The contents have changed since my 2 1/2 year old, Charlie, was a newborn. But a lot has surprisingly stayed the same - there are some things I can no longer be without. As a working mom I decided to make it just a diaper bag rather than a diaper bag/purse, because sometimes I would take my wallet out, forget to put it back in, and not realize it until I was at the store with a shopping cart was full of groceries.

The bag: Fjallraven Kanken Backpack. Being hands-free is lifesaving for a parent. Consider a backpack over a purse — you can thank me later.

Bonus: as my daughter grows she’ll be able to wear it herself.

• Snacks! It’s critically important to have sufficient snacks on hand at all times. I like to use the Green Sprouts bamboo Snack Cups for dried cereal and it's always nice to have a Larabar in there in case Charlie or I need something more substantial.

• Water cup - I love the lids from SipSnap - that way I can fill a little cup for her wherever we are.

• Diapers / Undies - We're in the middle of potty training so I generally have a few pairs of backup undies or pull ups in our bag. When Charlie was in diapers full time we used Earth's Best brand. They don't leak like other diapers, are a great value and were only diapers that didn't cause Charlie to break out into a terrible diaper rash!

• Wipes: I like the Burts Bees wipes because I end up using them for everything—Charlie's face, my face, and everything in between. Charlie has extremely sensitive skin so we splurge on these.

• Desitin: I have tried every diaper cream on the face of this beautiful earth, and this stuff is a miracle. It just works. It might have magic unicorn dust in it.

• Cerave ointment: I use this for Charlie's ezcema. We also have recently been using Hydrolatum (after a recommendation by our doctor,) which is a mix between an ointment and a moisturizing cream.

• Sunscreen: Neutrogena pure + free baby. Very gentle and good for faces. I don't mind using it on myself which is a bonus.

• Baby nail scissors: This little elephant-shaped scissor pack by Rubis kept me sane while trimming my baby's tiny dagger nails. So easy to use. I wish every parent knew about these!

• Hand Sanitizer: I like this spray sanitizer from EO. It smells like lavender. Now that Charlie is using public potties I basically have to bathe her in it when we are done since she touches EVERYTHING.

• Change of clothes: We always keep a spare shirt and pair of shorts in the bag. When Charlie was little it was just a onesie, and if we were going on a flight I would kept a spare shirt in there for me too.

• Sunnies: Baby Gap makes my favorite!

• Toys: You never know when you might need a little car on hand. I also like to have a small pad of paper and colored pencils in case we are eating out.

Check out the other Real Moms who are sharing what's in their bag! The Life Styled, Parker Etc., Living with Leah, Sarah Sherman Samuel, The Effortless Chic

XO

Em