How to Organize Your Everyday Bag
Today we’re talking totes. Be it purses, backpacks, satchels, or whatever else you’ve got slung over your shoulder, I’m here to lighten your load. Because chances are, there are some odds and ends that are becoming a literal pain in your side. When you walk around town with your tote, you want to feel the lightness on your feet, not the weight of a bowling ball on your back. Here’s how to organize your bag so you feel footloose and fancy-free (while giving everything a place):
1. Edit and eliminate. When it comes to organizing your everyday bag, what you don’t have in your bag is as important as what what you do have. So start by taking everything out and dump it on the floor. Time to toss those crumpled receipts from CVS. Given that many receipts are laden in hormone-disrupting chemicals, you most definitely want to kick them to the curb (or trash bin; receipts can’t be recycled due to these harmful chemicals). Let’s also take out those stray coins and plop them in a tip bucket! It will brighten someone’s day.
Say goodbye to the gum wrappers, random business cards from a hair salon you visited once, and those Altoid mints from 2010. While we’re at it, let’s whack out those purse crumbs into the trash (am I eating a muffin directly into my purse? where do these crumbs crumb from!). And for extra credit, see if you can whittle down your large wallet to a smaller card holder. Keep only your ID and the cards you use on a regular basis. The rest can stay home. This is seemingly a small adjustment, but makes a BIG difference in lightening your load. Whew!
2. Spot Treat mystery stains. Flip your bag inside out and give it some TLC. Banish those lipstick and ink stains from your purse with a clean rag and equal parts warm water and dish soap (remember to blot and dab, not rub!). No stains? No interest in wiping your purse clean? Let’s jump to step 3.
3. Group like items together. Place all those floating gift cards back in your wallet, combine all your miscellaneous makeup together, corral technology into a pile, and group your supplements and meds.
4. Give everything a home. Having a single chapstick floating around your purse is no big deal, but loose makeup can get messy fast. Toss it into a chic pouch and you won’t waste time searching for your lip gloss at the bottom of your lip gloss-stained bag. Use a separate pouch for medication (ideally in a different color from your makeup pouch) for easy identification, and a separate pouch for your tech (e.g., phone charger, back up charger, and Airpods). Oh, and if you’ve got a water bottle, make sure it’s lightweight enough to carry around with you. And having a little Lara Bar-type snack at the ready never hurt anyone either).
5. Zhuzh up your key situation. If your keys are constantly getting lost to the abyss of your purse, keep them visible with a whimsical large keychain. You’ll be able to reach for it before you can say open sesame!
6. Whip up good habits. Now that your purse has been whipped into shape, keep up the good work! Remember to pare down those receipts, and keep out the trash when you can. Your shoulders and lower back will thank you!