It's taken me two kids and countless amounts of diaper bags to finally figure out what I need IN my bag and what I need my bag to do for me. At first I started out with one of those giant hideous diaper bags and it was chocked full of an endless amount of what nots that I never used. Plus it was like a black hole in there. I'd empty it out about once a month and would find a slew of things I thought I had lost. Ha ha ha. It just didn't work. Then I thought I'd try out one of those name brand diaper bags that looked super cute and had an over the shoulder strap cause it was stylish and cute and yet it didn't function at all the way I wanted it to. It constantly fell over spilling all of my essentials all over the car, dirty floor, and store cart. It was so frustrating that once I was out of the diaper bag stage I immediately donated it so someone else could suffer through the awfulness of that bag. Maybe that was mean of me? Now that I have my Kiki Lu diaper bag I feel like I'm not driving myself nuts by having to carry around all the goods my baby needs. This bag is amazing!! It's not only stylish and beautiful but it's completely functional for all of my needs. It's made from a durable faux leather that's easy to clean and it has ample amounts of pockets and zippers to keep things in their place...no more black hole. It has straps to wear as a backpack, which is one of my favorite things because, hello, hands free!! But it comes with a strap to wear as an over the shoulder option too. Anything that has more than one option is fine by me!
Now let's talk about what's IN my diaper bag. Once again, because this is my third baby I've narrowed my needs down to a few essentials. One of the reasons is obviously because I don't actually need a million things in my bag. I used to have 3 or 4 burp clothes, bottles...even though I was breastfeeding, like 5 diapers, 2 outfits for baby, a water bottle, toys, and the list goes on and on. It was seriously ridiculous and my bag got so stinking heavy. 
I've narrowed it down to just a few essentials that I know I need and baby needs and that's it! First off is the obvious...stuff to change diapers. I like to keep either a onsie or a cute romper at hand in case baby has a blow out. Depending on how long I'll be out of the house is how I determine the amount of diapers I'll need. For a quick trip to the store or a meal out I pack 1 to 2 diapers, longer trips mean more diapers. I also have been loving my gathre mat. A friend gave me this mat and it has made changing baby girl while out and about so much easier. I don't have to lay her on the nasty changing station in the public restroom cause I have this mat as a barrier. It's easy to wipe down and sanitize and it folds up to about the size of a diaper. I'm a lover of Huggies wipes and these new wipe holders are awesome. They used to have the hard cover ones and they just didn't work well and would sometimes not seal and then you were left with dry wipes. No bueno! These bags are easy to refill and have super cute patterns to match whatever your style. I stuff all of these goodies in a zipper top bag (mine is from Old Navy, pictured in the top photo) and allows all of the diaper changing needs to be in one spot so I don't have to take the whole diaper bag into the bathroom with me. I just grab the zipper top bag and I have everything I need. Easy peasy.
Tubby Todd is my new favorite baby brand. After a bout of nasty diaper rash with Daisy, and nothing was working, we tried the All Over Ointment and in a day it was completely gone...not better but GONE! This stuff is not only great for diaper rash but we use it for cradle cap, baby acne, and dry skin. It's seriously a must have for baby! The Dream Cream is for momma's dry hands, cause we all know how often we wash our hands...they get all dry and nasty and this stuff does the job at moisturizing without leaving an oily feeling behind.
Lastly, let's talk fabric. I, of course, carry burp clothes with me cause we all know...spit happens. But I also keep with me a swaddle blanket. Now usually it's draped over baby girl's legs in the car seat but on occasion I grab one quickly as I run out the door and stuff it in my diaper bag. I also always have a wrap baby carrier with me. When it comes to having three kiddos with me it's just easier to have baby in the wrap so I can have both hands free to shop, grab my kids before they run out into the road, or hold their tiny hands. I may be outnumbered but at least I've got both of my hands free to keep them all close.
I'd never claim to be an expert diaper bag packer but I will say I've definitely had my fair share of lessons learned and because of that, my diaper bag packing has improved. Maybe your bag looks a bit different than mine and that's fine but I'm pretty sure all of us moms can agree that all of our kids are different, their needs are different, and our own must haves differ. Being a momma is rough but now a days these handy diaper bags make life a little easier. Can I get an AMEN?
Diaper Bag : Kiki Lu Designs
Zipper Top Bag : Old Navy(similar)
Romper : Rad Revolution
Baby Creams : Tubby Todd
Baby Wrap : Stekki Bebe
Baby Blanket : Captain Silly Pants
Changing Pad : Gathre
No comments:
Post a Comment