I just about remember the days when leaving the house was easy. I picked up my bag, coat and keys and off I went. Simple!

Oh how things have changed. These days leaving the house is like a military operation and probably requires the same amount of kit. Popping to the shop is no longer popping to the shop – it is half an hour spent collecting everything that baby boy could possibly need, ten minutes changing his nappy and getting him appropriately dressed, 5 minutes getting him in his car seat, another 5 minutes hunting for his dummy before finally getting him in the car and going to the shop. Going out for a whole day needs specialist attention, often requiring a night before packing mission depending on what time we are leaving the next day.

Now that baby boy is eating solid food I can usually get everything I need for a day in 1 bag but when he was on 6 bottles a day I often needed 2! I never realised how much I would need to take just to leave the house for an hour! I need to pack everything just in case it is needed because you just know that the one time I don’t pack a change of clothes is the only time he will throw up all over himself or have a nappy leak. I made the mistake of just ‘nipping out’ without a bottle when baby boy was about 2 months old. Half an hour later I was back at home with a screaming baby boy!

I honestly can’t remember the last time I used my handbag. My keys, purse and phone are now kept in the changing bag. Goodness knows what I used to keep in a handbag! It was always full but I can’t for the life of me think what with!

As baby boy gets older I am honing my leaving the house technique. Who knows, maybe by the time he is at secondary school I will have it nailed!

Do you take everything but the kitchen sink when you leave the house?

Image credit – http://www.hartofthemunchkinpatch.co.uk/2014/04/packing-for-5-days-out-with-kids.html?m=1