That being said, one thing I am not looking forward to at the start of the school year is our early morning school routine, which means getting up at 6:30 am so we can be up and out the door by 7:25 am at the latest. This is a struggle for me as I’m a night owl, but a mother’s got to do what she’s got to do. I have some tips that have been helping me stay efficient in the morning so we can get everything we need to do before getting out the door.

1. Take out your child’s school clothes the night before.
Luckily, this is an easy one for us since Shahzaib has a uniform for school, but laying it out the night before, along with his socks and undergarments, helps us save time in the mornings.

2. Get your child’s lunch box ready.
I will typically place Shahzaib’s juice and snacks, as well as his fruit or vegetables, in his lunch box as long as it isn’t anything that will get spoiled overnight. I’ll also refill his water bottle and put it inside his backpack so we’re not scrambling in the morning trying to find it.

3. Keep breakfast simple.
We keep our breakfast options to a minimum; it’s either cereal or toast with butter and/or jelly. Some other options could consist of frozen pancakes, waffles, or oatmeal.

4. Create a weekly lunch schedule.
I prepared one last year to help me with what to make each day for lunch. Did I use it? Well, kind of…I didn’t stick to preparing the same meal every Monday, Tuesday, etc., but used it as a guide for lunch ideas throughout the week.

5. Daily chore chart
I created this during the school year last year as a way for us to keep track of all the things we need to get done before heading out to school and before bedtime. It was helpful as Shahzaib was able to go down the list and see what things he had left to do before leaving for school.

6. Get to bed on time.
This is probably the most important one, but getting your kids to bed on time is crucial. We’ve not been the best at this since we’re just coming back from summer break, but on days when Shahzaib doesn’t get to bed on time, it’s a struggle getting him up, changed, and down for breakfast, but on days when he does get to sleep on time, it’s so much easier getting through all our morning tasks before heading off to school.

I hope you found these tips helpful; if you have any others that you do that help you have a productive morning, please share them with me in the comments below. Thank you!

Sincerely,

I was blessed with another baby boy just eight days after my birthday. His birth story was quite an adventure, which I’ll share in a future post, but thankfully everything worked out seamlessly in the end, and he arrived safe and sound on October 21st at 12:25 pm.

During my pregnancy, I used to wonder how it would feel to have another baby after so long, how would Shahzaib adjust to being a big brother, would I be sleep-deprived and overwhelmed this time around too? Thankfully, the journey so far has been amazing! Shahzaib is the best big brother ever, and loves his little brother so much. He’s been extremely helpful in getting diapers/wipes when I need them and helps place the pacifier back in the baby’s mouth when it comes out. I have not been feeling as overwhelmed as I did with Shahzaib, maybe since I knew what to expect this time. I keep reminding myself to take it slow and to enjoy every minute of the newborn phase, especially now that I know how quickly those moments fly by. If you are also going through this stage of life, know that it doesn’t last forever, so enjoy it while you can!

Now that the secret’s out. I have a lot more baby-related content coming soon. So stick around for that plus more in the coming year…

Sincerely,

After having taken such a long time off from work, I needed to prepare myself for this new change. There were several things that I did to help the transition go a lot smoother. If you happen to be going through a similar process or are considering going back to work at some point, I hope you find these suggestions valuable.⁠

Consider flexible work options

Try to ease yourself back into work if it’s possible. Consider looking into opportunities that allow you to work as a contractor, part-time, or even temporary work.

Make arrangements for childcare

Whether you plan to enroll your child into daycare, preschool, or have a nanny or babysitter watch them, it is essential that you do your research and make these arrangements beforehand. It will give you peace of mind when you do begin work, knowing that your child is in good hands. If possible, I would also suggest that you get your child familiarized with this new arrangement before you start as it may take a week or two for your child to adjust, in which case you may have to pick them up early until they are getting used to the new environment and schedule.

Get organized

Create a routine or set a daily schedule for yourself so you know what your day will look like, take into consideration your work hours, when you will be doing school/daycare dropoffs and pickups, etc. Having an idea of all the things that need to get done will help it feel more manageable.

Meal plan or other food services

Having a busy schedule with work plus the dropoffs and pickups can leave you with little or no time for cooking. Meal planning in advance can help with the guesswork of what to make the day of. Another option could be to look for a local home-based catering business that you could purchase your meals from if you’re tired from eating out all the time.

Cleaning services

Look into using a cleaning service that helps out with deep cleaning once a month or more frequently if you need it. Otherwise, allocate a day to different of the week to each cleaning chores, so you’re not left doing everything on one day.

Establish a bedtime routine

With such a busy schedule juggling work, motherhood, and all the day-to-day stuff around the house, it is essential you get a full night’s rest. Having a consistent bedtime and nighttime routine will help get your body get the rest it needs so you can be your most productive self.

Mentally preparing for the change

Transitioning back to work is a big adjustment, especially now that you have a child to look after. Realize that every day will not be picture perfect, and there will be times when you will struggle, so getting yourself in the right mindset and setting reasonable expectations is essential. It may not be possible to do it all every day, so you will have to learn to shift your priority daily to get whatever needs to be done, and that’s okay.

At the end of the day, don’t forget that you are doing your very best, and it is okay to ask for help when you need it. You don’t want to push yourself so much that it leads to feeling burnt out.

Sincerely,

When I started to look at the preschools in our area, I quickly realized that there were many different factors I would have to take into consideration before choosing the right one. Since I was clueless about this entire process just a few months ago, I thought I’d help you by sharing the top five things I considered before selecting a preschool for Shahzaib.

1. Location

For me, this was one of the more important factors. I knew from the start that whenever we decided to send Shahzaib to preschool, I would want it to be close to wherever I was, so if I was working, I would have preferred a school near my office or if I would be at home, then something close to our house. My main reason for this was in case anything happened and I needed to pick Shahzaib up, I wanted to be able to quickly do so. Since my new job would be remote, it only made sense to look for preschools near our house. Even then my criteria were that it be no further than 10 minutes away which still gave us plenty of preschool options to choose from.

2. Cost

I had no idea how expensive preschools could be. For some reason in my mind, I thought that preschools would be free or at a very minimal cost. I was wrong! The cost of preschool ranged quite a bit based on the type of preschool and the type of program you choose. Some programs start at a few hundred dollars a month and can go up into the thousands. The full-time programs cost more than part-time and then there are additional fees for material, potty training, etc. I remember one of the first preschools I contacted charged about $600+ per month for its part-time program and I was shocked. It seemed ridiculous to me at the time to pay so much money for preschool and then I happen to go on and choose a preschool that charges $1000 a month.

3. Structure/Type of preschool

Before going through the process of researching preschools, I had no idea as to all the various types of preschools that are available, which range from play-based to Montessori, Reggio Emilia, and more. I had heard of Montessori’s before and a neighbor had mentioned that play-based preschools are good but apart from that, I did not know the philosophies of each program. With this, you must do your research to determine which type of preschool will be the best fit for your child. I was open to seeing and learning about all the different types but eventually settled on a Montessori. My reason for that was because I liked the fact that the child had control over the type of “work” they wanted to do based on their interests. Again since this would be Shahzaib’s first experience of being in a school setting away from me, I wanted him to have the flexibility to do/learn things based on his interests.

4. Type of Program; half-day, full-day, and class size ratio

After you decide on the type of preschool, it is also important to consider the type of programs they have, whether its full time, half-time, after school, etc. Another thing to think about is the class size ratio. What that means is the ratio of students to the number of teachers. Most schools seem to have a maximum ratio of 12:1 which means that one teacher is responsible for no more than 12 students so if there are more than 12 children in a classroom, an additional teacher will be required. The reason why I thought this was important was that I wanted to send Shahzaib to a place where he would get personalized attention so the smaller the ratio, the more attention the teacher will be able to give to the students.

5. Potty Trained or Not

Another important factor that I had to consider was whether the school required that its preschoolers be potty-trained. Several that I came across did, which is why I started to potty train Shahzaib again after his birthday but I also didn’t want to rush him to be trained just for school which is why I needed to find a place that didn’t require its students to be potty-trained. The good thing about these facilities is that they also help with the potty training process.

I wanted to end by saying that by no means these are the only factors to consider when selecting a preschool, there are so many other things that one has to think about but for me, these were the five more important ones that can give you a starting point if you are starting to look at preschools and have no clue where to start. It’s also important that you tour the facility to get a sense of the place and meet the teachers/faculty as they will be the ones interacting with your child on a daily basis.

I hope you found this information helpful. For those of you who are in the process of looking for a preschool for your child, please let me know in the comments below if there were any factors other than the ones I mentioned that you took into consideration before making your final decision. I would love to hear what they were!

Sincerely,

Prior to finalizing our trip to Mammoth Lakes, I looked at a bunch of different options such as camping, RV’ing, day trips to cities and places near us that we haven’t been to but we weighted out the risks and ultimately decided that Mammoth Lakes was where we wanted to go.

Some of the things that were factored into this decision that you should also think about too if you are planning on traveling with your little one’s are:

• The number of current cases at the location we are traveling to
  Since Mammoth Lakes is more of a tourist destination, the number of cases were relatively low apart from the surge they had after the visitors from 4th of July weekend and most of the cases were reported to have been transmitted through restaurants. Luckily we aren’t big foodies and weren’t keen on eating at restaurants there anyways.
• The hygiene and sanitization procedures at the hotel or resort
  I did some research on the safety precautions and preventive measures the hotel had in place. I felt comfortable because this particular resort left rooms vacant for 24 hours between stays. I also took my own cleaning supplies from home so I could wipe down the room before we settled in.

*Pro Tip: If traveling with a toddler try and look for rental condos or stay at an AirBnb’s because it gives you the luxury of having extra space for your kiddos to run around and play in.

After my research was done and our hotel was booked, it was time to start planning for the five hour long drive plus getting things that would keep our little one busy there as well.

*Pro Tip: Check the weather at you destination before you pack.

Some of the things I took for our toddler were:

• Lots of snacks. Shahzaib likes having yogurt and apple sauce pouches as well as veggie chips, Annie snack packs and cheese sticks so we took a few along
• Favorite stuffed animal and blanket, both of which he needs to fall asleep
• Toys or car friendly activities to do along the way. We gave Shahzaib a new toy truck that morning so that kept him busy for many hours
• Extra clothing. Just in case the weather changed and or his clothes get dirty. Shahzaib gets motion sickness on windy roads so we always want to have some on hand

*Pro Tip: Remember to take your first aid kit with you and also include some Tylenol and cold/cough medicine just in case. Also carry some medication for your toddler too. We learned this the hard way!

Other things to consider when traveling during qurantine:

1. Hygiene – this was our biggest concern throughout the entire trip so we tried to limit visiting public places where there were a lot of people. If we did have to go, only one parent would and once we got back to the car we would make sure to use wipes or hand sanitizer
2. Bring your own cleaning products, masks, wipes/hand sanitizer – Since we were out in nature I wanted to bring my own supplies so we could sanitize surfaces that we would be in contact with. I also carried extra fabric masks as well as disposables ones so were weren’t ever with it.
3. Enjoy the journey – It was nice stopping at random parks, lakes and meadows along the way. We are usually in a rush to get to our destination but this time we made stops and explored places that weren’t too crowded
4. The type of place your are staying at – As I mentioned earlier, it was convenient for us to stay at a condo since we were going to be there for a few days so it gave Shahzaib more room to play. The other advantage was that it had a kitchen so we were able to stock up on some food, milk, etc. that way we didn’t need to go out for every meal.

Lastly I want to leave you with this, if you are planning on traveling, please make sure to do your own research. Luckily the number of cases are continuing to go down since we made our trip back in early August but the virus is still out there and affecting many people daily. It is best you make your own decisions and do whatever you feel most comfortable with. We were however grateful that we had the opportunity to go and stayed safe the entire trip but understand that it’s not something everyone can do at the moment. The mini getaway did allowed us to get a mental break and break out of the rut we’ve been feeling the last couple of months. We came back lighter and more refreshed and able to take on a few more months in quarantine.

Safe travels for those of you who are still traveling or making road trips during this time. I’d also love to hear where you are going, please let me know in the comments below. Take care.

Sincerely,

0-12 months:
Getting pee’d on when changing diapers
Nasty blowouts
Diaper leaks
Multiple outfit changes throughout the day
Sleep deprivation

12-24 months:
A ball of energy running around the house
Cars and Legos laying everywhere
Sticky messes
Getting hit on the head with random toys
Hair pulling, pinching, biting
Getting jumped on, stepped on and sat on
Having to wrestle to put on clothes
Pots and pans being stolen from the kitchen
Running to the window to see any type of truck or vehicle

But also…

0-12 months:
Smiles that melt your heart
Mischievous giggles
Looks of wonder and amazement
The sweet sound of the word mama

12-24 months:
Little sous-chef
Little cleaner
Little helper/assistant
Long walks exploring the outdoors
The best snuggles and cuddles
An abundance of hugs and kisses
Endless stories and singing
Playing make-believe, hiding, jumping around and being silly

Lifetime:
Unconditional love
Never ending support
Warm embraces
Laughter
Fun

Cherish these little moments, hold on to those hugs a little tighter, enjoy that one on one time a little longer, give them an extra kiss before they go to sleep, and know that raising a child is a challenging yet important job. Even though you may not always have the answers, you are doing the very best. Never underestimate your abilities or let others make you feel any less, always trust your senses. Make sure you take time for yourself to step back, relax, and know that you’ve got this! You are the best and most perfect mother for your child and they know it.

Sincerely,

I remember how the night before you were born, your Nano and I were discussing all the things that had to be done the next day, the most important task being a manicure and pedicure that I badly needed and how that night your Abbu took like three melatonin’s so he could get a good night’s sleep the last few remaining nights before your arrival, but you had other plans. You made your entry into this world on June 26th at 9:34 am, 12 days before your due date. I guess you wanted to be a June baby instead.

I still remember the moment the doctor laid you on my chest, I was in awe of how perfect you were, Subhanallah! From that day on you have just been our biggest blessing and source of joy, your smile brightens up our day, you have such a loving heart, you are kind, caring, ready to lend a helping hand and always sharing, something we never had to teach you. You are fun, silly and just the best little boy we could have ever asked for.

As you are getting older and more curious about the world and exploring everything there is to see, there are days when all you want to run around, do what your little heart desires and not listen to a word I have to say, on such days I can’t wait for it to be night so I can put you to bed and finally get a moments break, but once you’re gone, your Abbu and I can’t help but talk about you or look at your baby pictures and wonder where our little Boo Boo went and how fast you’ve grown.

We love you so much and have enjoyed every moment of these past two years with you. We can’t wait to see all the amazing things you do in the next year and pray for you to always be happy, healthy, and for success in this life and the next.

Love you always,
Mama and Abbu

As Shahzaib gets bigger I’ve had to swap out and replace things he’s no longer using to stuff that’s more appropriate for his age. However, there are some items that I’ve been using since he was a baby and are still going strong. Here are the top 9 items that I am still using and would recommend new moms get knowing that they will last them for a while.

Petunia Pickle Bottom Inter-Mix System

The first item on my list is this Petunia Pickle Bottom Inter-Mix System. I received it as a gift from my brother and sister-in-law for my baby shower. At the time I had never heard of the company and wasn’t familiar with how to use the system but after my brother and sister-in-law showed me all it could do, I fell in love. The first thing that I found so great about this system is how versatile it is. It comes with a caddie, and four pouches in different sizes; one of which is insolated.

The entire system goes for $55 and yes, it is on the pricey side but for all the ways I can use it, I think it’s worth it. The main component of the system is the caddy and it comes with four sectioned off compartments. The caddie can be used to store diapers, wipes or other essentials. I use the large insolated bag to keep Shahzaib’s foods hot or cold when we leave the house so I have some food for him on the go. The medium size bag is perfect to hold a spare outfit which I keep in his diaper bag and lastly the two small pouches are used to keep some spare breast pads and nursing cream in one and the other to store Shahzaib’s socks. However, they can be used to store practically anything which is what makes it so great!

Baby Jogger City Mini Stroller

This was our first high-value purchase in preparation of Shahzaib’s arrival. I had my mind set on a Graco stroller but all of my co-workers suggested I get a Baby Jogger. I really didn’t know much about strollers but knew that I wanted to get a jogger stroller. I don’t know what it is about a three-wheel stroller, but I felt like it would be a lot easier to maneuver.

Babyletto Scoot 3-in-1 Convertible Crib with Toddler Bed Conversion Kit

Before deciding on the Babyletto Scoot 3-in-1 Convertible Crib I was torn on whether I should purchase a bassinet, a pack and play, a crib or a mini crib. I wanted something that we could use for long and wouldn’t take up much space. After taking to a bunch of mother’s about what they used and the pros and cons of each I finally decided on the —. What I liked about this particular crib is that it isn’t too large

Chicco KeyFit 30 Infant Car Seat and Chicco NextFit Zip Max Convertible Car Seat

I really loved my Chicco KeyFit 30 Infant Car Seat and knew that once it was time to switch out the infant seat to a toddler seat I wanted it to be another Chicco. I did a lot of research prior to purchasing our toddler seat and finally landed on the Chicco NextFit Zip Max Convertible Car Seat

Pampers Pure Disposable Diapers and Pampers Aqua Pure Diaper Wipes

I did a lot of research on diapers prior to Shahzaib’s birth and

Ergobaby Carrier, Omni 360 All Carry Positions Baby Carrier with Cool Air Mesh

I really love my Ergobaby Carrier, Omni 360 Carrier. Initially, after Shahzaib was born I used a Boba Wrap Carrier which I also love but as he got bigger I wanted something that my husband could use so we switched over to the Erogobaby carrier. What I liked about this carrier was that

Relax Melodies: Sleep Sounds App

When Shahzaib was a couple of days old we had to take him to the doctor’s office and of course, he started crying, Nassir and I tried everything we know at the time to calm him down but nothing worked. The nurse then pulled out his phone and turned on a white noise app. Within seconds, Shahzaib had calmed down. Since then I have been using ocean sounds to relax him when it’s both nap and bedtime. I opted not to get a separate white noise machine

Crane Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier

Diaper Pail

The Crane Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier was one of the items on my baby shower registry and it was purchased and gifted to me by my aunt. It was an item several of my co-workers had recommended that I would need in case the little one had a cold or stuffy nose. Although I don’t use this throughout the year, it is one item that I use daily during the winter months. As soon as the weather starts to cool, the air inside the house gets really dry. What I like about this particular humidifier is that you can control the amount of steam you want to release in the air. There is a dial that controls the pressure. Another thing that’s great about this particular humidifier is that it is really quite and a full tank lasts the entire night which is wonderful because who wants to refill a humidifier in the middle of the night?!

Diaper Pail

Having a diaper pail has been a game-changer. Initially, I was a bit resistant about purchasing one but …

Pacifier

High Chair

So that wraps up all the things I’m still using for Shahzaib now that he’s a toddler. As mentioned above, some of these items are on the pricier side, but since I will be using them for a long time so it made sense for me to pay a little more for something that will last me in the long run.

I hope this was helpful to you. If you have any questions or comments be sure to ask them below. Thanks and take care!

Sincerely,
Sana

Photo by Curtis Adams from Pexels

Ever since Shahzaib started walking which was about a month ago, I’ve been trying to look for new and fun activities to do with him and now that it’s fall and there is a pumpkin patch practically around every corner, I thought why not take him to one. So today, Shahzaib and I headed over to Perry Pumpkin Patch in Fremont, CA. Since we went on a weekday, admission was free, otherwise, it’s $1.00, which is not bad at all. In addition to all the pumpkins, Perry Pumpkin Patch also had a hay maze, a tire patch for kids to play in, tracker rides and several wooden cut-outs for photo ops.

Once we entered the pumpkin patch, Shahzaib headed straight to the tire patch. It was an area with different types of tires painted in fall colors for the kids to climb and crawl under. He really enjoyed going under the larger tires from one side to the other. I found it cute as he ducked his head when walking under some of the lower tires. He also had fun seeing all the different sized pumpkins and even tried picking a few of them up. It was nice seeing him run around and having a great time outside.

Our first time at the pumpkin patch was a hit, it was an enjoyable day for both of us; we got to enjoy the beautiful fall weather and Shahzaib got to experience something new. I am looking forward to next year when we can take him again. Since he will be a year older, I think he might enjoy it even more.

For all the other moms looking for activities to do with your children this time of year, I would definitely recommend you go and spend some time at your local pumpkin patch. It’s an activity that both you and your toddler will enjoy and a great way to make memories. If you also come across other fun fall activities, please share them with me below in the comments section. I would love to hear as I am always looking for new suggestions on things that both Shahzaib and I can try. Thank you

Sincerely,
Sana

For the past year, I’ve switched back to a tote bag mainly because I like the option of carrying my son’s diapers and other essentials in my purse so I don’t have to lug around the heavy diaper bag every time we go out. That being said, I thought I’d share with you what I carry in my mom bag, so let’s begin.

First off, I recently got a new bag and I am absolutely loving it! It’s the Kate + Alex Cuffaro Nylon Tote from DSW* and it’s style is very similar to the Longchamp Le Pliage bag. What I love about it is the nylon material since it is incredibly lightweight so it doesn’t feel too heavy with all my stuff inside. I purchased the bag in the color “light mauve” and it is a beautiful shade of pink that I can see myself using for a long time.

*It seems like this bag is no longer available at DSW, I’ve linked some similar looking ones from Amazon here:
1. TCHH-DayUp Women Waterproof Zipper Tote Bag
2. Women’s Stylish Waterproof Tote Bag
3. Sunny Snowy Laptop Tote Bag

Wallet
The next item I include in my bag is my wallet. I’ve used all sorts of wallets in the past, but I’m currently using my Michael Kor’s Wristlet as a wallet and am loving the size and how convenient it is to carry especially if I have to make a quick run to the grocery store and don’t want to lug around my entire purse. It has six card slots and one pocket that I use to hold my change. The main pocket is large enough to fit my phone as well as some tissues, a lipstick and a small tin of Altoids.

Diaper Pouch
I keep a medium-sized pouch that holds Shahzaib’s diaper essentials. This pouch contains a couple of diapers, baby wipes, diaper trash bags, diaper cream and a cap for Shahzaib in case it gets cold. Storing these items in the pouch makes it really convenient when I have to change Shahzaib’s diaper on the go because everything I need is in one place.

Antibacterial Wipes/Cleaning Wipes
Along with the diaper wipes that I keep in my diaper pouch, I also carry a packet of antibacterial wipes to use to clean a shopping cart or wiping a table at a restaurant. I also keep a packet of face and hand wipes to clean Shahzaib’s hands or wiping his face after he eats.

Spare Pacifier
The spare pacifier is a must-have for us and although we try to limit the amount of time Shahzaib uses this pacifier, there are certain occasions when he’s constantly putting his fingers in his mouth to soothe the pain from teething and at these moments we prefer he takes the pacifier instead of his fingers which may or may not be clean. So if for some reason we forget to take his pacifier before leaving the house or the one he was using got dirty, I like knowing I have a back up one in my bag.

Jacket/Cap/Bib
The weather has been so unpredictable lately, the mornings may start off cold but by the time it’s the afternoon the weather may be nice and warm. Since it can be hard to predict how the weather will change throughout the day, I like keeping a light jacket and sun cap for Shahzaib. I also keep a spare bib just in case we need it since Shahzaib is teething and gets a bit drolly.

Essentials Pouch
In my essentials pouch, I keep some bandages, facial tissues, glass cleaning wipes for my glasses, lactose pills for my husband, $20 in case I need it as an emergency, a portable phone charger, ibuprofen, some mints, and a sanitary pad.

Sunglasses/Prescription Glasses
I keep a pair of sunglasses in my bag in addition to my prescription glasses and a spare contact lens case. I have the spare contact case in case my lenses start to bug me and I need to remove them while I’m out.

Makeup Pouch
I keep some basic makeup with me so I can refresh during the day if necessary. My pouch contains my Rimmel Eyeliner in Blackest Black, my all-time favorite mascara from Tarte, several different shades of lipsticks and liquid velvet lipsticks. I keep a compact mirror and some lotion in this pouch as well. I also have a small stick of Baby Bum sunscreen for the times Shahzaib and I go to the park. I really love this sunscreen since it comes in a deodorant like container which makes it easy to apply.

Snack Pouch
I like keeping a pouch with a couple of different snacks for Shahzaib for when we are out of the house and he gets hungry. I purposely use a green-colored pouch to keep these items in since it is his favorite color and will keep him busy when he starts to get fussy.

Headphone Case
I got this cute pink headphone case from DSW that I use to keep my headphones in to prevent them from getting tangled and lost in my bag.

Spare Battery Pack
I keep another spare portable phone charger in case both my husband and I need to use it.

Pouch with Loyalty Cards and Gift Cards
I like getting a good deal which is why I end up signing up for loyalty cards with almost every store I go to. So to keep the cards from getting lost, I store them in a pouch along with any gift cards I may have.

Reusable Shopping Bag
So in California, you need to carry a reusable shopping bag with you otherwise you’ll end up paying $0.10 per bag, and yes, I know that doesn’t seem like a lot of money but it adds up and then the bags accumulate at home and I end up having to use them as trash bags. So to be environmentally friendly, I simply prefer taking my own bag. I purchased the BAGGU Large Reusable Shopping Bag from Amazon and love how large it is and the amount of groceries it can hold. You just have to be careful to not load it with too much groceries otherwise it will get really heavy.

Hopefully, I haven’t overwhelmed you with all the items I carry in my bag. Do note that I slightly modify what I keep from season to season as well as what Shahzaib needs based on his age range but the three items that always remain are the essentials pouch, my makeup bag, and wallet.

I wanted to thank you all for taking the time to read this long post and please let me know what essentials you carry in your bag, I’d love to hear below.

Sincerely,
Sana