An Anatomy of A Toddler's Diaper Bag: The Bare Necessities

Wearing a diaper bag was actually one of the things I looked forward to doing prior to becoming a mom. Mothers in my generation are very fortunate as there are currently hundreds of diaper bag brands and designs to choose from -and those tacky, cartoony diaper bags we're used to seeing already seem obsolete. 

Our current diaper bag is a Jujube BFF, which has both backpack and messenger straps. 

My husband has always been an overpacker; I, on the other hand, hate lugging around big, bulky bags. Like any other first-time parents, we overpacked our diaper bag(s) during the first few months. Now that our son is a year old, I think we have reduced the things we carry to the essentials.

For everyday errands, here's what we bring for our one-year-old (ideally).

We currently have 4 diaper bags in rotation, but our Jujube BFF (in Commodore) is the most used primarily because it is the most spacious (will do a separate review of this diaper bag brand). Inside this bag, we are able to fit what the basics of what a one-year-old would need:

Cloth diapers, clothes, muslins, books, toys, toiletries, and a separate insulated snack container

1. Cloth diapers - As we exclusively use cloth diapers, we carry around 2 - 4 nappies, depending on the length of the trip. 
2. Extra shirts - I usually bring a minimum of 2 shirts for a day trip. 
3. An extra pair of shorts - Y is not likely to stain/soak his shorts, hence, I only bring one pair if we are only going out for an errand.
4. Socks - Carrying two pairs of socks always come in handy as Y always loses a sock.
5. Muslins - Two or three lampins should be minimum as toddlers can be messy. We love these Mothercare muslins as they have beautiful prints and they don't fade despite frequent washing. 
6. Wet wipes - We bring wet wipes for on-the-go  and cleaning up. 
7. Diaper cream - Y rarely gets rashes, but this Mustela vitamin barrier cream performs well even on insect bites.
8. Cologne - I am the one who uses this, especially during times when I need some refreshing.
9. Rubbing Alcohol - We bring a good-sized bottle.
10. Insect Repellant - Although we don't put insect repellant everyday, this is something we carry around all the time.  
11. Baby first-aid and grooming kit -Stuffed with the essentials (nail cutter and nail file, scissors, nasal aspirator, grooming aids), this Tommee Tippee first-aid/grooming kit has been reliable since Y was a newborn.
12. Books and toys - We try to bring a different set of books and toys each time.
13. Baby's water bottle - As Y is already eating table food, we try to bring a bottle of water every time we're going out so that he can drink whenever he wants/after meals. 
14. An insulated lunch bag - I used to use this Pack-It Freezable lunch bag as breastmilk storage, but I found it to small  to contain all my milk, so we now use it as Y's lunchbox instead.

Once in a while, we'll throw in more toys, or reduce the shirts or muslins, depending on the length of our trip/errand.

What's in your toddler's/baby's diaper bag? Feel free to share it in the comments. :)