Mama doesn't leave the house without...

Since my kids are no longer in diapers (woot!), I've definitely downsized in the purse department. And yet, there are a few kid-related items that I will always have stocked in my bag. Things I never carried around or even cared about until I had kidlings.

This mama doesn't leave the house without:

CleanWell Hand Sanitizer. The moment I started using CleanWell I tossed all my Purell bottles aside. Nice scent, no alcohol and eco friendly. Plus you can find it at Target. You can always find a bottle of this in my purse so I can spray my kids' hands after we hit the park, shopping center or anywhere they come in contact with mass germs. (Um, I think that's everywhere?)

Soft pack of baby wipes. You'd be hard pressed to find a mom without wipes in her purse. My kids will be 10 and I'll still be buying wipes. I'm partial to Huggies soft wipes because they come in cute boyish designs like Cars. However, I have just discovered Safeway's line of mom to mom baby wipes and they are awesome. You just have to have a big purse to tote them around (or a small wipe container).

Lunabar. A mama always has to have an emergency snack on hand. For her (lunch? what lunch?) or her kids (who always seem to have tapeworms). I'm over packing snacks in containers and plastic baggies. I want simple and contained with a long expiration date since it may sit there for a week or two.

Okay, mamas, tell me what kid-related items you won't leave the house without.

From the Community…

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Posted by Mimi-pz Wed Jul 23, 2008 3:06pm PDT

Oh the CleanWell! I love the stuff and thank you so much for introducing me to it! I have it all over the place! I love the little wipes you can buy on line.
Since my kids have severe reactions to the alcohol based hand sanitizers, I love this stuff. I send a bottle in to school with each of my kids because they can't use the other stuff. Love it!
And my bag's been downsized severely too... Perhaps time for another "What's in your Bag?" post....

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Posted by HotCrossBuns Wed Jul 23, 2008 5:29pm PDT

Ohh, I have those things too!! Another thing I always keep stocked...Anti-Diarrhea medicine! Remember those commercials for Immodium-D where the person would be in a remote area and the narrator would say, "where will YOU be when your antidiarrhea medicine stops working?"
Now I don't have to worry about it!! (unfortunately it's a problem I have to deal with too often!

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Posted by erica s Wed Jul 23, 2008 11:11pm PDT

I too, have to keep the Immodium-D it is nice to know I am not the only one. I use the Bath and Body works lotion anti-bacteria that I keep in my purse.

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Posted by Christina S Thu Jul 24, 2008 6:20am PDT

I have two boys 5 & 7. You will always find a matchbox car of some sort in my purse. It never fails that one kid will have a toy in his pocket and the other won't. I also use it as a reward for the kid who behaves the best when we are out. It seems to work well for us!

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Posted by superlativity Thu Jul 24, 2008 7:48am PDT

I am a first time Mommy of a 14 month old girl, and I always have Purell in my purse (even before my daughter), but I'll definately try the CleanWell with no alcohol. I also carry the Mustela face wipes, which are a bit expensive, but always clear up my daughter's face whenever she has a breakout. I also keep a washcloth and a set of those little plastic keys, although she usually ends up ignoring those to play with my real keys.

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Posted by superlativity Thu Jul 24, 2008 7:48am PDT

Oh, and the Gerber fruit snacks.

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Posted by chaosmom Thu Jul 24, 2008 10:10am PDT

Crayons! It's a must have to keep her quite when we go out to eat (some places just aren't child friendly) or to the store, or church. Just about everywhere.

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Posted by melindabotkin Thu Jul 24, 2008 10:15am PDT

A pair of mid-range sized white socks (kids are 2, 4, 6) so maybe a pair that would need to be folded over for the littlest, and I could wear as low-ankle if I needed to.
Post-its- even kids who don't write can play with these.
Other good things to have on hand in a car pack or backpack for daytrips or vacation: Simply Saline spray (labelled for nasal use, but can spray sterile saline into a cut, an infected or irritated eye, you name it!) Feminine pads can double as absorbant bandages for large cuts. Medical tape (the plastic kind works as well as duct tape for amny things!)
And the baby wipes are a for sure- nothing works better to get stains out of clothes, to clean up super sticky messes. And the sensitive or nonscented ones will make it so that you don't end up smelling like baby diapers!

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Posted by valerie Thu Jul 24, 2008 10:19am PDT

i have a three y/o son, and i never leave the house without a package of crayons, a small notepad, a matchbox car or three, and a small package of tissues. I'm also one of those moms who does not carry sanitizer everywhere. I don't carry it at all. This is where superbugs come from. Our children need to be exposed to dirt, dust, and pet dander. I'm not a dirty person, but I don't go out of my way to sterilize everything my kid may touch. He's never sick, and has no allergies. I know friends that clorox everything in sight, and their kids are allergic to EVERYTHING. Because they have never been exposed to it. My grandparents didn't carry hand sanitizer - neither did my parents. Why should I?

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Posted by Beth Thu Jul 24, 2008 10:31am PDT

Mine's still a newborn, so my essential's list is a bit longer: diapers, wipes, extra outfit, hat, socks, blanket, pacifier, hand sanitizer and baby's favorite stuffed toy. Thankfully I'm breastfeeding so I don't need to lug around bottles and formula!

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