I will show you mine, If you show me yours

I love purses. I always have and probably always will. On the other hand, my wonderful husband is practical and likes to keep things simple. We balance each other out pretty well. So when I was pregnant with Morgan I wanted the prettiest diaper bag out there. I looked at what all the designers offered and just couldn’t decide. My husband, on the other hand made it clear he was not going to carry a “pretty” diaper bag and we really needed to find something practical. I gave in, but we agreed if the practical bag did not work then I can get my “pretty” bag. After doing some research we decided on a backpack diaper bag. It wasn’t pretty, but boy was it practical.

Ahh….the diaper bag. Who would have thought a little bag could rule your life? I sometimes wonder…do I really need everything in here? That question is usually answered when I forget the bag at home. For those readers who don’t know me (which are probably most…if not all) I am not the most organized person in the world, so why would my diaper bag be any different?

Well 18 months later, I am still carrying the backpack. It is so wonderful! The bag itself has 3 big pockets, a small one at the top and 2 bottle pockets on the side. What I carry in it has evolved as my daughter has grown. There is no need for bottles any longer, so I now use those pockets for sunscreen or our own reusable water bottles. The front pocket never really carried anything, but now it is packed full of food. I can’t go anywhere without food for Morgan or myself. The second pocket hasn’t changed much; it still carries clothes that do not match. My poor little girl, if she makes a mess she is not going to match. I am sure I will hear about this when she is 16 and there is no reason not to have matching clothes, it just never works out that way. Finally, the big pocket carries all her lovely fluff, wipes, wet bag and my wallet. I make sure there are at least two diapers in there at all times and I still carry disposable wipes because we are recovering Costco addicts and we purchased a lifetime supply of wipes when they were “on sale”.

Now the small pocket at the top is a catch all. Sometimes it has money, left-over food, lotion, chapstick and because of my stellar organizational skills it probably has my debit card in it. The one I search for in my wallet every time I go to the store with the diaper bag still in the car (yep I am sure I am not the only one that has happened to). My cell phone is always in one of the pockets and I can never find it when I truly need it.

However disorganized I am I am not sure if I can ever rid myself of the diaper bag. It has everything I need…well sometimes. The great thing about being a parent is we have all “been there” and I know that if I forget something another mom or dad is willing to help me out.

Bio: Liz McGarraugh is a 35 year old SAHM of an 18 month old little girl Morgan and is currently pregnant with a second little girl due in July. She has been married to her loving husband for almost 3 years and currently resides in Katy, TX with her cat Otto and dog Buddy The Elf.