My strategy for switching purses is simple: I don’t carry much.
Purse contents: Cell phone, keys, work ID, lipstick, wallet, bus schedule and tokens.
The contents vary a little. I don’t carry the bus schedule every day. If I’m using a small bag, I ditch the wallet and just bring my driver’s license and ATM card. I’m no workaholic, so my badge stays out of my purse on the weekends.
I usually switch bags in the evening, when I’m getting everything packed for the next day. It’s simple to transfer the contents from one purse to another. If I don’t immediately switch to a new bag, I’ll leave my things in the old bag or on the pictured table and tray, near the front door.
A few items tend to “live” in certain handbags. I usually neglect to transfer pens, travel-size bottles of lotions, and compact mirrors. They aren’t critical for me to carry each day and are sort of a nice surprise when I use that bag again.
Works for me! Granted, I’m kidless, so I carry less than a mother would. How do you handle purse transitions?
I like to change up my bags too. For an evening out or church, I usually use a clutch with only the essentials (MILK - money, ID, lipstick, keys). For everyday (since I'm a mom) I need a bigger bag. Once, I had about 3 purses in the car: a tote, a medium bag, and a clutch. I told one of my kids to get something "out of my purse." He came back in the car and said "Mom, which one is your REAL purse?" I burst out laughing because I think that is the most profound question I had ever heard!
ReplyDeleteI like to change mine often too. I am a mum of many so carry the following: purse, diary, keys, pinsentry (online banking gizmo), phone, tissues, nappy, pack of wipes, small box of cammomile tea bags, lipgloss, cheque book and small bag with handcream/lipbalm, etc. If I haven't changed bag for a little while there is usually an accumulation of wrappers, toy cars, mittens, and random other crap the children give me to look after.
ReplyDeleteI find regular changing helps keep my bag uncluttered. I clear it out each time I change it.
I have recently seen a purse liner for sale at a local shop that is intended for this very purpose. It is like a bag within your bag which has small compartments for all your necesities. When you change bags you can just pull out the liner and pop it into your next bag so you never have to worry about leaving something behind in the transition.
ReplyDeleteI don't change purses quite as often as you do, and my 2 daily purses are the exact same purse, just one in black, one in brown, which makes swapping VERY easy!
ReplyDeleteOtherwise, I handle swaps just as you do -- I prepare my outfits ahead of time, and if the purse needs to be swapped out, I just move the necessities from one to the other.
I agree, though, I think being childless helps!
I love seeing all your purse changes. I have a few purses, but I never change them...I always forget something in the last purse and I just never think about it. I do have a lot of clutches/evening bags so when I go out I do change them up.
ReplyDeletegreat post! I am a Mom (and nanny to school aged kids) so I carry the essentials + a dipees and wipees fabric diaper case and a few snacks. I keep an emergency stash of stuff we *may* need in the car so nothing gets lost in my switching.
ReplyDeleteAs a fellow kidless person, I also have a minimalist bent when it comes to bags. I use a men's wallet, and have a small bag for necessities (period stuff, mirror, mini deodorant, lipgloss), then add my keys and possibly my mp3 player.
ReplyDeleteI only use a purse on the weekends or on Fridays, since I heft around my backpack on the other work days.
I don't handle purse transitions! I use a laptop bag during the week, and for the weekend I transfer everything to the one purse I use every weekend. If I'm going out at night I'll try and pare it down to what I can fit into my pockets (if I'm lucky enough to have them) so I usually just carry my car key, credit card, and license.
ReplyDeleteBTW, in your last post when you talked about it being 0 degrees tomorrow and how bundled up you had to get, I thought "wow, it must suck to live where she does" - until I remembered that I'm close to you anyway. I am not looking forward to this 0 degree business.
I need to get better about using my handbags, and this is a great strategy. Though for me it seems to be par for the course that the ONE time I need a particular item, that's the day I switched purses and neglected to pack it.
ReplyDeleteI don't handle purse swaps well. My purse generally accumulates lots of random crap and the larger the purse, the more filled up with crap it gets. I only change purses seasonally. I have a larger variety of 'going out' purses where I can swap essentials. And I ususally do that before I head out the door or, sometimes while I am in the car to my 'going out' destination!
ReplyDeleteI am a mom, so I keep three small bags in my purse--like make-up bags, but not. So, when I switch pursues I grab my wallet, the two mini bags (filled with crap) and my cell phone. Keys hang on a hook. The mini bags also help when I carry a large bag and am trying to fish out lipstick for example. Just grab the appropriate bag..it's important that each bag is a different texture, shape, and color.
ReplyDeleteI have a child but am past the nappy stage - also I work so he has to use own pockets when I'm not there. I have one big bag for work days, will take lots of books and some shopping. Much smaller bag for weekends. I swap purse (wallet) face powder keys phone and keep various lipsticks in different bags.
ReplyDeletei end up emptying my purse all over the floor and picking and choosing things... its annoying and usually very rushed but it works... the purse liner idea sounds awesome!! :)
ReplyDeletefatallyblonde.blogspot.com
blog roll me!
I use my bag until I'm sick of it. I carry: cell phone, keys, 3 lipsticks / glosses, sunglasses,pens, calendar, wallet, 2 little pill bottles and eyedrops. That is the minimum.
ReplyDeleteI have intended for quite a while to order an "insert" from chameleoninserts.com because I know several people that *adore* them, but it hasn't been purchased yet.
I wish I could do that, but I'm an 8th grader who has to shlep around all my stuff in a big backpack. Of course, there are the few "cool/popular" girls who wear shoulder bags - and head-to-toe, logo'd PINK (from Victoria's Secret.) Yuck. (I have nothing against VS as a whole, but I hate PINK.)
ReplyDeleteLove the blog!!! I am in Texas and it was 60 this afternoon (sitcking my tounge out).
ReplyDeleteI am a huge purse addict and have found that small cosmetics cases work in swaps. I have two that I keep all of my non-wallet stuff in. One for medicine (with the heat comes year-round allergies). It holds 3 prescription bottles and a few tablet sheets when I need a Benadryl to survive. The other one holds everything else, gloss, nail file, mints, small lotion bottle, etc. Then, I just move my sunglass case, wallet and cell phone. Kleenex lives in abundance in the bottom of all of my bags.
I am really bad at bag swapping. I walk a lot, so I usually carry big bags (the boy calls them luggage), and a lot of crap tends to collect in the bottom.
ReplyDeleteI've found random shoes, pantyhose, money (woo-hoo!), food, etc., and knowing I have to deal with all of that discourages me from switching my day bag.
However, the "night out" bag is a different story...
I've got a diaper bag (well a laptop bag I use as diaper bag) so I try not to switch. Last time I did, I forgot the wipes and an extra outfit.
ReplyDeletei'm in awe of you ladies that can switch up purses a lot. i'm always in search of "the perfect handbag". this is the bag that will NOT let everything end up at the bottom, will serve up my cell phone when it rings, and doesn't swallow coin-change that builds up over time making it weigh twenty pounds :) that means when i find something "close" i tend to keep with it for months at a time. that hasn't stopped me from collecting a fair few handbags, though :)
ReplyDeleteKasmira, I'm the same as you - my purse contains only my essentials: wallet, phone, keys, lip balm, small cloth for cleaning my glasses, and hand sanitizer.
ReplyDeleteHaving so few items in my purse makes it quite easy to switch purses.
A friend of mine's purses are so large that she refers to them as luggage. I asked her how she ever found anything in a purse that large and she smiled as she opened her purse to show me. She keeps a smaller purse within her larger purse! It's the smaller purse that contains all her essentials.
Sneaky, sneaky!
xo
Sabina
Belated thanks for this! I've been on vacation and am just now catching up with my blog reading.
ReplyDeleteI don't tend to carry a lot in my purse either, but since I do have kids I try to carry a big enough purse that I can throw in an extra change of clothes, school paperwork, etc. if needed.
I think my real issue is I keep my purses in the bedroom but tend to grab whatever I'm carrying for the day on the way out the door in the morning. Maybe I need to plan ahead the night before as you do when I'm getting my outfit together.