Mommy Tip: Summer outing bag

Summer is definitely here and it is a great time of the year to go on spontaneous outings. However, every mom (and dad for that matter) knows once that first baby is born spontaneity seems to be the first thing that flies out the window. Even if your child doesn't have a rigorous schedule or is too old or a nap/feeding schedule packing everything you need for even a short day trip can cut the down on the fun-time. So my suggestion is to have a day-trip bag ready to go. If you already carry a diaper bag, you can either update it with these important summer items or have a separate bag with seasonal items so your diaper bag isn't too big or heavy. The summer bag should be kept either in an area to grab easily or in the family car.

Here are the items that should be kept in the bag:

• Sunscreen
• Bug spray/citronella/ or listerine in a spray bottle (in other words something for bugs that you are comfortable using)
• Sun hats (or hats with a brim) for each member of the family. This is especially important for babies who cannot use sunscreen yet or anyone with thin or little hair.
• Antibacterial hand gel
• Antibacterial wipes (such as Wet Ones Antibacterial) baby wipes aren't necessarily antibacterial plus these types of wipes don't tend to sting as badly as first aide antibacterial wipes if you need to clean out a scraped knee or elbow until you can get to soap and water)
• Small First Aide kit containing:

• band-aides (various sizes)
• an antibiotic ointment or spray (such as neosporin)
• cotton balls
• tweezers
• medical tape
• eye drops or eye wash
• benedryl cream and/ or tablets or liquid (depending on your family's needs)

Other things you may want to have in your bag:

• spare clothes for at least the kids if not everyone
• bathing suits
• nonperishable (or long non-refrigerated) snacks (such as jerky, fruit leather/fruit snacks/chews, granola bars, crackers, nuts/trail mix make sure all is age appropriate for your kids)
• empty sippy cup or bottle (if age appropriate)
• packets of water flavor or enchancers (such as mio, crystal light, kool-aide, propel, etc.)

You want to keep some of these items in a special spot your fridge or kitchen hand have a small portable cooler accessible if you will out long or to save money on stopping for drinks to keep your family hydrated.

• water bottles (or refillable water bottles)
• fruit such as apples, oranges and grapes
• other drinks such as juice boxes or soda (IF you normally drink them)

Here are some things you may want to keep in your car trunk so you are always prepared:

• A throw blanket or vinyl table cloth (For some of the many uses for the blanket click here)
• an umbrella or rain ponchos
• plastic grocery bags (for garbage, wet clothes, stinky diapers or countless other uses)
• An old towel or two (you just never know how useful it may prove)
• paper towels and/or facial tissues 

My grandparents were sticklers for hand washing. They lived before antibacterial hand gel and wipes and I'm pretty sure liquid hand soap was invented once they were pretty old. So, they always kept in the trunk of their car an empty milk jug filled with tap water, a nylon stocking with a bar of soap tied inside and a roll of paper towels. That way if your only bathroom was an outhouse, you were going to eat a picnic, pic berries or if you just wanted to clean up you could.