It's In The Bag

After reading the blog post "Ladies, What do you have in your purse?" at Journey of Life a couple of months ago, I can't seem to stop thinking about purses.  (Although I've never really been able to stop thinking about purses.  I'm a little obsessed.)  But more recently it's been about what's in my purse, what other women keep in their purses, and the size of the purses.

I've always been a big purse gal.  Back in high school I often heard the question "is that a purse or an overnight bag? (suitcase, luggage, etc)"  It was kind of my thing.  Big purses and big earrings.  That was my personal fashion statement. 

Now I see women toting around those cute little purses which are hardly any bigger than my wallet; and I envy them.  How do they get everything they need into that adorable little pocket?  And what am I hauling around that they don't seem to need?  I would love to have a tiny little handbag.  I gaze longingly at them in the store, consider giving one a go.  Then I remember the contents of my own bag.

Right now in my purse I have:
* wallet
* cell phone
* personal organizer
* pencil pouch (for my assortment of pens.  I'm also a little obsessed with pens)
* 2 pairs of sunglasses
* make up pouch (with powder compact, mirror, lip balm, nail file, and a few lip glosses)
* travel size hand sanitizer
* purse pack of tissues
* hand lotion
* asthma inhaler
* tic tacs
* multi-tool (one never knows when she might need a pocket knife, pliers, can opener, screwdriver, scissors, or cork screw)
* a Nutri-grain bar
* various assorted shopping lists, receipts, and empty wrappers (those will be gone now, since this inventory has inspired a cleaning out of the purse)

Good grief!!  No wonder my back hurts so often!  Try as I might, I can't seem to whittle it down much more than that.  I absolutely need the wallet, cell phone, and inhaler.  But things get a little more complicated when I start looking at the rest of the collection.

I happen to strongly hold to the idea that I need my makeup pouch  (at least the lip balm and powder) and tic tacs.  Those are non-negotiable in my opinion. 

I know... I should be using my phone as an organizer.  And maybe one day I'll get the hang of that and be able to ditch the personal organizer.

And I probably don't need all those pens, or the pouch to hold them.  But that's going to take addressing a whole 'nother personal issue before that happens.  (Did I mention I'm a little obsessed with pens?)

Two pairs of sunglasses you ask?  Why yes.  Because I am sure as the world going to wear one pair into the house, take them off and set them on the kitchen counter or the dresser, forget they are there, leave the house again at some point forgetting they are not in my purse, and need a pair of sunglasses.  This happens often enough that I firmly believe the two pair strategy is best.

As for all the other paraphernalia - I may suffer from "but if I don't have it, I'm going to need it" syndrome.  But I just know, the day I stop carrying around a multi-tool, or a pack of tissue, or hand sanitizer - the very next day I am going to have a screwdriver emergency, a sneezing fit, or well, a sneezing fit.  No one wants that to happen.

What's in your bag right now?  What do you have to carry in your purse?  and what could you probably get by without having?  Do you carry a big purse, or are you able to carry one of those cute little handbags?