What's in My Diaper Bag

When I was pregnant for the first time, I went out and splurged on an expensive diaper bag that I just "had to have". I told myself, if I was going to be trucking along a diaper bag for the next few years or so, I wanted it to look pretty as well as be functional. That bag served it's purpose, but now that I have a few years of parenting experience under my belt and am the mom to a toddler and a newborn, I've learned a few things along the way when it comes to diaper bags and what to pack in them.

This time around, I've ditched the traditional style diaper bag as lugging around a heavy diaper bag on my shoulder isn't fun, no matter how pretty the bag is. And while it can seem daunting, especially for first time moms, to leave the house after baby is born, I've also learned that I don't need to bring the entire nursery along with me. Three years of parenthood under my belt and I like to think I have streamlined the process of packing a diaper bag! 

So here's a look at what I deem to be diaper bag essentials:

1. Back Pack: This time around, I ditched the shoulder style diaper bag for a backpack. This classic pack that Fjällräven sent me is the perfect size, is comfortable to carry around and saves my shoulders. I also love that it's multi-purpose (it would make a great over night bag or carry-on bag on the plane) and it's something my husband can use too without feeling silly. 

2. Reusable Snack Bags: Snacks for the toddler are one of the most important things I can pack in my bag.  I never dare leave the house without them. These ones from Bumkins are eco-friendly, waterproof, and machine/dishwasher safe. And snacks out of cute bags just makes even the most boring of snacks that much more fun. 

3. Water Bottle: I love my S'well water bottle because it keeps my water cold all day long (I can't stand warm water). And nothing annoys me more than having to purchase a bottle of water when out running errands.

4. Lip Chap: Given the climate I live in, lip chap is a must. This one from Burt's Bees is my current fav. Loaded with vitamin E and coconut oil, it keeps my lips soft and I love the cooling effect the peppermint extract provides. 

5. Granola Bars: I've been the victim of hanger one too many times so I know better than to not have snacks on hand for me. While I don't like to rely on protein or granola bars every time I go out, having one on hand is a much better option than hitting up the drive-thru. Knowing what a huge fan I am of chocolate mint, Ange gifted me a box of these Dark Chocolate Almond Mint KIND bars, and they are my absolute favourite now. 

6. Baby Wipes: Not just for babies! Sure, now that I have a baby requiring multiple diapers changes in a day, wipes are a must, but I think having wipes on hand is awesome even when you don't have children with you. I use them from everything from diaper changes, to cleaning off public tables, washing hands and faces, cleaning up spilt coffee, etc. I like to buy my wipes in bulk and then put some in one of these cute little portable wipes clutches from Huggies. 

7. Hand Cream: Again, dry climate demands hand cream even at the best of times. In the winter months, I'm especially prone to really dry, chapped hands, so I'm always on the lookout for a good, non-greasy one. I love this one from Skinfix, and while pricey, a little goes a long way. 

8. Swaddle Blankets: A large swaddle blanket is a must now that I have a newborn again. I consider it a multi-purpose item as I can use it as a blanket, a burp cloth, or a change pad. Rolled up tight, they take up very little room in my bag so I always have one or two with me. 

9. Shopping Cart Hammock: For these early months with a small baby, I love my hammock from Binxy Baby. It gives me more room in the cart and keeps my baby safe. While I don't like trucking around extra baby gear, this rolls up nice and tight so it fits in my back pack easily. 

10. Books: I always have a book or two on hand to entertain my toddler while waiting for appointments. We're both big fans of these mini Robert Munsch ones as you can bring along several without sacrificing space or adding additional weight in your diaper bag.

11. Car Seat/Nursing Cover: Every mom needs one of these multipurpose covers. It makes a stylish car seat cover while also providing shelter from all types of weather. And it's the easiest nursing cover I've ever used. It folds up into practically nothing, fitting easily into even the smallest of diaper bags. I love them so much, I own two! 

And it probably goes without saying, as I didn't include it in my list, but obviously a few diapers and an extra sleeper for baby make it into my bag as well. 

So, that's what's taking up real estate in my diaper bag!


What are some must have items in your diaper bag?

No diaper bag? Tell me something you have in your purse!

*This post was sponsored by Fjällräven Canada, but as always, all opinions and reviews expressed are my own. 

Thank you for supporting the companies that continue to make this hobby of mine possible! 

Affiliate links have not been used.

10 Baby Items You Don't Need

With Baby #2 expected to make her arrival in just over a week now, I'm finding myself going through piles of baby stuff, making lists on things I still need to pick up, and reflecting on baby paraphernalia that I thought I needed with Sully that I ended up finding completely useless or not worth the money. I don't believe for a second that all your baby needs is clothes, diapers and love. Sure, you would survive that way, but there are some pretty cool baby items out there nowadays that make life with a newborn easier. But that also means there are a lot of baby related things out there that are not worth your money no matter how well the marketing on it might be.

With that being said, obviously this is a subjective list since everyone's needs differ and what works for one parent (or baby), might not work for another, but overall, when I think about the baby items that are useless or a waste of money, these one's make my list.

1. Burp Cloths: Totally unnecessary. For starters, they are too small and 10 times out of 10, the spit up is going to roll farther down your shoulder than the burp cloth covers. I'm all for multipurpose items and I found that receiving blankets thrown over your shoulder did a much better job of collecting spit up.

2. Change Table: A piece of furniture that baby will outgrow doesn't make sense to me. Buy a change pad and place it on top of a dresser. Or, change your baby on the couch or the floor, which is what I ended up doing most of the time. Great way to prevent baby falling too!

3. Wipes Warmer: I know, I know, it's a great idea! And I have friends who loved theirs. But I so rarely changed diapers in the exact same spot that the cost of one just doesn't seem worth it. And my son survived without one. Plus, do you really want to accustom your baby to only having it's butt wiped with something warm? What happens then when you aren't at home? Skip it. Babies all over the world have survived cold wipes.

4. The Pee-pee Teepee: These were passed on to me from a co-worker as a bit of a joke gift, but at first I was like, these are genius! No. Just a complete novelty item. First of all, you aren't going to pull them out every time you go to change a diaper. And if you do happen to remember to, if baby does pee, then you've just added another thing to be washed. Also, I never once was peed on...it's pretty easy to gauge when your baby boy is about to pee and a washcloth, wipe or the diaper that is still underneath the baby will suffice.

5. Sleepers that go over the head: Why would anyone think these are a good idea?! It's hard enough dressing a wriggly, screaming baby, let alone getting them into a sleeper that only goes over their head. Throw in a poop explosion and you'll be cutting that thing off with scissors!

6. Diaper Genie: Everyone tells you you need one. And I agree to an extent. The first few months of baby's life, you go through a butt load of stinky diapers so it's nice to have a closed system to contain them. BUT...I still found the smell to be unbearable once you have to empty the diaper genie. And don't even get me started on how expensive the bag refills are for them!! Once I ran out of my refills with my second hand diaper genie, I stopped using it. I'd rather take the garbage out twice a day then spend good money on garbage bags.

7. The Bumbo: You either love your Bumbo or don't. I definitely thought it was one of those "must have" items, so I picked one up second hand. My kid hated it from the beginning and after reading some articles on how it forces your baby into unnatural positions, I knew it wasn't for me. No judgement on mom's who love theirs, but I think a bouncy chair or the floor provides a better option!

8. Shopping Cart Cover: Do you really want to drag another baby item along with you wherever you go? No, you really don't. I get it, you want to keep your baby safe from germs, but I'm of the camp that exposure to germs isn't always a bad thing. And I bet 9 times out of 10, you'll forget to bring the damn thing into the store with you anyway. If you must, give the handle and seat a quick wipe down.

9. The Baby Bullet: I will admit, years before I had my own kid, I thought the Baby Bullet was so cute and I wanted one. But the reality is, a Magic Bullet or any high speed blender for that matter, will do the trick. Plus, it will also make adult sized portions so you won't need to store two different blenders.

10. The Snoogle: OK, technically not a baby item, but I'm throwing this one in anyway. My first pregnancy, I bought the regular Snoogle and hated it. When it was time to switch sides I was laying on, I'd have to flip the whole thing over, but I'd have to lift the covers off the bed first. Way too much work. And I found it uncomfortable on my head. This pregnancy, I decided to try the Snoogle on Steroids, aka The Back 'N Belly Body Pillow. It was definitely comfortable at first, but then I didn't know where to put my arms! Threading one underneath the pillow made it fall asleep and I didn't know where else to put it. That thing, along with the cover for it, was freaking expensive so I returned it right away. Two king-sized pillows, or body pillows to support my hips did the job just fine!


Come back tomorrow to see what my top baby items are!


Parents out there - what baby items did you find to be useless or overrated? 

An Abundance of Authors

I can't remember the last time I did a meme, but after reading a few posts from some of my favourite book bloggers, I was inspired to participate this week. Plus really, I'll take any excuse to take pictures of my books. Today's prompt from The Broke and the Bookish is to list the top ten authors we own the most books of.  If you didn't already know, I own a lot of books, so I was immediately curious to see which authors would make the cut. Interestingly enough, it's not necessarily my favourite authors whose books I own the most of.

1. Diana Gabaldon: 10 - I own 6 in hardcover and a few duplicates in paperback. Because who knows which format I'll want to read them in.

2. Robert Fulghum: 8 - I first discovered Fulghum's books when I was 14 and spent a good chunk of my summer vacation in Croatia on my grandparent's farm. Teenage me filled page after page in a journal reflecting on the wise words. Oh teenage me. 

3. J.K. Rowling: 6 - All the Harry Potter books minus 1. Confession: I have yet to make my way through this entire series. Maybe when Sully is old enough to read the books with me?

4. Wally Lamb: 5 - The only one I haven't read is the collection of short stories by women from York Correctional Institution in Connecticut where Lamb taught (teaches?) a writing workshop. 

5. Amy Tan: 5 - I love Amy Tan. Love her. Still keeping my eye out at thrift and second hand book stores for a hardcover copy of The Joy Luck Club. 

6. Emily Giffin: 5 - One of my guilty, chick-lit pleasures. 

I own 4 books of several other authors, so honourable mentions go to: Agatha Christie, Lori Lansens, Stephanie Meyer (I know, I know!), Christopher Paolini, Jenny Han, Nicholas Sparks (stop judging!), Jennifer Weiner, and Rebecca Wells. 

Tell me: Which authors dominate your bookshelves? Let me know in the comments! 

Summer Reading

 

This post has been in the works for weeks now and I've contemplated not even posting it because the chances of me ever getting through a reading list now that I have a baby is pretty poor. But I love lists, especially reading ones. I was always so jealous of the kids in TV shows and books that got sent home with reading lists for the summer. I wanted one too! (Is this an American thing or did I just go to the wrong school?).  I'm hoping that if I have a bit of a plan on what I want to read over the next few months, I might be a bit more successful than if I didn't have a list at all. I find that a lot of time can pass in between books I read because I'm never sure what to read next and easily get overwhelmed by the pile shelves of unread books I own.

For the sake of trying to spend less money and not further overload my bookshelves with even more unread books, my reading list for this summer isn't going to feature any new releases or block busters. But I'm totally ok with that because I know there are a lot of great books out there that I've missed. Also, it goes without saying that a few of the books will be mommy/parenting related. There's just no getting away from it now that baby is here!

An Abundance of Katherines: This month's book club pick was A Fault in Our Stars (which I read a few years ago) and after our discussion that night, it got me wondering why I haven't read anything else by John Green. I already own An Abundance of Katherines, a novel about a boy named Colin who only dates girls named Katherine, despite always being dumped by them (19 times to be exact), and I'm thinking it's the perfect easy read for summer. 

Falling Together: I've loved all of Marisa de los Santos previous books, yet this one has been sitting unread on my shelf for a few years now. Falling together is a story of past meets present, where three friends from college reunite after 6 years apart and uncover truths about each other that they're not sure they wanted to know. 

Outlander: I read this book exactly 15 years ago when I spent the summer on my grandparent's farm in Croatia. I was 16 years old and fell in love with the story of Claire and Jamie. I never made it past the second book in the series, but now that the TV series is set to air this August, I feel it's finally time to reread this saga. 

Baby-led Weaning: It's hard to believe that Sully will be ready to start eating solids in less than 2 months, but the theory behind baby-led weaning has me really excited for this milestone. I've done some of my own research via the internet and friends, but am really looking forward to reading all about it in this book. 

Bringing Up Bebe: This book has been on my radar long before I even got pregnant. "One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting". I've always been fascinated by parenting in other cultures so I can't wait to dive into this one. 

Do you make summer reading lists? 
What books are you hoping to read this summer? 

My Pregnancy Must Haves

I always love to hear what other pregnant momma's can't/couldn't live without, so I thought it would be fun to do a little round up of my favourite products and must haves during pregnancy. Pregnancy is an exciting time, but not without it's challenges! Below are the things that made my 10 months of pregnancy just a little bit more comfortable.

1. Bio-Oil: I applied this every night to my belly, breasts, and thighs in hopes to ward off any stretch marks. I'm not sure if I have Bio-Oil to thank or just plain luck, but I'm pretty stretch mark free. I also found this product to be super moisturizing for my legs during the winter months. This product is pricey, but luckily Costco sold it for a fraction of the cost of drug stores. In the mornings, I applied regular ol' cocoa butter lotion.

2. Pregnancy Day by Day (Canadian Edition): I bought a few pregnancy books at the beginning of my pregnancy, but this one was hands down Jim and my's favourite one. There is a page to read each day highlighting changes in utero and things to expect during your pregnancy, along with tips and advice. It was a great resource, and it was fun to see the day to day changes in your fetus. 

3. Dr. Teal's Lavender Epsom Salts: I am not a bath person, but in my third trimester, I was so sore by bedtime that I often needed a hot bath to soothe my aches and pains before bed. I'm a huge fan of lavender scented anything and found this product to be very relaxing.

4. Thyme Maternity Leggings: I lived in these leggings for the last half of my pregnancy, in fact, I had a few pairs just so I always had a clean pair to wear. I have no other brand to compare them too, but these ones stayed up on my belly and paired great with dresses and tunics. I even wore them for several weeks postpartum!

5. Vitamin Code Raw Prenatal Vitamins: My stomach is really sensitive to iron supplements and the first type of prenatal vitamins I tried did not agree with me. It was so bad that I was actually worried that I wouldn't be able to take prenatal vitamins. Then one day my friend Traci gave me a few bottles of  the Vitamin Code ones and it was like night and day in comparison! I tolerated them with no problems my entire pregnancy. I cannot recommend them enough. 

6. Massage Therapy & Chiropractic Care: When my SI joint pain got so bad and I was willing to do anything to find some relief, everyone told me to go see a Chiropractor. I had never been to a Chiropractor before, but my friend Lisa recommended one that she had been to during her pregnancy. I started to go for treatments as well as regular prenatal massages at the same clinic. If you happen to live in the Edmonton area, I highly recommend Dr. Sarah Wu and Haylee, RMT at Momentum Chiropractic Clinic. They both helped me work through the pain and discomfort I was experiencing and often fit me in last minute. 

7. Starbucks Cold Cup Tumbler: I'm not always the best water drinker, but I knew I had to up my intake during pregnancy. I don't know why, but water tastes so much better when drank through a straw. This was (and still is), my go-to water "bottle". 

8. Long Tank Tops: I'm pretty sure I wore a long tank top everyday. They covered my butt and ever expanding cleavage and just seemed to make tops look more smooth. A huge pregnancy wardrobe staple in my opinion. I wore a few of my regular, extra long tanks throughout my pregnancy, but I also really like the maternity tank tops from Old Navy with the ruching on the sides for when I just wanted to wear a tank top solo. 

I'd love to hear what's on your list of pregnancy must haves! 

What couldn't you have survived without?