Whats In My Diaper Bag?

Back when Baby A was a newborn, I literally carried everything, including the kitchen sink. Overpacker was my middle name. I was a new mom and really had no clue what I was doing, so if it was a baby product, you could pretty much count on it being in my diaper bag. As Baby A got bigger, I started carrying less, and my diaper bag became less chaotic. Being the mom of a one year old little boy, I've found that I can carry the essentials and that's it. No more heavy diaper bag, no more broken shoulder. So what's in my diaper bag?

Let's go through a virtual  tour shall we?

Click on the photo to enlarge and better see the items & their number.

That's everything. Seems like a normal amount of stuff right? I have everything that I will need for a short outting, 2-3 hours max. Essentials for me and Baby A, that's it. No nonsense or "well, maybe I'll need it" items. That's the key to an organized diaper bag, only bring what you need. The second key to an organized diaper bag, pouches! If you can organize your smaller things into pouches then you will always know where what you're looking for is at and you won't have things floating around your bag with the potential to get lost or fall out. Now, lets look at things a little bit closer!

1. My handmade yellow & gray pouch.

1A. Wet Ones/Sanitizing Wipes. 

These are a must have for me. There's nothing I hate more than dirty restaurant tables and these are a lifesaver!

1B. A mini bottle of sunscreen!

You never know when you just may end up at a park!

1C. Hyland's Baby Teething Tablets. 

If your babies toofers hurt, you'll want to relieve the pain as quickly as possible!

2. A Large Coin Purse.

I carry Baby A's insurance card and immunization record in a large coin purse and keep in the diaper bag, that way if anyone aside from me has my sweet baby boy, they always have those two things on them!

3. My Wallet.

4. See Photo Below

5. My Keys.

6. Hand Lotion.

7. Cell Phone.

8. Sunglasses.

4. My handmade pink demask pouch.

4A. Gum.

You never know when you'll need to freshen your breath!

4B. Pepper Spray.

You can never be to safe.

4C. Hand Sanitizer.

4D. Lip Products!

Chap sticks, lip glosses, and lipstick.

4E. A Pen

Just because every single time you need a pen, you never have one. Now you always will.

9. A wet bag.

10. Baby wipes case filled with wipes.

11. Diaper, as you can see, we use cloth.

12. Sippy Cup.

13. Itzy Ritzy Snack Bags

If I plan on being out of the house for more than 3 hours I always bring a full meal for Baby A, because lets face it, most of the time you plan to be gone "a few hours" you're gone all day long. For lunches I usually will pack Baby A a sandwich or a bunch of sliced fruits, crackers, and what not. Depending on if the meal needs to stay cold, I will pack his lunch in one of the following...

14. Itzy Ritzy Lunch Pail

15. Similac Insulated Bag

Put in an ice pack and you're good to go for several hours!

Whats in your diaper bag?

Petunia Pickle Bottom's City Carryall Review

As discussed prior, I am a bag wh*re. I hoard bags like some women hoard shoes. I just love them. Hand bags, diaper bags, reusable tote bags, I really don't care what kind of bag it is, if it's cute, I'll probably try to buy it. It's a sickness I swear. When my favorite diaper bag company came out with their newest style of bag, the City Carryall, I just had to try it. One problem....I'm cheap, I don't like to pay retail for bags, and honestly it's not as though I had an extra $160 laying around. So I lusted, and lusted, and kept my fingers crossed, and attempted to save my pennies (yeah right), and I lusted some more. Then I got lucky. I won a $100 Amazon gift card. Then it was Christmas, and Mr. Hunky gave me some "Christmas Cash" to buy whatever I wanted (I was under strict instruction not to spend it on groceries, household items, or the baby). It was my green light. My push in the direction to buy the City Carryall. So that's exactly what I did.

Being that it is a new style of bag, a lot of buzz has been circulating in the Petunia Pickle Bottom chat and buying pages that I am a member of on Facebook. Some loved it, some hated it, some were skeptical. If you are familiar with Petunia Pickle Bottom, or PPB as I will refer to it as from here on out, the City Carryall is said to be a cross between the Boxy and the Touring Tote. Ironically, I dislike both of those styles of bags. So why the heck was I buying a City Carryall? Because I am a bag wh*re.

Lets talk about the City Carryall.

I love this bag. I didn't think I would love it, in fact I was very nervous while waiting for it to arrive and I had convinced myself that I would return it, but as soon as I ripped open the box, I fell in love. This print I found on Amazon and was instantly smitten, I had never seen it before for sale anywhere else and I was excited to had found such a gem. It's name is Sicilian Soriee (appropriate since I am part Sicilian), the bag itself is black and white, and as you can see it has that red embroidered section in the middle of the bag. It's such a versatile bag whether you are going casual or out to a fancy dinner, this bag can play your outfit up or down which is perfect for daily use. The bag is glazed which means that it is water resistant, not to be confused with water proof as many women think the bag is. It is not. If you submerge your bag into water, your belongings will get wet. Water Resistant. Not proof!

The bag takes on the familiar feature of the boxy by having the changing station zipped onto the front of the bag. This is the feature that I thought I would for sure hate, but in fact it doesn't bother me at all and I actually sort of like it. Because of the pattern and colors, when you look directly at the bag you won't notice the front compartment at all unless you are close up whereas on other patterns it is more noticeable. A lot of mommy's love the fact that they can store their changing pad, wipes case, diapers, and ointments in the front of their bag rather than inside. I will admit that it saves room, but it isn't a selling point for me.

The pockets in this front area are quite fantastic though and if you choose to forgo using it as a changing station as I have, you can conveniently store your child's toys, your "mommy items" or whatever else you choose to in those three pockets. My kindle fits perfectly and so does Baby A's toys that we take with us everywhere.

If you do chose to not use the front area as a changing station, or if your child is potty trained, the changing pad actually unattaches quickly and effortlessly as it is secured by a strip of velcro! It is noisy though so don't take the changing pad off around a sleeping baby!

In a diaper bag I have to have lots of pockets for organization. I cannot handle bags that are bottomless pits and eat your keys. We all have had a diaper bag or purse that has done that, right? One minute your keys are there, the next, your bag has eaten them. Or even worse, it's eaten your phone. I really can't handle when my bag eats my phone. The City Carryall offers TONS of pockets inside and out of the bag. As you saw above, the front changing station houses two medium pockets and one small pocket. Outside of the bag you have four additional pockets, two side "sippy cup" pockets, or if you're like me, one sippy cup pocket and one sunglasses pocket, as well has having two pockets on the back of the bag. Inside the bag you have two large pockets, one zippered pocket (I was surprised to find that it is actually very deep!), two bottle pockets, and of course your main compartment. Needless to say, I find this bag very easy to organize!

The City Carryall offers three different carrying options; shoulder (like a purse), messenger, and on the stroller. My biggest issue with this bag is that it does not come with stroller clips, you have to purchase those additionally. The bag's straps are made out of nylon seat belt material and it is comfortable to carry both on the shoulder and as messenger, however, if you stuff your bag full it will get heavy and not be as comfortable to carry on your shoulder. For this bag I will primarily carry it on my shoulder, but I am 99.9% sure that I will be taking this bag with me while I travel next month and for that I will carry it messenger!

Simply detach the messenger strap and attach your stroller hooks!

Now, as much as I like this bag, it's not perfect. It's close (in my opinion), but the thing that drives me absolutely nutty about this bag is the main zipper. I love that this bag zips closed to ensure that your belongings don't fall out or no one swipes your wallet, but the flaps from the zipper get in the way when I'm taking things in and out. I realize that it is something that I need to get over and overlook, but for some reason, it just drives me batty! It's really not that big of deal though, I'm just fussy!

So what the heck does this bag hold? This bag holds a lot. I tend to be an over packer, even for just a quick grocery run. I like to keep my bag packed so that I can grab it and go, with the exception of throwing in snacks and a sippy. Tomorrow I will have a post about what exactly I carry in my diaper bag, being the mom of a one year old boy, so you can see in detail what my essentials are, but for now I will just give you a glimpse into my bag!

Want to see it all packed up?

I was even able to shove my ipad in there!

Here's a picture of the City Carryall completely packed up, from the side, so that you can see how "thick" it gets. 

Overall I am very pleased with the City Carryall and I highly recommend this bag to any momma who wants a fashionable bag that will last even past when her children are out of diapers. 

I hope you enjoyed this review on Petunia Pickle Bottom's City Carryall!

*This review is 100% original and in my own words. Everything written is from my own personal view point and opinions, what works for me, may not work for you. All photos have been taken by me unless stated otherwise. I have been not been provided with product to review by Petunia Pickle Bottom nor have I been compensated monetarily for this review.

Beef Stroganoff

Wondering what to do with that left over roast that you made way to much of? I was too a few nights ago and I realized one thing that I've never had before is beef stroganoff! I set off to find a recipe that didn't require to much work and would still taste phenomenal. After searching Pinterest and Google and not really settling on a recipe that I liked, I decided to just create my own. I mean, I had just read over 20 recipes so why not? 

It turned out soooooooooooooooo good if I do say so myself. Mr. Hunky loved it and said he would like this to become a regular meal in our household. It's quick prep and easy to make, plus it's hearty so it will fill you up and keep your family full. 

What You Need:

1-2 Pounds of Cooked Roast (we used Chuck Roast)

1 Package of Egg Noodles

3 Slices of Bacon

2 Tablespoons of butter

1 Can of Mushroom Soup

1 Can of Beef Broth

1/4 Cup of Sour Cream

1/2 Chopped White Onion

Salt & Pepper to Taste

What You Need To Do:

Boil your water and add in your egg noodles when the water is boiling. Turn down to medium/low and let them cook. The noodles will cook quickly so make sure that you are keeping an eye on them. Drain and set aside. In a deep pan, cook your bacon slices until they are nice and crispy! While the bacon is cooking, chop your onion. When the bacon is finished, remove the slices from your pan and transfer them to your cutting board to cool. Using the same pan, melt your butter and brown your onions to until they are soft and caramelized. While they are browning, remove the fat from your roast and cut it into small, bite sized chunks. Cut the bacon into small pieces as well.

When the onions are finished browning, add your beef broth, mushroom soup, sour cream and mix together with a wooden spoon until they are smooth. Add in the roast and bacon and cook everything together on low until it is visibly hot or lightly boiling. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Remove stroganoff from heat and combine with the noodles. Serve with a nice ceaser salad and enjoy!

Print Place Review & Giveaway

Are you a small business owner? Entrepreneur? Just want your own business card? Then Print Place is for you!

Photo Credits: Print Place

When you think of getting business cards made, I'm sure that one of the first places that pops into your mind is Vista Print. Am I right? Well say bye-bye to to that thought because I'm about to introduce an awesome printing website to you right this very minute! 

Print Place is a user-friendly website that specializes in high quality, full color printing. Your proof will be instantly generated so that you can easily view, edit, and order the project that you are working on. From brochures to postcards, letterheads to door hangers, Print Place offers all of your printing needs in one convenient location so that you can spend your time effectively and efficiently.

When I was contacted to do a review for Print Place my first thought was "but a blogger doesn't need business cards"! And then the light bulb turned on. Rather than a business card, why not make a post card that advertised both my blog and my Etsy boutique? I started designing a post card that really embodied who I was and what I did, something not to elaborate but that accurately showed what I love. Confession: I'm horrible at graphic design. I thought my design looked decent, but it wasn't amazing. After spending as much time as I could afford to on it, I proofed it, and sent it over to Anna, the amazing Print Place representative helping me, to get her opinion and to get it printed. Here's the original:

It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't amazing either, and it sure didn't look as professional as I would have liked it to have looked. Clearly needing assistance, Anna sent my idea to the design team and they set to work creating the perfect postcard for me. When I had the proof sent back to me I was absolutely astounded. What the design team at Print Place came up with absolutely blew me out the water. They took the time to go to my websites and check out the inventory of my boutique and the content of my blog to use for the postcard and put together something that truly captured them both.

When my postcards arrived I was really excited to rip open the box and check them out. The first thing I noticed about them was the quality. The color is vibrant and just as they are in the photos on my websites, the postcards were printed on professional postcard paper, you can really tell that it isn't just some cheap card stock picked up at a random office supply store. The fonts that they chose are very clear and easy to read and I absolutely loved that they matched the Mommys Craft Obsession side to what the blog looks like.  The postcards are printed front and back so one side exclusively displays my Etsy boutique while the other side exclusively displays my blog. I love them!

Didn't Print Place do an excellent job?

If you're looking for great quality work, prices within budget, and amazing customer service then you are going to want to convert your printing needs to Print Place. Whether you're looking to use a template or create a completely custom design, Print Place's website is straight forward and easy to use even to those who may not be very computer savvy. If you have any questions at all their customer service team is there to help and they will work with you to create the look that you have in your mind. Without question I will be working with Print Place from here forward whenever I need business cards, post cards, and everything in between.

Click HERE to be redirected to the Print Place to get your project started!

Want to win your own business cards or postcards?

Print Place wants to give one TWO lucky winners 250 Business Cards OR Postcards!

This is the perfect opportunity for one lucky reader to send greetings to family and friends, promote her business with postcards or update her business cards for the coming year. 

Option 1 - 250 free business cards

14pt. cover, gloss 2 sides

4 color front, empty back

Option 2 - 250 free postcards

Size 4x6

10pt. cover, gloss 2 sides

4 color both sides

Enter Below

The Giveaway will close late on the evening of January 11th. The winner will be chosen at random through Rafflecopter which uses Random.org. The winner will be announced both on Rafflecopter as well as MCO’s  and Thrifty Nifty Mommy's Facebook. The winner will be contacted by Print Place. Must be 18 years and older. Mommys Craft Obsession and Thrifty Nifty Mommy are not responsible for the prize shipment.

*This review is 100% original and in my own words. Everything written is from my own personal view point and opinions, what works for me, may not work for you. All photos have been taken by me unless stated otherwise. I have been provided with product to review by Print Place however I have not been compensated monetarily for this review.


Two winners have been chosen! Congrats to Alexis Janiszewski and Maryann Drapkin!

It'll Happen to You

When raising a baby, you're bound to have a few laughs along the way. As your baby grows, you grow as well. You'll quickly learn what works and what doesn't work, and you'll be fast at everything. Like, really fast. I still get compliments on how quickly I can change my sons diaper. Baby A is now 15 months old (holy smokes, how did that happen?) and along this journey we've had our fair share of mishaps, most of them involving pee pee or trying to eat random things. Most of which are hysterical. It'll happen to you, I promise.

If you have a boy, he's going to pee on everything.
He will pee on your hand.
He will pee on himself, more specifically, his face.
He will pee on the dog.
He will pee on the cat.
He will pee in the tub, and if he's like my son, he will laugh as he's doing it.

Your child will always poop when you least expect it.
They will have an explosion in the car.
In the bathtub.
They'll probably even poop on the carpet when you let them run down the hallway to their room.
You will have to change their outfit more than twice in one day because, you guessed it, it will be covered in poop.

Your child will try to eat everything.
Lint.
Dog food.
Crayons.
Remotes.
Sticks.
Dirt.
Old Cheerios found in the couch.
Things you can't even identify what the heck they are.

Your little one is going to hurt you, I promise.
They will poke you in the eye.
Pinch you.
Stick they're fingers up your nose.
Jam them into your mouth.
They'll hit you.
And they will always, always poke you in the eyes to wake you up while you're asleep next to them.

Along with the good comes the bad, the hysterical, and the nerve racking, the unexpected, and the joy. Just when you think you've got this parenting thing down, they're going to throw you throw a loop. I promise, no I guarantee, it'll happen to you.

Kickin' It Off With Cloth!

I am excited to announce that the month of January I will be participating in the "Kickin' It Off With Cloth" hosted by Thrifty Nifty Mommy! There will be many members of the Thrifty Nifty Mommy Blogger Network will also be participating which means that there will be more fun for you! January will feature helpful tips, tutorials, reviews and of course, giveaways, for all things cloth!

Some of the companies participating include:

• Grovia AIO Diaper (Provided by Up On The Hill)
• Bunnys Fluffy Bum
• My Tajo's
• Tender Tushies Review & Giveaway
• Lusa Organics (Provided by Kissed by the Moon)
• Loo-Hoo (Formerly Wooly Rounds) Wool Dryer Balls
• Boogie Bear Creations
• Pink Lemonade Shop (mama cloth)
• Dropps Baby Laundry Drops
• Mamajewel's Handmade Jems
• Rockin Green Femme Rock
• Softbums
• EcoBubs Diaper
• Woolzies Dryer Balls
• Cozy Fluff Cloth Diapers
• Crunchy Shop
• Rump Arounds
• Luv Earth Cloth Diapers
• SMQ Organics
• Wild Mountain Mommies
• BumGenius Elemental (Provided by Dearest Diapers)
• Smart Snugs
• Ladybug on a Pug (Cloth Wipes)
• Rock-a-Thigh Baby
• Willow With Love
• Ecobloomers
• CrazyLeggies Wool Cover

The fun kicks off on January 1st, don't miss it!

*If you would like to feature your product/store during the "Kicking It Off With Cloth" event, send an email to me at mommyscraftobsession@gmail.com!

Bottle Pets Review & Giveaway

Winners have been chosen for this giveaway! Congrats to Kelly Tanner, Corene Hutchings, Deborah Neal, Jennifer Honacker, and Bekah Kuczenski!

Does your little love their bottle? Do they love stuffed animals? Then they'll absolutely love Bottle Pets! 

Photo Credits: Bottle Pets

Bottle Pets was created by two moms who wanted to turn an ordinary feeding into a fun and unique event for their little ones. Bottle Pets are adorable baby bottle covers that fit on most bottles and they conveniently insulate the liquid in side the bottle as well. For moms convenience, they are machine washable and they double as a fun cuddly toy while not on your little ones bottle!

When asked to do a review for Bottle Pets I knew immediately that Baby A would love it. He loves his stuffed animals and thinks that they are the funniest thing in the world, seriously, he laughs his little baby booty off every time he looks at them. I knew Bottle Pets would make his morning and evening bottle a fun event. When my package arrived from Bottle Pets I was excited to find that they generously sent us two of them try out! Dylan the Octopus and Bailey the Cow! 

Dylan the Octopus

 Bailey the Cow

Baby A has always used Playtex VentAir bottles so I kept my fingers crossed would be one of those included in the "fits most" description of the Bottles Pets. I was very pleased that they did! I was skeptical that it would fit snugly around the bottle since compared to most, the Playtex VentAir is oddly shaped, being that it is thin and has a curve at the top. I thought that because of the curve of the bottle, the Bottle Pet would move around or not completely surround the bottle for insulation purposes, but I was wrong! The bottle sat securely inside of the Bottle Pet and Baby A's milk was kept warm while he drank his bottle.

I held out both of the bottle pets and let Baby A choose which one he wanted on his evening bottle, and he couldn't stop smiling when I showed him Bailey the Cow! Needless to say, Bailey was the winner and the Bottle Pet of choice. When I first presented Baby A's bottle to him with the Bottle Pet on, he sort of looked at me like I was crazy. He was hesitant to take the bottle from me and when he finally did, he wasn't sure how to hold onto it. For the first five minutes I could tell that he was confused since he wasn't really drinking the bottle, but once I took the bottle out, showed it to him, and then put it back into the Bottle Pet he understood that it was in fact his bottle and that it just had a cute stuffed animal around it! Typically it takes Baby A around 5-10 minutes to finish his bottle and with the Bottle Pet it took him around 20 minutes to finish it because he kept stopping, looking at the Bottle Pet, putting it into his lap, laughing at it, and looking at me to see if I was watching him (which of course I was!). Baby A seemed to really enjoy his Bottle Pet and I loved seeing that it made him smile. 

Overall I think that Bottle Pets are a fun addition to your household and are perfect for an end of the day smile. Bottle Pets would make great gifts for baby showers, first birthdays, holiday gifts, and even just because! Baby A loves his Bottle Pets on and off of his bottles!

Click HERE to go shopping for your own Bottle Pet!

Want to win a bottle pet for your little one?

Bottle Pets wants to give FIVE (5) Lucky Winners a Bottle Pet of their choice!

Photo Credits: Bottle Pets

The Giveaway will close late on the evening of January 9th. The winner will be chosen at random through Rafflecopter which uses Random.org. The winner will be announced both on Rafflecopter as well as MCO’s  and Thrifty Nifty Mommy's Facebook. The winner will have their prize sent to them by Bottle Pets Must be 18 years and older. Mommys Craft Obsession and Thrifty Nifty Mommy are not responsible for the prize shipment.

*This review is 100% original and in my own words. Everything written is from my own personal view point and opinions, what works for me, may not work for you. All photos have been taken by me unless stated otherwise. I have been provided with product to review by Bottle Pets however I have not been compensated monetarily for this review.