Hellobee

From the time Mini PBJ was born, I just never really got “into” carrying a diaper bag. I mean, I know that most Moms never really enjoying lugging around that thing, but I feel like some are just better at it than others. Some Moms are awesome at being prepared, and don’t mind having extra stuff to carry if it means they can feel like all their bases are covered. That was not me. I was always flying by the seat of my pants and taking way too many “jumps without a net,” if you know what I mean. I was doing good to at least remember to put the bag in the car, let alone have it packed with what I needed. I hated feeling like I was “moving in” everywhere I went, and I left that bag in the car every chance I could! Needless to say, when Mini Pbj reached toddlerhood and no longer required as many accessories, I was all too willing to get rid of that cumbersome diaper bag, and switch to something smaller. I love the fact that we have been able to downsize into just a small backpack with only a few necessities!

1) Extra Panties – Mini Pbj doesn’t wear diapers anymore, so we keep one or two pairs of these with us instead! We have some cute ones like this with her favorite characters on them!

2) Change of clothes – I carry at least one change of clothes in the bag at all times. Mini Pbj is potty trained for the most part, but accidents are always possible. Since I usually don’t change the outfit that’s in the bag too often, I try to make sure it’s going to match just about anything she might be wearing on a any given day. So right now, I have either a pair of black bike shorts or some denim shorts, and then a t shirt.

3) Wipes – Since she is potty trained, I don’t really need these for “diapering” purposes, but they are just nice to have on hand because, well…toddlers are messy. I’m always wiping her hands and face for some reason! In the beginning we tried the Huggies Natural Care, but she ended up being slightly sensitive to those, so we switched to the Huggies Simply Clean and have used them ever since.

4) Disposable Diaper Sacks – I’ve been carrying these around since the early diaper bag days, but they still work great now that we are in toddlerhood. If Mini Pbj has an accident these are great for putting the wet panties/bottoms in until we get home. Mine are scented like baby powder, which is nice, because the whole bag doesn’t end up smelling icky.

5) Toys/Busy items – Sometimes we end up in places where I need her to sit on my lap or just be still and quiet for a little while and I like to have items that will help keep her occupied. I have a little notepad with some crayons, a Look and Find Book like this one, and some small figurines that I like to keep in her bag. Two year olds tend to have a small attention span, so I like to have options!

6) Snacks – Anyone who has a toddler knows this one is important. Sometimes probably more important than a change of clothes! I like to keep items that are non-perishable or non-messy….or both! So things like fruit snacks, granola bars, raisins, and pretzels are all staples in the backpack!

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An obvious perk to having a small backpack like this is that little ones can help carry it too! I purchased this bag over a year ago from Payless Shoe Source, and I don’t think they sell it anymore, but I’m positive there are many other options out there! I love this bag mostly because of the gold polka dots…I’m a sucker for both gold and polka dots! The only downfall to this bag is that it doesn’t have any pockets on the sides for holding a cup of some sort. There are times when it would be nice to have a place to put her cup. So if you’re in the market for a backpack, keep that in mind!

 What’s your toddler bag look like/have in it?