What's In My Diaper Bag

Another round of the One Year and Beyond Series. I'm so excited to be back with these lovely ladies and to hear what they have to say. Click here to find links to all of my previous topics (scroll to the bottom). This series first topic is: What are your favorite diaper bag* essentials?

*this is actually the exact diaper bag my In-Laws got me when I was pregnant with Baby Fox, best birthday gift and totally unexpected (at the time I didn't even know Coach had diaper bags)

I guess I'll do it in list format, here it goes (wait.... first, Baby Fox is fully potty trained, I'll talk about that later)

Diapers - Duh. We like to have both the regular ones and I almost always have 1 over night diaper, just in case we're late coming home and want to get the kids ready for bed.

Clothes - I try to have at least one onesie for Mini Fox and an extra pair of underwear and shorts/pants for Baby Fox (I don't need this any more, but when we were first potty training, I would have 2 pairs of everything for him, super annoying. If we went through both extra pairs, it meant we had to go home, lucky it never happened)

Snacks - My kids aren't really snackers, but depending on where we go, I'll have some cherries or raisins in a baggie. Baby Fox thinks he's hot stuff when he has a baggie. Note: When we introduced the snack cup to Baby Fox, he did not get it! At all...so we gave up and now that he's 3.5 he totally gets it...haha.

Wipes - A must and multipurpose thing. 

Hand Sanitizer - For those times that we don't have a bathroom nearby.

Camera - I try to use my point and shoot camera. This is the one I have, and LOVE! It takes quick pictures and you can adjust the setting like a DSLR, but it's the size of a point and shoot. Love it.

Water Bottles - For both me and the kids. If Baby Fox sees my water, he immediately wants one to, so I've just learned to bring his own. This is similar to the one we have:

Before Mini Fox came, it got the point where I actually got to carry around a big purse. I would throw my water bottle, his water bottle,  1 diaper, a small pack of wipes, my phone, wallet and camera and I would be out the door, it was awesome.

I think that less is better. Most of the toys they play with are in the car, so I hardly ever put them in the diaper bag, if they want something then we grab something from the car. Yes, it makes my car messy. I pick my battles :)

What's in your diaper bag?

Now with two kids, for about 2.5 months I had to have two size diapers, that was annoying, but I would put one size diaper on the inside pocket of one side of the diaper bag, and the other size in the other side. 

Mini Fox needs a pacifier, so I try to have one of those in the diaper bag too, but I feel pacifiers are like lost socks in the dryer, you'll have 10 one day and the very next day you're down to 1, where do they all go?!

Side Story: When we took Baby Fox to his very first doctors appointment (you know a day or two after going home from the hospital) I totally forgot the diaper bag. It just didn't occur to me to bring it, and of course we get there and they tell us to take off his clothes and we realize he's pooped...we have no diaper bag and no wipes! Luckily the doctors office had a REALLY big diaper and some wipes we could use, and at the time he had just been circumcised and we needed to do the whole Vaseline/gauze thing and of course that stuff was in the diaper bag...at home. The nurse had some gauze and I happened to have some Vaseline in my purse that I like to use instead of chapstick. It all worked out in the end, but I was kicking myself for not remembering...

 What are your favorite toddler diaper bag essentials?  Check out the other mama's blogs for even more ideas!  And be sure to link up with us below if you also have a post on this. 

The Not Quite Military Wife// Like a Morning Cup of Coffee//  Meet the Sullivan's

 From Here to Eternity//  Pig and Dac//   Everyday Love

A Cowboy's Life// Life of Faith//  Foxy's Domestic Side//  My Delicious Adventure

Oct 2:     Toddler Diaper Bag Essentials 

Oct 9:     Learning to love your post-pregnancy body

Oct 16:   Busy Toddler Activities

Oct 23:   Keeping in Shape While Caring for a Toddler

Oct 30:   Sick Day Tips

Nov 6:    How to Not Lose Your Patience with your Toddler

Nov 13:  Favorite Toddler Outings

An InLinkz Link-up

Feathers and Flowers

I've had this skirt from Loft for a while now, but have never paired it like this before. I'm not entirely sure the scarf goes, but it was comfy and I didn't feel like wearing a necklace, ever feel like that? But I like how the skirt seems like polka dots from afar, but in reality they are little feathers (or what looks like feathers?)

Today is the second to last day to sign up* for the Fall Style Challenge, come join me and 600+ women. Learn more about it here.

*this is an affiliated link and I will get referral money

Some Randoms:

1.

Remember how I told you I went to my college for an Alumni BBQ? Well they are having a photo contest. I would be forever grateful if you guys could just click the link and like the picture via your FB account. It's that easy, no signing up, nothing. I win a giftcard to Amazon. The top 4 spots win, currently I am 5th and 6th...thanks guys, you are the best! I have until October 6th. Here's the link:

https://www.facebook.com/lmualumni/photos/a.10152275448980957.1073741827.175517010956/10152275449760957/?type=3&theater

and this is the picture I submitted for Baby Fox

 Mini Fox also got some action, here's her link:

https://www.facebook.com/lmualumni/photos/a.10152275448980957.1073741827.175517010956/10152275449760957/?type=3&theater

and her picture I submitted

2.

We're all set for Halloween at our house, okay we have the outfits and no decorations, but the cute outfits are what counts right?

I love that they are matching. I was going to get Mini Fox a pink pair, but Baby Fox insisted that they match.

3.

Finally Mr. is on board with online shopping obsession, habit love. This makes me so excited, he finally understands. He's been buying a ton of polo shirts trying to figure out a brand that fits him. We've found a few new brands to add to the list, he says that shopping online and getting that little email that says your package is on the way, is like Christmas everyday. Yes he's been getting packages almost everyday.

4.

Love taking him on errands and letting him do stuff like this. He loves it and it gets him to go with me on errands. It's really sad, this mall we went to is in the process of getting a make over, but first they need to get rid of a lot of the tenants, so half of the stores are closed and there hasn't been a food court since we moved here 5 years ago. Hopefully whatever/whenever they upgrade it, it makes this place awesome, it's so close to our we could walk...although right now, there aren't any of my stores in it that I shop at, so I guess that's a good thing.

Such a boy, going the hard way in - through the window of course.

5.

Taylor & Helene are doing a Blogtober14, while I can't promise I can do it everyday...I will participate when I can. 

  
Today's prompt: If I'd won the lottery I would...I'm going to go ahead and assume it's in the millions, like take home of at least 10 million (you know after those pesky taxes and stuff I want at least 10 million), hehe

• Pay off our house
• Put money away for our kids college fund
• Get new cars
• Travel the world...once the kids get a little older (hey I'm realistic), traveling across the world with a 4 year old and 1 year old? No thanks, plus they're not going to remember, we have to at least start doing this cool stuff when they can remember
• In the mean time, we'll just go to Hawaii, and go skiing/snowboarding in cool places. I want to snowboard at Whistler, ski in/ski out lodging a must, obviously.
• But some rental properties, might as well have our money make money for us.  
• Quit my job, but still keep our daycare situation :) 
• Since I don't have a job, find a philanthropy that speaks to my heart.

What would you do with 10 million? 

 Linking up with Because Shanna Said So, Get Your Pretty On, The Pleated Poppy, Tucker Up and Greater Than Rubies
 

Lies

Last night Baby Fox told his first straight up lie. Like the kind where he looked me in the eye and just lied to me. I believed him, he's never lied before so I had no reason not to believe him. Until later in the night when I caught him in the lie.

We were getting ready for bed and I asked him if had brushed his teeth, he said yes...I gave him the side eye and he even went as far as to do the breath check. I said I don't know...he said, I did. I said okay. Then about 15 minutes later when bed time was fast approaching, he yells out, I have to brush my teeth. Caught! I said you said you and Daddy already brushed your teeth, he said he didn't. I looked at Mr., he said he didn't. I was disappointed. I was crushed that somehow my kid learned how to lie. Is this preschool? Do the other kids in preschool do this? We sat down, I looked him in the eye, told him what lying is and why it is wrong. I'm not sure it sunk it. I hope something sunk in. I don't want to always be second guessing his answers.

Where did my little boy go and when did he learn how to lie? Mr. says it's part of growing up, and that kids lie and not to worry about it too much...

What is your experience with your kids? Any advice?

Friends Weekend and No Birthday Parties!

Friday, while Baby Fox was at preschool, I met up with this lady and her kids. It's her birthday, so we celebrated by taking the kids out. haha.

 And suddenly she was big enough to go on this by herself.

 I have big news...this guy FINALLY ate his lunch at preschool! Did I tell you guys, he's been going to preschool for 3 weeks now and he's NEVER eaten lunch there. One of the kid's Dad is in my vanpool (how he found out about the preschool was through me), anyway, he tells me that his son gives them a status on what Baby Fox ate that day. Friday I go to pick him up and all the kids are telling me that Baby Fox ate lunch! Baby Fox was so proud of himself, so we celebrated with ice cream.

I went in to get Mini Fox up on Saturday, and found her like this, pacifier hoarder much? (you can't see but she has one in her hand too)

My passenger sun visor broke.  A year or so ago, my driver side visor broke and they had an extended warrenty on them (turns out it's just for 2007 - present visors). I figured they replaced both, nope. So I had to bring it in again...

The kids were really patient waiting.

We were in a long line

 and I was so excited when we finally saw this. It took us 40 minutes to just check the car in...annoying.

After we got back, we put Mini Fox down for a nap and I got ready for some old high school friends that I haven't seen in FOREVER (some 3 years, others 6 or so years?)

Everyone gets a fake tattoo at our house

This was their third try, they can't seem to get the whole fake tattoo thing right.

You know it's a good party, when your guests stay for two meals...we're ordering take out because we had no more food, haha!

The kids playing while they wait for food (except Mini Fox, she got to eat)

Wish I remembered to load the picture of all of us, but I forgot...darn! Bad blogger for not double checking.

But I do have one of all the kids, so at least that's something.

Someone is holding up a fireman helmet, that's what they are all looking at

Sunday we headed out to my college for Alumni BBQ.

They had stuff for the kids to do, Baby Fox wanted to do this several times, but the line was ridiculously long, they were only letting one kid go at a time and they had no time limit...annoying.

This is what happens when you try to take a selfie with your kid who doesn't want their picture taken.

Finally! He really wanted this and said he would definitely wear it...how could we say no to this cute face?

 

 Before I left for the BBQ I threw this recipe in the crockpot. I found it last week, and while I was at Costco I decided to buy some meat and make a nice Sunday dinner. I didn't follow it exactly, I used this gravy with the juices, inctead of what the recipe called for. Baby Fox had been asking for mashed potatoes for a week now, and of course gravy goes with mashed potato.

Great way to end a weekend! I love big comfort meals on Sunday. In case you were wondering, we decided that while we like this pot roast recipe, we like Trisha Yearwood's recipe the best. Although this one was really good becasue were gone all day, and it was really nice to come home to a nice meal (granted I was still in the kitchen for an hour prepping everything else...go figure)

How was your weekend? Tell me something interesting you did!

Linking up with Faith, Sarah and Heather for Mommy Moments

and with Bella & Lisa

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday! I'm not working today, yay! Love my off Fridays, does that count as a Friday Favorite?

Anyway, here's my Favorites for this week:

1.

Do you guys know Alison? If you don't head on over to her blog, she's awesome, and has helped this girl become more stylish, here are the challenges I've done previously: Spring Challenge and Summer Challenge, it is the most fun. They have a private Facebook group so you can post outfits and all of the ladies are so so nice, I love the FB group the most!

Alison just opened registration* for the Fall Challenge. Who doesn't love fall things, above is an example of one of the days. How cute is that outfit? She finds things at affordable places, like Target and Ann Taylor Loft, so you don't have to break the bank. I know a lot of ladies who just shop their own closet and have found things that they've bought but never worn, and finally have a chance to wear them. Go check it out*, join us and let's start sharing outfits! I've already joined, click here* if you want to join me and the other ladies!

*this is an affiliated link and I will get referral money

2.

My favorite Vinegar EVER! Olive 41 has at least 100 different olive oils and vinegars to chose from. It's the BEST gift for the cook in your life. It's always our go to, for our friends and family who love cooking or just like a good olive oil and vinegar.

This is the 18 year aged balsamic vinegar. Once you have this, you'll never want anything else.

Love that Baby Fox has finally mastered the art of smiling with me...yay for 1000+ more selfies with this guy!

We were waiting in the car for Daddy to get home, so as soon as he pulled up we could get to the gym, don't worry I put him in his car seat before we left

3.

Last night I had a few errands to do before picking up some food for dinner. How did I get him to go with me? I promised him we would stop in at CVS to play with the car display.

Just line them up in CVS!

4. 

When did she get so big?

She's waving in this picture and saying hi!

5. 

I just bought these for Baby Fox when we went to Costco last night. He couldn't wait to wear them, so yep I said yes and he wore clothes before being washed...gasp, I know! But he loved it and asked me to wash them today so he could wear them again tomorrow. My favorite part is the monocle!

Mini Fox wants a part of the action and is trying to grab his hand

Linking up with: Erika, Andrea, and Narci for Friday Favorites and September Farm and The Farmer's Wife for Oh Hey, Friday!