Check out what’s in my bag, and discover all of my favorite essentials that I tote around with me at all times – books, snacks, markers, and more! Come take a peek!
I fully admit that I love the kind of articles where I get to know a little bit more about the writer, especially when those posts also involve fashion, goodies, and product recommendations. My favorite are “What’s in my bag/purse” posts, mostly because I’m totally nosy, and I love having the opportunity to peek into other people’s stuff for a minute! Plus, you can really learn a lot about a person by the things they tote around with them!
So, what’s in MY bag?
To start with, my purse is actually a camera bag (the mint Gracie bag by Jo Totes), and I’ve used it as my camera bag/diaper bag/purse for the past FOUR years now. Every day. This bag is a total workhorse, and I love, love, LOVE it! I honestly think that if/when this one eventually wears out, I’ll just replace it with the same one. The leather is super duper soft, and there are about a million pockets, so everything has a place.
Okay, now, what’s actually inside the bag?
My yellow chevron wallet by Ameroonie Designs (bought at The Queen Bee Market, back when chevron was at its height of popularity!) The wallet is as old as the purse, and again, I can’t believe it’s lasted me this long! It’s lined with polka dots, which are totally my jam, so it makes me happy that it’s still working away after all this time!
My favorite heart printed zipper bag filled with my favorite rainbow pens that I take everywhere with me! I color code everything (see my Organize Your Life with Bullet Journaling post), so these pens are perfect for work and note taking. Plus they keep the kids entertained while we’re out and about and waiting for appointments and baseball games.
You can’t have pens without a notebook, and I always have at least one (or five!) with me at all times. This colorful ikat notebook was a gift from my friend, Cori, at Hey, Let’s Make Stuff, and it’s the perfect size to keep in my bag.
My Kindle also goes everywhere that I go. Since the kids usually swipe my colorful pens and the notebook while they’re waiting as we’re out and about, I always make sure that I have the Kindle to keep me occupied. I just finished reading Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour and Asleep, and I just started Light is the New Black. (You can follow along with my reading list on Goodreads!)
The latest copy of Sacramento Parent magazine – if you turn to page 10, you might see a familiar face!
Business cards are always in my bag, and I’m always surprised at how many I hand out. I keep a decent sized stack in my bag, and it seems like I’m constantly replenishing it!
I keep a set of earbuds in my bag even though I only really use them when I’m travelling. I’m not a huge fan of flying, so I listen to a hypnosis app during my flights to keep me relaxed and comfortable.
Bug spray is always in the bag because the mosquitoes around here are vicious, especially at evening baseball games and practices! My little guy welts up like crazy whenever he gets bitten, so bug spray is a must-have. I’m working on perfecting my own DIY recipe, but in the meantime, we really like the Avon version.
I also carry more bandaids and antibacterial wipes than should be humanly possible. #momofboys
Makeup: I’m partial to long-wearing lipsticks that I only have to apply once or twice a day, but since they tend to dry out my lips, I am constantly applying lip balm. I discovered il Curatio lip balm at the SNAP conference a few years ago, and I’m not sure that I’ll ever be able to use any other lip balm or gloss again. Everything else pales in comparison, and their flavors are seriously amazing (I have watermelon and olallieberry in there right now)! I also keep an eyeliner pencil in my bag because I have astigmatism in one eye (if you look super duper closely, you might notice that the lash line of my right eye touches my eyelid, and the other doesn’t), so my eyeliner is constantly wearing off unevenly and lopsided – ha!
SNACKS! Between shuttling the kids to practices, games, and lessons, I often find myself reaching into my purse for snacks to tide me over until the next meal. I am head over heels for the brand new GOOD THiNS snacks, and I like to keep the GOOD THiNS Potato Spinach & Garlic in my bag, because the word “spinach” helps keep the kids away from MY snacks <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/72x72/1f609.png" alt="