“I don’t know how you do it” is a statement I often hear. Running around doing errands is not easy with two. I am not going to sugarcoat it. Heck, it’s not even easy with one! Don’t get me wrong; if there is an opportunity to bring only one of my kids or go by myself for errands, I am all over it! But my one piece of advice for you is to prepare!

Preparation is key when going anywhere with kids. I almost took the boys out for a spontaneous breakfast this morning without any of the essentials but the thoughts of “I didn’t bring anything for Henry to eat,” “what if he gets fussy,” “he’ll definitely get fussy,” “okay we’re not going” ran through my head. In conclusion, if you prepare you can do spontaneous trips! Lol

TIP 1 : SHOPPING CARTS AVAILABLE. If we are going to Target or the grocery store, I know there are shopping carts provided to walk up and down the aisles. In this case, I will park near a cart so I can easily transfer James and Henry from car seats to shopping cart without walking too far away from the unattended car. Henry sits in the top seat buckled in while James sits in the cart part. They both LOVE riding in the cart. When Henry was smaller I would place his car seat in the big part and James would sit in the seat on top. Bringing two kids around in the cart only allows so much space to actually buy things so making a list and sticking to it is my best friend!

TIP 2 : SHOPPING CARTS NOT PROVIDED. Our UppaBaby stroller is always in our trunk and comes in handy during these times. Henry’s car seat will fit right in the stroller and James will walk right along side me. In the early days when James was still wobbly on his feet, I would put the boys in the double stroller. Sometimes I would even hold James as we walked through the store because the shop was too small for a double wide. Another option is to put Henry in the baby carrier and James in the stroller if you are going on longer walks.

TIP 3 : DIAPER BAG. Always have one on hand. Bring all the essentials – diapers, wipes, snacks, teethers, water, and a bottle for baby. Or if you are like me and go to Target and Trader Joe’s on the reg, there will be snacks everywhere just in case you need to refill.

TIP 4 : ALLOW EXTRA TIME. Whenever you are planning on leaving, give yourself a few extra minutes. You know someone will need to be changed or the diaper bag snacks will need to be restocked or you just need to get the kids buckled in the car which is a whole different feat.

TIP 5 : PRIORITIZE. After we drop Jimmy off at the train in the morning, I try to do most of my errands. The boys are already changed, dressed, and fed and in the car so it’s easier to do things since we are already out. Grocery shopping, Target runs or picking up the dry cleaning are usually done in the morning since they are the most important. In the afternoon, depending how the boys wake from their naps,  we will run errands like buying gifts or cards (or just going to HomeGoods to get out of the house) that I know can wait for a different day if they don’t get done right away. I also choose a few errands I can do at a time rather than trying to squeeze them all in one run.