The New Year is upon us and its time we get some things together. No, this is not another New Years resolution but this is a declaration to get the diaper bag in order! The dreaded diaper bag right?! It feels like when we leave the house we are preparing to go on a road trip! We have a diaper bag, a purse and other random items hanging from everywhere! As a mom of 5 children, I finally figured out how to have all the items I need in one bag (it took some time but with time I got savvy). So, here you go:
1. Ditch the handbag. Yep, I said it...you have to ditch the purse! I know its hard because if you are like myself, there is nothing like a fashionable handbag. You need to ditch the handbag because its just an additional bag that you have to carry. When you are a mama that has to tote around a diaper bag 90% of the time the object of the game is to not look like a bag lady. With that being said, you need a small clutch or crossbody purse. These are great because they can fit into your diaper bag with ease, allowing you to still have room for all of the items you need for your baby/toddler. Your clutch and crossbody can still be fashionable but remember you want to maximize space and eliminate clutter.
**There are some diaper bags that include a mom clutch for you! :-)
2. There are some items that need to stay in your diaper bag AT ALL TIMES keeping those go to items in the bag will help you eliminate your mental checklist of items you can't leave the house without. This will be determined by the age of the child. My advice would be to create your own list of items and stick to it. When its time to clean out your diaper bag (because crumbs and other random things will happen) this is an opportunity for you to take an inventory to check if you need to make any adjustments to what you have packed. Below is a short list of items you may find helpful: First Aid Kit, tylenol and motrin, travel size pack of wipes, hand sanitizer, extra clothing, toy/book, sunscreen, etc.
3. Be sure to always have packaged snacks. This is a good idea for you and when you have a toddler. So, mama's with infants yes, keep a granola bar or similar in your diaper bag. This will be a saving grace.
4. If you are a breastfeeding mama you need to make sure you have a packaged snacks (because your appetite still causes for snacks), breast pads (I like to keep the disposable ones in my diaper bag but on a daily I use washable ones), Hand pump (if you are still in the beginning stages of your breastfeeding journey), nipple cream (if dryness is something you experience. This is not the case for all women but it is helpful during the beginning) and sanitary products (we all know that some moms do not experience menstrual cycles for a while when breastfeeding. It's good to have something handy because you never know when that day will come).
5. Finally, you need a makeup bag. Now, this bag of items is a condensed version of what you would typically use when you are going out on the town with your spouse or your friends. This is strictly for those last minute trips to the mall, lunch or brunch that occurs.
Basically, you don't have to show up as a hot mess mama all the time.
So, you may be wondering how do we keep all of these items organized in the diaper bag? I am sure you don't want to just throw all the items in the bag and then you are rummaging through the items trying to find what you are looking for. Luckily you can head over to a company such Ore Originals and check out their diaper bag organizer. These are extremely helpful. This allows you to have a go-to pouch with exactly what you need. These are also great when you are a mama with multiple little ones. You can easily use a sharpie to label the pouches for each specific child.
This list is a basic list that I think is great for all mamas. As you customize your diaper bag, there are things that are a must have for you depending on your personal care needs. Some extra items could be a travel size deodorant, chapstick, hair ties etc. (All of these items depending on the woman.) I hope you have found this helpful!