Whether you are going on a day trip or a road trip things will go more smoothly if you are prepared. Especially if you are mom and everyone is looking to you to make sure everything the family may need is available. Years ago when my kids were small I put together a little bag of essentials. This bag has come in handy more times than I can count. I have sometimes even handed it off to a friend in their moment of need.
My pack contains a small plastic case of Bandaids, laytex free in case someone else needs one there will be no worries. Disposable packs of antibiotic ointment or the spray version, burn cream and single dose Aspirin, Tylenol and Advil packets for adults. For kids it can be tricky to carry around those bottles of liquid and a measuring cup so I'm actually thinking of adding some children's Tylenol Melt Aways to my pack.
I also carry Wet Ones antibacterial wipes. These are way more useful than the hand sanitizing gel as they actually wipe the dirt away. You can also use them to wipe of table tops, toilet seats and to clean out cuts and scrapes before bandaging.
I actually prefer for my family to wash their hands rather than use the wipes if possible so I carry a small container of hand soap. This way we can use bottled water to scrub up after being out and about, sounds funny but I feel way better knowing they have really washed up well. Also I can't tell you how many public rest rooms we have been in that were out of soap, so gross! The soap in those bathrooms can also be really harsh and drying, so if you have sensitive skin this is a great way to prevent issues. I love my Dove moisturizing for sensitive skin.
Speaking of public rest rooms I have taken to carrying disposable toilet seat covers, this came about when my kids were potty training. I'm not talking about those cheesy paper thin covers, these are thick, over sized and will actually stick to the toilet seat so no slipping and nothing soaks through. They are a bit more expensive but if you tend to be a germaphobe like me, soooo worth it. I have only found them in kids prints but I don't care, still worth it. If you have a young one that has to poop Cottonelle individual flushable wet wipes can be your best friend.
Especially if you have little ones sitting down to eat at a public table can be stressful. You just know they are going to put their hands and food all over it. I found these great Table Toppers, they stick to the table and create an instant sanitary barrier for your food.
I also carry bug bite cream, travel size sunscreen, tissue, lotion, hairbrush, floss and Q tips. It's so great that you can find everything these days in travel sizes, so easy to carry so much in a small bag. I also have a small Vaseline squeeze tube, if anyone needs chap stick I use the Q tips to put it on with, that way it stays clean for everyone.
For me I always carry a few maxi pads, because you just never know when you or someone else may need one. Especially since my daughter is getting to that age where it could happen anytime, any where. If there is a little accident you can use your Cottonelle wipes to freshen up.
I know this sounds like a lot to carry around but i seriously have this all in a medium sized zip up cosmetic bag with handles. Handles because if I need to I can hang it up in the bathroom stall for easy access. My bag is plastic so it's waterproof and see through so I can easily locate what I need and in case my husband had to carry it around it wouldn't be too embarrassing.
You could easily pack your essentials in a Zip Loc bag as well. I love to carry extra Zip Locs around too, they fold up small and you can use them for tons of stuff. I have used them for trash pick up, dirty diapers, picking up doggie doo when they travel with us and as a waterproof case for my cell phone when needed. Once when we were at Disney we got caught in a down poor that wouldn't let up and had to run for the bus that was a bit of a distance away. I pulled my Zip Locs out and we were good to go, we got completely drenched but our phones were safe.
So whether you are on a trip you have prepared for or find yourself at an impromptu play date at the park you will be well prepared for just about anything. You can also adjust this pack to fit your needs, do you need to add a couple diapers, disposable changing cloth and some baby wipes? How about disposable bibs, or washcloths or burping cloths? Do you need an extra binky or small toy incase you forgot one? This way if you are just running into a store quickly or going for a stroll you don't have to carry the entire baby bag.
I carry a large enough purse that I can just slip this inside. I have used my pack on the playground, traveling on airplanes, at the amusement parks or just in a store. It's probably the most useful thing I own. Once on a plane on the way home from Florida my daughter started complaining because her skin was super dry and itchy. No problem, I just pulled out my bottle of lotion and took care of it, we enjoyed the rest of the trip home.
Wherever you're going and whatever you are doing this Summer, you can have fun and relax knowing you are well prepared.
Seana
