Bodacious Bag

Conquering the Bottomless Pit
Yes, we have read in many articles on organization that everything needs a place. Obviously those writers don’t carry purses. I do believe in a purse that keeping everything in its place is very hard to do because throwing things in your purse is so easy. And if you are out and about with small children, like me, the last priority is to make sure your purse stays nice and organized. The little pockets on the inside of the purses are great ideas but do take extra time to use. Then you must remember to check the little pockets for stuff when you are looking for the missing item. So for the majority of my purse items, I have a simple strategy – carry a smaller sized purse to limit capacity and throw everything in it. I have had to modify that strategy to be able to find two key items – my keys and cell phone.
After tackling a grocery trip with four children, the last thing anyone in my family wants to do is wait after we have checked out while Mommy tries to find her keys while I try to keep the little ones seated and the loose kids from running away. Not such a great strategy, so I make a change.
I like to do things in small manageable steps. So for me, I had to solve my two most frustrating issues with my purse. Small and manageable steps are as key to me as quick and easy implementation. There was not time to go out and shop for the perfect purse to fit my key and phone issue, I needed to make a change fast.
So I switched around the use for the outside section on my purse that allows you to slide anything (and everything) for a quick place. Of course I had to pull out all kinds of little treasures, but now I was armed and ready. Waa, laa! The side pocket became the new home for the keys and phone in which I do not slide anything else.
It was unbelievable how that small change made such a difference in life. No more trying to find the keys and keep the kids all together in hectic public places while I dig. No more randomly ringing phone in an undisclosed location in my purse while everyone looks at you wondering when you are going to answer. Yes, control and order in the bottomless pit if only on two items – was great for me.
My next change came a few weeks later when I went to reach for a business card and out comes business cards with a feminine product. Thankfully, I was able to quickly drop with unwanted item without notice. But, potentially a pretty embarrassing situation. So for those nice little pockets in my purse, I only use one and that is for business cards. ☺
So enough about me, what about you? Take a second to think of the most frustrating part of using your purse…
a. Cannot ever find your car keys?
b. Your phone is ringing and ringing and still you cannot find it?
c. A pen? You know there is one, somewhere.
d. The information you need is on a piece of paper somewhere.
e. Do you get a worse headache just trying to find medicine in your purse?
f. Pictures of your family and pets get ruined before you can show anyone?
g. Need money but you know there is a twenty somewhere there?
Whatever it is for you. Just fix one thing this week that frustrates you about your purse. Then, leave a comment for everyone so our purses can be something that helps us look and feel great, not a source of frustration.