Inspiring Motherhood

...Finding joy in mothering...

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Packing your Diaper Bag

Well, technically I haven’t really used a diaper bag. Instead, I found a few beautiful tote bags and hobo bags and have been using those after my baby was born. It has enough space for essentials. My sister uses a large diaper bag and she loves it. I have used backpacks for air travel and outdoor sightseeing trips. My husband can also carry backpacks on long trips. Now that I have a toddler, the stuff that I carry in my bag has changed so much. Gone are the days when I had to stock up diapers in my bag even for a quick trip to the grocery store. These days, I don’t take diapers if we are going to the neighborhood park or grocery shopping.

Here is a list of what I used to pack in my Diaper Bag broken up into different sections right from newborn to toddler years. Since, I was breastfeeding, I didn’t have to pack formula and bottle-feeding supplies. This list is just a quick guide for new Moms. If you are going on a long trip, you will need to pack lot more stuff. During Winter, I always end up with more stuff like extra socks and mittens.

Baby (0-6 months)

  1. Plenty of Diapers and Wipes
  2. Diaper Cream
  3. Travel Changing Pad
  4. Body Suits and other essential outfits for unexpected diaper blowouts or spit-up
  5. Hat, Socks & Mittens
  6. Burp Clothes
  7. Blanket
  8. Breast Pads
  9. Maternity Pads
  10. Plastic bags
  11. Pacifiers in a zip-lock bag
  12. Nursing Cover
  13. Hand Sanitizer

Baby (6-12 months)

  1. Diapers and Wipes
  2. Diaper Cream
  3. Travel Changing Pad
  4. Body Suits or other outfits
  5. Blanket
  6. Baby Food Pouch or jar
  7. Spoons
  8. Bottle of Water for baby
  9. Baby friendly snacks like banana or puffs
  10. Bib
  11. Burp Clothes or other towels to clean messes
  12. Plastic bags
  13. Toy for Diaper Change
  14. Pacifiers in a zip-lock bag
  15. Nursing Cover
  16. Hand Sanitizer

Toddler (12-18 months)

  1. Diaper and Wipes
  2. Diaper Cream
  3. Travel Changing Pad
  4. Toddler Snacks or Pouches
  5. Sippy Cup with Milk/Juice/Water
  6. Tissues, Napkins & Towels
  7. Toy for Diaper Change
  8. Pacifiers in a zip-lock bag
  9. Hand Sanitizer

Toddler (18 months – 2.5 years)

  1. Snacks like cheerios or Pouches
  2. Candy or chocolate (has helped me during toddler tantrums)
  3. Juice box or Water bottle
  4. Tissues, Napkins & Towels
  5. Hand Sanitizer
  6. Small Toy

Extras

  1. Bottle feeding supplies
  2. Sunscreen
  3. Summer Hat
  4. Moisturizer or Vaseline specially for winter
  5. Tylenol or other medications
  6. Thermometer
  7. First-aid essentials like bandaid or neosporin
  8. Socks and Mittens in winter
  9. Spare Outfit for toddler
  10. Bug Spray

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Mix and Match your Toddler Outfits

I always try to mix and match my toddler boy’s separates to give a stylish appearance. You can also use accessories for a dressy look. Here are a few of my favorite ways to mix and match his clothes:

  1. Layer a collared, button-front, half-sleeve shirt over tee and shorts for the ultimate cool look in summer.
  2. Pair shortalls with polos instead of tees for a more dressy look.
  3. Dress your little man in light pullover hoodies along with shorts for cool/breezy summer days.
  4. You can layer a half-sleeve tee over a full-sleeve tee for cooler days.
  5. Layer a open front, jeans vest over tee and shorts.
  6. Wear a button-front vest with full-sleeve shirt for the ultimate classic look.
  7. In summer, you can roll up your toddler’s full-sleeve, button-front, collared shirt and pair it with pants or shorts. Add a bow-tie for church or special occasions.
  8. The classic winter look cannot go wrong with sweater vests worn over collared shirts.
  9. Wear a pullover sweater over polos or collared shirts in winter.
  10. Dress your toddler in cardigans during spring/fall.
  11. Try sleeveless puffer vests over full-sleeve shirts or tees in spring/fall.

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Toddler Sensory Play at Home

If you are like me and don’t want to spend lot of money on toys, I suggest sensory play. I read about sensory play when my little one turned a year and ever since I have tried to incorporate it into his daily play. Here are a few things which my toddler loves:

  1. Uncooked Pasta – Use a few plastic bins, bowls and spoons and your toddler will enjoy playing with it. Use the bigger variety to avoid choking.
  2. Sand – My toddler can play for hours in sand. Of course, be ready to deal with mess and the fact that you will have to give your toddler a bath after playing with sand.
  3. Stones or Rocks – Whenever we go for a stroll in the neighbourhood, my little one loves exploring small rocks. Collect them in a plastic bin for daily play.
  4. Water – We bought a water table for my son’s 2nd birthday and it has been a great gift. He loves playing with it for 30-45 minutes at a time.
  5. Play dough – Little hands love playing with dough. I simply make my own dough with flour and water when needed rather than running to the store.
  6. Bubbles – So much fun to watch your toddler chasing after bubbles.

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Dressing Your Toddler for Summer

Summer is here and I thought I would come up with an essential list of clothes for your toddler boy. You don’t have to spend a lot on summer clothes. Most of the time your little boy will be running around in tees and shorts. Now that my baby has grown up, I love to shop Mom-to-Mom Sales for stocking up on clothes. I am also grateful to family and friends who have gifted us with beautiful outfits.

Toddler Summer Clothes

Toddler Summer Clothes

Essentials or Basic Clothing

  1. Body Suits/Onesies – 5 Nos. I love these while my toddler is still in diapers. The diapers stay in place and my toddler has not yet figured to remove the snaps. I also have a few nicer looking Sport Onesies/Body Suits which can be worn outside.
  2. Short Sleeve Tees – 5 Nos. My toddler often wears tees over body suits specially while going outside. This way his diaper won’t show up over his shorts.
  3. Full Sleeve Tees – 2 Nos. We use these on cool or breezy summer days.
  4. Cotton Sleepers/Pyjamas – 2 pairs. I prefer zippered footless sleepers for summer over 2 piece pajamas.
  5. Shorts – 5 Nos.
  6. Casual Light Pants – 3 Nos. We wear these on cooler summer days.
  7. Collared Shirt – 1 No. I hate that I have to iron cotton shirts.
  8. Formal Cotton Pant – 1
  9. Summer Hat – 1
  10. Sandals – 1 pair
  11. Shoes – 1 pair

Optional

  1. Cotton Vests – 2
  2. Romper – 2 Nos. I love cotton, plaid rompers. They look so classic and I love it especially for Church.
  3. Shortalls – 2 Nos. Toddler boys look adorable in shortalls. However, my toddler has started to remove the bottom snaps.
  4. Polos – 2 Nos. These pair well with shortalls. You can also use cute bow ties with polos.
  5. Dressy Outfits – 1 or 2. I splurged a little and bought a Sailor Outfit for my son’s birthday and a 5 piece formal outfit for his baptism anniversary.

Note

  • You can turn your toddler’s casual outfits into stylish ones using a few accessories. This way you won’t have to spend a lot of money of dressy outfits.
  • You can read about dressing your toddler for winter over here.
  • If you have an infant, you can read more about the outfits needed for summer and winter over here.