Shemomsagains

I have 5 kids. I am going to level with you here, I am totally the world’s okayest mom, and I’ve made my peace with that- I say that to say this: I am a mess. My kids are well cared for, they are healthy and adjusted (notice I didn’t say “well” there too?) and I usually get all the things that are absolutely necessary to get done at the absolutely last minute I can possibly get them done to keep my house functioning. It is an art actually.

That said, I had my first 2 kids back to back when I was 20 years old. I had no idea what I was doing and was flying by the seat of my pants. Hell, I am lucky we all survived. But I had as much energy as they did I am sure and as I was still in the Marine Corps, I had the mentality to simply shove my way through any obstacle. Adapt and overcome, amirite?

When my tiny terrorist came along 10 years later, he was the last of 5 new babies expected to be born to his dads family that year. At this point, I had been divorced twice, spent years as a single mother, and now was in a craptastic relationship with a non-partnering partner, and I was BROKE. Yet we still needed to get gifts for at least 2 of the cousins.

Enter the ‘Oh Crap!’ Bag.

One thing I learned the hard way the first time around having 2 kids under 2 is that it is nearly a guarantee that at some point when you have a small child, you will inevitably do something dumb. #Mombrain is real, y’all.

At some point in your child’s life you will do at least one of the following:

-Run out the door and grab the wrong diaper bag

-Didn’t check the bag before you left- Only one left, so you use the last diaper in the bag, then naturally, will need another one.

-Pack plenty, then be out with baby much longer than expected and need more diapers than you have.

-Have an unexpected blowout (or two) while you are out with baby and run out of clean outfits

-Expierience spitapalooza while wandering the grocery store. Need another new outfit.

-Realize that baby has a stinkbutt, only to then realize that you left the house with either an empty bag, or NO diaper bag at all.

Now, some of you are the control-freak type individuals… I see you. You may only need this once, but that one day you are off your game….. GAME CHANGER. Me on the other hand…I am a scatterbrained walking disaster. I have run into each and everyone of the above scenarios, some more than once.

So here is what I found to be probably the most cost effective and most practical gift on the planet. Better yet, I was able to make 3 of them at once. 2 for the cousins and one for myself.

HERE IS HOW IT WORKS:

You build it. It has a pouch with each size diaper and outfit or onesie to last a year, with wipes and baby accoutrements, and then you put it in your car and you LEAVE IT THERE!

Until the time that some shit pops off and you have your “oh, crap” moment and you are about to cry, or freak out, or have a mommy meltdown in the middle of the store as baby’s poop is leaking out of the sides of their pants… EXCEPT, you have an extra in your car for just such an occasion.

Guys, I can’t tell you how many times this has saved me. I won’t lie, when I give it to new parents at baby showers, people who don’t have kids kind of give me a weird ‘wtf’ look… but the ones who know, know. They wish they thought of it, or had one when their kids were babies.

So here’s what I did so you can make your own:

1. Pouches with 2 diapers and a onesie and/or PJ’s (size 1 &0-3 months, size 2 & 3-6, size 3 & 6-9, and size 4 & 9-12) Keep in mind, if the sizing is too big, the diaper can be rolled to fit and too large clothing is better than nothing.
2. A bottle (I go with a large one), with a small bottle of water and a pouch of formula or a individual powder dispenser for parents to fill themselves with formula of choice. (Can also use a bottle of pre made formula and a screw on nipple)
3. pacifier (although you may skip this so the parent can put one they want or none at all), a teething ring, toy, socks.
4. I put a diaper cloth (one of the big flat folds) that can be used as a spit rag, a blanket, a bib, a mat on the floor- really anything.
5. Then I put either a disposable diaper pad or one that folds small (like the protective ones that go on a changing table work well), and a travel size pack of wipes.

You can add lots more, but I try to stick to the basics, and I stick to the smallest varieties because the point isn’t to have a ton of the items, it is to ensure you simply have one in case of emergency. I also usually include a small pouch for mom that includes some pantiliners, chapstick, nursing pads, hand sanitizer, advil, and wet wipes- which can be super helpful especially in those first months after baby.

I loved this so much, I made 3 of them when My newest little was born a year ago- one for each of our cars. And the best part is that as baby grows, you can update it. I changed out the bottle for a sippy cup, the small clothes for the next year up, snacks instead of formula….

Don’t have the time to build one yourself?? I got your back- Buy one HERE!