Diaper Bag for newborn, 3 yr old (and 6 yr old)

So, I am pregnant with #3, in my 3rd trimester and figured I should document my diaper bag "prowess" now before I forget.  PACKING YOUR DIAPER BAG IS YOUR OWN PERSONAL THING, but hopefully this is a good jumping off point for you.  (This bag is packed for an exclusively breastfed baby, so if you're doing formula, you'll want bottles, formula, etc.)

Disclaimer:  I have never gotten my diaper bag to stay organized for more than 10 days straight.  One pee accident during potty training, one poopy blowout (poop-splosion), one extra long doctor visit that depletes all the snacks-- and I'm back to having to restock, clean, and re-organize--but here is the base:

My bag is set up for a newborn + my 3 year old daughter (just when I stopped taking a diaper bag!), and my 6 year old, though not much in there for her besides snacks and crayons.

I don't know when you ever stop having one of these bags... I think you just abandon it for a big purse once the youngest is 3, that's what I did with my last two--tho if it's a longer outing I still kept it in the car, I just didn't lug it everywhere like you do the first 18 mos.  I cannot imagine not having wipes and a snack no matter how old ANYONE is at this point-- those 2 are the "lip gloss & mascara" of your baby bag.  :)

Please comment below with other stuff you keep in your bag!

Contents:
-3 extra diapers in a  Ziploc (somehow everything gets damp now and then)
-1 package wipes (and once it's less than half full, I swap it out at home for a fuller package)
-Pens, paper, and contact cards
-2 pads (postpartum or just in case of unexpected period, tho Diva Cup is my preference)
-Thin coloring book
-1-2 children's books for reading
-1 teething toy
-1 other toy
-1 swaddle blanket--Aden & Anais brand (doubles as a nursing cover when tucked into bra strap)
-1 receiving blanket (I use this to lay on the floor as a changing pad OR to let the baby have a play area-- I prefer it to a bulky changing pad)
-Water bottle, mommy
-Water bottle, 3 yr old
-Snacks: granola or nuts for mom, fruit strips, raisins, etc for toddler--things that won't go bad
-Roll of baggies for pee-pee accident clothes or poopy diapers
-Crayons (Crayola Twistables so they don't break)
-Print-out of your routine
-Hand sanitizer in caribbeaner off the handle
-Change of clothes for each kid in a  ziploc (if you have girls and it isn't cold, sundresses are the easiest)
-Emergency $5 hidden in a side pocket
-Newborn hat
-Disp. nursing pads (6)
-Tissues
-Moby Wrap
-Bib
-Brush
-Burp cloth
-Sewing kit (not really nec. but this one is so tiny, I keep it in there)
-Purse---- once my oldest was about a year old, I realized how much I missed having my own purse and how annoying it was to keep transferring items-- so I got a small enough purse to hold my wallet, phone, calendar, mints, and a very tiny makeup bag and I just plop it in the top of the diaper bag.  Then I either take just the purse if I am going out alone, or take the entire thing if I have one of my kids with me.

My favorite diaper bag is the Skip Hop Jump.

Pencil pouch containing:  first aid kit with band-aids & Neosporin, straws, 2 baby spoons, nail clippers, sunscreen, comb, hair ties, fork/spoon, natural bug repellant, chapstick, lotion.

How to swaddle a newborn

I just YouTubed "How to swaddle a baby" and was disappointed by the videos for a variety of reasons.  (The #1 reason was almost all of them were swaddled WAY too loose to "count" as swaddling.)

Check definition #3:
swad·dle  (swdl)

tr.v. swad·dled, swad·dling, swad·dles

1. To wrap or bind in bandages; swathe.

2. To wrap (a baby) in swaddling clothes.

3. To restrain or restrict.

Anyway--- as I sit here pregnant with #3, I realize for the amount of friends I showed my version of swaddling to we should have a made a video by now.  

We swaddled baby #1 til 7 mos and baby #2 til 9 mos.  We swear by it, and while we know everyone has different things that work, hope this video helps you swaddle if you're planning on it!

Here it is!

To-Do List for Baby #3

To-Do List before Baby #3 arrives:
Here is my list which includes preparing the transition from family of four to family of five.
I hope it's useful to you!  Click the "to do" items that have links for a guide to that item.
(Z= my almost 6 year old, T= my almost 3 year old)

Ideally before 37 weeks:

• Install carseat behind driver, move Z to 3rd row of minivan, move T to Z's old spot for easy carpool pickup✓
• Convert toddler bed back to a crib/raise mattress/ put on mobile ✓
• Put swing together and bring downstairs  ✓
• Figure out a Plan A, B, C for where the girls will go during labor AND add "pick-up" names to the school list  ✓
• Collect hand-me-downs!  ✓
• Purge girls' clothes they've outgrown  ✓
• Pack bag for birth center/shop for the supplies I need to bring there✓
• Re-pack diaper bag for a newborn/3yr old/6 yr old  ✓
• Write thank you notes as gifts come ✓
• Buy 2 more nursing bras (diff sizes) + at least 1 new sleep bra  ✓ 
• Buy a new nursing pillow ✓
• Stockpile things like: crackers, pretzels, granola bars, etc.
• Make 2 nursing baskets (1 for upstairs, 1 for downstairs) ✓
• Get BIG SISTER gifts:  For Z ✓  For T  ✓
• Take family maternity pictures ✓
• Prepare an activity basket for Z&T for when I'm nursing
• Pack a "labor" bag for Z+T ✓ and put instructions inside✓
• Make labels of everyone we'll send a baby annc. to ✓
• Create baby annc/thank you notes, etc on Vistaprint, then just insert a pic once he's born and mail!  ✓
• Buy stamps, 3 books ✓
• Buy contact paper, put a large piece in baby book (to cover inky footprints) ✓  put baby book in labor bag  ✓
• Take each girl on a mommy date/daddy date
• Call the mohel to confirm we're on his calendar  ✓
• Get supplies on mohel's list for brit milah (circumcision)✓
• Prepare a few meals and freeze
• Arrange menu for brit and ask for help if needed✓
• Update Family Manual ✓ and print 3 copies ✓
• Stock the stockpile so that I don't have to buy any non-food items for at least 8 weeks (shampoo✓, razors✓, toilet paper, toothpaste, diapers✓, wipes, etc.)
• Make "Labor Playlist"✓, sync with iPod ✓

During Spring Break:

• Steam clean carpets✓
• Pay bills ahead if possible, clear all paperwork from desk
• Carseats✓

Week before due date:

• Charge cameras
• Dust/Vacuum ✓
• Buy a small birthday cake at Publix, freeze
• Shave!
• Do a fun date with the family
• Celebrate T's 3rd birthday, low key (on bday)

After baby arrives:

• Have a birthday party!
• Add to insurance
• Call the mohel, figure out date of brit milah
• Send announcements
• Put annc. in paper
• Thank you notes
• Make an appt with the pediatrician
• Take newborn pics 7-10 days postpartum
• Update Family Manual
• Update will/ open savings acct, etc.

Food Prepping for the Week

I can't tell you how many things I have looked up on Pinterest to try to get my food situation for my family of 4 (soon to be 5) organized, budget-trimmed, and non-food-wasting by Jan. 1, 2013.

Well, here are my first efforts.

My inspiration comes from this blog:
http://www.greenplaterule.com/health-nutrition/sunday-night-prep-to-eat-clean-all-week/
(You can also find her various Mason Jar Salad recipes there.)

I do think of all the things I have read, the most important is to PREP everything before you put your groceries away right when you get home.  So-- if you buy a bag of carrots--- wash and cut them up before they ever enter the fridge.

I also bought a bunch of square and rectangle storage in different sizes for easier fits (than circles).  I wish they were ALL glass, but the plastic was under $1 each compared to $9 for the glass Versaware I covet (and own 3 pieces of).  My hope is to slowly replace these and meanwhile ONLY use them to store and organize fresh foods (never anything hot, etc).  I am thinking of them as organizational bins.  The size I used the most of were the 64 oz rectangular bins.

First-- I tried all sorts of "The Perfect Grocery List", but in the end, I  used this list, which I love-- I hope that link has longevity-- it's: http://www.grocerylists.org/ultimatest/
I use the vegetarian one.

So-- my prep this week consisted of:

-Cleaning out the entire fridge and freezer and labeling shelves
-5 smoothies
-24 applesauce oatmeal muffins
-Cut veggies: cauli, broccoli, carrots, peppers
-1 mason jar salad (want to see how we like it first)
-Grapes
-2 school lunches
-Hard boiling 8 eggs
-Prepping 1 bag dry black beans
-Prepping 1 cup (dry) steel cut oats

It wasn't terribly exhaustive-- the hardest part as I'm sure many of you moms know-- was doing this with my 5 and 2 yr olds running around.  (Last day of Winter Break can be rough.)  It took me 3 hours including all interruptions, but I wasn't terribly efficient this time.

Here are some pictures that I hope help you kickstart your own prep.  I'd like to have done more, but am 6 mos pregnant and figured I'd start slow.  My goal is to be in the swing of this by the time baby comes, otherwise, it'll for sure be another thing I pinned the crap out of and only did once.  ;)  Most blogs I saw said it takes them just 60-90 minutes now to prep for the week.

Definitely worth it to me for the two biggest reasons:
1.  Waste less money
2.  Waste less time during the week
(I know healthy snacks for weight loss are many peoples top reason, but right now I want to save time and money!)

Good luck!

#1 Applesauce Muffins

Applesauce Muffin recipe: http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Applesauce-Cinnamon-Oat-Muffins

These will be my go-to breakfast item-- for the entire family.

NO butter in these!  :)

I followed the recipe exactly, except I doubled it, used 2 whole eggs, and used an entire jar of organic applesauce--24 oz.  (Which is just a few extra tbsps applesauce).  

These are DENSE, but pretty healthy, and go great with a cup of tea.

#2 Smoothies

5 ziplocs-- in each one:

1 cut up banana, 4 frozen strawbs, 1 tbsp flax meal, 2-3 spinach leaves

FREEZE

Grab one, dump in blender & add 1 cup almond milk for a smoothie

#3 Veggies

 Cut up carrots (I don't peel, I like the skin, but peel now if you are a peeler.)  Cut up broccoli, celery, cauli, red and green peppers, etc-- put a small amount of fresh water at the bottom of the containers of celery & carrot.

 #4 Mason Jar Salad-- 

on the site I reference above, she has tons of different mason jar salads-- they stay good for 5 days and you just put dressing in and shake it up!

 Applesauce muffins are cooled and going into storage-- the 64 oz container fits 12 muffins.  12 into the freezer, and 12 on the counter.

 2 school lunches (adult and 5 yr old)-- I just kept taking leftovers and putting them into their lunches as I prepped.

 12 muffins and the 5 smoothies in the freezer-- sectioned off in their bins  :)

My two "prep shelves"-- food prepped & ready to be added to something...
 Cut up veggies, hardboiled eggs, beans, grapes, cooked steel cut oats all on my "prep" shelf.

Fridge cleaned out!!!!
Shelves:
Top- Drinks, yogurt, eggs
Next 2- Prep shelves
Drawer- Cheeses/Dairy
Shelf under dairy drawer- Leftovers
Top drawer- Salad Veggies
Bottom drawer- Other Veggies (broc, etc), Fruit

 My girls (2 and 5 yrs) washed and pulled all the grapes off the stems for better storage and easier grabbing/packing while I cut veggies