Three-year-old Caitlin Powell is living every tot's dream: her parents have sold their home and quit their jobs and are devoting their days to taking Caitlin and her seven-year-old sister on a series of fabulous vacations. Next month the family will go to Florida; next year they are planning an African safari.

But this isn't all fun and games; Caitlin has Sanfilippo Syndrome, a degenerative neurological condition that will eventually render her incapable of caring for herself or functioning normally. Doctors have told her parents that she will most likely not live past the age of 12.

Emma and Ben Powell, Caitlin's parents, have decided to face their tragedy by turning their remaining years with Caitlin into one big adventure. They have sold their home and quit their jobs and are planning to travel with Caitlin and her sister for as long as they can. "'I can't think about the future with Caitlin, it breaks my heart," says Emma. "She won't be with us for very long so myself and Ben have made a conscious decision to make every day special for her from now on."

Caitlin's story is truly heart wrenching, and her parents seem to have found a way to cope with their inevitable loss. At the same time, though, there is an element of irresponsibility to their plan. According to Caitlin's father, there will come a point where she needs full-time care, which is costly. I can't help but wonder how the Powells are planning to pay for Caitlin's care after all those years of vacations.

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Handbags are a great purchase: they are practical, for starters (think of all the stuff you have to lug around with you every day) and they're an easy way to upgrade even the most basic Mom Uniform. And unlike your jeans, a handbag ALWAYS fits, no matter how many Goldfish crackers you've been swiping from the kids.

But there are some simple secrets to finding the perfect bag: look for one that is proportional to your figure, for starters. A tiny bag will get lost under a big chest, and a gigantic bag will overwhelm a petite frame, so choose something that is in keeping with your own size and shape. Choose a fabric and color that will work with your existing wardrobe, but don't skimp on color and texture; your bag is an accessory, after all, and you should treat it as part of your outfit, even if you are going to stuff it full of things for the kids.

Here are recommendations for five handbags, for diapers and daytime, work and weekend -- all for under $50.00 -- and one splurge bag that can cover all of those things.

Diaper bags are such a bummer -- they never look like real bags, just like these gigantic utilitarian things. Oh sure there are cute diaper bags out there, but really who wants to spend THAT much money for a bag that has a limited lifespan and is going to wind up with apple juice spilled inside it?

Vera Bradley to the rescue.

Bradley's line of cloth totes is perfect for the Diaper Bag Years; her prints are bright and cheery and whimsical, and while they are a bit Preppy, they're not duckies and bunnies; these are grown-up bags, not baby bags. Each tote is roomy enough for diapers and wipes and a change of clothes and a supply of snacks, and each comes with handy interior pockets for your lip balm and cell phone. And because they are cloth, you can clean up spills with a little Woolite or a Tide Stain Remover pen.


Vera Bradley tote, $30.80. Available in a nice range of colors and patterns, these bags can also be monogrammed, with your initials or the baby's.

Once your baby outgrows the diaper bag, you are ready to downsize -- sort of. As the mom, you still need a roomy tote most of the time, for Kleenex and hand wipes and those random stuffed animal friends your kids MUST HAVE when they leave home. But that doesn't mean you have to keep carrying the baby bag once the kids are in school. Instead, upgrade to a chic, sturdy leather tote, one big enough for all the Mom Gear but slim enough to carry easily.

Lillian Vernon's leather tote is perfect for a mom on the go: it is big enough for all the things you need to carry but slim enough to make it manageable. It comes with a convenient external cell phone pocket, to prevent all the fumbling around often associated with deep totes, and the leather is soft and forgiving. Wipe clean with saddle soap and a damp cloth; the leather will age beautifully and look fabulous for years to come.

Lillian Vernon leather tote, $24.98. Can also be monogrammed, for a more grown-up look.

Too many working moms make the mistake of dragging the big Kid Bag to the office. This isn't very professional looking (the Kid Bag, after all, is the one with the peanut butter smeared on the outside and the collection of My Pretty Ponies on the inside), but beyond that, it makes it hard to switch gears and stop being the mom while you're at work (every time you reach inside for a file, there's a pony!). Instead of lugging the same bag everywhere, get yourself a great work bag, one that is just big enough for what you need for the office. No kid stuff allowed.

This CL by Laundry bag is perfect for work: big enough for everything you need for the office, but sleek enough to tuck under your arm -- and certainly NOT large enough for a sippy cup. The hobo styling and buckle detail give it a clean, professional look, and the shiny patent fabric makes it both easy to clean (wipe with a damp cloth) and a little bit dressy.

CL by Laundry buckle patent hobo, $38.00 at J. C. Penney. Also available in red and mustard.

For most moms, weekends run the gamut from basic errand running (groceries, hardware store, dry cleaners) to fun outings with the family (movies or kid birthday parties or dinner out). You need one bag that can get you through those two days, that looks equally good with your yoga pants and ball cap or with a cute skirt and pretty shoes. And it needs to be big enough to toss all those random weekend-y things in as well.

A big, squashy patent bag in a bright color is just the thing. Sure, patent is a little dressy, but this bag's unstructured shape and quirky shade balances that out. This is the perfect marriage of chic and convenient -- it's not a tote bag but it is also not a handbag. It's the perfect foil for your weekend mom wear. Even better: it wipes clean with a damp cloth, so it's the perfect bag for weekends with the kids.

Jasmine large bag, $19.99 at Target. Also available in black, and in a smaller size for $16.99. For that price, get two.

Not someone who wants to be constantly changing bags? Then invest in ONE fabulous bag that will do it all: hold the kids' stuff, go to the office, look great with everything you wear. But be prepared to spend a little more for this bag; if you're going to tote it everywhere, it needs to be well made. And stick with a classic shape and a neutral color; trendy bags or anything too bright will get old fast. The splurge bag is meant to last and last and last, so choose carefully.

This leather tote from Garnet Hill is a great every-single-day bag; big and roomy, with outside pockets for your cell phone or water bottle or extra teddy bear. But it also has enough structure to be an appropriate work bag, and the simple hardware and beautiful tumbled leather give it a classic grown-up look.

This is a bag you will carry for years, which makes it worth the investment.

Garnet Hill tumbled leather tote, $198.00. If you think about it, that's the same price as four other $50.00 bags, so really it's not such a splurge after all, is it?

Here are the facts: at a July 4th parade in Iowa, a young mother spanked her toddler. A police officer witnessed the spanking and wrote the mom a ticket, citing her with child abuse now, she's suing the state. Who is right? Well, that depends. On a lot of things, actually.

How hard did she hit the girl? By her own account, it was just a little swat -- in this video, from Fox News, she demonstrates, in fact, exactly what happened. By smacking the toddler. Who then throws a fit. In front of a whole bevy of cameras.

Hmm.

The legal analysts at Fox agree that the mom lacks parenting skills, but they disagree about spanking as an act of child abuse. One analyst says, over and over, that if the mom is willing to spank the toddler in a press conference to demonstrate what she did at the parade, she MUST be abusing her kids when no one is looking, and she's probably hitting them harder when the cameras are not around. Of course, that same analyst makes a big deal about the fact that this mom has three kids under four years of age, which seems kind of irrelevant. The analysts also point out that the kids are all running amok during the press conference, which does seem to point to a lack of control on the mother's part.

But does it make the spanking an act of abuse?

What say you -- is spanking an appropriate punishment for a two year old? Or does swatting your tot justify a ticket?

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One of my very favorite commercials is the one where the dad goes away on a business trip and his daughter gives him her stuffed monkey to take along; he uses his cell phone to photograph the monkey in various places while he's traveling and sends the photos back to his delighted daughter. If only it were that easy to help kids cope with parents who travel.

Business travel can be wracking for parents. The combination of working on the road and leaving your kids in someone else's care can really put a damper on the adventure of traveling. But there are a few things you can do to make the separation easier for your child, and for you.

Before you leave, help your child make a paper chain, with one link for each day you will be gone. At bedtime, or breakfast, or some other designated time during the day, your child can remove one link and count how many sleeps until you get home.

Let your child help you pack -- smaller kids can assist with your carry-on bag, while bigger kids can pitch in while you pack your actual suitcase. Packing is always fun for kids, even when it's not really for adults, and it will give your child a sense of adventure about your trip.

Tell your child where you are going and one or two things you will be doing. Show them the weather reports for the city you will be visiting, and tell them they can check the weather every day to see what it's like where you are.

Arrange a specific time to call home each day, to guarantee that you will get to speak with your child. This is good for your kids and good for you, too -- it's nice to hear their voices while you are on the road.

Finally, don't let the guilt get the best of you. Sometimes we have to be away from our kids; that's just a fact of life. And sometimes our jobs come first. When you get home, step away from work for a while and spend time with your kids; they will learn that even though you have to go away sometimes, you always love them and you will always come back.

Welcome to Mom|Style, a weekly feature where we dish about being a mom with, well, style. Of course. Each week we'll provide practical, affordable strategies for spiffing up your Mom Uniform (or avoiding the uniform all together) and for looking good on the go.

Let's start with the most basic of basic pieces: the A-line skirt. A-line skirts work for any body type; they are easy to wear and universally flattering. For moms who have given up shorts (and that's quite a few of us, honestly) the A-line skirt is a cool alternative on hot summer days. A skirt is surprsingly versatile; choose one that can be laundered at home and you can wear it from work to T-ball and beyond.

Look for hemlines that hit close to the knee, for a flattering leg line, and waistbands with clear definition, to give you shape through the middle. If you are heavier on top, opt for a skirt with some volume, for balance; if you're concerned about wee sticky hands touching you, look for prints that will camouflage stains.

So what should you shop for? That depends on your personal style. Here are five options, though, all for under $50.00! Ready? Let's get dressed!