If you’re a mom, you know that being efficient is key to a successful outing with kids. When I had my first baby, no matter how far or how long I’d be gone, I packed that diaper bag as if I was leaving for a month. Now with two toddlers, I’m bringing only the necessities. I’ll be honest, most times I’m running out of the house with two diapers and a pack of wipes – that’s it! However, when I’m going to be out for the day, I pack items that I know will keep everyone happy.
I love seeing how other moms organize their diaper bags and what they consider to be important when leaving the house. Inspiration is truly everywhere, and I’m excited to share what I pack in our diaper bag for a longer outing.
We have the Beis Ultimate Diaper Bag and it truly is amazing. It’s lasted us three years so far, and I plan to use it until it falls apart. Here are some key features:
- Pockets – This thing has so many dang pockets – I like to assign each pocket its own item. It even has two side water bottle pockets for each of my kids.
- Easy to clean – This bag fits so much inside and is easy to clean! I throw mine in the washing machine and it comes out looking brand new every time.
- Attached changing pad – If I need to use a public restroom, instead of putting my baby directly on that nasty plastic changing table, I lay the entire backpack with the pad out. Much more sanitary!
- Detachable fanny pack – Perfect for when you don’t need the whole backpack!
Now let’s get to the meat of this post. These are all the items that I deem “necessary” when leaving the house with my 3 and 1 year old toddlers:
Diapers and wipes
If I plan to be gone for a few hours, I’ll bring one to two diapers per kid because you just never know what’s going to happen! Millie Moon is our absolute favorite diaper brand, I will never steer away from these! We plan to start potty training our son this summer so I also pack the Potty Protect toilet seat covers for public restrooms.
First Aid Kit, Hand Sanitizer & Sunscreen
The nurse in me will never not be without a the essentials for minor injuries. I buy the Welly kits which have Band-Aids, hand sanitizer, antibiotic ointment… etc! You can even purchase refill packs. As you can see, I need to do so! The Touchland hand sanitizer is my favorite and stick sun screens are always a win for impatient toddlers!
Snacks, snacks and SNACKS!
I will never step foot out of my house without snacks. Want to avoid a catastrophic meltdown? Bring the snacks. I bought this adorable snack bag to keep all our food contained because the last thing you want to be doing is digging around a bottomless pit searching for snacks. It also just makes me feel like ‘that mom’ …. like yeah I’m organized, what about it?! š
Water bottles
Both of my kids’ Zak! cups fit in the side water bottle holders of the backpack which is perfect for easy access! I also throw my own water bottle in the main compartment. Right now, I’m loving my pink Hydrojug.
Activity Folders
My mom got these for my kids to keep them entertained when we flew to Florida. Now I keep them in our diaper bag at all times as they are lifesavers in the car, at restaurants and random errands. In James’s bag I keep a popper, books, and little dolls. In Noah’s bag, I have his sticker books, toy cars, and some-Play Doh. I couldn’t find my exact ones, but these would work great!
Wallet
This is an obvious one – I keep my wallet in the fanny pack section of the diaper bag because there is no way I’m also carrying a purse!
In the last three years, I’ve gotten much more confident as a mother and that’s helped me lighten my load. It’s taken a while to whittle everything down from the 10 diapers I used to bring when I was only going to be gone an hour. Being intentional when you pack for an outing will get you much further than overpacking items you won’t use.
Ultimately, there’s no right or wrong way to do it. What I pack may seem like a lot to some moms, and to others it might not be enough. That’s the beauty of learning in this crazy phase of life. We’re all trying our best and we will all survive no matter how full our bags are.
Now tell me… What’s the one thing you never leave the house without?
XO,
Kassie
