5 Fav ママバッグのお出かけ物 Diaper/Mother's Bag Items

One thing I remember being frustrated by when preparing to have my first baby was trying to figure out what we need and how to get the things we need without spending extra money and using up space in our home.  Lists like this on other blogs really helped me to figure out what would work for us. So, without further ado, here are 5 favorite things I keep in the diaper bag for when we go out:

☆ The MagMag cup I posted about a couple of years ago is still a favorite in our house.  It is great to have one basic set that will be usable for the first few years.  Also, if you live in Japan it is easy to get replacement parts.  We're on the 4th year and 2nd baby using the set and I expect that it will continue to be used daily for the next few years.
☆ The teether/feeder is a favorite thing for eating at home as well as eating out. It allows baby to chew on food without having to worry about big pieces being a choking habit.  Putting something cool inside to much on can also be soothing for sore gums while teething.

This brand in particular is easy to find replacement nets for in our area.  I try to keep about 3 on hand so they can dry properly between uses.  One thing to keep in mind is that bananas and some other foods may stain the nets. 
When you go out to eat it can be tough to find things for babies/toddlers to eat. With this you can not only share your food but also give baby the freedom to feed him/her self.

Here is an apple slice "before" and "after" shot.  A soft apple can easily be turned to pulp!  The first time I gave Zilla strawberries in this thing he sucked out all the pieces - including the pulp!



☆ Knot-a-Bag is on just about every list I make of baby goods. I never intentionally leave home without it.  With the way it is designed you can make control how big you make the bag - a huge help when dealing with messy clean-ups! 
☆ Snack Trap スナックトラップ is a container for holding snacks. We have one right now but with Mega eating solid foods we'll be getting one for her soon too.  There is also an accessory pack which has a spill proof lid for when you m\put the snacks away.  Not only great for travel, using one at home can help keep down the mess snacks can make.
☆ Solby Baby Chair Belt ベビーチェアベルト A seat "belt" to use on a chair when you don't have a high chair.
This is a must-have which is usually in our diaper bag. Even though many places have high chairs for little kids, I've found that often these chairs come without a belt. My little one squirms too much to sit on her own without a belt to prevent falling. With this belt even a regular chair can also be used as a chair for baby.

What's in Your Diaper Bag? ママバッグ

For the Mommies English class this week we talked about what is in your diaper bag. With a bit of show and tell we discovered more about each person's personality. We also talked about how the contents (and in some cases the size) have changed as the baby grows.

It was also fun to think back to the first time we packed the bag to go out. We packed for every possible situation! Now, 1 or 2 years later, we are more likely to err on the side of not being prepared!!!

Here are some of our favorite things to keep in the diaper bag:

Knot-a-Bag ノット・ア・バッグ by Smart Start - By far the most used item in the diaper bag besides the diapers! There appears to be a new eco version out too.

Chair Belt チェアベルト- It can turn most any chair into a high chair. (Of course the baby needs to be able to sit on his/her own first)

Teether/Feeder トレーニングマンマ- Great for babies from 5 months to a year old. It can help them to work on chewing and enjoy new foods without worrying about choking. It's good to buy a few extra nets right away. The only caution I have is that bananas will turn the nets brown.

MagMag Cup Set マグマグ- The tops can be changed to grow with your baby. We've been using the same set since the start. A carrying case and replacement straw parts also come in handy!

Pampers Bibsters　ビブスター - Disposable bids are great for when you're out and about or the little one will indulge in something that stains like berries!

Snack Trap スナックカップ - A great way to keep little treats from spilling all over!

Paper Carton Holder パックホルダー - Another way to help save on stains. Holding a juice or milk pack without squeezing the drink all over yourself is really a fine art. I never leave home without it!

Pocket Sling ベビーホルダー - Folds up small so it's easy to take when you aren't sure if you'll need it or not. Comes in handy when baby no longer wants to ride in the stoller or toddler is tired of walking.

A Toddler must-have!

I found a most useful item on the Japanese Amazon site. I've often used it to help the little guy to sit safely in a restaurant high chair (they don't always have straps) or enable him to sit on a regular chair when there aren't any high chairs. When I saw this I had to order it and now I'm glad I did!
Once I opened the package I had a feeling of "I wish I'd invented this!" - another good sign. It's basically a piece of cloth in the shape of a cloth diaper cover with an attached strap which goes around the back of a chair to secure the little one in place. The velcro is in large patches and the material will wipe off easily. A great bonus is that you can fold the thing up to about the size of a digital camera.

Eating Out Bag

I have developed a bit of an interest in what everyone carries in their diaper bag. It's one way to get an insight into the life of the family. Here are the things I keep for when we go out to eat. This is for storing powdered formula or other powder. We don't use it much now but it was a very useful item!

Here is the Bento Bag. While it doesn't have room for his lunch it does include the pieces he needs for a eating a lunch out.

From the top left there is the seat strap thingy for helping baby sit on a regular chair. Next is a baggie with paper towels, a pack of wet wipes and a spout with handle that fits on top of soda/tea/water bottles. The green thing is a spoon in a travel case, there's a disposable bib and a nifty holder for juice/milk boxes. I love the box holder thing since it prevents the little guy from squeezing his drink all over himself!
Last but not least is a pack of cookies. I try to keep a small snack on hand at all times.

Honestly this bag stays packed most of the time so I can grab it and go when the whim hits!

MagMag Cup

This is a cup with changeable tops. When you are short on space (or want to save money) this is a greata option. As you can see on the label it's designed to take baby through the different stages starting with drinking from a bottle around 2-3 months. At 5 months you switch to a sippy cup style top and at 8 months to a straw or open cup top. Little guy wasn't a huge fan of the first two tops but I chalk that up to his using a natural-style nipple bottle. Now he uses the starw top most of the time. I don't have a picture of the case but we did get an insulated case which can be used to keep drinks warm or cool.
This cup set is by far one of the most useful things we bought.