What Are Your Diaper Bag Must-Haves?
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I was updating some older posts and was intrigued to see that a lot of my diaper bag must-haves are still in stock. So I thought it might be a fun discussion — what are the things you keep in your diaper bag (or purse if you don’t have a diaper bag)?
These were a few of my must-have items for my diaper bag…
In addition to the items on the slider above, my must-haves for my diaper bag included:
- Snacks (This was definitely key to my strategies for eating out with kids.)
- Charger for my iPhone (I love this one.)
- A complete other outfit for the kiddo (I loved this random tip I just saw on TikTok!)
- A few loose sheets with printed mazes or coloring — less bulky than a coloring book, and there are a ton of free ones on the Internet; many favorite characters may offer free coloring pages also (e.g., Pete the Cat).
Readers, how about you — what are your diaper bag must-haves? If you’re out of that stage of your kids’ lives, what WERE your diaper bag must-haves? Do tell!
Psst: these are a few of our favorite diaper bags!
Our latest favorite diaper bags for working moms include classics from SkipHop and Petunia Pickle Bottom, as well as some options from brands we love for work bags, including Dagne Dover. For affordable options, check LAND or Amazon seller RUVALINO.
Sales of note for 11.25.24 (Great Black Friday Sales!!)
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Nordstrom – Early Black Friday, up to 60% off — great deals on Natori, Vince, Theory, Boss, Cole Haan, Tory Burch, Rothy’s, and Weitzman, as well as gift ideas like Barefoot Dreams and Parachute — Dyson isn’t marked down at all but you do get 3x points on beauty purchases.
- Ann Taylor – 40% off your purchase, plus extra 15% off full price styles
- Anine Bing – Shop more, save more (spend $200-$300, get an extra 15-25% off)
- A.P.C. – Shop 40% off
- ba&sh – Up to 40% off Fall/Winter styles, including select colors of reader favorite Gaspard & Guspa cardigans (also included in Tuckernuck’s sale)
- Banana Republic Factory – 60% off everything + extra 20% off (or extra 30% off with your Gap Inc credit card) ends 11/26
- Bloomingdales – Take $25 off every $100 you spend on items labeled BLACK FRIDAY; ends 11/24
- Boden – 30% off on 1000s of styles, including reader favorites like this blazer and these dresses
- Cuyana – Free shipping over $95 (and 10% off your first order over $150)
- Demellier – 20% off with code, free worldwide shipping & returns
- Design Within Reach – 25% off sitewide (including reader-favorite office chairs Herman Miller Aeron and Sayl!)
- The Fold – Black Friday, up to 30% off everything
- Eloquii – 50% off everything + extra 10% off $125 or more
- Everlane – Up to 50% off everything
- Furla – Up to 50% off select styles
- J.Crew – Up to 50% off almost everything – LOTS of winter coats 40% off, down to $204-$230
- J.Crew Factory – 50% off everything, plus extra 25% off orders $125+
- Kule – 30% off sitewide
- Kohl’s – Earn $10 Kohl’s Cash for every $50 Spent – includes Travelpro luggage!
- LaLigne – 30% off in their ONLY sale of the year
- Lo & Sons – Up to 70% off – reader favorite laptop tote is under $200
- Macy’s – 20-50% off beauty brands like Clinique and Armani, 50% off designer handbags, 50-75% off sparkly jewelry, and 40-50% off women’s boots
- Mansur Gavriel – Winter sale, up to 60% off
- M.M.LaFleur – “20% off everything” (but exclusions apply)
- Ministry of Supply – 30% off sitewide
- Mulberry – Up to 40% off, including Bayswater, Islington, and more
- Neiman Marcus – Earn a $50-$1250 gift card, including on beauty and fragrance purchases
- Rothy’s – Everything up to 30% off (some also on sale at Nordstrom)
- Shopbop – 25% off storewide with code, including great blazers from Rag & Bone, IRO, Smythe, and select L’Agence (also lots of nice Black Halo dresses)
- Soma – Early Black Friday $29 bra event (up to 50% off)
- Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off, plus free shipping on everything (and 20% off your first order)
- Sue Sartor – Week of Joy sale, 30% off sitewide
- Steelcase – 25% off sitewide, including reader-favorite office chairs Leap and Gesture
- Strathberry – Pre-black Friday, enjoy up to 30% off select styles!
- Stuart Weitzman – Extra 25% off full-price and sale styles
- Talbots – 40% off your entire purchase + daily deals
- Theory – 25% off sitewide + up to 40% off select outerwear
- Tory Burch – 30% off $250+
- Tuckernuck – 20% off sitewide
- Universal Standard – At least 30% off sitewide, up to 70% off all styles
- Victoria’s Secret – 30% off everything, and 7/$35 panties
- White House Black Market – 60% off clearance, 30% off sitewide for WHBM members
- Zappos – 26,000+ women’s sale items! (check out these reader-favorite workwear brands on sale, and some of our favorite kids’ shoe brands on sale)
Kid/Family Sales
- BabyJogger – 30% off sitewide
- BestBuy – Lots of deals on gaming consoles, including PS5, XBox Series X, and more
- Carter’s – 50-60% off entire site and store
- ErgoBaby – 25% off bouncers
- Graco – Up to 30% off sitewide
- Hanna Andersson – 50% off sitewide
- J.Crew Crewcuts – 50% off almost everything, prices marked
- Nordstrom – Lots of deals on Stokke, Maxi-Cosi, BabyJoger, Posh Baby, Silver Cross, and more
- Old Navy – Everything on sale
- SNOO / Happiest Baby – 30% off Snoo, up to 50% off sitewide
And — here are some of our latest threadjacks of interest – working mom questions asked by the commenters!
- The concept of “backup care” is so stupid…
- I need tips on managing employees in BigLaw who have to leave for daycare pickup…
- I’m thinking of leaning out to spend more time with my family – how can I find the perfect job for that?
- I’m now a SAHM and my husband needs to step up…
- How can I change my thinking to better recognize some of my husband’s contributions as important, like organizing the shed?
- What are your tips to having a good weekend with kids, especially with little kids? Do you have a set routine or plan?
Dog poop bags have changed my life. One roll is compact and hardly takes up any room. I keep a roll in the car as well as in the diaper bag- good for dirty diapers, soiled clothes, and general clean-up. Also useful: a muslin swaddle, extra pacifiers, change of clothes, and of course, diapering essentials. For me: phone charger, pen, $20 cash and gum (coffee breath!)
Ya’ll are so prepared. I keep to basics. But always have a spare garbage/grocery bag for dirty stuff.
I’m moving this weekend to a new house, and despite getting some great tips here, because toddler + too many work hours (for my standards, anyways) means I’ve hardly organized. And I’m trying to get an extension on an assignment or I’m going to have to fit in work this weekend too. Feeling so burned out, even though I’m very fortunate to be moving.
Summer infant reusable placemat was amazing for restaurants. I always kept infant tylenol (or motrin once old enough) with a syringe, a muslin swaddle blanket (extra layer, burp cloth, towel for explosive blow-out, so many uses), change of clothes, diaper rash cream, a baby bum spatula for application and a couple of small toys. And disposable changing table liners came in handy when out and about.
in addition to the stuff i listed five years ago (!) i also always kept a couple of these in a ziploc for emergency sink baths. https://www.amazon.com/Johnsons-Baby-Head-Disposable-Washcloths/product-reviews/B00AXMYW22. one box got me through two babies but it was good to know we had it.
Spare pads, tampons, and pantiliners. 3+ plastic bags (usually ziploc, but grocery in a pinch) folded up for wet clothes, old diapers where there was no trash, pacifiers that fell on the ground, etc. Phone charger was also a game changer when I packed it during the 2nd kid. My husband would say “emergency socks” – an adult-sized pair of warm socks that you can use as either baby legwarmers or baby mittens.