My ‘mom’ bag, spilled secrets. I only call it a mom bag. It’s actually my safety blanket of sorts. I feel very off my game if I don’t have a bag with me. Even if it sits in the car and I just take a purse or wallet into wherever I am going. I feel like I am forgetting something. I’ve tried just a purse. But always end up having a bag. Then there are two messes to keep me disorganized!  As I mentioned previously, this bag solves both of those dilemmas.  It is a bag, messenger bag, cross body purse in one!

So, what do I have in here.  Keep in mind I am trying to convert fully to just this.  I am doing it slowly so I am not overwhelmed by the actual organization.  Well my first thought was one of those nifty purse organizers that you can transfer from purse to purse.  I don’t want to switch purses.  Maybe each season, but one is just fine for me.  I don’t even pick out my clothes the night before, I don’t need to add something else to my get out the door on time with everything routine – or lack of LoL.

But I didn’t want to just dump everything into the bag and have to play treasure hunt each time I wanted something.  So, several makeup bags in different sizes, maybe?  Have you seen the prices of make up bags?!  OMG!  Yeah, I am way too cheap to spend that kind of money.

So a couple of weeks ago we were at Walmart getting the rest of school supplies and down one of the aisles, it hit me!  Pencil bags!  Colors, shapes, and designs, oh my!  I grabbed three.  The cylinder shape with butterflies is my official make-up case.  I wear very little, if any, on a regular basis, but like to have my go to items with me.  In here I also have some hair ties – my child has thick, curly, prone to frizz hair and sometimes it just needs to be in a bun.  Some bobby pins, that oddly enough NEVER seem to end up back in here LoL.  The small rectangle aqua and silver, to the left, is my med bag – also known as keep mom sane bag.  I have some of my Rx meds in here, ibuprofen, antacids and also a smaller pill box with meds for my daughter.  You have no idea how many times we have been at a family function and she wants to stay the night at my brothers or with my mom.  We don’t have her meds, so we end up double tripping or not letting her.  Now, if they have some sleep clothes for her, we are all set! Go mom!  Oh and that ONLY works if you actually remember to refill it once it has been used. Speaking of…okay, did that.  Used them Saturday night actually.  The three tiered polka dot set attaches together to with hook & loop strips.  I use the large one for my check book and feminine hygiene products.  I know…what the heck do those even have in common to be together?!  Well in my life, I don’t use the check book very often at all.  Like maybe 5 or 6 times a year.  And the pads, liners, tampons I only use once a month.  So in my mind, those items get very little day-to-day use and no reason they shouldn’t be together.  The medium one has my spare phone charge – actually it’s Melaina’s, but I still have it, headphones and a Bluetooth headset.  The small one is for the member cards, gift cards or other wallet stuff that I don’t actually keep in my real wallet – which is just a small hard case accordion that I keep a few things in.  Like grab and run into the store quick.

Large center pocket currently holds a clean pair of underwear in a baggie, because I am paranoid about a period starting early and not being at home.  Been doing that since I was a teen myself.  The baggie can then be used for the soiled underwear if you want to save them.  I also have a pair of socks in there during the summer – if I need to take my shoes off at someone’s home, I don’t want to walk around in my bare feet.  In the winter I switch them to a pair of slipper socks for the extra warmth.  Started doing that after I got married.

So, all that stuff in one disorganized mess in various purses/bags has been a nightmare I regularly gripe about and, until now, have done nothing about it.  Until I started this project, I never realized how much work being a disorganized mess is!

I seriously considered dumping out the contents for a photo, but decided I didn’t want the picture that bad.

Want to talk purses, bags, tips and tricks?  Head over to my Facebook page and let me know how you keep it together.  Or just comment here, because clicking and responding over there, then remembering to check your notifications just sounds like too much…I’ll read and respond either way.