Well, I’m back! It’s Monday morning and little O is sleeping quietly beside me in his bassinet. There is so much that I have to say about parenthood now that I’m officially a parent, but I can’t tell you everything all at once! Where will be the fun in that? What I will say right now is that nothing could have prepared me for how I would feel about my sweet baby and my sweet husband throughout this experience. I have grown closer to my husband and our love for each other has matured, and my heart has expanded to love this new sweet little boy. It swells every time he smiles, coos, or poops his pants. There’s basically nothing he can do wrong.
So as a new mom, this is one of my first discoveries. The diaper bag. A few years ago, a friend and I, though neither of us was expecting, sewed Amy Butler’s nappy bag so that we could have a lightweight, large tote. So this is the first diaper bag that I’ve used so far. I used a heavier, winter fabric for the bag, so the style suits this time of year.
(Pictured on a trip in 2007 soon after making the bag.)
What I soon discovered was that I was carrying around way too much stuff. Here’s a list of diaper bag items I was carrying soon after O was born:
receiving blanket for diaper changes
baby wipes
diapers (about 5)
pacifier
change of clothing
burp cloths
hooter hider
All that, plus my own necessities. It was a little much to have on my person at all times.
So when I stumbled across this MicroPod from Fleurville, I felt I’d found the right solution. This small bag has room for two diapers. It comes with its own changing cloth and wipes case. And then it has room for my essentials, too.
But what about if he dirties his clothes? Or what about if he needs a blanket? Or what about if I need to feed him in public? Clearly I still needed items from my other diaper bag. So I developed a great solution that works for me. Someone once suggested that I keep bedding bags because they become great see-through storage containers when you need them. So I grabbed a bedding bag and filled it with the essentials: A couple burp clothes, extra diapers, wipes, a receiving blanket, and a change of clothing (I chose one that was a hand-me-down that I didn’t care about as much so that I wasn’t wasting a cute outfit in my emergency kit). Now I just keep this pack in the trunk of the car, and I know that little O’s basic needs are always covered while we’re out, but that I just have to carry a small bag around. In case he needs something more, I can get it from the car.
For the practical gift giver, I think that this would make a great shower gift, too!
Oh, and I’m not done yet. Just one more bag, if you please. I got this bag (in blue) on sale at the Gap recently. I love that I can use it as a diaper bag without compromising my style. There will certainly be room for lots of items in here, and I think I’ll be using this bag on our trip to DC in April when I won’t be able to just leave a stash of essentials in the car.
What items do you carry around in your diaper bag? What solutions have you found for lightening the load?
I want to take home that BABY in the BAG! Super cutie!
all of these bags are so cute. in my diaper bag, my must have is antibacterial lotion. especially after the kids have been playing in mcdonalds playland then want to grab their cheeseburger. gag.
i also have a mini first aid kit in my diaper bag that has basic – got a cut or a major headache kind of stuff in it.
Great post. I’m expecting my first in a few months and just in the process of acquiring those must haves for baby. Friends are really stressing the importance of the diaper bag, but I haven’t really given it any thought. Thanks for sharing these options. They all look super cute.
~ humps
Welcome back! that pod is awesome…and the bag you sewed is adorable. I think I need one. Since I have a toddler and a new baby coming in 2 weeks, I need to carry dipes, wipes, chupa (binky), burp cloth, blankie, a snack and a small toy. Plus my clutch, lip gloss, alcohol gel, sunglasses, and phone. My current bag won’t do for 2 kiddos and their stuff. BTW: I keep all my bedding bags, too. This is a perfect solution.
My bag is an Ogio Roadtrip messenger bag. It suits me well. It’s also basic and well-designed. My husband doesn’t have a problem carrying it around either. And it is full–baby supplies and my stuff and stuff for running around with my other kids.
I like to leave a stocked Fleurville Escape Pod in the car with back ups. I carry around the bare essentials in my diaper bag/purse (Fleurville Luxe in pink). When we’re on a longer outing I will leave a bigger bag with the bulkier stuff like changes of clothes in the car in case I need it. It’s too much to carry everything I might need all at once.
I have tried many, many diaper bags, with three kids and a store full of options to consider. Based on what you’ve described, I would recommend the new Studio Tote from Skip Hop. It holds a ton of stuff and has a great, anti-microbial zippered pocket for soiled clothes. It also attaches easily to your stroller, and is incredibly lightweight – I was shocked when I picked it up for the first time. Plus, it looks sharp.
In general, I think Skip Hop has the best pocket design of any other diaper bag company. They really understand how parents will use these bags. The Studio bag in particular has fabulous pockets, inside and out, and I am able to keep my life very well organized as a result. Hope that helps!
Another favorite of mine is the Timbuk2. I liked it b/c it was waterproof and it comes in various sizes. Lots of hidden storage for your stuff. But plenty of room for kids stuff too. And great colors!
I was totally going to say put an outfit you don’t care much about in the emergency bag, but you already thought of that! It is important to remember to change both the outfit and diapers in the emergency bag when your baby changes sizes. Mine never needed them until I stopped having an extra on hand.
Your friend looks like someone I knew way back when. Like someone I was actually friends with and should remember their name. Care to email me her name to see if it is my old friend? lol I’m from the Phoenix area so it would have been there. Lately I have been unable to recall anyone’s name when going to say it. It is very frustrating. They can be standing in front of me and no name comes to mind.
hey, welcome back. i love that gap bag, i’ve been checking it out. i love the idea of the emergency bag in the car, that’s what we would do. now that i am out of diaper bag carrying days, i can’t believe all the crap i carried around at the beginning. your baby is adorable!
I do the car bag, too! I hate carrying stuff around, and usually even leave my small bag in the car. My big bag also has snacks (for the kids and for me!) like cherry Lara Bars, applesauce in little containers, crackers, chocolate (for me), water.
I had made a purse before my little one came along and tried using it for a while as a diaper bag, but everything got lumped together in a giant mess, plus it was clearly handmade and getting stained.
So, first, I made a poopy clutch from leather so I could store wipes and 3 dipaers.
Then, I went to Aldo (outlets in Park City = Awesome)and found an awesome, shiny purse that has two separate (main) compartments. It’s perfect because I can have my camera and phone and personal essentials in one side and have Penelope’s essentials like bottle, toys, clothes, etc in the other side. It’s also perfect because it’s SO glam.