I have never been a big purse person. I've always carried a small purse, and even at times just a wristlet. I have never felt the need to carry a huge bag with all my makeup, hair stuff, or whatever people are putting in those giant purses. Now that I'm a mom, I totally see the need to carry my entire house inside of a bag.
I currently have two diaper bags, and Daniel has one. We wanted separate bags because Daniel will be with her a lot during the school year without me, and we honestly didn't want to constantly switch bags. Also, it has saved us a lot of arguments over who didn't refill the diapers, or put a fresh change of clothes in it. Daniel is super particular when it comes to organization, so it's just better for his sanity if he has his own bag.
1. Citi Babies Diaper Bag
This bag is AMAZING. It has that nice leather look to it, but is really durable. With leather I'm always worried about scratching it with my nails or by knocking it against something, but this bag has been completely fine! I carried it through the pouring rain and the water just wiped right off without the bag being wet at all. It has two side pockets with no zipper that are perfect for a pacifier, my phone, and a water bottle. There is a front zipper that has room for anything that would have been in my purse, like my wallet, sunglasses, chapstick, and keys. Then there's a back zipper (behind the backpack straps) that is perfect for the changing pad. Inside the bag is lined with tons of pockets that we have filled with burp clothes, and a few other essentials. I use pouches from my SoHo Diaper Bag so that it's easy to switch bags if needed.
2. SoHo Diaper Bag
I love having two bags. The Citi Babies bag is amazing, but it's so cute that I really don't want to take it to the beach or the pool. I know that it's durable enough to withstand anything there, but I would rather not need to clean it. So I'm keeping the Citi Babies bag as my nicer diaper bag, and my SoHo bag as a more casual pool/beach/lake bag. This bag is also great with storage! Lots of side pockets, and it came with so many extras. I'm obsessed with all of the storage pouches that make finding things so easy. It also makes it where I don't have to take the whole bag into the bathroom or with me to change diapers or feed her. I can just grab the pouch that makes sense for whatever I'm doing! The material of this bag looks nice, but it is washable and wipes clean.
3. Columbia Diaper Bag
It's honestly really hard to find Dad diaper bags. Women definitely have a monopoly on this area (and most others) of baby supplies. We looked and looked for a diaper bag that didn't really look like a diaper bag, but had all the storage and amenities of a girl bag. Daniel finally found his Columbia diaper bag! It's such a sleek bag, and you would honestly never know that it's a diaper bag except for the baby that goes with it! It's got plenty of storage, and even has insulated pockets for bottles. This was a huge plus because Daniel will obviously not be breastfeeding her.
4. SnoofyBee Changing Pad
Although I haven't gotten a ton of use out of this yet, it's worth mentioning because of how cool it is! Originally Daniel and I saw it on Shark Tank, and immediately added it to our baby registry. Basically it's a changing pad that has a barrier to prevent baby from reaching down and touching their dirty diaper, and it prevents flailing arms from getting in the way. All you boy moms this might be just what you need to block the pee!
5. Babygenics Hand Sanitizer
I'm not a germaphobe at all, but having a baby makes you a little more cautious. We bought this baby hand sanitizer to keep in both of our bags. It's great for when you don't have water around so people can still hold her, and in case you get poop on your hands. Obviously you can use baby wipes, but they don't actually clean germs.
We absolutely love our diaper bags, but we still haven't perfected exactly what should be in them. Hopefully soon I will have good advice for what you actually need in your diaper bag versus what's just extra. The first time we took my diaper bag out it weighed about 20 lbs and had anything we would need if we were stranded on a deserted island for a week. I'll be narrowing it down to the necessities very soon!
We absolutely love our diaper bags, but we still haven't perfected exactly what should be in them. Hopefully soon I will have good advice for what you actually need in your diaper bag versus what's just extra. The first time we took my diaper bag out it weighed about 20 lbs and had anything we would need if we were stranded on a deserted island for a week. I'll be narrowing it down to the necessities very soon!
xoxo,
kelsey
