Hello, let me introduce myself first..
For the first 30 years of my life, everything was smooth and worry-free. I was my parents’ most beloved child, found my true love in college, and happily married him after graduation.
At work, I was my boss’s most valued employee. Whenever I was in charge of a project, colleagues would inevitably say, “Oh, then I’m totally at ease.” I was constantly named “Employee of the Year,” with generous bonuses every year.
Later, I started my own business. Within just three months, I had broken into the market and started making money. By the fifth month, I was earning twice my previous salary. Growth was steady month after month. Right when the business needed more hands, I serendipitously met an amazing partner, and the company reached a whole new level.
Really, it seemed like at every step, whatever I needed, a pair of hands would always place it right in front of me, just in time.
My Two Girls: Ellie & Mia
Meet Ellie, My Firstborn
In 2020, my husband and I decided to have a child. After trying for over a year, we finally got the news in 2021 that a little one was on the way. In 2022, we welcomed our first child, Ellie. She made me a mother.
She is utterly adorable—big eyes, rosy skin, chubby little hands. Every time I look at her, I can’t help but give her a kiss. She is pure joy, and I love her more each day.
But as a first-time mom, I faced unprecedented difficulties. The postpartum tearing wouldn’t heal, and the pain was excruciating. Clogged milk ducts made my breasts hard as rocks. The severe sleep deprivation… And what was even more crushing was that, with zero parenting experience, I was clueless when faced with her unexplained wailing, night terrors, refusal to nurse, constipation, diarrhea, fevers… I desperately searched online, longing for one accurate, truly useful answer!
It was during this time that I thought, once I make it through this “dark” path, I must leave a light on for other new moms.
And Then Came Mia
Ellie had just turned one when I got pregnant again. In 2024, we welcomed our second daughter, Mia.
Completely different from Ellie, Mia is a great eater and sleeper. Although she had her fussy moments in the first two months, starting almost from month three, she became super easygoing. She feeds on schedule, gradually sleeps through the night, loves her solid foods, and adapted quickly when I had to stop breastfeeding due to mastitis.
This made me realize just how vastly different babies can be! It made me even more determined to write about my experiences.
Why I Had to Start This Blog
The Catalyst: A Life Pivoted
After Mia was born, my business also began to decline sharply. I had no choice but to close it and become a full-time mom. My work no longer involves Excel and Word, but instead revolves around changing diapers, washing bottles, making baby food, and managing household chores…
This has been a monumental challenge for me. All my past achievements seem irrelevant now. Managing two young children has brought me a sense of frustration I’ve never known before.
The Daily Reality
They are always fighting over things. When one is in my arms, the other immediately demands to be held too. When I try to cook, Ellie wants me to read her a book. When I attempt to load the washing machine, Mia has a diaper blowout, and I must drop everything to change her…
By the time I finish all that, I see the cup of hot coffee on the table has gone cold again. And it’s not until evening that I remember, “Oh my goodness, the clothes are still in the hamper, unwashed!”
Of course, being a mom is filled with happiness, but that doesn’t negate how hard it is.
My Promise to You
Because I’ve walked this path myself, I won’t just tell you how joyful motherhood is, like many websites do. I want to share my real, unfiltered experiences so every new mom can find a “companion” here.
I want to tell you: you are not alone. What you’re going through, I’ve been there too. Your breakdowns, your helplessness, your moments of losing control—I’ve had them all. You don’t need to feel guilty. This is just a small, necessary stretch of the journey for every mom.
My Hope for This Space
I really want to share my parenting experiences—not just the warm, glowing moments, but to honestly document the pitfalls I’ve stumbled into, the tears I’ve shed, and the “survival wisdom” I’ve scraped together in utter exhaustion.
The Goal: A Mom’s Toolkit
I hope this blog becomes a “mom’s toolkit,” filled not with vague theories, but with:
- Practical Tips: Like how to quickly figure out why a baby is crying, tried-and-true methods for dealing with clogged ducts, or how to efficiently manage the daily grind with twins (or two under two) solo.
- Pitfall Avoidance Guides: Sharing the baby products I regret buying the most, and those “game-changer” parenting hacks. Letting you know which parenting anxieties you can let go of, and which principles are worth holding onto.
- A Community for Moms: I hope my stories connect me with more moms like you. We can cheer each other on in the comments, share our own tricks, turning the storms we face alone into a journey we walk together.
The Bigger Vision
My previous career taught me to analyze data, solve problems, and optimize processes. Now, I’m applying all those skills to this new “position” of Mom. I want to prove that a mom’s value is absolutely not confined to the home. The mindset, resilience, and creativity we built in our careers can shine just as brightly—perhaps even brighter—in this more complex, long-term “project” of raising humans, and can even be transformed into a force that helps others.
My hope is simple: that every mom who opens this blog can let out a sigh of relief and say, “So it’s not just me.” Then, she can find a bit of practical info, a dose of comforting solidarity, and return to her sweet, chaotic mom-life with a little more confidence and a little less weight on her shoulders.
This road? Let’s walk it together.
WannaBeCrunchyMama
member
Re: Diaper bags that aren't ugly..
You've completely alienated me from this post with that stipulation.
If you know of one that doesn't look like a quilt I'd be open to the suggestion.
edited. Ok maybe they don't like grandmas. But quilts. Yes.
Ha--I'm with you on the Vera Bradley (just can't get myself to like them).
Mine looks like a diaper bag though, Skip Hop in Blossom...but here it is:
https://www.amazon.com/Skip-Hop-Deluxe-Diaper-Blossom/dp/tags-on-product/B00143WC94
I've seen cute Kate Spade ones that don't look at all like diaper bags (good if you can get at an outlet). Good luck.
https://www.skiphop.com/product/21500.html
This is the one I got...in Black
I LOVE it and can't wait to use it! It has a lot of pockets!
Sorry, I can't make it clicky...
I love this company!
https://catalog.thirtyonegifts.com/WebProject.asp?BookCode=nyt10flx&from=2#
I bought the Skip Hop Studio diaper bag - it's a little spendy...but oh well...it's only $
It has a ton of pockets - and looks pretty stylish (you could probably use it as an overnight bag).
That's not so bad. I like simple/classy. Vera bradley is just a bit too- umm- fun.
I think this one screams "Hey everybody, I'm a simple chic with classic tastes"
https://www.verabradley.com/product/Baby-Bag/154882/defaultColor/Make+Me+Blush/p/154882.uts
This one says, "Watch out, my kid is cute but he might bite on the jungle gym."
https://www.verabradley.com/product/Baby-Bag/154882/defaultColor/Make+Me+Blush/p/154882.uts
"I blow bubbles with my gum!"
https://www.verabradley.com/product/Baby-Bag/154882/defaultColor/Make+Me+Blush/p/154882.uts
I just got this bag. Skip Hop Dash Deluxe. Just looks like a regular messenger bag. Lots of pockets.
Skip-Hop Versa in Black. I fell in love with it. Simple and delicious ;-)
I'm using this Coach bag. I'm not one to carry a ton of stuff on me. All I need are two diapers, small wipes case, changing pad, pacifier, two bottles (filled with appropriate powdered formula), and a bottle of water. It fits with plenty of extra room. Even for twins, I don't plan to carry a ton around. I have a small wristlet inside that has my personal items.
I keep an emergency kit in my car with extra clothes, blankets, diapers, etc.
I have another Skip Hop bag that is used for transporting items to and from daycare. This is the only use for this bag. I don't carry it out in public. It's too big and bulky.
With my first, I hardly used anything from my diaper bag. I lugged that thing everywhere and it was a pain. As she got older I ditched it completly and just used a bag that I liked. Never had any problems.
Katie: 1/16/08 2lbs. 15oz.
Abby & Emily: 12/31/10 6lbs. 2oz. & 5lbs. 7oz.
I loved, but could not afford, the Petunia Pickle bottom Cake line:
https://www.petuniapicklebottom.com/collections/cake/cosmopolitancarryall/licoricepuddingcake/
I love Thirty One! They have such cute stuff! A teacher I work with sells Thirty One and got me the utility tote in the paparazzi dots pattern and it is embroidered with baby's initials.
Here is an example: https://cgi.ebay.com/Thirty-One-Gifts-Organizing-Utility-Tote-Paparazzi-Dot-/260705471736
I had the hardest time finding a diaper bag that I liked because I wanted one that was functional, easy to clean, and the hubster wouldn't mind carrying. I found this one and I love it! I actually just packed LO's diaper bag yesterday and everything fit great...I even way over packed
https://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_SP100A157S35216922P?prdNo=15&blockNo=15&blockType=G15https://www.timiandleslie.com/products/backpack-sahara/
I am not sure if that looks especially "diaper-bag-ish" or not, but its what I have and I love it. Having a bag that could be a backpack was very important to me, so this worked.
Their Charlie model is really chic as well:
https://www.timiandleslie.com/products/charlie/
I also really liked the studio that people reccomended.
Oh Crunchy, you realize you're asking for the cure for the common cold, don't you?
If you have $ to blow, this bag is pretty:
https://tinyurl.com/29xe2o8
This is much more reasonably priced and I've been contemplating buying:
https://tinyurl.com/3832fl7
TIMI and Leslie also have some pretty decent looking bags.
AHHHHH A girl after my own heart!!! I LOVE PPB Cake bags. They look like purses but are so useful! And resale value is pretty high, too. A lady on Craigslist here tried to sell me a PPB Cake clutch in pink (drool) and she wanted $180 for it!! I was like, girl... I mean, it's not full price but that's still way out of my league.
DH was like, it's just a diaper bag... and I was all, but I want it so bad I could cry...
I actually have the "Society Satchel" PPB bag. While it is bit**chin it isn't practical to carry a lot of stuff.
This is the one:
https://www.petuniapicklebottom.com/collections/cake/societysatchel/licoricepuddingcake/
I have a plain skip hop bag in black and a coach bag.
I LOVE skip hop bags... hold so much and very practical.
I also wanted one that looked more like a purse. I got this JJ cole bag...
https://www.diapers.com/product/productdetail.aspx?productid=23805
I love OiOi bags! I have this one and get compliments all the time that it just looks like an oversized purse:
https://www.overstock.com/Baby/OiOi-Moroccan-Sand-Hobo-Diaper-Bag/3411529/product.html
Sorry I can't pic-in-post with my Mac. They're a little expensive, but I got mine from overstock for less than $100. The only thing I would say is that it's a little small...but it keeps me from packing all sorts of crap that I don't need. It's perfectly big enough to carry around everything you need. And it looks like they have a ton of cute new patterns on the website!
https://www.oioi.com.au/
One of my friends has the black cindy tote for a diaper bag! It is really nice.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/62754454/bird-on-a-limb-shoulder-bag-with-flap
This is mine, and I don't think it's ugly:
https://www.amazon.com/OiOi-Zebra-Tote-Diaper-Bag/dp/B002DSXKHC/ref=sr_1_23?ie=UTF8&qid=1292181610&sr=8-23
I just bought this one today off ebay. It's listed at a great price (regular cost $298 at Nordstrom) PLUS the shipping is free.
https://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170574464310&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT
Breastfeeding Counselor with Breastfeeding USA
Babywearing Guide ** Newborn Carriers
Cloth Diaper Guide
Safe Bed Sharing Info
I also love this one from PBKids that reminds me of the LLBean canvas totes.
https://www.potterybarnkids.com/m/products/navy-northsouth-classic-diaper-bag/?pkey=bdiaper-bag
DD born 6.13.11 at 37w5d
DS born 5.23.12 at 36w5d
BFP 6.9.13|heartbeat of 128bpm 7weeks|7.23.13 ultrasound revealed no heartbeat|natural m/c and d&c 7.25.13
DS born 5.20.14 at 38 weeks
All are welcome