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My Summer Grab & Go Bag 2.0

7 / 27 / 207 / 27 / 20

Summer outings look a little different these days, now that social distancing and face masks are a part of our normal  “going out” routine. This also meant that we needed to update our Summer Grab & Go Bag. This bag has become a staple in our house over the years and I switch it up with the seasons: extra hat and gloves in the Winter, extra pair of pants or sweatshirt for cool Fall days, and so on. I was inspired by another blogger who shared her mom-hack for summer essentials and figured it was time for a blog post update to show you what our bag looks like now that the girls are a little older and we’re in the middle of a global pandemic.

what’s in the bag

The Bag //  My Thirty-One bag from a few summers back is still going strong (you can find a similar version here.) It’s great because it has lots of compartments all the way around the outside of the bag for extra storage.

The Essentials // Sunscreen, bug spray, extra sunglasses for each kiddo, kleenex, nail clippers, hair ties, and a bottle of H20. The bare necessities are all there, and then some. 

First Aid Kit // I upgraded my mini first aid kit this summer as we’ve had a few mosquito bites — this cute little bag was “free” from Target with the purchase of 3 first aid items (bandaids, Neosporin and Benadryl itch stopping cream for those pesky mosquito bites.)

Hand sanitizer // I used to keep a package of these Purell wipes on hand, but those are nearly impossible to find these days. Instead, I keep a bottle of hand sanitizer and refill it as needed. 

Baby Wipes // This is one item I swear I will buy for the rest of my life. We’ve long since said goodbye to diapers but having baby wipes within reach is a MUST for cleaning up messes and sticky fingers after summer ice cream! 

Disposable Coverings // Even though we’re out of the potty-training phase with my youngest she’s still learning the ropes when it comes to public restrooms. I keep a few of these disposable toilet seat covers in a wet/dry bag for those times when a seat cover isn’t available. One item I no longer keep in the bag but am re-considering given the current pandemic, are disposable placemats. I used to keep these in the bag and think they might be a good addition right now. You never know when you’ll need a clean spot to eat on so it’s probably a good idea to keep a couple on-hand, just in case.

Masks & Gloves // I keep an extra mask for each family member in a Ziploc baggie, along with a couple pairs of rubber gloves. This way if someone forgets a mask, or God forbid loses one, we have an extra on hand. Same thing with the gloves, you just never know when you might need to use them. 

Snacks // Does this even require an explanation?! LOL. I repurposed an old nursing cooler and stuffed it with snacks — granola, goldfish, applesauce pouches. Basically, anything that won’t spoil and will keep my kiddos happy in a pinch.

Outdoor Blanket & Towel  // I still keep my outdoor blanket and towel with us, but now that we have a new(er) car I keep them in the hidden trunk compartment so that I don’t have to use precious space in my Grab & Go. I can’t tell you how many times the towel has come in handy. Just this past weekend we took the kids canoeing and halfway there realized we packed everything BUT towels (womp, womp.) Luckily I had the extra towel already stored in the car! I even keep it there in the winter (think after a day of sledding on the hill – cold and wet!) 

This bag has seriously eliminated the last-minute scramble as we’re trying to get out of the house, and we can rest assured that we never leave home without our masks and hand sanitizer!

What must-haves would you keep in a Grab & Go Bag?

PLEASE NOTE, I PURCHASED THESE PRODUCTS FOR MY OWN PERSONAL USE. I HAVE NOT BEEN PAID TO SAMPLE OR REVIEW THESE PRODUCTS. THE OPINIONS IN THIS POST ARE BASED ON MY OWN PERSONAL MOM-EXPERIENCES.

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my summer grab & go bag essentials

6 / 21 / 186 / 20 / 18

Summer is officially here! That means we need to get out and soak up the sunshine as much as we can (I mean, it’s Michigan it could snow tomorrow *wink.*) One thing I’ve learned since having two kiddos is that it helps to streamline our “get out of the house to the car” time as much as possible. I mean, on a normal day it can take me 20 minutes to coral the kids out of the house and to the car!

After I put together our Mary Poppins gone fishin’ bag it hit me, I needed a Summer Grab & Go Bag! This way all the things I could possibly need are in one place – no more hunting and running around last minute to find the sunscreen or a hat. So now whenever we leave the house, all I have to do is grab this bag on our way out the door. Besides, when we’re out running around town you never know when you might hit up a splash pad and need a towel!

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must haves for fishing with preschoolers

6 / 5 / 186 / 20 / 18

Last Summer Michael took up a new daddy-daughter hobby, he started taking Grace fishing. She really took to it (partly because they always go with friends and often stop for donuts, what kid wouldn’t love that?!)

This weekend is Free Fishing Weekend here in Michigan, for two whole days folks can fish for free without a license. While Michael now has his fishing license and a tackle box complete with fish hooks and bait, it hit me that he (unlike me) doesn’t carry around a Mary Poppins bag full of tricks for kids. So I decided to put together a little Mary Poppins gone fishin’ bag for him.

Must Haves for Fishing with Preschoolers | twoplusmeandyou.com
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clear the clutter: kids space

1 / 22 / 181 / 29 / 18

Clear the Clutter KID SPACE | twoplusmeandyou.com

Happy Monday, I hope you all had a lovely weekend! We had a low-key weekend just hanging out at the house. Friday night was pizza and movie night — I introduced the girls to a classic Disney movie, Mary Poppins. At the end Grace told me that she wanted to watch the movie “every day.”  That made my heart smile. We watched it again on Saturday night. *wink*

Even though we had a fairly uneventful weekend I seem to be dragging a bit this morning. It’s definitely an extra-large cup of coffee kind of day.

Speaking of which, grab your cup of coffee and settle in, because this one is for all the mamas struggling to keep their kids stuff  organized — I know I’m not the only one.  I mean  there are about 1,000+ boards called “playroom organization” or something of the like. Between the crayons, legos, books, barbies, etc. it can get out of hand quickly. And can someone tell me why children love to dump out the entire bin of toys? Not just like one bin because they’re looking for something, but they empty every. single. bin. Why?!

playroom

Our playroom is an ever evolving task of mine, always a work in progress. I’ve scoured Pinterest boards for ideas and inspiration, continuously on the hunt for ways to make our playroom the cutest little put together space on the block.  Funny little story…

When Grace was a baby I tied labels to all of the cubbies with pictures of what belong in them. I had seen it on so many Pinterest boards — it looked cute and I convinced myself it would help us keep the room tidy. WRONG! No one paid attention to the labels. When it came time to cleanup kids just put toys in whatever bin was closest to them — parents too! After everyone left I would go back and re-organize to put everything in it’s right place. *facepalm*

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clear the clutter: laundry room

1 / 18 / 181 / 21 / 18

Clear the Clutter LAUNDRY ROOM | twoplusmeandyou.com

TGIF! Was it just me or did this short week seem long?!!

I have to admit, the house is looking fantastic!! We’re so close to having everything in it’s place and organized, but I have to admit, I’m starting to lose my motivation. We’ve been going so hard, but when paused to look around and admire the work, well, I got tired. It’s like when you come home from work at the end of the day, you’re going strong: making dinner, doing laundry, sweeping the floor, doing dishes, bathing the kids, etc. but you know you can’t stop until it’s all done because the moment you take 10 minutes to sit down – game over. You’re done for the night. That’s how I think I’m starting to feel. Luckily I’m committed to the Clear the Clutter Challenge which is just what I need to motivate me to finish the last mile of the race. We can do this!

Earlier this week I shared my newly de-cluttered linen closet and as promised I wanted to share a few pics of my newly cleaned-up laundry room.

We have a fairly small laundry room – there’s not a lot of room to maneuver. Here’s the room before…

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clear the clutter: closets

1 / 15 / 181 / 21 / 18

Clear the Clutter CLOSETS | twoplusmeandyou.com

Happy Monday y’all!!

I don’t know what it is about January that makes us all buckle down on the clutter (isn’t that supposed to be reserved for “Spring Cleaning?!”) but whatever it is, Michael and I have the bug. We’ve been crushing it since the holidays taking each room and getting rid of all the crap clutter and turning it into livable usable space again.

Over the weekend I tackled the laundry room and linen closet. I’ll share the laundry room in another post, today I want to focus on the linen closet.

I’ve always been most proud of our linen closet because it was the one area that actually stayed organized the longest, but lately it’s become a bit unruly and needed some attention…

Clear the Clutter CLOSETS | twoplusmeandyou.com
my linen closet BEFORE

Now for the after photos…

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dear 2018

1 / 9 / 181 / 8 / 18

Dear 2018 | twoplusmeandyou.com

dear 2018 ,

I’m not one for making resolutions (because let’s be honest how many of us stick to them?!) but I am feeling very inspired by what may come of this year. Plus my motivation level is at an all-time high (probably due in part to me being at home full-time,) I would say my current status could be categorized as “crushing it.”

The past year (mainly the last 4-6 months) has helped me realize a few things that I need so for 2018 I have set some goals. Goals > Resolutions.

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HI! I’m Debbie

Welcome to Two + Me & You! I'm Debbie...wife, momma and pinterest-crafter living in the mitten. I hope you'll stay a while as I learn to balance the chaos of being a working suburban mom of two.

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