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I’m not into purses, bags, or loads of accessories. Whenever I can, I leave my purse in the car (or at home!) and just stuff whatever I need into my pocket (or G’s pocket) rather than lug some silly bag into a store or to an event. On trips, I make use of my jacket pockets (and I mean make use of them) and on shorter excursions, I make good use of my small camera case (only used if it might rain) and stick my wallet in that.
So when I was pregnant and considering what to do about a
diaper bag, I knew I would be a little offbeat with that decision, too.
Originally, I thought I’d go the backpack route, but I
wasn’t having much luck finding a small enough bag to use in this way. Then I remembered this:
Each teacher received a bag like this a few years ago as a
Christmas gift from our administrators.
We all loved the bags, but I soon realized that it was impractical because it didn’t really hold anything well – too small for a pack, but
too big for a wallet. It zipped strangely, too, making the top portion pretty useless.
I ended up trying to use it for field trips, but it wouldn’t
really even hold my emergency first aid
baggie (a pair of gloves, some band-aids, some wipes), cell phone, wallet, and folded-up
class list. But I liked the
bag, so I held onto it.
I discovered that it was the perfect
thing for me to use for a diaper bag. Too small
for a diaper bag you say? Yes! Why do you think I loved it so much?
So here’s what I assembled for my ideal Minimalist Mama
Diaper Bag:
- Shower curtain changing pad (see post here for more on this)
- Smallish packet of wipes (since we use homemade wipes at home, it's whatever I have on hand - often it’s a full-size packet, but always in a pouch and not a box)
- Diapers (a minimum of 4 disposable, but we’ve had more, depending on the outing, and sometimes I pare it down to 2 if I’m bringing along cloth diapers instead)
- An extra outfit (onesie and socks) in case there’s a poopsplotion
- A sweater or jacket and hat, in case it’s chilly
- A receiving blanket (emergency breastfeeding cover, burp cloth, or poop cleaner) for whatever unforeseen mess might befall us
- A birdseye diaper stuffed in the outside water bottle pouch, we use these for burp cloths and any other messes we might encounter
- Plastic grocery bags (usually 3-4, stuffed into the front zippered pouch)
- Hand sanitizer, hooked onto the bag with one of those fun holder thingies (I’m not generally a fan of hand sanitizer, but you know, sometimes it can be really helpful, depending on the conditions you find yourself in during a poopsplotion)
- A couple extra sets of nursing pads (I don’t really like using these, either, but sometimes the faucet just won't shut off...)
- A pacifier (which we don't really use, but it's helpful to have around when you're out and about)
- A small toy
 |
| The diaper bag innards |
And that's it. It's even more than I really need, but nice to have, just in case. I keep it in the car inside a larger bag (for play date-type excursions) and to keep things better organized on the road. When we get out of the car, I can either grab the entire big bag or just the diaper bag, depending on what we're doing. I can even fit my wallet and cell phone in the diaper bag, so that's usually all I have to carry!
What's your diaper bag like? Big? Small? Traditional? Funky? What do you fill it with? I'd love to hear (and see photos)! Either leave a comment here or email me at lisahealy (at) outlook (dot) com.
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