Diaper Bag Swag

I know that there are so many downfalls to social media, and believe me, I have my share of them.  From comparison ("why doesn't my house look like hers?"), to paranoia from oversharing ("I bet they all think I am a terrible mom, wife,  bad friend, whatever it may be"), to seeing others doing things and feeling left out, and more. BUT when it is working in the way I believe it was meant to, Instagram is the absolute BEST community.  As a stay at home (most of the time) mom, the days get can sooooo long.  I have found that Instagram stories are so much fun and so helpful when it comes to getting advice from fellow friends and mamas out there.  I love to participate in these on other people's feeds, and really enjoy it when I get good participation on mine.  I hope that from time to time sharing what I've gathered from this participation will prove helpful for some of you reading this. Here you'll find a collection of the mom's of Instagram's favorite diaper bags ranging in prices from $35-$200, and what specifically makes each bag great to them.  You'll be able to shop these bags by clicking the lighter colored words and I would receive a commission for the sale if you chose to do so.

SKIP
HERE IF YOU JUST WANT THE DIAPER BAG INFO

My first diaper bag that I got nearly two years ago for a shower gift for Hanson, was an inexpensive shoulder-carry style bag from Amazon.  It has so much room on the inside, plenty of pockets inside and out, and was lined with a plastic material that was easy to wipe and vacuum.  We recently had a Benadryl accident that spilled all over everything inside, so I washed it in the washing machine and dried it.  Honestly, it held up pretty dang well for a two-year-old, $35 diaper bag.  We have been super rough on it, and it still gets the job done, but the faux leather on the straps is starting to peel.  You can click to shop here for my first diaper bag.

Since becoming pregnant with my second child, I began thinking that switching to a backpack style diaper bag would free up an arm and make it easier to handle two children. I originally saw a Freshly Picked  backpack diaper bag and fell in love with how pretty it is.  It looks luxurious to me.  Lots of moms gave feedback to me that they loved it because of the beautiful style and the pockets on the inside and out.  It even has insulated pockets for your baby's drinks! The negative feedback I got was that it spills out easily if you don't have it completely fastened. The other backpack diaper bag I was interested in, the Petunia Pickle Bottom,  I saw in person and loved the organization of it. It has three completely separate portions of the bag attached by zippers, kind of like tupperware, and the bottom one is insulated for baby's snacks or medicine. I got the least amount of feedback on this one, so I don't have any negatives to give you other than it is pretty expensive at around $175. More of my own research and investigation led me to this Honest Company Backpack Diaper Bag that I loved! However, no one I knew has tried it out.  It is gorgeous though! By far, the most recommended backpack diaper bag was the  Fawn Designs.  Over 40% of the people that participated in chatting diaper bags with me recommended this one because of its quality, comfort, and because of how much "stuff" it can hold.  It's lined on the inside with 6 pockets and has 2 on each side of the outside and 1 in the front.  It's a very high quality vegan leather.  It is super comfortable on the bag and looks chic while mama is wearing.  I got some negative feedback as well from several saying that there was not enough organization and that the pockets weren't big enough for some toddler cups. I also got that it is heavy. However, the raving reviews outweighed the downfalls, and just as I was leaning towards buying one of the Fawn Designs for myself, a sweet friend offered me her gently used one.  I absolutely love the opportunity to be more economical for my family and the planet, and was thrilled that she offered to give me hers since her baby is now in school and doesn't use it.  Thank you so much, friend! I also was made aware that there is an almost exact duplicate for the Fawn Designs bag on Amazon, with a much smaller price tag.  Shop the $45 Fawn Designs Dupe here.

I hope this may help some Mamas that are shopping for a diaper bag to make a decision that is best for their family.  As always, I thank you for taking the time to read my words.

xoxo,
Holly

shop the best diaper bag options HERE

The Rookie Mom

I changed my son’s diaper today in the back of my car in the Kroger parking lot. It was not a quick and easy change either.  He screamed, kicked, twisted, stood up and tried to crawl over seats while still naked. You name it—he did it. Several times.  All in 94 degree weather with a buggy still full of groceries hanging out in the parking lot, and while two or three cars waited for my spot with their blinkers on during a Mississippi State home-game weekend.  (Note to self: Never grocery shop on Friday of a home-game weekend.) I have gotten to the point where I don’t get embarrassed by things like this anymore because, in reality, what are strangers’ thoughts about me compared to my precious son’s needs? BUT, in the midst of our struggle, I did think to myself, “I know I have to look like I’ve never done this before. Rookie!” I finished the job and everyone survived and as I got behind the wheel to head home, I had an epiphany. I haven’t done this before. In a few days my son will be 20 months old. I’ve never parented a 20-month-old before. I’ve never changed the diaper of a very active and exceptionally strong-willed 20-month-old. It probably sounds crazy for me to realize this, but I was suddenly aware that this toddler is very different than the sleepy newborn I brought home with me from the hospital - just a blink of an eye ago. And just like he’s learning about everything in the world around him, so am I. I’m learning as I go what to do with him, and I’m thinking it’s okay to cut myself a little slack. There’s no way I can be perfect or do everything right, but I want to try for him. Does that count for anything? I think the biggest justice I can do for him is to try my best and to do it with a little humility. Laughing along the way at myself, learning how it’s done, and enjoying watching him, squealing and naked, trying to escape a diaper change over the back hatch of my car. Before I know it, he’ll be going to his own college football games and I’ll be at Kroger buying snacks for him to put in his college fridge - just like the man on aisle 9 was doing for his son while he watched my little guy throwing produce out of the buggy the whole way.  I do feel better knowing, “It gets better when they’re about 13,” as he told me. I could see a sparkle in his eye and I knew he was trying to tell me that it’s going to go by very quickly, and that maybe he wished his now college-aged son was still throwing the bananas out of the buggy. The lump in my throat made it easy to transform my frustration into a laugh and a shrug as I said, “You promise?” This is such a hard stage, but it is unbelievably sweet, too. Oh, my very special son! You’ve taught me so much about life and I pray that I can return the favor to you someday. Toddler-momming is hard sometimes. But the love...Oh, my heart is full!