30 Day Dress Challenge – Day 17

BCBG dress purchased at an outlet in California years and years ago. See it in 2014 here and in 2013 here.

I don’t wear this dress much anymore and when I got dressed this morning I thought it’s probably time to let it go. I like the sort of shapelessness to it but I’m not crazy about the pattern anymore. I feel like polka dots are kind of out of favour currently. Of course, then I got three separate compliments on it while out today so I’m re-thinking. I’m a sucker for a compliment. Maybe I’ll wait and see how much I actually wear this dress this summer.

My cardigan is well past its prime but I haven’t found another to fill its spot in my wardrobe so I’m holding on to it for now.

This is my regular day-to-day bag. I bought it from Aldo while I was pregnant as a big, general bag that I could use with a baby and it’s worked well for that.

And then I thought, just for fun, I’d show you what’s in my bag on a typical day when I’m out and about with Pearl.

• Receiving blanket. (This one’s from Lulujo and I love them. The Aden and Anais ones are also fantastic. I don’t use the receiving blankets quite as much as I did when Pearl was a newborn but they are super versatile. Nursing cover, cover from the sun in the car seat or stroller, a blanket for a little extra warmth, a blanket for a game of peek-a-boo, a napkin for dirty hands, or a handkerchief for snotty noses. These have many uses.)
• Package of Kleenex (Because I don’t like wiping my nose on a receiving blanket.)
• Two bobby pins (For me, not Pearl.)
• A small piece of wood (Pearl picked this up somewhere and I have been carrying it around for weeks for some reason.)
• A toonie (aka a Canadian two dollar coin)
• A water bottle (I try to make sure Pearl and I both drink lots of water. This has a flip up straw so it’s easy for Pearl to drink from and it doesn’t leak in my purse.)
• Emergency baby biscuit (These are basically cookies for Pearl. They’re pretty tasteless but she loves them so I generally have a package in my purse for snack emergencies or when she really needs to be distracted.)
• Lightweight sweater for Pearl (She was wearing this when we left the house and it was in my purse when we got home.)
• Pearl’s flip flops (Ditto for these.)
• Harmonica (Because sometimes you just gotta make music! Seriously, Pearl loves playing the harmonica. I always have a toy or book or both when I’m out with her. Obviously, a harmonica is not always appropriate but today it worked.)
• My clutch/wallet (the blue one) (This is where I keep everything that’s mine. Cards, cash, lip gloss, a pen, more bobby pins. It makes it easy to transfer between bags and it keeps Pearl out of things when she gets into my purse.)
• Dayplanner (Any semblance I have of organization is because of this planner. I’ve been using the same style (weekly, horizontal) of Moleskine planner for the last three years. I keep track of everything in here. Appointments, birthdays, meal planning, bills, everything.)
• Diaper bag (The pink one) (This is where the magic happens. In here I have a fold-up change pad, extra diapers, wipes, and a wet bag. I like being able to pull this out and have everything I need rather than fumbling through my purse. Bonus is that if Peter and I are out together with Pearl, he can just take this smaller bag to change her rather than my whole purse.
• Not pictured: my phone and my keys. When I get home those have places they live. Also, today we had Pudders the Bear along with us who was sometimes in my purse and sometimes in the stroller with Pearl. When I took this picture he was having a nap with Pearl.