Outings

Hello - how about having her carry her own bag? That is what I do with muy daughter. She has her little Dora back pack (tiny one) and I put 2 diapers in there, wipes and snacks - and I also let her put her own couple of things in there (tiny toys, books, etc.) It works great for us. :)

I keep a separate bag for my daughter but its much smaller than the traditional diaper bag. Its one those small backpack style bags but it goes over just one should eracross. Like another poster said, depending on where we are I leave her bag in the car unless if we are going to be away from the car for a long while or too far to easily come back. I usually try to stick to just one small snack and a small pack of wipes. Also, I just her regular wipes to wipe hands, etc if something gets messy and keep some antibacterial gel for the really germy stuff...

J.-

To lighten your load, teach your daughter to drink from a straw. That way you can get a cup of water almost anywhere you go. Pack just one snack-- if she won't eat that then she is probably not very hungry-- and keep a couple one dollar bills in your purse in case you need to grab something else. Put one diaper in your purse and keep a spare and wipes in your glove compartment of the car (unless you are taking a day trip somewhere like the zoo). Repack 5 or 6 wipes into a small ziploc bag so they don't take up much space. With a little work, you can carry a standard purse that won't break your shoulder.

Remember, in a "crisis" you can always run into any grocery or drug store and pick up more snacks, diapers and wipes :)

Enjoy! I know you'll hear it a lot, but she will grow out of this phase soooooo fast!

S.

A suggestion - I have a small to medium rubbermaid lidded tub in my trunk. I keep lots of diapers, wipes, change of clothes, bibs, etc. I also keep some kirkland wipes and changing pad in each stroller. When I leave the house, I toss a diaper and sippy drink and snack in my purse. That way I have the minimum in my bag, but have everything with me. With my five year old I carried a diaper bag for about 2 years. But I never used most of it. When she potty trained, I came up with the tub idea, because I always wanted ot have extra underwear and briefly even a potty seat. When I had my second, I gave up the diaper bag around 12 months. At that point, my daughte eats table food and goes between changes for pretty long. Doesn't even really need a bib much more. If ther eis any urgency or I forget something I can run to the car. I even use paper towels in lieu of a changing pad and water in lieu of a wipe if I don't have my stroller wiht me. Definately mroe flexible with the second baby :)

I have four kids, and I keep things in my car too! I always have a couple toys, diapers, baby wipes, sanitizing wipes, band-aids and anti-bacterial cream, and one snack package that I keep in the car that has a good seal, lasts long and is appealing to all my kiddies. They range in age from 1 year old to 6 years old.

If you don't have doubles of the things you want to bring from home, buy doubles- so you can just keep it in your car- it is worth the money:)

And THANK YOU to you and your husband for him serving in the military!

I have one of these: http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3499748 that I keep in my truck (we use it most often). Then in my husband's truck I have a couple diapers and container of wipes in the pocket of the car seat mat.

My son is 18 months, so we know his routines pretty well. On the rare occasion he needs to be changed while we're out shopping or out to dinner, its not hard to just run him out to the truck and change him there (plus its more sanitary than most public changers).

I don't see the need to carry extra wipes. I just have one container of diaper wipes and I use them for whatever needs to be wiped off (butt, hands, face, restaurant table, high chair, etc).

I refuse to carry a cup and snack every where we go. Sure, if we're going to be out all day, or during a meal/snack time I take it, but otherwise he doesn't need to have a drink 24/7. Plus, if for some reason he really needs something to drink, many places have water fountains or I will get myself a bottle of water and he can drink from that.

First of all, let me say... this is completely normal. I was just as bad and all new moms face this problem. Knowing how crazy things can get, you don't want to be caught out somewhere unprepared (wait till she potty trains :)

I'm a huge fan of ziploc bags. Wipes stay moist you can carry less and you can see through the bag to know if you need to refill. Just bring small amounts of things and tuck them into her bag and put it in the stroller. If you don't have a small bag to put them in, look at thrift stores or Kmart/Walmart/Marshalls/TJMaxx for something cheap. Not taking a stroller? Chances are if you're carrying your child it's not the purse that's killing your back. If your child is walking, you aren't going out for very long anyway because kids don't last that long, so you don't need to bring all that much stuff.

When my kids could drink from a straw, I was so happy. Sippy cups were the worst to carry and clean out. The straw was the best improvement in our lives.

Think about all the things you are carrying. If you are carrying a whole container of wipes, that may be heavy, but other than that, her stuff isn't weighing that much. Try pulling out all the things for her and weighing them. I will bet it is no more than 1-2lbs. That's nothing to carry. If you're carrying a lot for you in that bag too, maybe you should consider what you really need and simplify (most likely you need little more than a wallet, keys, cell). If you are carrying your daughter, maybe you should consider using a stroller more often. I loved strollers, then I didn't have to carry anything (and I tucked in a full container of the Wet Ones wipes, because I had room). I switched to a tiny wallet that I can slip into my pocket. I put that in one pocket and my cell in another pocket and then I don't have to worry about guarding the stroller contents as closely.

You haven't even mentioned toys which I find interesting. If you're using a stroller, you can clip the toys on to the side so you don't loose them and there's nothing to carry. Make sure your stroller has a bag on the back or a compartment underneath. If not, consider investing in a bag you hang on the back or just slip the handles of her little bag on the handle.

I used to carry SO much more stuff when I had a stroller because it was basically free space and I could. Then when I tried to minimize the stroller usage I found myself being smart about what was really needed. I threw 2 packages of fruit snacks in my purse (2 kids) and made them wait to drink when they got back to the car. (Easier to do with a 2-3 year old.)

Another thought is to invest in a backpack style purse/bag. I got a black leather (or pleather, I don't remember) one that looked nice but allowed me to distribute the weight across both shoulders. I would use that when I was Christmas shopping because I wanted the stroller to hold my purchases and I could fit extra toys inside the bag to switch out so the kids would last longer shopping. I've never paid more than $30 for a purse, even Liz Claiborne so I probably got it at a discount store.

Don't worry, it is a short phase of her life. When my youngest was about 3 I challenged myself to carry just keys, cell and wallet so I didn't have to keep up with the purse. I wanted to have hands free to hold my children's hands. We went to the car if we needed a pull-up and we washed hands in bathrooms. I always kept a spare set of essentials in the car (wipes, pull-ups, change of clothes).

Good luck J.. Happy Veterans day. Thank you for supporting our military and please thank your husband for his service.
-Liz

Wow you take a lot of stuff , why can't you use a regular wet wipe for her hands? My youngest is 17 months , I make sure I have 2 or 3 diapers , some wipes in a travel size pack , her drink and if I will be out for a while I take a banana or some grapes (something that is not heavy or takes up too much room). I always got my cell and wallet and that is it.

You and me both. Depending on where we are going, I might just bring the diaper bag and wrap it on the stroller (we have a large and small diaper bag). Or I might shove everything into a reusable grocery bag or fill the stroller's net bag (the umbrella stroller has a bag on the back). I usually don't bring bleach wipes. I figure that diaper wipes are good enough for spot cleaning. We keep a few in a small carry case or ziplock baggie. If I don't put the snacks in baggies, I have a snack cup pre-loaded and when she's out, she's done. I also don't always bring a bib, but I do bring a changing pad. You can buy some disposable ones and keep them on hand for emergency use or reuse them by carefully refolding. Also, you may find that they are different thicknesses. Get a really small/thin one for such outings if yours is thicker. I also bring a second outfit if we're going out for a long time (at least keep it in the car). If you're running a bunch of errands, it may be that you can leave some of the gear in the car for the next leg and just take one diaper, wipes and a toy for this store. Know what I mean?

I would add to that a full change of clothes, and put it all in a zip tote (like the ones at LLBean), and store it in your trunk. If you are at the mall and have an accident, it isn't too much to go back to the parking lot and get the tote for cleanup. I also like LLBean's adventure duffle toiletry bags for a small diaper bag with just essentials. Perfect size and it fits nicely under the stroller. My advice in short: have everything you need, just don't carry it!

Get a back pack (not a huge one) When my kids were little I also kept all the crisis stuff in the car (extra clothes, diapers, snacks, etc.) I wasn't usually too far from the car if a crisis arose!

I keep diapers and wipes in a bag in the car. Then, I just need snack and drink for my daughter. I keep hand wipes that have hand sanitizer on them in my purse. You could also keep bibs in the car. That way you'd have everything you need, but wouldn't need to carry it around.

We all do that with our firsts. I'd say your list isn't so bad, I have a cousin who would bring her daughter's full size high chair & baby walker with her places.
Put a change of clothes, a container of wipes (one type of wipe is all you need, you really don't *need* to decontaminate every thing she comes in contact with, a quick wipe with a regular wipe if it's sticky is enough), a few diapers and a back up sippy cup in the car. Soon enough you will see that you can meet just about any crisis by improvising & you won't worry so much about what you bring with you. Did you know you can use your own sweatshirt as an emergency cloth diaper if you're pushed too- lol. I have 4 children. I bring nothing with me now. If the baby needs more than to breastfeed, I use it as my excuse to leave wherever I am.

One thing I did that I loved was to get a collapseable bin -it was $3 I think, and it's about a foot cubed, and I keep most of what you said in there in the back of my car. I also keep a change of clothes for each kid in it. Then, when I go in someplace, I just take a small wipes container (It holds about 20), one diaper, and a changing pad. If I need more than that, I go out to the car. I haven't yet needed more than that, and it keeps me from carrying it all with me all the time. I change diapers before/after trips, and if I know the kids will want a snack, I bring that in, but usually they're fine until I'm done with whatever I'm doing. I do let my kids eat in the car though, which some people don't. If you don't, you'll want to keep it with you, but otherwise, it helps them to know that they have a snack and can get it soon, and I'm not carrying it all the time. Good luck!

When we are out shopping, I keep the bag in my car with the diapers and wipes, bib and changing table cover. if there is a need to change we go to the car to do it. If we are out to dinner or someplace for a long period of time, I may take the bag in with me. then keep the snack cup, snack, and hand wipes in your purse. It may make it less heavy for you. I guess you have to evaluate how often you really use the items you are taking with you and when.

Dear Jamie-

When I had my first son, I had one of those huge expandable gym bags with EVERYTHING imaginable in it!!

Clothes...dipes...wipes...tylenol...benadryl...juices...thermometer...blankets...bibs...camera...extra binkies...(you get the idea :) ).

By the time the twins came...(# 6 and 7...seven years later) I had pared down to A bottle in my pocket (maybe) and a well equipped van! I suspect somewhere in the middle, I found the happy medium...(but I really cannot remember when...lol) BUT...all survived!

Have a great day!
Michele/cat

PS
DO NOT ADD any items TO your bag....lol

My son is 2 and when he was about 18mo i bought him a little thomas the train backpack and i put his diapers,whipes,snacks, juice ext..
and make him carry his own stuff now! he loves wearing his back pack i think it makes him feel cool and like a big kid and now i get to use a purse again!

I would say that all you need is one diaper bag. I've always just left my purse behind and thrown my own essentials in the diaper bag. I have a medium sized one from Target that I love since it looks nice (not babyish or anything, just like a regular shoulder bag). All I carry in it is 5 diapers, a travel pack of baby wipes (good for everything) and small bottle of a hand-sanitizer from Bath and Bodyworks that can double as a scent because it smells so good, a ziploc baggie of dry cheerios or goldfish crackers (if they're hungrier than the baggies can take care of, then it's time to stop somewhere for a lunch break), my youngest son's cup (always a good idea because it cuts down on messes)I carry it empty though and fill it from drinking fountains if he's thirsty unless it's a long car ride, my wallet, my keys, my sunglasses case, my cell phone and a changing pad that came with the bag. I actually still have room left over to stuff anything small that we've picked up in too (McDonald's toys etc.) and it's not heavy.

I think you could probably cut back a lot of the things you're carrying. If you're not out ALL day then you really don't need more than a few diapers, which you apparently already have cut down. As I think another mom or two mentioned, you don't need any wipes but baby wipes. If they're good enough to clean you-know-what off baby's bum, then they're good enough to wipe down just about anything else. It's all those wipes that are adding the extra weight. Find one of those small hard plastic containers that are meant to hold wipes and slip into a diaper bag. They hold just enough without taking up a lot of space.

If you feel like you really need the other stuff, then get a backpack. I actually have backpacks for my kids (7 and 2) and if they want to take toys or the little one wants his blankie then they can carry it themselves. Your daughter's a little young for that still...just lookin' ahead.

I hear you! We moms always try to be prepared! Something that worked for me was to put a bin in the back of the car with anything I wouldn't definitely be needing on that trip - extra diapers, a change of clothes, a blanket, extra wipes, snacks etc. Your car is not usually far away if you need to get something out of there. Put 2 bleach wipes in a baggie and refill when you get home. Same for baby wipes - a handful in a baggie and you don't have that heavy container. A sleeper in the bag and a change of clothes in the car will keep something there should your child have a major diaper blow out in the mall but keep the weight and bulkiness down. Don't worry, though. It gets much easier the older they get, and the bin in the car can eventually take the place of the bag all together!

Hi, J.,
Good stuff below but a few extra thoughts, hope I'm not duplicating...

Take everything out of the bag you usually use for both of you. I mean everything, all the change in the bottom, etc. Then see how heavy the bag itself feels. I'm amazed at how heavy some bags are when empty! Changing the bag alone may help a lot. Also, look at your wallet - is it fat with cards, baby photos, notes, cash, etc.? Strip it down to bare essentials -- license, one credit card, enough cash for the day, no change except a few quarters. Is your key ring heavy with lots of keys? That's another way to cut down on weight--no keys other than car and house.

Also, watch for hidden extra weight. Loose change is my problem--it sneaks into this pocket or that pocket, migrates to the bottom of the bag, and before I know it is adding a remarkable amount of weight. If you dig you may find that pens, crayons, that happy meal toy from last week etc. are all in there--each one small but together adding to the weight.

I don't blame you for wanting separate sanitizing wipes for tables etc. with flu etc. going around, just be sure to carry only two or three in a ziplock bag and they'd weigh nothing. No need for separate hand wipes; use the diaper wipes. Definitely keep the changing table cover!

I would carry a drink because I never let my daughter use water fountains (she's now in elementary school and still knows not to use the water fountains). That's me, and if you don't mind water fountains, go for it. If a restaurant is part of your outing, order water there and leave the cup out or fill the cup there from her glass.

I think you are right on except a little overboard with the wipes. I carry my kids regular tiny box of baby wipes(for butts, noses, and hands) and 2 or 3 of the tiny individually sani kids wipes(for tables and after playing in germy places). Also somewhere I got a cheap changing table cover that is super tiny - one layer of polyesterish fabric and very small (when its in the wash I use paper towels from the restroom). I only bring one snack so there is only one option. You probably just need to look at downsizing the items you already carry. Also find a bag that is more comfortable for you - two bags is probably not the answer. I love love love my Butler Bag. www.butlerbag.com. I have twins so I carry a lot more than you do and I find it very comfy and organized.

Oh and there is always an crisis with kids but undoubtably you will need whatever it is that you do not have on that particular day so you just have to roll with it.

I do second the car stuff - I have a car organizer that has one of everything books, extra diapers, extra wipes, change of clothes, a roll of paper towels, extra snacks, water bottle, disposable sippy cups, a waterproof pad for the car seat in case someone becomes ill while we are out. You haven't had a crisis until you more than an hour from home with a spontaneously vomitting child.

I carried that plus a change of clothes and socks. Sounds pretty normal to me. If you use the same car always when going out, you can leave some items in the car, like diapers & wipes, etc. Just remember you did that in case you travel with someone else.