Kudos to all those moms who somehow manage with even more kids since I can barely get out of the house with my two! When I do manage to get out, the last thing I want is to have to carry yet another 15lbs in the form of a big bulky diaper bag.
Since they're both still in diapers though, I can't exactly travel light. But I have managed to find ways to help minimize my load. First and foremost being the right bag.
For an everyday errand bag with the kids, this is what I was looking for:
- Size - not too big, especially for my petite frame, but not impractically small either; something that could hold enough essentials for two kids while out for a few hours.
- Bottle holders - at least two pockets to hold a bottle for each of my kids.
- Carry style - an easy way to carry the bag while carrying and/or chasing a kid without worrying about it slipping off. I realized that across the shoulder worked best for my purposes.
- Accessibility - something I could reach easily while carrying and/or chasing a kid and with enough compartments to find things quickly in the bag. Even though I liked the idea of a backpack, I thought it would be too hard for me access with one hand.
- Durability - something that would withstand the inevitable dropping, scraping, stains and just general thrashing that would occur.
- Affordability - because I would be using this daily (I have been for almost 2 years now), I was willing to pay a little more but wanted something under $50.
- Reusability - ideally, I didn't want this to look like a diaper bag so that I could use it for other purposes if it ended up not working out.
The bag that I eventually went with that fit my criteria was the Overland Equipment Donner bag. It's actually more of a travel/errand bag and it retails for $55 at REI where it gets rave reviews.
It has gone on sale at REI before but you can also get it from eBags, who tend to have more frequent promotions running, usually around a 20% discount (they have one running right now through 10-20-2008). Or if you have a Visa card, you can redeem their $10 off $50 offer (which expires 2-28-2009).
If you're not picky about color, you can opt for a discontinued hue at $41.99 from eBags. Combined with the 20%, that would bring the cost to $33.60 before tax and shipping.
For a less expensive alternative, you can also check out the Land's End Little Tripper diaper bag which retails for $19.50.
Look for future Diaper Bag Essentials (DBE) postings to see what gets stashed in the bag!
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If you've ever had to make a long drive with kids in tow, you'd know what a lifesaver a dvd player can be! And if you're like me, and don't happen to have one built into your car already, then a portable dvd player is the way to go. Plus, the portability allows you to completely remove the option from the car.
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