Hi!


I'm Shay! I’m a cookbook author, lifestyle blogger, travel agency owner, wife and mama who loves making every day special for my family.

Read more

Mix & Match Mama

Friends, Shades of Shay, Shay ·

Fifty Two Shades of Shay: Inside my mom bag


Before I start my post today, I wanted to thank everyone for your sweet IG messages and emails!  Yesterday morning, the kiddos and I were in a car accident but we are all okay (my car on the other hand is toast!).  It was scary but thankfully, no one was seriously injured.  Thank you for your prayers!!

********************************************************************
I have been meaning to do this Shade of Shay for months and months.  So many times, I get asked about what I carry in my bag, what I can’t leave home without and what I used to carry in my diaper bag…basically, what stuff do I haul around to keep myself and those two little munchkins of mine happy?

Once upon a time, I used to leave the house with my credit card, some lip gloss and my phone.  My little purse was nice and light and the only thing I thought about when shopping for one was which color looked best with my shoes.  
And then I had kids.
And now I carry around a bag.
And said bag must carry any and everything that my kids and I might need while we’re away from home.
And I still want it to look cute.
But it needs to be really functional.

Here is my bag today…

And a closer look at the contents…

…this is pretty typical.  On an average day, I always carry my phone, charger, wallet, business cards, sunglasses, antibacterial, Band-Aids, mints, makeup bag with a few essentials Kleenex and pens.  During a busy season or a crazy day, I carry my day planner, a snack and something to read (I love finding little moments throughout the day to read!).

I had this post on my mind Sunday morning at church and looked around and saw all of my friends with their mom bags too.  After church, I started asking everyone what they had inside and several of the ladies emptied their contents right on the church floor for all to see (even husbands were standing and watching in amazement as we sorted through these bags).  Just look…it’s hysterical what we moms carry around!

This is sweet Andrea’s bag (you guys all know my dear friend Andrea!).  A few months ago, Andrea blogged about all of the crazy things she carries in her bag and how as a working mom of three, her bag is always a hot mess.  I actually thought on Sunday, her bag was toned down just a bit.  Yes, she had a denim jacket inside her bag along with M&Ms and two pairs of sunglasses…but compared to a few months ago, that’s practically empty :).

My friend Amber emptied her random contents too…

…she had candy corn leftover from Halloween, an Arby’s straw (she said she cannot remember the last time she ate at Arby’s), nail clippers, a plastic cup and little sparkle stickers.

But the winner of the most random bag contents (and this was also one of the most hilarious 10 minutes of my life) went to my friend Courtney and her bag…

Where do we begin???  She has a huge container of vitamins (I mean really…look at that thing!), 3 bottles of Advil, a pair of scissors, candy, a cross, a tape measure, an “organizer”, the bag strap was in there, an inhaler, gum, more candy, mints, pens, and on and on and on.  This is a mom’s bag.  This is what moms carry around every day :).  She even had this in there…

…her daughter’s tooth and a note to the tooth fairy :).  

And then there is Erika…

…I asked Erika what she brought to church on this day and all she had with her was her coffee cup.  What?!?!  She is a mom of three small kids!  We were flabbergasted!  Where was her phone?  Her lip gloss?  Her Band Aids and scissors?  At home she said.  Sigh.  Some moms have it figured out without a bag :).

I’m a big believer in totes for mom bags.  They’re functional, they’re classic, they’re sturdy and they hold everything!

Here are some totes I love right now that look cute but can also hold all of your “stuff”. Best part?  They’re all under $120!
Black & White, Navy & Red, Straw Tote, Pink Tote, Navy & White Stripe

How cute are these?!?!  Love them!

My tote (pictured above) was from last summer and is no longer available but this Summer Blue Stripe version is from this year and on sale right now!  Love it!  And if you really love my navy and white tote, make sure you check out my Navy & White post from Friday…I do adore me some nautical colors!
My pink wallet (pictured above) was a gift from my sweet cousin Brooke last year.  I always love pulling out a fun wallet in a bright color.  Here are some other pink choices…
Smaller Pink Wallet, Fancy That Wallet, Zip Phone Wallet
If you’re more of a crossbody bag person, I did a post on my love for the crossbody bag here.
I obviously love my crossbody bags too :).
As for diaper bags…I had two babies both in diapers for two years.  I had to carry with me a bottle and a sippy cup plus diapers in two different sizes, snacks, change of clothes (x2) and so on for a solid 2 years.  When I was using diaper bags, I was all about function!  
Here is the exact bag I had with my two babies…
…I just loved my Skip Hop Diaper Bag!!  If it weren’t in storage right now, I would pull it out and photograph how loved it was!  If you click here you can see all of the pockets and inside angles.  I loved that it was black (not screaming “baby” and Andrew didn’t look silly carrying it), I loved that it had two places for bottles/sippy cups, I loved the pockets, I loved the zip closure, I loved every.single.detail of this bag!
So, there you have it girls.  You asked to peak inside my bag and I’ve let you peak :).  Thank you to my sweet friends for spontaneously dumping the contents of their bags on the floor of church too (those are some awesome friends!).
Dinner tonight…
…Spinach Chicken Enchiladas!
My simple and quick version of a classic enchilada dinner.
It’s a great day!  See you tomorrow!
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

You’ll Also Love

Perfection
June Pinspired
#shayeveryday2013 Week 19

Comments

  1. Sheaffer {Pinterest Told Me To} says

    SUCH A FUN POST!
    I'm laughing the most about Courtney's scissors! WHAT THE HECK? Just in case she has a craft emergency? I bet it was so funny listening to her talk about everything! And your MK striped tote is fab….but what I want the most? The diaper bag! Seriously! Maybe I should have another baby…
    😉

  2. MorganizewithMe says

    Great post, fun to see what others have in their purses! Those enchiladas look yummy too! Glad you and your babies are all OK. xoxo

  3. Blue-Eyed Bride says

    I always love to see what people have in their bags! Mine is always full of receipts and church bulletins.

  4. Tab & Erika says

    That was SO MUCH FUN!! I don't have it figured out…I just know that Courtney will have anything me or any of my three kiddos might need in her bag. ha!!

  5. Slightly Askew Designs says

    I'm laughing JUST as hard now as I was on Sunday. CRACKING UP!!! Bagless Erika confuses me way more than the contents of Courtney's bag… and the fact that Amber is carrying around an Arbys straw but she can't remember when she ate at Arbys is pretty much the best thing ever. LOVED this post!!!
    (PS – I looked back at my post earlier about my bag… and I'm pretty sure that if you didn't know me in person (and even if you did) that after looking at the contents of my bag you'd think I was legitimately nuts). #awesome

  6. Lindsay D. says

    I only "follow" you here as I am behind the times with no Facebook or instagram. I'm sorry to hear about your car accident!! Thank goodness you are all ok!!

    Love this post!! I am a bag girl and love to see what people carry and what's inside their bags! 🙂

  8. Annie Cox says

    I am so organized and clean at home but my husband always jokes that I hide the mess in my purse. My purse is always a catch all for everything and never organized. Most of what is in my purse is receipts and gum wrappers because my 4 year old steals my gum and throws the wrapper in my purse instead of the garbage!

  9. Baby Kate's Mom says

    My bag most resembles your friend Courtney's, so much randomness in there. But no one has hair ties? With a little girl & having longish hair myself I probably have 10 assorted hair ties & a few hair clips in my bag. Also there was a bag of fruit snacks in there for months & I ate them last week while in the middle of a snack attack at the office lol.

  10. Erin Shell ~ Living A Love Song says

    I definitely need a mom bag and these are all adorable! My mother-in-law is the type of woman who has EVERYTHING you could ever need in her bag. Scissors and tape measurer included. It cracks me up! I loved this post!

  11. Dani {Adventures of a Pharm Girl} says

    So glad y'all are ok! This post explains a lot…I usually only have things like my phone and wallet and maybe an umbrella. But my mom…oh my she has everything for the 'just in case moments' hahaha so thankful you guys know to bring things like band-aids to church!
    Thanks for sharing!
    x Dani

  12. Shelby says

    I have a 2 year old and a 1 year old – I would also highly recommend the diaper bag backpack! Mine is by JuJuBe. Not only does it hold A TON of stuff and have places for the sippys etc., but it is really nice to be completely hands free when I am constantly bending over or holding a baby while also trying to corral a toddler!

  13. Liz says

    What a funny post! My bag is ALWAYS a hot mess. I think I have about a million receipts, Chipotle napkins and other randomness. I am glad you all weren't hurt yesterday and good thing your hubby is in the insurance biz. I bet that will make things somewhat easier. Have a great week!

  15. Narci says

    Haha! Oh, I missed some fun on Sunday-I got stuck in my classroom during the 2nd hour. JUST YESTERDAY, I was thinking about your navy and white striped bag and thinking about how I should have gotten one for myself! I think this is totally a sign that I need that aqua and white one now! Great post, friend!

  16. Lana says

    Oh my goodness – this is the first I heard of your car accident! SO glad you are all okay – your car can be replaced but you all cannot :)!

  17. Lana says

    Oh my goodness – this is the first I heard of your car accident! SO glad you are all okay – your car can be replaced but you all cannot :)!

  18. {Hi Sugarplum!} says

    I love cleaning out my bag and finding all the randomness!!! This was a fun post…and yes, I'm a big ole tote bag person. Unless I'm traveling, then it's a tiny crossbody. Glad you guys are safe and sound, and I hope not too sore today!!!

  19. Haley @ Cupcakes and Sunshine says

    Love that navy and white bag!!!! SO much! And my Erin Condren planner is on its way!! I can not wait for it to get here. I've been on an organizing/planning spree!

  20. Tiffany {A Touch of Grace} says

    What a fun post! I love seeing what women carry in their bags. Since I still sometimes carry a diaper bag for my daughter, I don't carry a purse, so I've learned to need a lot less for myself. I definitely could use a new tote though. 🙂

  21. Erin Stinson says

    I'm so glad to hear you all are okay after your accident. The Lord had His angels surrounding you!

    I am not a mom, but I loved this post and the random things we all have in our purses. I decided to dump my purse contents out to see what I really carried around with me: wallet, keys, phone, ipad, erin condren planner, charger, sunglasses, hair tie, nail file, eye drops, listerine mouth spritz, chapstick, pen, headphones, tampon, and a tiny bag with assorted headache medicines that might or might not have expired. I can't imagine how much these contents will grow if I ever have children. I just might need two bags!

  22. Laurie S says

    Hi Shay – great post, and funny too! Hope you and the kids are not sore from the accident.

    I am not a mom, but my purse could qualify for a "mini-mom" bag. Mine is about the "just in case" meds – hubby gets sudden bad headaches, brother has food allergies, and I have skin rashes. I also am a list-maker and note jotter, so pad and pen are also in the mix. Wish I could streamline my purse just a bit… My friends think I could win a game show with everything I carry!

    Have a great day!

  23. Jaclyn Johnson says

    Hi Shay – I just wanted to say that I'm SO happy that you, Kensington and Smith are ok. I'm sure that was a very scary situation for all of you and thankfully you're all safe and sound. Great post on the bags too, when my daughter was younger, I used a Skip Hop bag too, worked well! Have a good rest of the week, Jaclyn G.

  24. Jamie says

    I love this post!! My husband of almost 7 years is still amazed at what I can store in my "purse". 🙂

    So glad you guys are okay! So scary especially with the kiddos in the car!

  25. Jeanie says

    So sorry to hear you were in an accident, but grateful that everyone's okay.

    I have a ten-pound bag. You wouldn't believe all the stuff in it.

  26. Hayley Chandler says

    I love that you have bandaids in your bag. I have a 2 year old and he recently fell down and got a little boo boo. Shocking, I know!!! I suddenly realized we didn't have a bandaid at our house. I have a 2 year old and no bandaids. It was quickly added to my shopping list, so we now have bandaids. Now, I probably need to put them in my purse, too!!!

  28. Mandi Moore says

    Hahah I'm so laughing out loud right now! I love this!!! You ladies crack me up, I can just imagine you guys dumping all your purses out to share! Erika's got the right idea, she is braaave!!

  29. AmyJo says

    I'm with Erika… I have the bare minimum and if I NEED something one of the suitcase carrying moms always has it. 😉 Oh but my car on the other hand… Maybe I should put stuff in a bag.

  30. Anonymous says

    I am not sure if you have heard about Mommy Blogger @babyboybakery who lost her sweet son Ryan in a terrible accident last week. Thought maybe you could mention this to send prayers and support to Jacqui and Dan and their family.
    #RedBalloonsforRyan

  31. sarah c says

    Shay! I'm so glad you and your kiddos sre safe and not hurt!! Praise God! I love your blog!!

Subscribe via Email

Copyright © 2025 Mix & Match Mama | Privacy Policy

svg{display:none !important}img{display:none !important}.pf-content img{display:block !important}.pf-size-full, img { max-width: 25% !important; } li svg.detail-icon{width:55px !important}svg{display:none !important} svg{width:55px !important}