When Tamara bought her first OiOi bag in 2004, she was 21 years old and preparing for life with her first baby.
"It was my prized possession and my only expensive purchase at 21," Tamara told us. "It was very special."
More than two decades later, Tamara is now a mum of six, a grandmother to one, a doctor and still part of the OiOi family. Her OiOi journey has taken her through the original messenger-bag era, busy days with multiple children in nappies, travel with a growing family, and now life with two-year-old Margot.
For us, it is the kind of story that means everything.
A nappy bag for every season of family life
Tamara's first OiOi was one of Lisa's original messenger bag designs. With five children in six and a half years, she needed room for everything, often using more than one bag at a time.
"There's only so many nappies you can fit in a bag when you have four out of five still in nappies," she laughed.
The roomy messenger style worked beautifully over her double pram, but as her children grew and life became busier, her needs changed too. After heading to medical school and taking a break from nappies for a while, Tamara rediscovered OiOi when she became pregnant with her youngest daughter, Margot.
This time, she chose a Signature Nappy Backpack.
"We travel quite a lot, so we realised we needed the backpack to have hands free," Tamara said.
For parents travelling with little ones, a backpack nappy bag makes it easier to carry the essentials while keeping your hands free for prams, airport bags, toddlers and everything else that comes with family travel.
Tamara's real-life nappy bag packing system
Tamara describes herself as a "pouch packer", and after seeing her bag setup, we completely understand why.
Her Packing Pouch Trios help keep everyday essentials easy to find, whether she is packing for a day at the beach, a family outing or an overseas trip.
Inside her nappy bag, she keeps:
- A pouch for Margot's spare clothes
- A toy pouch that Margot recognises as her own
- A small medical kit with band-aids, paracetamol and teething essentials
- A nappy wallet for quick changes
- A dedicated pouch for mum's own essentials
- An emergency dummy and comfort toy
- A Fold-Up Tote for groceries, beach days and extra travel packing
"I just keep everything in little pouches," Tamara explained. "If I know I've used dirty clothes, the other things that haven't been used just stay."
It is a simple system, but one that makes busy family life feel far more manageable.
Her everyday pram setup
For everyday outings, Tamara uses her Multitasker Pram Caddy on the pram to keep quick-access essentials close by.
With snacks, drinks and the little things that need to be reached quickly, it makes it easy to stay organised without needing to dig through her full nappy bag.
As Margot has gotten older, Tamara has found herself needing less for quick outings. Her solution is to transfer a few essentials into her Multitasker Pram Caddy, which she uses as a compact grab-and-go shoulder bag.
It is perfect for restaurants, errands and short trips when she does not need to take her full nappy bag.
The changing pouch that goes everywhere
One of Tamara's favourite pieces is her Changing Pouch.
She packs it with an emergency nappy, wipes, a disposable change bag, snacks, a bib and a drink bottle. When she is heading somewhere quickly, she simply pops it into the top of her handbag rather than taking her full nappy bag.
"I can chuck the changing pouch in the top of my handbag," Tamara said. "If we go out to a restaurant, this is all I take."
It is exactly why we designed the Changing Pouch to be compact, practical and incognito. It keeps the essentials together while still feeling easy to carry alongside your own bag.
Snacks for toddlers, teens and everyone in between
With children aged from two through to their twenties, Tamara says snacks are still a non-negotiable.
Her Mini Lunch Bag is usually packed with food for Margot, but her teenagers have also come to expect mum to have snacks on hand.
"Now that I have snacks in my bag for Margot, they think I should have snacks for them at all times," she laughed.
For day trips and family travel, the larger size means there is room for snacks, drinks and cold packs, without needing to dig through the rest of the nappy bag.
Built for real life, not just the first few months
One of the things Tamara values most is being able to use her OiOi products for years.
From her original messenger bags to her current backpack, pram caddies, pouches, lunch bags and Kids Backpacks, every piece has become part of family life in a different way.
Margot now uses her own OiOi Kids Backpack for daycare, while Tamara still uses the same accessories across travel, beach days, errands and everyday outings.
"I really hate going through stuff and having to buy a new one because it is not working," Tamara said. "Buy once, buy well, if you can."
That is something we believe in too.
Thoughtful organisation, durable materials and strong zips might feel like small details, but they are the details that make a bag easier to use every day. They are also what help a product stay useful through changing routines, growing children and new chapters of family life.
From one generation to the next
Perhaps the most special part of Tamara's story is that her love of OiOi has now continued into the next generation.
Her oldest daughter, Sophie, is now a mum herself to little Grayson, and received an OiOi bag when he was born.
For Lisa, who founded OiOi in 1997, and Isabella, who joined the business in 2019, stories like Tamara's are incredibly meaningful.
A customer who first carried an OiOi bag for her baby in 2004 is now watching her daughter carry one for hers.
Thank you so much, Tamara, for taking the time to meet with me and share your OiOi story and incredible travel tips.
It was so special to see your passion for supporting local, your love of pouch packing (my favourite too!) and, most of all, your love for your family. You are a true inspiration.
See you in the neighbourhood!
Kindest,
Isabella x
Shop OiOi Nappy Bags | Shop Pram Caddies | Shop Changing Pouches | Shop Packing Pouches
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