Leaving the house when you’re potty training can be scary, but it doesn’t have to be when you’re prepared! Make sure have these diaper bag essentials for potty training packed, and you won’t worry about accidents on-the-go anymore!

There’s no such thing as casual potty training.

At least not successful casual potty training.

We’re potty training our third child, and if there’s anything I’ve learned over the years, it’s that in order to be successful with potty training, you have to really commit and go all in.

Instead of being cautious and putting diapers or a pull-up on our son when we leave the house, I’ve been keeping him in his undies. Yes, that does mean there’s a potential risk of accidents outside of the house, and yes, that can be terrifying and messy and complicate things.

But if you stock your diaper bag with these essentials for potty training on-the-go, it will be a lot easier to commit and potty train your child while still leaving the house.

Here are some diaper bag essentials for potty training that I highly recommend you stock in your diaper bag for trips out of the house!

Diaper Bag Essentials for Potty Training

A wet bag

This could be a plastic grocery bag or something fancier like these wet bags that are meant for storing soiled cloth diapers. As long as you can put wet or possibly stinky undies or shorts inside without getting the rest of your diaper bag wet and stinky.

Pants that are easy to put on

When you’re potty training, pants that are easy for your child to put on and take off by themselves are your best bet. And it’s especially helpful to have ones that are simple when you’re on-the-go and need to change your child. Stretchy waistbands aren’t just for Thanksgiving anymore.

An extra shirt

Most often, this won’t be needed, but especially when you’ve got a little boy who is potty training, sometimes their stream can go up a little too high and get on their shirts. So make sure you have a backup just in case!

Baby wipes

Besides obviously wanting these on hand in case of any poop accidents, any mama who has potty trained a child knows that when your kid pees their pants, it’s uncomfortable. Having some baby wipes to wipe down their legs after they have an accident is important for your child’s comfort post-accident.

Clean undies

Or, I supposed, a clean pull-up, but we personally aren’t using pull-ups this time because in our experience, they feel too similar to diapers. ANYWAY, you’ll obviously need some clean undies in your diaper bag when you’re potty training.

Little rewards

Rewards are a big part of potty training for us, even if all that means is a single M&M after using the potty. And if your kid is anything like mine, they will ask you for a reward every single time they use the potty, whether you’re at home or away. Keep something small in your bag for them (even if it’s just a few chocolate chips) or you might be faced with a tantrum followed by the purchase of expensive ice cream.

Sanitizing wipes to wipe the toilet, if needed

You know how sometimes you don’t even want to sit on the toilet seat because it’s so disgusting? Now think about your child sitting and touching and moving all around on that same toilet seat. Keeping a few sanitizing wipes (like Clorox wipes, Lysol wipes, or a small pack of ancibacterial Wet Ones like these) in your bag in case of extremely gross toilets can definitely help. Especially if your child needs to use the bathroom at a gas station or (please, no!) a porta-potty.

Socks

You never know how full your child’s bladder is going to be when they have an accident, and sometimes it runs all the way down into their socks. Keep an extra pair in your bag, just in case.

Disposable or washable changing pad

One thing I’ve always struggled with is when kids poop their pants in public. I have this traumatizing memory of my oldest son when we were at Disneyland for the first time standing on a bench by the Monsters Inc. ride telling me he pooped his pants. Have you ever taken off poopy underwear without getting some on your child’s legs? Have you ever been able to cleanly wipe your child’s poopy bum while they were bending over? It’s a struggle.

My solution is to use a disposable or washable changing pad (or honestly, even a puppy potty training pad like this) so you can put your child on their back and lift their booty up to clean everything. You definitely won’t want to have them just lay on the ground, and sometimes it’s too late to or too embarrassing to go out of the stall and use the baby changing table, and this is a quick solution! Just clean your child up and toss the pad in the trash or washer! Easy peasy!

I honestly think potty training is one of the hardest parts of parenting. It takes a lot out of you, it’s a full-time commitment, it’s exhausting, stressful, and you never know how long it’s going to take. But the reward that comes at the end, AKA having a child who uses the toilet, is definitely worth it. Obviously.

Hopefully these diaper bag essentials for potty training will help make it easier for you to keep up the potty training even when you’re on-the-go! Life doesn’t stop just because you’re potty training!

The post Diaper Bag Essentials for Potty Training appeared first on Life With My Littles.

I don’t know about you, but I am so ready for summer. Winter seemed like it lasted forever, and now that it is getting warm, we are loving going to the park, to the zoo, and on walks.

Even though summer isn’t officially here, I’ve already figured out several extra things that I need to keep in my diaper bag that I don’t need during the winter. Being outside adds a few extra elements to playtime, and if you are going somewhere to play outside, you will want to make sure you know what to keep in your diaper bag during the summer.

I’ve already shared my Diaper Bag Essentials for 0-6 months, 6-12 months, and toddlers, and today I want to share my Summer Diaper Bag Essentials!

1. A hat. Most kids don’t wear sunglasses. At least my kids don’t. So having a hat on hand is really handy to keep sun out of little ones’ eyes. Little J has a cute little hat that he loves to wear when we go outside, and it helps shield his eyes, and even protect his super blonde head from the sun.

2. Sunscreen. This is sort of a given. I have started carrying around a big bottle of baby sunscreen whenever we leave the house because even if I do remember to apply sunscreen before we leave, I never know how long we might be outside. Little J has pretty fair skin, and I don’t want him burning, and keeping baby sunscreen in my bag is a great way to make sure I am always prepared.

3. An extra outfit and plastic bag. A few weeks ago we went to the zoo and I wasn’t expecting anyone to get messy. We turned the corner and were headed to see the bear when Little J found a giant puddle and started splashing in it. He loved it and I just let him have fun, but his shoes, socks, and pants were all soaked. We ended up just taking his clothes off in the car so he wouldn’t get his car seat all wet. Lucky for us, it wasn’t a muddy puddle, but I definitely learned that keeping an extra outfit and a plastic bag for wet clothes in my bag is super helpful! You never know when a big mud puddle is going to call your child’s name. And actually as I was taking pictures for this post at the park, my son found a big giant puddle on the slide and got soaking wet. So yeah, this is really helpful.

4. A Band-Aid. If your child is anything like mine, he is going to be running around non-stop outside. Little J loves running and sometimes he gets going too fast and falls right on his little face. I have just accepted the fact that his little legs are going to have scabs and bruises all summer. But sometimes the cuts do bleed, and it always helps to have a Band-Aid handy when they do.

5. Water. I pretty much bring Little J a sippy of water anywhere we go, but it’s super important during the summer months to make sure you have water for your kids. You don’t want them getting dehydrated when they are running around in the hot sun.

6. Snacks for energy. Bring some high-protein snacks, or snacks that don’t have a lot of sugar. If you need ideas for some healthy snacks for toddlers, you can check out this post. It’s pretty much a guarantee that no matter how long we are at the park, Little J will ask me for snacks at some point. So I always have something good for him that will give him some energy for playtime.

If you keep all of these things in your diaper bag, you are going to have a recipe for successful and fun summer days! I am so excited to be able to spend time outside, and I can’t wait to be outside more often as it gets warmer!

Do you have any other suggestions for what to keep in your diaper bag during the summer? Let me know what I missed!

The post Summer Diaper Bag Essentials appeared first on Life With My Littles.

I received free product in exchange for this post.

The last two months I have been sharing my diaper bag essentials. First I shared essentials for babies 0-6 months old, and then I shared essentials for 6-12 month-olds. The things babies need change as they grow, and toddlers are no exception. There are quite a few things you should keep handy when you are out-and-about with a toddler!

These are things that I almost always have in my diaper bag, especially when we are going somewhere that I need to keep Little J busy or quiet. And just like the first two posts in this series, there will be a few repeats!

1. Diapers/Underwear. Depending on if your toddler is potty-trained, you will want to keep extra diapers or underwear in your diaper bag. Kids go when they go, and you always want to be prepared.

2. Wipes. Even if your toddler is potty-trained, you never want to be without wipes. Toddlers are sometimes messier than babies, and if you don’t have wipes in your bag, you may be stuck with a sticky-handed toddler.

3. Changing Pad. This is mostly for toddlers who aren’t potty-trained. We just started potty-training Little J, so for now, we are definitely still bringing when we go places. You can check out my easy tutorial for this changing pad with a diaper and wipes holder here.

4. Extra Change of Clothes. This is mostly for toddlers who are potty-trained, or who are in the process of potty-training. If you haven’t figured it out, potty-training is a big part of toddler-hood. And if your toddler has an accident on-the-go, you are going to be in trouble if you don’t have an extra change of clothes for him.

5. Sippy Cup. Little J is always asking for water when we go places, and he gets pretty upset with me if I don’t have it for him. It’s always a good idea to keep a sippy cup in your diaper bag when you leave the house.

6. Snacks. And not just one snack. My toddler is extremely picky, and if I don’t have at least three things for him to choose from, he will throw a fit. Toddlers are fun like that. Everyone is just a lot happier if I keep a variety of different snacks in the diaper bag.

7. Toy. This is especially helpful if you are going somewhere and need to keep your toddler occupied. I like to keep a toy car or train in my bag. Toys are great for stopping a meltdown.

8. Busy Bag. Busy bags are super helpful when you are going to be somewhere for a while and you can’t let your toddler run around. I love the I Spy busy bag my friend Alli made for our busy bag swap last year.

9. Sanitizing Wipes. Sort of along the same lines as the wipes, toddlers get super messy. And sometimes a regular baby wipe isn’t going to clean up the disgusting mess they make. Especially when they are about to eat while you are out. So keep some sanitizing wipes in your diaper bag in case of emergency.

9. Coloring Book and Crayons. Another super helpful little item to keep your toddler busy in situations where you might need him to stay quiet or occupied.

10. Lotion, Hand Sanitizer, and Chapstick. These are all thing I can’t go without. I hate having dry hands and chapped lips, and with a baby, I like to carry some hand sanitizer with me. And since the diaper bag doubles as my purse, in they go!

11. Wallet. Again, the diaper bag is my purse, so I definitely want to keep my wallet in there. And if you take it out for any reason, make sure you put it back in before you go somewhere. I learned that one the hard way.

Is there anything I forgot? What is something you always have to have in your diaper bag for your toddler? And don’t forget to check out my diaper bag essentials for the first six months and for 6-12 months!

The post Diaper Bag Essentials: Toddlers appeared first on Life With My Littles.

Last month I shared tips for what to keep in your diaper bag for the first six months of baby’s life. And yes, there are a lot of things! The next stage is just the same, with lots of things that you need to keep handy when you are on the go. As your baby grows and changes, so should what is in your diaper bag!

So just like last month, this post is focused on what you should always have in your diaper bag with a baby, but now a baby who is between 6-12 months. Little A will be six-months-old on Wednesday, so I better make sure I have all of this in my diaper bag ASAP!

And if you read the first post in this diaper bag essentials series, you will notice that some of these are repeats, but they’re important to have in your diaper bag at this age, too!

Diaper Bag Essentials for 6-12 Months

Diapers

I feel like I don’t need to explain this one. You never know when you are going to need to change your baby. And make sure you always have at least two or three diapers with you.

Wipes

Obviously you need baby wipes to go along with diapers. You can’t change a diaper without wipes!

Changing pad

If you have changed a baby in public you know that sometimes the changing tables in public restrooms are disgusting. Or sometimes you don’t even have access to a fold-down changing table and you need to change your baby on the floor or in the back of the car. It helps so much to have a changing pad!

I made my own changing pad and it has a place for diapers and wipes so you can just grab it all at once when you are on the go. It also helps you stay more organized inside the diaper bag!

Extra outfits

Yes, outfits, as in plural. I can’t even tell you how many times we were out in public with one of the kids and they had not one, but two “incidents” where I had to change their clothes, and I didn’t have anything to change them into. It’s not so fun to have to bring baby home in their car seat when they just have a diaper on.

Nursing cover or bottle & formula (depending on if you are breastfeeding or bottle-feeding)

My babies usually like to eat every 2 hours until they are older, so if we go anywhere longer than an hour-and-a-half, things get rough. I always bring my nursing cover with me when I am breastfeeding.

If you are bottle-feeding, make sure you always have a bottle and some formula in your bag. You never know if you are going to get stuck somewhere and need to feed your baby!

Burp rag

Regardless of whether your baby is a big spit-upper, you will want to keep a burp rag in your diaper bag. My kids have been good eaters with minimal (if any) spit-up, but every once in a while it happens, and you want to be prepared!

Pacifier

Pacifiers are the greatest when you are going out in public and your baby starts crying. Obviously, if your baby won’t take one, you probably don’t need to bring one in your bag, but pacifiers can be a lifesaver in quiet places!

Toy for baby

Now that your little one wants to grab everything and be entertained all the time, you will want to make sure you pack a toy or two. I love ones that make noise or are designed for teething. And bonus points if you can attach the toy onto baby’s car seat so she can’t accidentally knock it out of the car seat while you are out!

Book for baby

Again, when your little one wants to be entertained, a book is a great idea. Sometimes you will be somewhere where you can’t get baby out (or don’t want to) to play, and a book is a great way to keep them busy. And those little board books are the perfect size for your diaper bag, too!

Healthy snack for Mom

Since I have Little J’s toddler stuff in my diaper bag, I often snack on his snacks, but I love having something healthy in there for me, too. I guess technically this isn’t an essential, but I promise you will love having it in there!

Snack for baby

Now that your little one is big enough to be eating solid foods, you will want to make sure you keep a snack in there for her! You can have something like those little puff snacks that are easy to grab and dissolve, or if your baby is closer to her birthday, you might want to put something like graham crackers. And squeeze pouches are always a plus when you go out to dinner and baby wants to eat, too!

Anything else you need

This might include hand sanitizer, chapstick, lady time essentials, or your wallet. Anything that you’d put in your purse for yourself, put in your diaper bag.

Sanitizing wipes

Yes, you already have regular baby wipes in there, but you don’t want to go anywhere with your baby without sanitizing wipes. I always wipe carts off at the store so it’s nice to have these. Another thing I’ve noticed is that people are ALWAYS touching babies’ hands. So when someone comes up and says “oh your baby is so cute!” and then proceeds to touch their little hand, you can make sure you wipe it off before they put their little hand in their mouth.

So those are my diaper bag essentials for the babies 6-12-months-old. I hope they are super helpful for you!

Check back next month to see my diaper bag essentials for toddlers! And let me know in the comments if you think there are any essential item that I forgot!

The post Diaper Bag Essentials: 6-12 Months appeared first on Life With My Littles.

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Anyone who has had a baby can tell you that babies need A LOT of stuff. Like, a lot. And a lot of those things you need to be able to have with you on-the-go, because babies are just high-maintenance like that. When Little J was born, I quickly found out things that I always needed to have in my diaper bag, and things that weren’t quite so important. And as he grew, I also realized that the things I needed to keep in there changed every few months! So as my son grew, so did what was in my diaper bag. I learned what I needed to keep in there for each stage, and now, I am going to share with you!

This post is focused on what you should always have in your diaper bag with a baby for the first six months. So essentially from newborn to six-months-old. I’m pretty confident this list is fantastic since these are all things I have had in my diaper bag for the last five months with Little A!

1. Diapers. I feel like I don’t need to explain this one. You never know when you are going to need to change your baby. And make sure you always have at least two or three diapers with you. You will see why if you keep reading! I recommend Pampers Swaddlers for your baby at this age!

2. Wipes. Obviously you need wipes to go along with diapers. You can’t change a diaper without wipes! And baby wipes are great for things besides wiping bums, too!

3. Changing pad. If you have changed a baby in public you know that sometimes the changing tables in public restrooms are disgusting. Or sometimes you don’t even have access to a fold-down changing table and you need to change your baby on the floor or in the back of the car. It helps so much to have a changing pad! I used this changing pad for the whole time my daughter was a baby!

4. Extra outfits. Yes, outfits. Here’s a story. Once when Little J was tiny he had a blowout at church. No big deal, I changed his diaper and his outfit (because I had an extra in my bag) and we were good. But unfortunately, when you have three hour church, your baby will sometimes poop twice while you are there. And if you only have one outfit, you are in a whole mess of trouble when that second poop also becomes a blowout. Which is exactly what happened to us. So I had to take Little J home in his car seat in just his diaper. So please, learn from my experience and always have two backup outfits in your diaper bag!!

5. Nursing cover or bottle & formula (depending on if you are breastfeeding or bottle-feeding). My kids usually like to eat every 2 hours until they are older, so if we go anywhere longer than an hour-and-a-half, things get rough. So I always bring my nursing cover with me when I am breastfeeding. If you are bottle-feeding, make sure you always have a bottle and some formula in your bag. You never know if you are going to get stuck somewhere and need to feed your baby!

6. Burp rag. Regardless of whether your baby is a big spit-upper, you will want to keep a burp rag in your diaper bag. Both of my kids have been good eaters with minimal (if any) spit-up, but every once in a while it happens, and you want to be prepared! I have made all the burp rags for Little J and Little A, and they have been incredible and well-used. You can check out that crazy popular tutorial here.

7. Pacifier. Pacifiers are the greatest when you are going out in public and your baby starts crying. Little J was always so much happier in his car seat with a pacifier. Unlucky for us, Little A won’t take one, so right now I don’t have a pacifier in my bag, but I always did with Little J. So if your baby will suck on one, make sure you have one! It can be a lifesaver in quiet places!

8. Healthy snack for Mom. Since I have Little J’s toddler stuff in my diaper bag, I often snack on his snacks, but I love having something healthy in there for me, too. I guess technically this isn’t an essential, but I promise you will love having it in there! Try applesauce, a granola bar, or even some lactation cookies!

 

9. Lotion, hand sanitizer, and chapstick for Mom. Yes, the diaper bag sort of functions as your purse too, so you need to keep a few things in there for yourself. I hate having dry hands and lips so lotion and chapstick are a must for me. And it’s always smart to carry around some hand sanitizer when you have a baby. Or just in general, too.

10. Wallet. Again, since the diaper bag doubles as your purse, you will want to make sure you keep your wallet in there! You don’t want to be caught at the store without your wallet! Trust me, it’s the worst. So make sure you find a space in there for your wallet!

11. Sanitizing wipes. Yes, you already have regular baby wipes in there, but you don’t want to go anywhere with your baby without sanitizing wipes. Why? I always wipe carts off at the store so it’s nice to have these. Another thing I’ve noticed is that people are ALWAYS touching babies’ hands. So when someone comes up and says “oh your baby is so cute!” and then proceeds to touch their little hand, you can make sure you wipe it off before they put their little hand in their mouth.

So those are my diaper bag essentials for the first six months of baby’s life. I hope they are super helpful for you! Check back next month to see what my diaper bag essentials are for 6-12 months! And let me know in the comments if you think there’s any essential item that I forgot!

The post Diaper Bag Essentials: 0-6 Months appeared first on Life With My Littles.

I received free product in exchange for this post.

When you become a mom, you give up your purse and trade it in for a diaper bag. Your diaper bag is one of the most important things you will buy before your baby is born, because it goes everywhere with you when your baby arrives. And it becomes even more important in your life when you have your second baby and twice as much stuff to haul around!

I was lucky enough to try out the new JJ Cole Camber Diaper Bag, and I am absolutely in love with it! It gives me room to fit everything I need, and it doesn’t feel bulky at all. And when you are already going out with a toddler and a baby in a car seat, you do not need any extra bulk to carry!

Picking a diaper bag that you are going to carry around all the time can be overwhelming, so I am going to tell you all the reasons why I love my Camber so that you will love it, too!

First, it’s stylish. Classic black and white and I love that floret design. I also love that the pattern is only on part of the bag, and the top and straps are solid black. Some bags have patterns that are overwhelming and way too much, but this one is perfect.

It also isn’t super girly. The Mister used to hate carrying around my old diaper bag. It wasn’t pink or anything, but it was pretty feminine. I love that my Camber is black and white, has a classic pattern, and doesn’t scream “GIRL!” It’s simple but still cute. But not so cute that my husband can’t carry it!

I also love that it comes with three different carrying options. My favorite so far has been the shoulder strap because I can swing my bag to the back and free up both arms for carrying Little J on my hip and Little A in her car seat. You can also use the tote straps and carry it on your shoulder like a regular bag. The straps are long enough that when it is on your shoulder it’s not right in the way of your arm. The third option uses the included no-slip stroller attachments. I also love this because it keeps my bag right where I need it without me having to carry it. It’s a lot more convenient than shoving your bag underneath the stroller in the basket.

The Camber also holds everything I need without feeling bulky. I love that it is more of a boxy, tall and narrow shape, because it’s not awkward to hold, it doesn’t stick out in weird directions, and everything stays nice and organized inside. I can fit my things like my changing pad, diapers, and wipes, snacks for Little J, extra outfits for Little A, and my nursing cover, without having my bag feel like it is overcrowded. This is another of my favorite things about the Camber!

The material of the Camber is a laminated canvas, so if you get something on it (easy to do with a toddler!) then you can wipe it right off! And the inside is polyester so if you get crumbs or spill some juice in there it will wipe quickly instead of absorbing. This is such a plus with diaper bags because when you have a little there is pretty much no way around a few spills and crumbs! There are also four big and stretchy pockets on the inside. Perfect to keep you organized!

There are a few other features of the Camber bag that I love, too. It comes with a wipeable changing pad, so if you don’t have your own it’s no big deal. The zippers in front are also more than decoration and the pockets are perfect for putting things that you need to use a lot (like chapstick or sanitizer). There are also two side pockets that I have been using for my cell phone and Little J’s sippy cups. They are deep enough that there’s no way they are falling out, and because the straps on the bag are so long, I don’t have to worry about constantly hitting his cup (which I had a problem with on my old bag). There are also two deep pockets on the front and bag that are perfect for storing papers you need to carry or things you need to grab fast. Which as a mom, is pretty much everything. I also love the interior pockets. It helps keep me organized so I know where everything is in there.

Basically, I love my JJ Cole Camber diaper bag. It is everything you need in a diaper bag, and more! I know that sounds cheesy, but it has so many amazing features and the construction of it is just perfect for a busy mom. I will never go back to another diaper bag because it really has everything I need. And when you are a busy mom, an amazing diaper bag will save you from craziness on-the-go!

If you want to check out how amazing the Camber bag is, or see it in any of the eight colors it comes in, check out the JJ Cole Collections website here! There are several different patterns and colors so I’m sure you’ll find one you love! And check back on Monday to see what my diaper bag essentials are for the first six months of baby’s life!

The post JJ Cole Camber Diaper Bag Review appeared first on Life With My Littles.