Parts of this post were also featured in the October 2017 issue of Tampa Bay Parenting magazine.

What’s in my mom survival bag? If you’re nosy like me, you like to know these things. So today, I’m opening up my Lily Jade diaper bag to show you what’s inside! (Disclaimer, yes I know I haven’t given birth yet, but I’m a firm believer that you get to count the in-utero child in your “total kid count.” *wink*)

First, I must keep it real to say that I really wanted a nice, beautiful photo of me and my offspring with my Lily Jade Shaylee Galena & Gold diaper bag, so you could see me in all my glamorous, I-have-it-together mothering glory. However, as you already know, I do not have it together. In fact, my children are animals. And so, this photo shoot promptly turned into my kids overpowering me, and wrestling me into submission on our guest bed.

True story.

This was not staged.

This is real life.

I don’t often talk about brands, but Lily Jade is one I want to talk about. When I first started this blog, they believed in me enough to offer me my very first sponsored post. It meant so much to me at the time, and I’ve never forgotten it.

They care. Aside from the fact that they make the most gorgeous non-diaper-bag-looking diaper bags, this is business is committed to supporting women and helping them lead a more seamless, beautiful life.

Enter the diaper bag that doesn’t look like a diaper bag.

I’m obsessed with gray, so you can imagine my excitement when I saw their Shaylee Galena & Gold! The gold accents are to die for, and the light mint color inside might have just put me over the edge. (You know, once my kids were done beating me, and I was able to take a look. *wink*) Lily Jade bags also come with a washable insert that’s perfect for removing when you’re dropping your kid off somewhere, and don’t want to carry a separate purse.

The insert comes out, so you can leave that with the babysitter, the gym daycare or the church nursery while you keep the cute exterior of your bag to go about doing everything you do without kids. Date nights, Starbucks, long strolls through Target alone… hey, a girl can judge.

Here are some of my favorite things I always carry inside!

Contigo Autospout Straw Gizmo Flip water bottle

Finding a good kid water bottle is like the holy grail of motherhood, and I can’t tell you how many dozens I’ve purchased in my 6 years a mom, only to have them break, leak or get lost. The Contigo AutoSpouts are my favorite because they don’t leak, they are easy to wash and they are also large enough to keep a bigger kid hydrated. I usually buy like 6 at a time on Amazon!

Salt Water Sandals

We tend to tote at least one pair of these around whenever we leave the house. (My sis-in-law gifted me with this precious pair after we found out we’re having our first girl, so of course I had to include them here!) Everyone in our family has Salt Waters, and I’ve been wearing them since I was a kid. (Seriously, I even have 2 adult pairs.) They’re amazing. They’re classic. They’re beautiful. I also love that they are one of the only kid shoes that work for both church and play time. And, added bonus: the 2-year-old can’t take them off on the way there. Translation: less work for me. Translation: WINNING.

Celine sunglasses

Okay, this clearly isn’t a kid item but I had to include it, because I just got a pair and I’m obsessed! They are a huge splurge (I got mine for $400 at Nordstrom), but hello, I wear these everyday on my face. Not only are they stylish, but they are bulky enough to withstand life with toddlers. Enough said.

Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Pillow Plump XXL lip gloss

This is one of those impulse buys that I made when I was at Target, looking for a different lip gloss that wasn’t in stock that day. Turns out, I love this one even more! It’s super plumping, so the “tingle” on your lips is really strong, but I love it.

Smith’s Rosebud Salve

If you’ve followed me a while, you already know of my love for this stuff, so much so that I keep it in my nightstand, in my makeup drawer, in my car and in almost every purse and beach bag I own. It’s awesome. Buy it and thank me later.

Summer Infant Bibbity bib

Seriously, why did they not invent this 20 years ago? This plastic bib trumps the cloth ones for several reasons, not the least of which is that you can wipe it off instead of putting it in the washing machine. It’s also dishwasher safe, for the win. And, it’s got a “shelf” at the bottom that catches everything their mouth doesn’t. Boom. You’re welcome.

A big thanks to Lily Jade for sponsoring this post!

Also, this post contains affiliate links, which means that I make a few pennies for sharing a link to a product on Amazon. It doesn’t cost you any more. Every bit helps me keep my site up and running, so thank you!