Have you ever stumbled along with a daily irritation--perhaps a stubborn zipper on your jacket or a bottomless-pit handbag that looks stylish but causes you frustration every time you reach to retrieve your car keys or cell phone?
I do it more frequently than I care to admit.
I'm still looking for the Perfect Handbag. Oh it's out there, somewhere. I just haven't quite found it yet.
In the meantime, I have decided that I'm going to test drive different purse-esque ideas in an effort to determine the most effective stuff-carrier out there.
Elaine St. James, author of several books on simple living, states how she finally did away with carrying a purse at all.
I had no purse as a young college student: I carried my student ID and a some cash in a slim wallet in my pocket.
That doesn't really work for me anymore. I'm super busy--just like you--with huge responsibilities. My chosen lifestyle requires that I tote around more gear than just an ID and a couple 20's like I used to do.
So, what to do about what we need to carry?
Dejunk and organize! In that specific order.
This weekend, spend a few minutes sorting through the stuff you sling around all day:
1. Dump everything that's in your purse out on a clean, flat surface.
2. Pick out the obvious trash and get rid of it: candy wrappers, parking stubs, unneeded receipts, empty lip balm tubes.
3. See if you are carrying duplicates and downsize to just one: comb or hairbrush, credit card, packages of gum or breath mints, lipstick, pen.
4. Stop carrying your checkbook if you pay for most purchases with cash or a debit card. Leave it at home and save toting around that extra weight.
5. Examine the bling on your bag: one of my favorite handbags had this huge shiny metal buckle that looked so chic. It also added unnecessary weight to the heavy load I was already carrying. So I switched to a lighter-weight but less bling-y bag.
6. If your kids are old enough and strong enough to swing a softball bat, they're strong enough to carry their own gear. Do NOT tote around their DS Lite game system, MP3 player, eyeglasses, or school books (yes, my handbag is large enough to carry these). Kids can learn to carry their own load, or learn to leave it at home (or in the car, or in their school locker).
Whew! You've done the dejunking. Next time, we'll do the organizing. And by then I'll be able to give you the low-down on my newest handbag organizing purchase: I just ordered a large Purse to Go organizer. It's a great idea; we'll see how it holds up in real life.
Have a great week!
