Let’s just be frank, here. Parenthood is lovely, joyful and better than anyone ever dreams it to be in their pre-parenthood years. But it is also stressful, chaotic, and messy (especially messy). It’s tricky enough keeping the mess and chaos in check when you are in the comfort of your own home, but then you actually have to take your little one out into the great big world! Trying to keep order, cleanliness, and sanity while out and about with young children is a whole different game.
When I was deep into the baby/new mom years, I would try to prepare for every possible scenario when trying to pack for an outing with little Alice. I would lug around this bulging diaper bag, that was basically every part of her nursery and a better part of our kitchen tucked into baggies and methodically organized (on a good day). It was such a pain to have to carry around and most of the stuff never got used.
As I got older, wiser and got through the potty training season of parenthood (that’s a post for another day), I learned how to pare back what I actually NEED to bring along with me when heading out the door with my daughter. I am still prepared for most situations, but my purse and load has gotten much much lighter.
Are you waiting on bated breath yet? Are you desperately wondering what I pack and what I leave at home? Without further ado, here are the guts and essentials of this natural mama’s purse that keep me prepared and adventuring with a little one in tow!
1. Healthy snacks. Whether it be for me or for my girl, I keep a little healthy something something in my purse for the days where the errands run a bit longer or the traffic is a bit heavier and the low-blood-sugar-crazies are starting to take over. Nothing crazy, just a few nibbles to tide us over until we get to where we are going. And I usually try to make it something that will fare okay forgotten about in my purse for a few days, like dates, oranges, or nut & fruit bars.
2. WaterPura Wipes. Man oh man, how I wish I had known about these wipes back in those baby years! These suckers are life savers on the go for cleaning up sticky hands, scraped knees, chocolate faces, shopping carts, and about everything on an airplane. I love that WaterPura wipes are chemical-free, fragrance-free, simple and clean (just how I like my life), made with only water and a teeny tiny bit of citrus extract as their ingredients. If you look up the ingredients in any other conventional baby wipe, you are sure to find a boatload of junk that will make you cringe. WaterPura is simple and sweet. With our skin being our biggest organ, ensuring what we clean our bodies with is also clean is a major priority to me….even on the go.
3. Sunscreen & sunglasses. You never know when you are going to find yourself in an opportunity to soak up some Vitamin D! And need to be able to do so safely!
4. Bandages. Because kids be kids. And actually, mommies be mommies. Bandages are always handy to have in your purse, mommy or not. And you never know when you’ll be able to help someone else in need who doesn’t have as much organization and foresight as you!
5. Spare kid pants. I used to carry complete outfits. Shirt, socks, pants, underwear and even shoes. But then I realized that pants are really the only vital piece of kid clothing to have on hand in the case of a mess emergency. If she shirt gets food on it, oh well. If her shoes and socks get soaking wet, she will learn to not splash in puddles. But if she has a bathroom accident, man on man is that hard to navigate without a pair of pants. I’ve even made peace with her having to temporarily camando until we get back home just so I don’t have to carry spare underwear around.
6. Chapstick. Because chapped lips stink when your a mom or a kid…and those sucker sneak up on you.
7. Homemade Hand Sanitizer.* Life with a kid is germy and you want to stop those suckers in their tracks. There are a few really good clean hand sanitizers you can buy out there (I encourage you to opt for alcohol free ones), but I find making my own to be cleaner, easier and cheaper in the long run. I make mine with essentials oils, vitamin E and distilled water. Hit Pinterest for a plethra of recipes (though skip the ones that call for witch hazel, as it often contains alcohol).
8. Immune Boosting Essential Oil Roller Bottle.* Again, because life with kids is germy. And I really don’t like being sick or having a sick family (but then again, who does?). This is great to have on hand to apply whenever you feel the throat tickles coming on or at the library and suddenly find yourself surrounded by a chorus of sneezes and coughs. There are also so many recipes for immune boosting EO blends out there in Pinterestland!
9. Anxiety/Stress Reducing Essential Oil Roller Bottle.* Mommying is tough stuff and I’m not going to pretend like I don’t become a bit frazzled at times. This roller bottle has helped me to keep my cool and sanity in many many situations. Again, hit Pinterest to find a blend that is right for you!
10. Full Water Bottles! I’m a big believer that hydration is vital to health and buying those expensive plastic bottles of water in a pinch stinks. Plus they seem to automatically double in price the moment your kid starts whining that they’re thirsty. So, I just opt to always bring ours along to keep us hydrated, plastic bottles out of landfills and a little extra money in our pockets.
* Please note, when starting to use essential oils, keep in mind that you need to do research on how find quality oils and use them safely. Some essential oils are not appropriate to be used on babies and small children and others need to be diluted. I personally use them with my family and have found great benefits.
Mamas, if you are still hauling a massive diaper bag over your shoulder when venturing out your front door, I feel ya. Really. But it gets easier (especially after those little ones are out of diapers). In the meantime, look in your bag. What is essential and what is not? What could your survive a day or at least a few hours without? If motherhood has taught me one thing, its that simple is usually better. Less is more. And this is especially true when it comes to your purse…..
Disclaimer: Thank you to WaterPura for sponsoring this post! My promise to you, my readers, is to only promote content and products that I truly believe in and buy myself. All opinions stated in this post are my own.
Is natural parenting important to you too? Try making my Homemade Calming Lavender Play Dough next!
MAKE SURE YOU STAY UP TO DATE WITH ALL OF THE HAPPENINGS HERE ON THE NATURAL NURTURER AND SUBSCRIBE HERE.
Comments
I’ve never heard of waterpura! I’m gonna have to look for those.