Every spring I get a little bug in my ear to landscape the front yard, deep clean the fridge, and empty the junk drawer. What shapes up is a spring cleaning list long enough to take me well into the fall months. Life is a lot of little chores over and over again, right?
I start with this little list of tasks: 10 Things I Do To Refresh For Spring. I like to ease in before, you know, power-washing and painting the back deck.
My favorite on the Spring Refresh list is to tidy up my purse. By April, the bottom of my purse is litttered with crumbled old receipts, a few coins and for some reason, half a KitKat bar…. I dunno. Here’s how my purse purge took shape this year:
• I don’t buy a new purse ever spring, but I did splurge on this budget-friendly stand alone canvas bag because like the color and shape. I also like this tote style purse from Everlane.
• To keep my purse orderly for as long as possible, I need bags inside of bags. I use this small makeup bag where I keep this folding hairbrush, balm and a small tube of lotion.
• I upgraded with these little pill cases because I got tired of forgetting my allergy medicine at home. My mom always had Tums in her purse when I was growing up and… the way I thought those were actual candy!? I Iike to keep a few in my purse for comfort.
• The amount of perfume I have in this small bag is… is really something. I like an obnoxious assortment of Commodity Fragrances (I love Book), Rosie perfume oil, and Diptyque Fleur de Peau.
• Because I’m me, I can’t a large wallet neat and tidy. They quickly become stuffed with receipts I don’t need tot keep a business cards but like who am I getting business cards from? I keep a few cards in a small folding wallet. My favorite part of my purse refresh is the little things I hide from myself in the side pocket: a small bag of bobby pins and hair ties, an extra bag to store jewelry I might want to remove, and a little bit of cash. The cash is the most fun to find when I’ve long forgotten about it.
• And oh course my phone nestles easily into the purse but, should I make a few Crossbody chain iphone holder chains as my summer craft?
What are the must-haves in your purse this spring? We all need to know what we should be adding to our stash! Do we need room for a water bottle? Do we need sunscreen? Let’s work on this together.
xo Joy
Katt
The things that can always be found in my purse (https://www.dagnedover.com/collections/the-allyn-tote in a dreamy blue):
– water bottle (the reason I bought the purse) w/ pony tail holder around the neck
– burts bees
– hand lotion
– wallet
– mask
– reusable bag
– extra pens
– migraine meds
Things that always need to be cleaned out of my purse:
– never ending post-it notes with grocery or to-do lists
a
I’ve started having the occasional Tums for the calcium!
Dottie
Bags inside bags. That is me too. My purse could use a clean out. Since the pandemic struck, I’ve mostly used a belt bag (aka fanny pack), but my purses do come out from time to time. Last year I unpacked an old Coach leather bag and I am so glad that I hung on to it. A classic!
Even the little belt bag could use a clean out. Essentials are sunscreen, lip balm (with sunscreen in it), Advil (vitamin I, as I call it), hand sanitizer, masks. There are also the nonessentials: seed pods from random flowers on my walks, old receipts, coins.
After reading the comments, I need to look into Solace.
Marine
On the rare occasions that I use a purse, it typically only holds my phone, a little zip pouch that I use as my wallet, and my keys. During the week I use a large crossbody bag that always has the aforementioned things, plus a water bottle, whatever book I’m currently reading, two baggu bags, a swiss army knife, and a small zip bag that holds tampons, hair ties, tums, ibuprofen, bandaids, chapstick, floss, a comb, and a nail file (surprisingly, the thing I use the most!) – oh and snacks! Always snacks.
HollyStar
I feel seen! This is me. My current crossbody bag is wearing out and has been discontinued. I have yet to find a good replacement but I remain hopeful.
Kay
I must +1 the nail file. Having the flimsiest nails, I have to be able to take care of a jagged nail or snag otherwise it’s all I think about til I can get home to take care of it. Also one time at Aldi my checkout person was giving away little quarter holders in the shape of a shopping cart that you can hook onto the inside of your bag. That way you can have your quarter for the cart at the ready! I keep things minimal but this has proven itself to be really conveneint.
Mia
I usually have my wireless earbuds case, bandaids in case of a blister (breaking in new sandals!), and depending on which bag I’m using a reusable water bottle!
I love the idea for a little bag for jewelry I may want to take off later!!
Missy
I carry a tote bag with everything from a tape measure to Bobby pins and bandaids. But I also have with that tote a small crossbody that doubles as a wristlet wallet. The tote works great for an extra bottle of water or other snacks, just in case.
Betty Lazarus
I always have a carabiner attached to my crossbody, usually for keys, sometimes for my sunglasses bag, etc. it is my essential purse item!!!!
Tiffany
When I ditched my diaper bag a few years ago I went to no purse. Now I carry one credit card, drivers license and my phone. My minivan is well-stocked but my body is easy breezy.
kara owen
Ditching the diaper bag was the best thing I ever did when my kids were little. I kept everything in my car because w/4 kids I didn’t go far from it. Also, changing a diaper in the car is much easier than in Target.
Chrissy
I always have Solace roll-on by Saje. It’s an awesome quick cooldown for hot flashes or hot summer days.
Sue M
Solace!!!! I life saver. I’ve used gallons of the stuff and wish they would bring it back as a spray too
Judy
I keep a tiny tape measure, handy for thrift shopping & measuring garments or a piece of furniture that you need to see if will fit in the car. Def sunscreen & bug spray in the summer.
Catherine
My purse go-tos: some cash, a chapstick (and a back up chapstick because, let’s be real, am I really going to keep track of just one?), and my sunglasses.
Lynn
I can live without most things in my purse but I must always have an emergency snack and gum and ginger chews. They get their own pouch.
Julia
Trader Joe’s hand sanitizer and backup masks!!
Reannon
Lip balm, a nourishing one & a tinted one. Sunscreen, I keep it in my car but also carry a lip balm sunscreen in my purse. A pen. Bandaids. A single tampon because as a perimenopausal 44 year old who knows when I’ll get my period. And I carry a card holder with my bank card (in case my phone won’t work or is flat), my license, my Medicare/private health/ambulance cover cards/ Costco card & my 3 library cards. If I could carry every single card in my phone I’d be sooooooo happy.