Welcome to Day 5 of the 20 Days of Me series… What’s in my purse?
Apparently this was a challenge going around on the internet back in 2010. I’m only a decade late to the party! But better late than never, right?
My current purse is an Overland Equipment Donner Bag. I bought it to use on one of our big trips and I love it so much that I have been using it ever since. I found a listing for it on REI. It’s no longer made and the reviews are from 6-10 years ago so that’s probably about how long I’ve had it. I would guess 6-8 years. It’s hard to tell in the photos but it measures 10x7x4 inches.
I don’t love carrying a purse and back in the days before kids, I would just put my money in my pocket. Since kids, I have become a daily purse carrier (though I still don’t always love it!). I like the cross-body bag because it leaves my hands free. I like this particular bag because it holds what I need – wallet, camera, magic black bag, and water bottle. Perfect for travel and perfect for every day.
What’s Inside?
It has been quite awhile since I last cleaned out my purse so it should be pretty interesting to see what’s hiding inside.
Front Pocket
*Empty hand sanitizer bottle – I’m pretty sure it was full when I put it in there. Which means it completely evaporated because now the bottle is empty and I never used any of it.
*Hair tie – Because I have long hair and I hate it when my hair is down in my face. It’s always a good idea to keep a spare hair tie on hand.
*Broken pen – No idea why I have pieces of a broken pen here. Maybe it broke when there was no trash can around so I stashed it here then forgot about it.
*Stashed cash – I like to have cash tucked inside for any emergencies that might pop up.
Side Pockets
*Water bottle – Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! I love having a bottle of water always on hand.
*Pens and pencils – Keeping them in the side pocket keeps them from getting lost in the bottom of the main compartment.
*Chopsticks – I may have a small take-out sushi problem…
*Plastic utensils – What can I say – I like to be prepared and I don’t like to be hungry.
Back pocket
Let’s take a closer look…
*Membership cards – my wallet is already overfull so this pocket becomes overflow parking
*Expired coupons – This pocket is a one-way paper trap. I put coupons in so I’ll have them when I go shopping but then never take them out again if they don’t get used.
*Gift cards and more emergency stash cash
*MP3 player – an essential item in my daily routine
*Coffee sleeves – an attempt to reduce, reuse, recycle by using them more than once
*Notes and lists – the one-way paper trail strikes again!
Main Compartment
Let’s sort it out and take a closer look…
*Hair tie – you can never have enough spare hair ties on hand…
*Magic Bag – It’s small but mighty! This bag holds bandaids, tylenol, chapstick, itch creme, nail clippers, tweezers, etc. Everything you need for small emergencies.
*Wallet – I’m very picky about my wallet. I found this one at Tractor Supply Co in California. It’s getting pretty beat up but I’ll keep it as long as I can.
*Notes and receipts – the whole purse is a one-way paper trail!
*Peanut M&Ms – my emergency snack stash. Perfect for when you’re hungry and need something to get by until you can get real food. I found this cute little plastic bottle in a Florida grocery store. It keeps the candy from getting crushed and it’s refillable.
*Inhaler – for breathing!
*Nail clippers – not sure why they weren’t in the black bag…
*Toothbrush and toothpaste – because I forgot to brush my teeth before my last dentist appointment. They gave me this one and I stuck it in my purse after using it.
*Pen and paperclips
*Gift cards – I love this plastic case for keeping all my gift cards together (and out of my over-stuffed wallet). The high school band sells gift cards as a fundraiser so I usually have a few around to use.
*Almonds – another emergency snack
*Checkbook – My dad bought the cover for me as a birthday gift. I love it!
*Cash – see above, the multiple references to having cash on hand for emergencies
*Foot brace – I’ve been having plantar fasciitis troubles since starting teaching. I like to keep this handy in case I’m have a painful foot day.
*Glasses case – a backup, just in case I need to put my glasses or sunglasses away. I’ve never actually used it. It’s collapsible though so it doesn’t take up much room.
*Playing cards – for emergency entertainment needs
*Flashlight – for power outages? Long walks in the dark?
*Hair pick – just in case I decide to actually comb my hair for a change
*Cleaning cloth – for glasses and cell phone screens
*(Camera) – not carried on a daily basis but fits inside nicely when traveling. Sometimes Vacation Mouse gets tucked in here too.
Recurring themes
Did you notice any recurring themes in what you found in my purse? As I was typing this up, I noticed that I keep cash stashed in multiple places in the same bag. And in general, I just like to Be Prepared! I clearly have squirrel tendencies. Do you remember the “What type of squirrel are you” quiz from my squirrel post? I’m a chipmunk: “Chipmunks are notorious for stockpiling food for the winter and you follow a similar style of planning and preparedness.” My purse is my stockpile.
Here’s a recent picture of me with my trusty bag in action.
A Fun Discovery
I always research what I’m writing even when it’s about me. I found this interesting article about a kids’ book called, “What’s In Your Purse?” The article shows the design process for making this lift-the-flap collection of 5 different purses in one book. Click here to read it.
All 20 Days of Me
What’s coming up next? Check the list to see what Day 6 will bring. Click here to see all completed days in the series.
All the questions!
Follow me
Click the photo to sign up for email updates of new content.
(You know you want to…)
