I’m a bag lady of sorts. I’m past being embarrassed about it because it works for me. I have most of my own life activities and my kids’ extra curricular activities in separate bags. Many, many bags – because, well, the kidlettes and I have many, many activities and errands to attend and accomplish on a weekly basis…
The following bags are always at the ready in the house: Swimming, Soccer, Skateboarding, Karate, Snacks, Pre-School nap bag, library book bag, on the fly sleep over bag, spare diaper bag, and finally, the “I had an accident” bag with extra clothes for each child (can’t wait to outgrow this one, though living by the beach, sometimes clothes just get sandy and wet.)
These bags are always in the back of my car: Travel potty bag, diaper bag, reusable grocery bags (thanks to California’s state law banning plastic grocery bags), restaurant activity bag (with crayons and travel sized games), bag with extra shoes for both kids (Do your kids leave the house and hop in the car without shoes on? Mine do… ALL THE FRICKIN’ TIME), non-perishable snacks bag.
Whew! And all these bags are separate from my daily diaper bag for the little one which does not always double as my purse for my own crap. So yea, if I included my laptop bag, it seems like wherever I go, I have at least three or four bags on my person.
I know it sounds a bit insane, but here’s how it works for my family. On a moment’s notice, I can grab a bag and go. When the laundry is done, the uniforms and stuff goes straight into the corresponding bag. This way I’m never looking for that rogue soccer sock, those skateboard knee pads nor do I ever forget to bring a towel to swim practice.
No need to be fancy if that’s not your deal. Just make sure your kids know which bag goes with which activity. When I say, “grab your ____ bag, even my almost 2 year old knows which bag I’m talking about because every week, that same bag goes along to that specific activity. It never changes. They know and I know a snack is always in the car (so I never get too hangry) and they are ready to be outfitted for the activity for that day. Done and done.
So what kind of bags do I actually use? Meh, I’m not too picky, but I like to be able to wash the bags on occasion, so I tend to use fabric bags that I made. Except for the reusable grocery bags. Those have been a free for all as of late.
Just a note: Finding the perfect place to store the various bags in the house so they are not out all over the place is important too. Make sure that all the bags are in one place. Preferably hidden behind a lovely hall closet door or in cute baskets in a mud room if you have one. In our current “shoe box” house which has neither a hall closet nor a mud room, the bags live on a low shelf in the kids toy room. Not my ideal, but for now, it works. You bet I definitely designed “bag storage” into our mud hall for the new house though! I find that just how the consistency of ‘which bag is which’ is important, consistently in keeping all the bags in one spot is key.
So go get organized by bagging it all up!
-K
I have made this bag a total of 4 times. Three are in constant use and the other one was gifted. You have to look past the not so cute fabrics shown… I swear, it’s a great size and shape for stashing all sorts of stuff. It also has a magnetic clasp on top to hold things in.
Find the pattern here.
You can get this bag here.