I am a big fan of having items on hand that are going to be a help to me. This time of year, the grass is returning to its lush, green state, the birds are singing, the air is warm, and my little man in aching to be outside, playing. I try to be outside with Balian as much as possible- the fresh air and the activity are wonderful for us, both. Now that Balian is beyond sort of just chilling out in his pack 'n play while I do yard work, it seems that I end up having to cart tons of play things outside with us. Since I only have two arms, and one of them needs to be wrapped around a certain little boy, helping him down the back steps, I rely on a great bag to help me transport all of the 'stuff' we need to take outside with us.

Nikki Nowalski

Nikki Nowalski, new friend to MBP, and a Creative Partner with Initials, Inc, introduced me to a superstar product from their wonderful collection. Nikki offered to send me the Initials, Inc Sports Duffle. Now, this was my very first experience with Initials, Inc, and it was incredibly pleasant. Initials, Inc. offers a variety of products that can be personalized... for FREE! From tote and bags to casserole carriers, they have it all, and an excellent selection of fonts and colors to choose from for the free embroidery options.

After I selected the color for the Sports Duffle from Initials, Inc, I thumbed through the online catalog a little bit more and jotted down my favorite products! I then went to the section which has the fonts, styles and colors to choose from. I chose my font, and a nice shade of blue for the embroidery. I asked Nikki  to put 'Here We Go, Go!' on the Sports Duffle, because Balian loves The Cat In the Hat from the PBS Kids cartoon, and one of their songs says, 'Here we go, go, go, go- on an adventure!' Too many words in that line to get onto the Sports Duffle, but 'Here We Go, Go!' would do nicely, and I was sure Balian would enjoy it. Plus, it's a great little catch phrase for what the bag is intended for.

My first glimpse of the Sports Duffle, right out of the box from Nikki...



My initial reaction was total amazement with how big and roomy this duffle really is!

Nikki promptly ordered my new Sports Duffle and shipped it right out to me. I received it the week before Easter, and have been loving it and using it almost daily, ever since! My parents happened to be at my house for a visit when the Sports Duffle arrived from Initials, Inc, and they commented on how cool it was, but asked what on earth I needed 'another one of those bags for?'

Here's how the Sports Duffle and Travel Duffle are shown in the Initials, Inc. catalog!

The Sports Duffle from Initials, Inc, is actually unlike any of the other bags or totes that I own. This bag stands at 20" tall, 12 1/2" wide, and 8" deep, which means that it has lots of room!
This canvas bag is extremely durable, and has tons of great features, including:

Deep Zip Front Pocket
3" Double Handle Drop
Padded, Double Shoulder Straps
Cinch Top Closure

I can imagine that we'll end up using the Sports Duffle for all sorts of things, but when I first saw it, I thought of what a great bag it would make for transporting stuff on our beach trip this year. We'll be vacationing at the beach for two weeks- one week with my family, and one week with my husband's family, back to back. I imagine that the beach houses will be second row, which means we'll have to pack up and walk a little ways from the beach to the house, and the house to the beach, etc. This bag is going to be my best friend this summer! All I'll need to do is toss the sand and water toys, along with any other small gear we may be toting back and forth into the Initials, Inc Sports Duffle, sling it across my back, and walk back to the house, with the bag on my shoulders! I love that the shoulder straps are adjustable... or if I want to, I can carry it in hand, by using the double handles at the top.

Our new Sports Duffle is resting outside, under our shade tree while Balian and I play in his water table. All of our outdoor play necessities are tucked safely inside the Sports Duffle.

Since it's not quite beach time yet, I have been using the Sports Duffle to help me lug outdoor toys to and from the porch to the yard. I am not a fan of leaving toys strewn across the back yard, so when we're ready to head outside and play, I just grab the Sports Duffle from the hook on the back porch, which is closed in (the toys are already in there), and we're good to go. There's also room in there for me to toss in a couple of towels, the sunscreen, Balian's hat, sunglasses, a snack, water, etc. I keep my smartphone zipped securely in the front pocket, so that it's easily accessible, but protected from splashing, if we're playing in the water!

When Balian grows up a little bit, and decides he's ready to play tee ball or soccer, this is going to be the perfect bag to toss the baseball, bat, glove, soccer ball and cleats into for easy transport! I also plan to use this bag for trips to the park! I'm sure that the more time I have to spend with the Sports Duffle, the more I am going to love, love, love it, and the more uses I will find for it!

Butterfly Patterned Sports Dufffle... perfect for the girls as they have their summer slumber parties, head to camp, etc!

I think this bag would be totally awesome as a graduation present for any kids that are headed to college in the fall. This would be a super convenient way to transport laundry! If you're a camping/hiking kind of family, this would be great to tote along everything you might need for a day of sight-seeing, hiking, climbing, etc! Have a lake or beach house? This is the perfect way to tote your gear to and fro! And of course, if you're a sports mom or dad, you'll absolutely love having one or two of these for your kiddos! The Sports Duffle from Initials, Inc. is available in black, chocolate brown, GI Jane, Butterfly, Cadet and Tech! And- personalization is ALWAYS FREE with Initials, Inc! I seriously love that about this company! No extra fees to add personalization to your items!

Initials, Inc. Travel Duffle in Cadet (also available in pink!)

If you like the idea of the Sports Duffle, be sure to also check out the Travel Duffle. I had my choice of the two, and it was a hard decision to make- but these bags are extremely affordable, so I can get the Travel Duffle down the road. Balian will eventually need his own travel bag, for sure!

And of course, I have to share some of my top picks for
Initials, Inc. products, which I would love to have...


Modern Woman Set- Love this- it looks gorgeous!


Organizer box... who doesn't need to be more organized at home?


Magnetic Catch-All! I need one of these on my refrigerator! 
Would be great to hold coupons, take out menus, etc!



April Hostess Special...


Get The Traveler for starting at just $20.00 when you host an Initials, Inc. party in April! This bag is gorgeous! I would love to have this for weekend travels! 
Contact Nikki to get your party started- there's still time!

All of the products that I have seen from Initials, Inc. look wonderful. I love the hand/shoulder bags, but most of all, I love the endless options for classy and sassy organization and storage that Initials, Inc provides their customers. I could probably organize every area of my home with the help of these wonderful items! I see a lot of items that would make wonderful gifts- Mother's Day and Father's Day will be here before we know it, so if you're drawing a blank for a great gift to give, check out all of the neat items available by Initials, Inc. Don't forget- personalization is FREE on every item from Initials, Inc, so you really can give an extra special gift, without the extra cost!

Want It? Buy It!

Head to Nikki's Initials, Inc. website to check out all of the great products that are waiting for you! Nikki wants to give you 15% off of your Initials, Inc. order, so contact her at Nikkibagsrocks@gmail.com to place your order directly with her, and receive your special discount! Thanks for the discount, Nikki- you rock! This discount is available from April 18-May 2, 2012. Also, if you have any questions about the products or personalization options, would like to know how you can become a part of Nikki's Initials, Inc team, or would like to know how you can earn FREE products by hosting an Initials, Inc party, just contact Nikki, or leave your question in the comment section of this review post. Nikki can't wait to hear from you! Be sure to become a fan of Nikki's Initials, Inc page on Facebook, too, so you never miss a sale, deal or idea!

Want It? Win It!

One super lucky reader will win their very own Sports Duffle by Initials, Inc. from Nikki! Winner will have their choice of pattern and personalization. Just use the handy Rafflecopter entry form below to enter for your chance to win!

Special thanks to Nikki Nowalski for allowing us to try out the Initials, Inc. Sports Duffle, and for offering one as a giveaway to our readers!

Good luck to all who enter to win!

~Ondria~

Disclosure: Other than the Sports Duffle, which I received free of charge from Nikki, for review purposes, I was not compensated for facilitating this review. All opinions expressed are my own. Your experience may differ.