WFMW: How to Pack a Diaper Bag

When Mary Grace was little, I used to cart around all kinds of junk everywhere we went. Had it become necessary, we could've easily lived out of the diaper bag for a month.

Now that I have two kids under two, it has become necessary to scale down the bag. Here are some of my best tips. Keep in mind that I'm talking about your "running around town" bag, not your "going on a trip to grandma's" bag.

• You do not need an entire infant medicine cabinet. Take Tylenol, if you think you might actually need it (for example, if someone is teething), and leave the rest at home. If it's so bad that your kid really needs medicine, you should probably stay home, anyway.
• You do not need an entire wardrobe. Take one sleeper (with feet), per kid, in case of a blow out diaper. Roll it, so that it takes up a small amount of space and stays unwrinkled. That way you don't have to worry about socks, etc.
  
• If you put diapers in a ziplock bag, you can smash out the air so that they take up a lot less space and stay neat. The wipes fit in mine, with both kids' diapers, if I limit myself to two diapers per kid. If I am faced with a seriously nasty diaper, I take the clean diapers out, put the dirty one in, seal it, and throw it away. Then I get a new ziplock bag later. Now I don't have to carry disposal bags for diapers.
  
• Combine your diaper bag and your purse so you only have to carry one thing. You're a lot less likely to leave one behind if everything's in one bag.
• You need one spoon and one bib per kid, just in case you eat out. You also need one snack (preferably something they'll both eat, instead of two separate snacks).
  
• You need one toy per kid. Lulu the Letter Spinning Spider is my choice for Claire, because she could play with it, happily, for hours. Crayons work for MG. I no longer cart around an entire library and toy store. It's bad for the back.
• Leave the stroller behind, use a sling. My small one can fold up and stow in my diaper bag.
• One receiving blanket, in case you need to change a diaper on a nasty surface, or nurse and need a cover (not that I normally bother with a cover, but occasionally... when I feel like it or my tummy is showing).
• Breastfeed. Then you won't have to mess with bottles, formula, water, etc.

Leave everything else in the car.

That's it. See if you can declutter your diaper bag. In my opinion, "light" is the only way to travel!

Are you here for WFMW? Check out my other tips:

How to make Mush McPuna.
How to organize your Christmas list.
How to breathe new life into your lamps with spray paint.
How to use calling cards to give the illusion that you have it all together.
How to use GCal (again) for menu planning.
How to save yourself time in the kitchen with a hot water tap.
How to tie your shoes if you have lollypop thumbs like me.
How to feel good about spending insane money at Christmas.
How to prevent dryer fires.
How to use Google Calendar to organize your family.
How to save a zillion dollars with the Magic Bullet.
How to quickly cool Mac & Cheese.
How to soothe a teething baby without whiskey - oops! I mean Tylenol.
How to do Time Outs correctly.
How to improvise a changing table.
How to get a baby and a toddler into the car.
How to keep your house decluttered with an old waitressing mantra.
How to find a great baby sling.
How to manage your grocery list online.

Thanks for stopping by! Hope to see you again soon!

Visit Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer for more WFMW tips!