UPDATE: Before/After Busy Bag for Younger Kids

This was my original before after school busy bag type of bag for my youngest: 

 and here is the link for that post. I ultimately decided to get rid of the big open tote because I got the Tall Organizing Tote from Thirty One that zipped up.

I downsize a lot because in reality my son just wanted to watch cartoons, have something to drink, and have something to eat. I didn't need toys because I have a box of toys & books in the car. So this new bag just has: a book for me, a bundle of yarn for me to crochet a small project while waiting, a crocheting hook on the outside, a little notebook if my son wants to draw & a pen, a crocheting needle. I always have a drink for me and drink for both my kids and after-school snack for my oldest and I keep this bag packed up with most of time with a Gerber Grabber, fruit snacks, and goldfish or cookies in some sort of little bowl for my youngest to hold.

As a backup distraction I also have a .99 calculator that I bought at Walmart just in case he gets bored with a food, bored with a cartoons and all the other activities I have for him but most of the time he's happy eating and watching cartoons.

I also incorporated this hack from the Krazy Coupon Lady (here) about adding a few school supplies to keep/take in the car daily for those just in case moments and have them as back up like: a pencil, a pen, a pencil/crayon sharper, tissues, and a glue stick.

And that's it I grabbed my purse on one shoulder and a grab this on the other hand we go.

These are just some of the small projects I have made while waiting to pick up my oldest 

Surviving with Two Under 6 At A Hotel

My husband's work was throwing a Parenting Retreat weekend at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel. Beautiful hotel to say the least! We were only there 2 nights, 3 days and we live an hour away so we didn't need to pack too much...just the necessities:

• Stroller
• Pack n Play
• Diapers & Wipes
• Diaper Bag
• Couple changes of clothes per person
• Snacks for my picky eater
• Items for the bathroom (brush, shampoo/conditioner, soap, toothbrushes, makeup etc)
• My kids favorite stuffed animals

This hotel was HUGE! We got lost the first day trying to find our room, then where we were suppose to have our retreat and then where we wanted to eat. This caused a lot of tension between my husband and I but eventually we learned our way around without a map. 

It was a helpful thing that the hotel was so big because there was too many stairs, we didn't use our stroller at all, so we let our kids walk the majority of the hotel to burn off that boundless supply of energy they always have!

We even allowed our kids to run down the hallway to and from our room in order to help with that energy supply. As long as they were not loud, didn't hit any of the doors that were not ours (our oldest can read the numbers now thanks to Kindergarten) or run into people. 

This was our patio from our room, we allowed our kids to play out there with the few cars we packed for them because my kids love their toy cars. Obviously we were watching them from the chairs out there or on the bed. Allowing them to play helped them not be so hyper in our room because they were not confided in one area. 

This was what our room looked like, 2 queen beds, so the first night we decided to put the baby in bed with me and our oldest slept with my husband. That night was TERRIBLE! I got no sleep because the baby kept getting up or rolling around and I barely slept in fear of him rolling off the bed. So the next day for nap time I had my husband bring up the pack n play because our youngest was so fussy and tired! 

He slept for an hour like that while our oldest sat on a bed with his tablet and headphones and my husband and I ate cheesecake out on our patio with the door cracked. That night we moved the pack n play in between our beds and after our youngest fell asleep in bed with my husband and our oldest while I was showering, he was so tired that when I picked him up to transfer him to his crib, he didn't move at all and slept til almost 2 AM! By that time we where both so tired, our youngest had woken up and hit my husband and I picked him up and put him in bed with me. That night he slept better. We all did thank goodness! The hotel had Starbucks and we took full advantage of that caffeine! 

No our youngest is not peeing in the fountain! Lol but this water / fountain show was a huge help in getting them to settle down and eat. They were so focused on watching the water that we all ate in peace. They are normally nuts, running around or yelling/crying when we go out to eat with them (even with all these Tips) so this distraction was a blessing for a quiet dinner. 

It's stressful being taken out of our normal routines, being away from our beds and throwing kids into the mix is just the cherry on top of the big stressful cake that is parenting. Trying to keep to a nap/bed time routine, allow your kids to burn off energy any (safe) way possible and try to have fun together. It's hotel and you're on vacation: ENJOY YOURSELF! 

What's In My Purse?

This is my current purse: it is a Thirty One Retro Metro tote that I bought through Ebay. I love how spacious it is! On the outside you can see I have my hand sanitize from Bath and Body Works in Stress Relief (being a mom I need clean hands and a clear head) and my Peter Pan Pin.

Inside I have a purse organizer that I saw on Pinterest and just had to have! It holds everything I need! I will admit that it doesn't work as well as I envisioned it would but for now it works okay.

Here is the insert out of my bag. As you can see it has a large middle pocket, 2 zipper pockets and mesh pockets on the sides. 

On this side I have (from left to right) my tissue, my breath mints, my Victoria Secret Bombshell roll on perfume, Bath and Body Works Georgia Peach travel body lotion, Baby Lips in Peach tinted lip balm and orange tic-tacs.

On the flip side I have only my store loyal cards on a key ring (Pin from Pinterest!) and my Belle notepad.

From the middle I have my pill case that houses 6 different medicines I might need when I'm out and about (pepto bismol tablets for both me and my kids, Aleve, off brand of Sudafed, Dramamine, Imodium and Allergy medicine) my Dave's Ramsey Financial Peace Envelope system (I have my grocery money, money for diapers and wipes, money for going out as a family and money to spend when family is visiting)  and my Perfect Cents Wallet from Thirty One. 

Inside my Perfect Cent Wallet I have a pen, my gift cards, bank cards, zoo membership card, and a few loyal cards that I use often. It has 4 pockets I can put money and I often separate my money on the left: top has my money to spend freely and underneath it goes the money I use for gas. On the right hand side has pictures of my family. 

These are the contents of my "Just in Case" bag. I have two compact mirrors (not sure why I have two but I do and the Peter Pan one doesn't stay in this bag, it lives in one of the side pockets on the outside of my purse), sunscreen, a Peter Pan Power Bank with cord, Tide 2 Go Pen, a mini lighter, 3 extra lip care items (2 are lipstick and one is chap-stick but not the shimmery one I have in my purse, in case I don't want the color or my husband needs some), a tiny tube of tinted moisturizer, a tiny tube of fountain, a travel sized mascara in black and a small thing of cream blush that I can use as eye shadow as well, travel sized finger nail clippers, extra hair ties and bobby pins and a small safety pin (which yes I actually have used this a few times when I needed to keep my dress from showing too much in the front 😉). 

This is one of the zipper pockets and it just has my headphones wrapped around a clip and a small USB charger that I can use to charge my phone (with that small cable from the "Just In Case" bag), I can charge my power bank or charge my Ipod (that cable is in the car unless I'm not driving then I take it with me). 

This Retired Metro Retro Tote has the key holder on the inside. My car is key-less and we always go in through the garage so I don't need to have my keys out and ready but having them on this hook makes sure they don't fall into the purse and get lost)

Hiding way in there is my Ipod and normally my phone in the outer pocket closest to me. 

I like that this Metro Retro Tote has a tag thing on the outside, I hook my sunglasses to it when they are not on my head. That way they don't get lost or broken!

And that's what I have in my purse with me at all times! You never know what you will need or when so I have always thought it best to be prepared for anything!