This may be my new FAVORITE Christmas movie. Just watch it. You’ll love it.

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. 

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.

 

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.

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. 

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!

Pregnancy was rough, but it was also amazing! I have never been so proud of myself. Carrying a baby for nine months and then delivering is the most impressive thing I've ever done. I have a whole new respect for all mamas out there! I thought I'd share five of my favorite things from pregnancy before I forget them all. People always say you forget everything about pregnancy and delivery... I wonder if this will actually be true. I guess we will find out! 

This was a must have for exercising during the last trimester. I wore it for work outs, walking, and coaching! I don't think I would have been able to exercise if I didn't wear this. Also, I attribute staying active (and the chiropractor) with my quick labor. So moral of the story is to take care of yourself, and that will take care of your baby. 

I had about five apps during my pregnancy. I didn't know which one to download so I downloaded ALL of them. I kept them all during my entire pregnancy, so I can honestly say that Ovia Pregnancy was the BEST. It was so cute that you could switch what they compare the size of your baby to. You could compare the size to fruits and veggies like normal apps do, or you could switch the comparison to furry animals, toys/games, or pastries. I would send the toys/games one to my brother and husband every week, and they thought it was so funny. It compared her size to video games, barbies, and lots of other goofy stuff.

My sister in law got me this during my first trimester, and it's the perfect baby/childhood journal. It starts with pregnancy and goes until they're 18! It's just a small journal, and has really manageable sections for each trimester and then year. I find those giant books really intimidating. I would never be able to fill it, and imagine that I would stop using it by the time our babes are five. Promptly Journals are just the right size and ask all the right questions.

Pretty much EVERYTHING I bought for maternity clothes came from Pink Blush. They constantly have sales like 20% the entire site, and have a really great clearance section. Daniel actually surprised me with a new dress or top from there a few times. I thought that was so sweet, and he didn't have to spend too much to spoil me. 

I have so many other pregnancy favorites, but those are the top five that came to mind! I loved being pregnant, but only because it was temporary. I knew that something better was coming, and that hope made pregnancy so beautiful. 

xoxo,

kelsey