Hellobee

Since Little C turned one, I have found more and more often that I leave the house without my diaper bag (especially if we aren’t expecting a dirty diaper in the near horizon).  In the bottom of my stroller and in my car, I have a disposable diaper and pack of wipes stashed in case of emergencies and a tube of California Baby sunscreen, since I have the world’s whitest baby.

I have found though, that when I do need my full diaper bag (for longer outings or when we venture further from home), my bag is much more streamlined.  For moms with older kids, you will probably still think that this is quite the haul.  For new moms or expectant moms, you will probably look at this with a bit of envy, since you are (or will soon be) getting quite the workout with an overflowing diaper bag slung over one shoulder and a baby snuggled up in the car seat crooked in your opposite elbow.

1)  Vera Bradley Diaper Bag – I recently attended an incredible event for moms through a Chicago (and Austin and Minneapolis) based event company called Bump Club and Beyond, and inside my swag bag was this incredible Vera Bradley Diaper Bag.  For Little C’s first year, I used the Skip Hop Versa bag, which I loved but really beat up.  After the back zipper popped off, I accepted the fact that I needed to take the plunge and upgrade. I LOVE this new bag – it is lined with waterproof material in case a sippy cup leaks (or something gross has to go inside, which is inevitable with little kids), it has wonderful side pockets to stash items that you need close at hand and inner pockets for organization, it has a magnetic closure so you don’t have to fumble with a zipper, and the cross-body strap is great when you are also lugging around a 20+ pound little man.

2) Diaper: When Little C was a bitty baby, I would never carry fewer than four diapers (Why?  I don’t know.  Crazy mama over here).  Now, one  diaper – maybe two – is sufficient.   What aren’t I lugging around anymore?  Diaper cream. Major diaper changes are rare, and I only take it along when I know we absolutely need it.

3) Straw cup:  We rarely leave the house nowadays without a straw cup of water, especially now that the warm weather is creeping in here in the midwest.

4) Sun hat:  This one is an early-in-the-season item that we are testing out.  I think that this dopey sun hat is adorable, and since C is a blondie with quite a mop of curls, I need some way to shade his little keppe.  So far, Little C has not been willing to keep it on his head for more than 2 seconds. A mom can dream.

5) Snacks:  These snack pods by Dr. Browns are amazing, and on any given day, I have them filled with anything from Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies to Cheerios for an emergency snack.  If we have a lunchtime play date, I can fill the containers with a full meal worth of food for Little C.  Also floating around my diaper bag is always a pouch or two – lately we have been really into the GoGo Squeez natural applesauce.  What am I not carrying?  No more schlepping bottles and a formula dispenser – yay!

6) Change of Clothes: Tee and shorts. I used to be vigilant about this one, and now I have become more lax. I used to carry a sleeper and another outfit, but now I usually have a cheap outfit (like this t-shirt that I LOVE) or something gifted that we don’t love stashed in there.  I’ve heard enough horror stories about toddler-style poop explosions to know that the inconvenience could be well worth it one day.

7) Entertainment:  Gone are the days when Little C can marvel at the wonder that is his hand. Since we often venture into territory that is usually baby-free, life is easier when I bring along a bit of entertainment.  I keep aboard book and one of Little C’s beloved maracas. Since he’s currently obsessed with loading and unloading containers, the diaper bag itself functions as a toy.  Magic.

8) iPhone and the clunky but amazing EYN case:  It makes my phone a bit larger, but it is a phone case that doubles as a small wallet.  It will hold two cards and a couple of bills, and fits in my pocket, or the side pocket of the diaper bag.  So easy. Plus it keeps Little C’s slobber from getting into the phone (so far at least), and when I drop it, as I always do, it absorbs all the shock.

9) Purell: I’ve carried Purell with me long before I became a mom.  While I am far from a germophobe, public transit is full of strange things I don’t want to think about touching my fingers.  Whether we are taking the train toWiggleworms class or changing a diaper far from a sink to clean up, I am a firm believer in Purell.

10) Wallet:  I only carry my full wallet when we go on substantive outings. Most of the time, I can get by with just an ID and credit card, and maybe a little bit of cash so I use my EYN case.

11) Wipes:   This might be the only item that I now carry more of than I used to.  Months ago, I would carry a mini-pack of wipes, as well as a pack of pacifier wipes.  Now I find that even though I use fewer wipes for diaper changes with an older kid, he finds other ways of making a massive mess (eating, crawling through dirt, etc.), so it is easier to sling a half-filled pack of the wipes we usually use at home.

12) Sunscreen: I mentioned it before, but with a nearly see-through white as can be baby, I never leave the house without sunscreen – not even if we plan to be indoors wherever we’re going.

Other things I no longer need to schlep:  Swaddle Blankets – once the most used item in my diaper bag, as a nursing cover, emergency rag, throw blanket, extended sun shade… and a long time ago, as a swaddle.  We haven’t needed to carry them around for quite a few months, and I finally gave in and stored them for (hopefully) future Confetti babies. Cloth prefold diaper – Little C used to have impressive skills when it came to spitting up. Not anymore.

What are the most important things you carry in your diaper bag? What have you removed as your kids have gotten older?