Diaper Bag Confessions

My trusty diaper backpack 

source: carters.com 

You know those people that take along a suitcase for an overnight trip? That would be me. Guilty as charged. And it's not because I pack a bazillion dresses.
I take actual emergency supplies. Like first aid, medicine, chargers, umbrellas, raincoats, shoes for all terrains, toilet paper and all sorts of paraphernalia that I imagine I might just suddenly need.

Then along came baby and my 'being-ready-for-anything' instinct multiplied ten fold.

I'm that mamma with a baby in the carrier at the front and a heavy 'hiking' type backpack behind.

Before the baby arrived, I did my research and decided that a backpack diaper bag would be the most suitable for me. I knew I would be carrying a lot of supplies and I wanted to give my shoulders and back a break by evenly distributing that load on two shoulders instead of one.

I wanted my 'dream' diaper bag to be a backpack style bag (additional points if it could convert to a messenger bag or shoulder bag/ waterproof because accidents were bound to happen),  roomy with multiple compartments and pockets for the tons of stuff I planned to carry, and a design that both my husband and I were comfortable with.

And so after looking around a bit online, I settled on the athletic backpack diaper bag from carter's. 

Look at this beaut! It was for 42$ at the time of purchase and it was totally worth it.

So let me tell you the pros and cons of this bag.

Pros
Plenty of compartments and pockets so its easy to give every item its own special place. That makes it so much easier when you're trying to direct people to find things in the bag.
I usually store diapers, extra sets of clothes and towels in the main back compartment.
This compartment also has a very handy see through pouch that you could use for dirty clothes or to carry diapers and comes with a handy ribbon attachment so you can tug it out in an instant (that is the see-through pouch you see poking out of the top in the image)
J's medical file, toiletries and changing mat go in the main front compartment. The bag also comes with it's own large wipe-able padded changing mat.
The outer top pocket is for me. My sunglasses, chargers, and gum go in there. Lower outer pocket is for her toys so that we can whip them out in an instant.
It also has an insulated side pocket for hot water and bottles.
MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE COMPARTMENT IS THE BUILT IN EXTERIOR WIPE CASE.
Imagine! You don't have to dig into your bag for a wet wipe and end up getting everything inside dirty and sticky. The wipes are at your service hanging out on a side of the bag. You can reach over with one hand and with a push of a button you can access those glorious germ fighting squares of amazingness. 
The bag also suits everyone from mamma, bappa, maama and so on. My husband likes to imagine that it would be the envy of all tween girls. 

Cons. 
The only con, that I can find is that the bag is a bit bulky. It has a padded back and straps that make it comfy even if you carry the bag for long periods of time but all that padding makes it bulky enough to make you second guess squeezing through tiny spaces. 
It is also not completely waterproof :( 
It can survive a light drizzle, but a sippy cup accident once left the bag drenched from the inside)

Unfortunately, this particular model is out of stock at carters.com at the moment but other carter's models can be found on ebay, amazon or toys'r'us. 

I'm quite happy with my trusty diaper backpack, but if I were to get a new one, I would probably go for a smaller and stretchier one without the extra bulkiness. 

I know a diaper bag is practically a life line for most mamma's. So what is your favorite thing about your diaper bag? 

 

Something Purple!

How pretty is this? 

I know it looks processed and synthetic but this here is nothing but a bowl of wholesome organic goodness.

For J's lunch I steamed up some purple sweet potatoes and then blended it into this spectacular looking purple goop. 

Sweet potatoes are a highly nutritious food and are rich in simple starches, complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, beta-carotene (a provitamin A carotenoid), vitamin C, vitamin B6, manganese, potassium, iron and calcium. The more intense the color, the more antioxidants it has. 

source: healthfame.com 

J seemed to like it well enough and didn't make as many 'yucky' faces as she usually does with most new food, so this was an actual win-win for us. She gets to eat something she likes and I get to include a good dose of nutrients in her diet. (I also get to eat a few pieces myself = healthy mamma and healthy baby). 

She did have to take lunch in just her diaper that day because I wasn't sure how easy it would be to get that brilliant purple color off her clothes. 

As for her, she ended up with a nice lip color that would be the envy of all kylie lip kit owners around the world. 

I got my sweet potatoes from a retail store, and the week before we got them from Laamu. So luckily this nutrition packed super food is grown locally and it won't be too hard to source them for your little one. 

Have you included sweet potatoes in your baby's diet? If so, do give purple sweet potatoes a chance too! 

xx