Ten Pounds of Stuff in a Five Pound Bag

I’m on the road again and apparently felt I not only needed to take everything I own with me, but that it should all go in my purse.  Sounds good, but unless I buy a little red wagon to drag the purse along in, I’m going to have to lighten the load.  Not only am I carrying pounds and pounds of stuff in my shoulder bag, I’m lugging it though airports…. 3 different ones today. So, when I need something out of it, I have to dig, because inevitably the thing I want has filtered down to the bottom of the main area of the purse.  I have/had a system, but right before this trip, I changed phones, added a small tablet, and my carefully planned purse system is now just a little off. Here is a list of what I currently have in my purse.

First external zipper pocket:

• Two lipsticks (which I usually forget to apply)
•  Lip balm
•  Small mirror, (in case I ever apply the lipstick
•  Flying earplugs  in a case—since my ears have been bothering me
• Black earbuds for listening to music
• Two packets  of wrapped mints from restaurant last night.

Second external zippered pocket:

• Phone –not too much else can fit, this phone is larger than my last one

Larger external zippered pocket

• Driving glasses in hard case (So I can see to drive)
• Sunglasses in hard case (So I can see in the sun)
• Reading glasses in soft case—these are hardly ever used, but they there if I need them
• Receipt
• Paper napkin—from fast food place at an airport
• Packet of lemon juice from fast food restaurant at airport
• Pen
• Two tea bags

Small internal Pocket:

• Business cards–mine and other people’s
• Electronic key card
• 2 packets of Equal

Second small internal pocket

•  Half roll of Tums  (For my tummy)
• Package of dental floss
• Larger internal pocket
• Two  pens
•  Small fold over note pad
•  Two receipts
• Conference badge on a retractable cord.

 Main Purse area

• 7 Inch tablet in case (This is new, and I love it for reading my Kindle books—much better than my old phone that I used to use for reading books!)
• Oversized Billfold.  (Love it, but it is too big and too heavy )
• Sheet of paper with list on it. (Could likely toss this, since I usually use Evernote)
• Small hairbrush
• White earbuds
• Blue scrunchy
• Car charger and wall charger and two cords in a case that is too small for all that stuff
• Checkbook (I write almost no checks, but I seem to always have it with me)
•  Wendy’s coupons
• Two emery boards in a plastic cover
• Empty Ziploc bag
• Quart Ziploc bag filled with:

1. Five bottles nail polishes (Glass bottles are heavy—this should be in the suitcase, really)
2. Allergy meds
3. Four- 5 Hour Energy drinks (this is 20 full hours of energy, folks)
4. Hand sanitizer      

• Package of Southwest peanuts
• Package of Southwest pretzels
• Package of Wheat Thins, also from Southwest
•  Three magazines
• Rolling Stone (left for me by seat mate—saved for article on musicians favorite songs)
• Psychology Today (bought at airport newsstand for the article on Reinventing Yourself)
• Spirit magazine (Southwest free magazine kept for Sudoku puzzles)

So, yes, some of this is clearly temporary and travel related, but—I am going to find a tote or specific travel purse to deal with this, because a lot of this is now standard for any future trips.

And I’m not  even going to discuss what is in my briefcase— but it at least has wheels!