storage compartment and several little zippered pockets for acorns, pennies, or cleverly smuggled leftover Halloween candy.  It’s made of Cordura fabric and ripstop nylon, and at this writing, in China.  Many Outside Baby products are made in the USA.

Retailing for $29.99, the Mini Messenger Bag is available at www.outsidebaby.com.