As an aunt that is taking care of my newborn niece one day a week, I had to remember how to pack a diaper bag. Since my son is 10 years old, I felt like a new parent all over again.

When my sister went back to work and I was watching my niece for the first time, I was absolutely exhausted by the time I got the two of us ready to head out the door to do some errands! It took me about a half an hour to make sure everything was packed and as soon as we were walking out the door, the baby pooped and I had to go back in, take her out of the carrier, change her, wash my hands, put her back in the car seat and head back out the door.

I wondered how I ever did this when my son was a newborn. When I really looked at what I packed, I realized that I once again fell into the trap of bringing ‚¬"everything including the kitchen sink‚¬ into the car for an outing that would last just over an hour. On top of everything else, as I was driving to our first errand, I realized that my niece had reflux and I forgot to bring an extra cloth diaper with me.

If you look around at parents with very young children in tow, you can pretty much pick out which ones are first time parents, and which ones have done this before - based upon the amount of luggage they are dragging about with them.

First time parents tend to have the very large, very chic diaper bags that are bursting at the seams with every baby gadget that is to be found at Babies R Us as well as a vast assortment of clothing that could clothe all the children in a daycare center. The well-seasoned parent can leave the house within minutes with little more than a bag the size of a child's lunchbox in tow.

Here is a list of things you should consider putting in a diaper bag - although you would probably find that you don't need half of these items for a quick trip around town...

Infant:
‚¬ Powdered formula - pre-measured - in a formula dispenser
‚¬ Bottle of water - can always buy more almost anywhere
‚¬ Bottles
‚¬ Expressed Breast milk in a refrigerated bag (if a babysitter), Breast pads for nursing mothers
‚¬ Diapers - a few in your bag and a handful more in your car
‚¬ Baby wipes - a small stack in a resealable plastic sandwich bag - also great to clean dirty hands and mouths
‚¬ Diaper rash cream - if needed
‚¬ Hand sanitizer - for after diaper changes or using a shopping cart or other public surfaces
‚¬ Travel pack of tissues
‚¬ Changing pad, or hand towel from home
‚¬ Change of clothes - in case of spit up or diaper leakage
‚¬ Bibs
‚¬ Cloth diapers - for spit ups - especially handy to tuck under chin in the car
‚¬ Blanket
‚¬ Sun hat and sunscreen
‚¬ Pacifier
‚¬ Medicine your child may need - make sure you are prepared if your outing goes longer than you originally planned
‚¬ Camera - you never know when the picture perfect opportunity may come up!
‚¬ Emergency info - make sure you have the pediatricians phone number programmed into your cell phone along with health insurance information
‚¬ Baby carrier and/or stroller

For an older child, may want to include:
‚¬ Favorite book
‚¬ Paper or crayons (to entertain them in a restaurant or other location where you need them to be entertained for a period of time)
‚¬ Sippy cup with milk, water or juice or juice boxes
‚¬ Snacks/Food - jar of baby food & a spoon, snacks in resealable plastic bags or small plastic containers

What to look for in a diaper bag:
‚¬ Waterproof lining - to easily wipe up spills
‚¬ Different compartments - to keep food/drink items separate from clothing and diapering supplies
‚¬ A style that works for you and your family - a traditional diaper bag can be replaced by a backpack or other style bag that is comfortable to you
‚¬ Consider multiple bags - one for quick outings and one for much longer trips.

Remember, unless you are leaving the country or possibly going somewhere really rural like camping, chances are you can survive short outings with much less than you think. My best bet has always been to leave a few diapers and wipes in the car (in a resealable bag to stay clean and dry) and tuck a few books and a thin blanket in the pocket in back of the driver's seat. If you have these basics, you can certainly move around town quicker and easier. The more ‚¬luggage' you end up packing, the harder the entire trip will be. Take your clue from the parent with multiple kids - they've ‚¬"been there, done that‚¬ and know that kids are way more resilient than we might think. They will survive if you don't bring the kitchen sink with you for the quick trip to the mall!