I had to clean out all of my purses yesterday to try and find something (I didn’t find it. Turns out the thing I was looking for doesn’t even exist. Welcome to my world).
I have a few purses, which I don’t think is uncommon. I have the small ‘quick stops’ purse to grab and go do errands. I have the travel purse, the one that if it disappeared or got dirty I would live with it. I have the large purse, the one that can fit my ipad, 8 days of groceries and a change of clothes.
They all have one thing in common: They are a dark pit of crumbs, pennies and receipts.
For whatever reason, when I need to switch purses, I tend to empty the contents of the purse I want into another purse and move on. There’s usually one ‘anchor’ purse that ends up with all the junk. Then eventually, I go through and sort it.
There are a few observations I made yesterday while drowning in broken crayons and papers that I no longer need. Here is typically what’s in my purse, although I can’t explain why for some items.
1- Lip gloss
Or lipstick, or a balm of some sort. Every purse has something that goes on my lips. Dry lips are the bane of my existence.
2- Writing tools
I could just write pens, but let’s be honest, it’s not just pens. I have crayons (from every kid-friendly restaurant we’ve been to in the past month), markers, pencil crayons etc. And yet, when you ask to borrow one to jot something down? I won’t be able to find it.
3- Crumbs and ew, something sticky?
Gross. The bottom of my purse is gross. Crushed up crackers and cookies and random candies that are covered in said crumbs. Once and a while I forget that one of the kids handed me back their half eaten cheese stick and I stuck it in there only for it to become a creature of the purse. I’m surprised when I put my hand in my purse it doesn’t get bitten off.
4- Napkins
How many napkins does one person need to have on hand ‘just in case’? The answer is a bazillion, if you are me (or so it would seem.) Dear self: Taking extra napkins at the ice cream store to be ready for the drippy, sticky hands of the kids is a good idea, unless you already have an entire packaged shoved into your purse. Your good. Step away from the napkins.
5- Random items that are kid related
I pulled out about 8 pieces of my daughter’s play jewellery yesterday. There’s always some toy or kid thing kicking around in this purse. If you ever see me while out and your kid is fussing, my purse likely can help.
6- Loose change
The difference between me using the change part of my wallet and just dropping change into the purse is apparently too much for me to handle. Loose change is everywhere.
7- Stuff that I needed 9 months ago but not anymore
The form for the driver’s license renewal. The business card from the 2012 conference I went to. These are no longer needed. It’s time to let them go.
Each time I empty and clean my purse, it’s like revisiting the past and is a constant reminder that my organizational skills are severely lacking.
Am I the only one? Does anyone else’s purse look like a nightmare?
Word to this – my purse and purses are the same. I have to keep buying new pens because there are never any pens in my office, and then whenever I clean out my purses I find 20 pens in each. SIGH.
Don’t despair, once your kids get older, your purse naturally gets lighter and more organized 🙂