The best (non) diaper bag for my active toddler

Anyone with an active toddler (and lots of playdates) can attest to the importance of a good bag. Retiring a diaper bag can leave a mama feeling a little disheveled – where do you put everything?? And honestly after that first year I was so ready to be “my own person.” I was done lugging around a diaper bag. So I went on a mission to find the best non diaper bag out there. My must haves: large, comfortable, many pockets, outer pockets, cross-body and able to carry like a handbag.

Well, I finally found her.

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Meet my new love. She offers everything I need without having to lug around a diaper bag. And, I’ll say if I knew about her pre-baby, I never would have bothered with a traditional diaper bag.

I retired my diaper bag about a year ago. I loved it so much but I was tired of such a bulky bag, and because BabyCoolJ was in daycare and I worked, I wanted to carry a real handbag. So I started using his adorable Skip Hop Racoon Backpack. It worked perfectly for leaving him at daycare, but when I started staying home with him in March I ditched my purse and stuck to carrying around his backpack. It was small and compact, but not the most comfortable.

So in December I finally broke down and started using one of my own purses. All would have gone well except for an important factor: his (leak proof) water cup would leak without having a dedicated place to keep it upright.  This was not a fun revelation!

So I started searching for a great bag that serves many purposes – diaper bag, large handbag, weekender, etc. It was a tall order…

Then I found my White Elm bag. What I especially love about this bag is I will continue to use it after he’s out of diapers. And since I am a mom for life, I’ll still need to carry around so much stuff for him!

I’ll tell you one of the keys to success for transitioning from a diaper bag – make sure to have a changing clutch and some diapers/wipes. This is a must! If you ever do any kind of drop-in care (like church or the gym) then you can just leave your clutch and a drink/snack.

My new bag has made life so much easier! What’s your favorite mom-cessory?