Here's my tip for this week. It's really several tips all rolled into one. Enjoy :)
This used to be my "Children's Museum" bag, but lately, I've been using this "pared down diaper bag" a lot. Here's why:
Before my son was born, I purchased this 2007 Vera Bradley baby bag. I don't recommend this particular bag, but, as you can see here, they've made a lot of improvements to the bag since the time that I bought it. That always happens to me. Ask me sometime about my Nikon Coolpix. The new Vera is really nice, though and if you're looking to spend a bundle on a diaper bag, this is a good one to get.Tip # 1: REALLY check out a diaper bag before you buy.
After Bubby was born, we purchased this bag. I actually bought it to be Matt's "daddy" bag, but we ended up carrying it with us everywhere because the Vera was so big and bulky. If I had known how much we would use this bag, I would have gotten something cuter.
Tip # 2: Having a big bag and a little bag is really nice. I kept them both stocked with their own supplies when Jack was little and we were able to grab and go quickly and easily.
The grey bag would never do for my new baby daughter, so Matt's aunt bought us this pink version of it. Having 2 bags works really well, because Bubby and Boo don't always go to the same place.Tip # 3: 2 kids = 2 bags I don't have 3 kids, so I couldn't tell you if you'd need a third with 3 little ones. My kids don't even go to the same class at church, so having 2 bags works really well.
I have to mention this bag, too. My sister-in-law bought us this bag when Boo was born. It's great because it's everything that my first Vera wasn't. Fits 4 bottles on the sides, plenty of room for 2 sets of diapers, plenty of pockets etc. for all my stuff. It's great for day trips or any time that I know I'm going to be out of the house for more than about 3 hours.
Whew, it took me a while to get to my actual tip. Again, here it is, the "pared down diaper bag." In it you'll find 1-2 diapers for Boo, 1-2 diapers for Bubby, a sample container of wipes that I refill, a baby wash cloth, a disposable paper mat, and a disposable paper bib. I can throw this, a bottle, and a formula dispenser into my purse and we're off! I copied this off my friend Melissa when she visited a few years ago. I throw it all in a bag that a set of onesies came in--it's great because 1) it's free 2) it's reusing and 3) it has a snap.
Tip #4: This bag works for going to the grocery store, the Children's Museum, the outlet mall, on walks, or anywhere that I don't want to have to deal with a big, bulky bag. If I know we're going to be gone all day, sometimes I'll take Jen's bag and this one and refill it as needed.
This works for me partly because I know my kids. They seldom spit up or go through their diapers, so I pretty much know that I don't need to take a chage of clothes. Also, we tend stay in town for as many of our needs as we can, so if things get really messy, we'd probably go home to clean up anyway. Anyway, this works for me!
Tip #5: It's okay to have a bunch of different diaper bags. If you think this is crazy, you should see my purse collection :)
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Carrie,
ReplyDeleteWhat is the "pared down" diaper bag in? It is a plastic bag??? I was just wondering. I always just try to cram everything in my purse and leave a large diaper bag in the car. I could use a better method.
Carrie
I guess I should have said more about that--sorry!
ReplyDeleteIt's in a plastic bag that a set of onesies came in--I like to reuse these bags because they have a snap.
Cool, I wish I would have saved those bags now. That would be perfect for the grocery store or just a CVS run.
ReplyDeleteFrom a mother of 4 under the age of 5...I keep a regular bag for the littlest one and then buy a preschool size backpack for the next. My girls are now potty trained so they don't have a bag. My first son is 21 months old and carries his own backpack into church and on longer trips. However, when just running to the store or on quick trips I usually just throw a couple of his diapers in the baby bag.
ReplyDeleteI've also learned that you don't have to have everything and the kitchen sink in your diaper bag. With every child I've gone smaller and smaller. And I typically just throw my wallet in the bag instead of carrying both the baby bag and my purse.
Last note...keeping an extra outfit in the bag is nice but I just keep a change of clothes for each kid in the trunk of my car. This saves me from storing it in the bag and with 4 outfits that's a lot of space! I switch them depending on the season and rarely use them. I also keep a set of jammies for each kiddo in the trunk, too. That helps when we have late dinners at a friend's house or leave somewhere close to bedtime.