Diaper bag with divider (Photo credit: Burstyriffic)
We’re on the go a lot, aren’t we? And I don’t know about you, but I count on certain things to be there – napkins and wipes in my car, maybe snacks, chapstick and my wallet in my purse, diapers in my diaper bag…Now is a good time to go through those things, weed out the old, refresh, and renew what you need!
Let’s start with your purse (or bag). Mine seems to collect things that don’t necessarily belong there – wrappers, things I’m “just holding” for various small people, snacks, receipts, and more. And that doesn’t even include the things I need in there, like hand lotion, chapstick, my phone, and oh, yeah, my wallet! So how can you organize it?
- Start with the bag itself, and think function. If you choose a small bag, you’ll be able to carry less. And maybe that’s a good thing. (I know it is for me!) But if you want to have just one bag, or like to have a lot on hand, then a bigger bag is right for you. Once you’ve decided on your bag…
- Empty it out completely. This lets you see what you have. Throw away garbage, put things you’re “just holding” where they belong, and otherwise sort it out. I like saving little side pockets for things like sanitary product, band-aids, and other little items you might need.
- Now is a fantastic time to do this with your wallet and key ring, too. Do you really need twenty club cards? They take up a lot of space and add to the sag in your shoulders at the end of the day. You can do what I do: keep the ones you use regularly (and I actually mean regularly) in your wallet, and put the rest of the bunch rubber banded in the car. Take out what you need when you go.
- Repack the bag with what you want. Mine includes: wallet, phone, hand sanitizer, chapstick, hand cream, small calendar, band aids, and lipstick.
Next up is a diaper bag. Just follow the same steps:
- Start with the bag itself, and think function. If you have more than one baby, or if you have a younger baby, you might need a bigger bag. It depends on your circumstances. You could have one bigger one or more than one for different purposes. Once you’ve decided on your bag(s)…
- Empty it out completely and sort. This lets you see what you have. Throw away garbage, change up sizes of clothing or diapers, and set out what you want to include
- Repack the bag with what you want. Mine includes: diapers, wipes, extra underwear for my 3 year old, a big package of crackers, an unopened bottle of water, a sleeper for my baby, diaper rash cream, sunscreen, and a few more things.
I actually keep my diaper bag in the car because where I live, we can’t walk anywhere. It’s a bag I got on clearance and it’s basically a big purse. I refill whatever I take out immediately upon coming home so I’m ready to go whenever.
Last, your car(s). This depends entirely on who is in your family and their ages. I keep a complete change of clothes for each child in a ziplock bag as well as extra underwear for whoever has recently potty-trained in our van. We also have the diaper bag in our car that covers the many of the rest of the things we might need. Other things you may think about:
- water (we use refillable water bottles that we wash with our regular bottles)
- cds of music or books on tape
- plastic bags (for garbage, easy carrying, or car-sickness)
- special treats (we keep a handful of dum-dums in the car)
- your emergency car kit
If you’re interested in your emergency car kit or emergency cards, click on the links.
How do you keep things together when you’re on the go?
