Top Ten Tips on How to put together a ‘Mary Poppins’ bag!
As moms we start with the diaper bag, with grand ideas on ditching the diaper bag as soon as our kiddos are out of diapers. But we don’t. Not really, we move on to either carrying a giant bag or we put together activity bags. You know the drill, you have school bags, church bags, and scout bags, etc. As a homeschool mom I created ‘the bag’ it’s for the days we plan to be out All day, it has the just in case stuff, because, well, when you’re out all day, ‘just in case’ things happen. This bag is jokingly called a ‘Mary Poppins’ bag!
For all our bags we use book bags, reusable grocery totes, canvas totes, it really depends on how much needs to go into it. For example a scout bag needs all the things for the meetings, the book, any supplies, etc, we also story our vest in this bag between activities. Sometimes my kids have backpacks, for school work while we are out and about, Co-op comes to mind because the kids have stuff to take from class to class from week to week. In both these examples the kids are responsible for the contents themselves.
The ‘Mary Poppins’ bag, or ‘The Bag’ is different. It becomes an extension of home, yet, you need to be able to carry it around without killing your back! Here are my top 10 tips for creating a bag that works FOR you!
- Find some small zippered bags in different colors or prints, making them different helps to make it easier to find things.
- At least one clip board, with blank paper attached. It can be a full size clip board, but it can also be a small one.
- First Aid: Take a zippered bag and put in fingernail clippers, a small fingernail file and varies sized brandades, a small roll of tape and alcohol wipes. Feminine products… Plus anything needed if you have allergies to things like bees, etc…
- Art Supplies: Take another zippered bag and put in at least 4 pens, or gel pens, some pencils and colored pencils. One or two crayons, but keep those in a snack sized ziplock (in Tx they are prone to melting). I also like to have some watercolors, and paintbrushes.
- Books: A book of poetry, a chapter book, and a activity book.
- Mini Sewing Kit: You can use a premade kit, or make your own. Add a small magnet if it doesn’t have one already.
- Sunscreen and Pest Control: I like to keep a mini sunscreen, and a face specific sunscreen in my bag along with something as a mosquito repellent, but that is just my area.
- Masks and Disinfectant: We don’t wear masks when we are suppose to be outside exercising, (allowed in our state) but we have them with us just in case they are needed. I like disinfectant sprays and wipes when possible, this allows for multiple use, and less waste.
- Emergency Apparel: What I really mean here is underwear, but also an oversized shirt. Store these as small as possible in a ziplock. I like to pack one of my shirts I don’t care for so that I have one if needed, but anyone in my house could wear it in a pinch.
- Snacks: I like to carry around some crackers and an apple sauce pouch for each of us. (I also keep at least on set of chopsticks and a spork in my bag).
Do you have anything else that you pack in your ‘Mary Poppins’ bag? If so let us know in the comments!
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