3/5/15

What's In My Bag


When I was pregnant with Carson, I was determined to do this baby thing with the basics and not a lot more.
I am a minimalist at heart. I look at homes with open spaces and white walls and next to nothing in them, and I feel inspired and relaxed. Clutter literally makes me feel like I am suffocating.
I approached motherhood with that in mind. If you read parenting magazines or blog posts on the baby must-have's, the lists are long and overwhelming. No wonder people think that starting a family is so expensive! Our house is small, and I wasn't willing to give up every nook and cranny to store those must-have's -- so, for the most part, we just did without.
A few of the things that were important to me, other than the obvious of diapers and clothes, were: A good stroller for running, an infant wrap or carrier, a car seat, natural baby soap and oil, and a diaper bag.
A diaper bag, that is, until I started shopping around for one and saw the options. I could either spend a small fortune on a beautiful leather designer bag, or I could carry around something that had stripes and chevron and small bows on it. Not happening.
Herm's sister, Lyd, knew that I had my eye on a certain bag at a shop in Lancaster, so she convinced his family to go together and purchase it for me.
It was perfect.
It wasn't overly large, but it was filled with pockets, which I was able to organize well, and it had a cross-body strap, which I loved. But as Carson grew, and I started taking snacks and water and toys along for him, that bag just wasn't big enough any more.
Which is when I discovered this bag.
The price was high, but behind the price was a story of a lady in Ethiopia who was working hard to support her family. She had created this bag, and with every purchase, she, along with others who helped make the bags, got a percentage of that money. I knew this was the one. I started to save up for it, but before I purchased it, my birthday came along, and with it came the bag -- a gift from Herm! When I opened the box, I kissed him with delight and told him I would never purchase another bag again. He laughed and said, Yeah, not until next year. He doesn't realize that I mean what I say. This bag is a classic, it'll never go out of style, and it is very durable. I'm sure if I care for it well, it will last me for many, many years.
The bag doesn't have any pockets inside, so I bought a purse organizer on Amazon to keep everything neat and clean. The cool thing about this, compared to a traditional diaper bag, is that when I drop Carson off at my mom's for the day, or when I get the rare chance to go for groceries by myself, I can pull out the organizer, which holds all of Carson's stuff, and still have my wallet and personal necessities with me. And when I'm ready to turn it in to a diaper bag again, all I do is set the organizer inside and tada! Done.

So, if you are like me and don't like what is available for mainstream diaper bags, shop around for a bit. You might just be delighted with what you find!
What about you: What is on your list of baby must-have's?

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