• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Joy the Baker
Joy the Baker
  • Cookies
  • Bread
  • Cakes
  • Pies
  • Recipes
    • All Recipes
    • Cookies
    • Birthday Cake Recipes
    • Biscuits
    • Muffins
    • Cupcakes
    • Drinks
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Fruit
    • Nuts
    • Buttermilk
    • Chocolate
    • Vanilla
    • Holiday
    • Healthy
    • Gluten-Free
    • Vegan
  • Blog
    • Baking 101
    • Tips
    • Beyond the Kitchen
    • Let It Be Sunday!
    • New Orleans
  • Shop

What’s In Your Purse This Spring?

April 26, 2023 by Joy the Baker 18 Comments

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

Previous PostNext Post

Categories: Beyond the Kitchen

Previous Post: «
Next Post: »

Reader Interactions

All Comments
I Made This
Questions
  1. Katt

    May 23, 2023 at 1:40 am

    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

    Reply
  2. a

    May 4, 2023 at 11:30 am

    I’ve started having the occasional Tums for the calcium!

    Reply
  3. Dottie

    May 2, 2023 at 8:57 am

    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.

    Reply
  4. Marine

    April 28, 2023 at 9:08 am

    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.

    Reply
    • HollyStar

      April 28, 2023 at 9:53 am

      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.

      Reply
    • Kay

      April 28, 2023 at 3:58 pm

      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.

      Reply
  5. Mia

    April 28, 2023 at 9:04 am

    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!!

    Reply
  6. Missy

    April 27, 2023 at 10:09 am

    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.

    Reply
  7. Betty Lazarus

    April 27, 2023 at 7:41 am

    I always have a carabiner attached to my crossbody, usually for keys, sometimes for my sunglasses bag, etc. it is my essential purse item!!!!

    Reply
  8. Tiffany

    April 27, 2023 at 5:58 am

    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.

    Reply
    • kara owen

      April 27, 2023 at 6:50 am

      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.

      Reply
  9. Chrissy

    April 27, 2023 at 4:59 am

    I always have Solace roll-on by Saje. It’s an awesome quick cooldown for hot flashes or hot summer days.

    Reply
    • Sue M

      April 27, 2023 at 10:20 am

      Solace!!!! I life saver. I’ve used gallons of the stuff and wish they would bring it back as a spray too

      Reply
  10. Judy

    April 27, 2023 at 4:37 am

    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.

    Reply
  11. Catherine

    April 27, 2023 at 3:33 am

    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.

    Reply
  12. Lynn

    April 27, 2023 at 1:35 am

    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.

    Reply
  13. Julia

    April 26, 2023 at 9:11 pm

    Trader Joe’s hand sanitizer and backup masks!!

    Reply
    • Reannon

      April 29, 2023 at 8:03 am

      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.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

RELATED POSTS IN Beyond the Kitchen

Here’s What I’m Eating: Ramen

Friends hi and welcome to a new series on Joy the Baker called Here’s What I’m Eating. A series in which we cut the recipe and all the formalities and talk about what’s really going down in the kitchen.  As a certified Food Person, I think we should talk what we really fill our bowls…

Read More

Here’s My Spring Uniform

Anyone else having a casual Crisis of Fashion? There’s something about the change in season, my increasing age, and the banishment of skinny jeans that has me simply confused/baffled/bummed about what to wear.  It’s not so much about sliding my 40something year old self into the latest trends which… 90’s fashion is trending, friends and…

Read More

Springtime at Trader Joe’s

Hello! It is your friendly, local, traveling Trader Joe’s evangelist coming to you with Spring’s hottest eats. Some people eat seasonally and I would say I do, too – just at Trader Joe’s. This Spring they’re leaning into dill pickle everything: from dill pickle mini corn dogs to dill pickle cold-smoked salmon. My suggestion, as…

Read More

Primary Sidebar

Fresh baked emails, delivered to your inbox

Receive recipes from Joy the Baker and updates on events at The Bakehouse.

HI! I’M JOY!

Welcome! This has been my little corner of the internet since 2008!

I’m a baker, photographer, cookbook author and teacher.  I live laugh love in New Orleans. 

MORE ABOUT JOY AND THE TEAM

BOOKS + Magazines

JOY THE BAKER 2022 SUMMER MAGAZINE

JOY THE BAKER 2021 HOLIDAY MAGAZINE

JOY THE BAKER 2020 HOLIDAY MAGAZINE

HOMEMADE DECADENCE

OVER EASY: SWEET AND SAVORY RECIPES FOR LEISURELY DAYS COOKBOOK

JOY THE BAKER COOKBOOK

joy the baker on facebook joy the baker on twitter pinterest-social instagram-socialbloglovin-social

JOY @ WILLIAMS SONOMA

SHOP THE CAKE LINE OF CAKE MIXES!

DRAKE ON CAKE

Passionate from miles away since 2015.

CHECK IT OUT ON INSTAGRAM

Drake on cake instagram.

 

BREADS YOU’LL LOVE

jambalaya buttermilk biscuits in a row

Smoked Sausage Jambalaya Buttermilk Biscuits

inside of warm cinnamon roll on plate

How To Make The Best Single Serve Cinnamon Roll

Orange roll on a plate with a fork.

Christmas Morning Orange Rolls

LET’S MAKE COOKIES!

a stack of white chocolate macadamia nut cookies with a bite taken out of the top one with milk

Classic White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

wider shot of lemon bars stacked on a plate with a bite taken out of one lemon bar

My Favorite Classic Lemon Bars Recipe

completed recipe close up shot of a blondie so the toasted almonds, chocolate chips, and sea salt can be seen

My Best Classic Blondie Recipe

Footer

Instagram

joythebaker

📚Baker, author of books, lover of butter
🎂Creator @drakeoncake
📝Inquiries megan@underscoretalent.com
🍰 Products with @williamssonoma

joythebaker
Raise you hand if you secretly love a boxed cake m Raise you hand if you secretly love a boxed cake mix? Me: 🙋🏻‍♀️
⁣
My favorite version is this Easy Strawberry Sheet Cake baby topped with cream cheese frosting and extra fresh 🍓🍓. Perfect for the holiday weekend amiright? ⁣
⁣
Full recipe linked in the bio!
I woke up a year older and wiser today and the onl I woke up a year older and wiser today and the only advice I have for you is this: stay busy makin’ your own dreams come true. ⁣
⁣
xo
Just in time for your holiday weekend dessert plan Just in time for your holiday weekend dessert planning - my very favorite Blueberry Cobbler. The secret is a generous handful of blackberries, lemon zest, and sugared drop biscuit topping! 🫐 Find the full recipe linked in the profile! Xo
We’re About to be Friends with @wyseguide! We’ We’re About to be Friends with @wyseguide! We’re making my favorite blueberry cobbler perfect for the holiday weekend! Be sure to follow @wyseguide and find the recipe linked in the stories! Xo
Just a grown up craving kid cookies! ⁣ ⁣ Sugar Just a grown up craving kid cookies! ⁣
⁣
Sugar cookie dough scooped and rolled in sprinkles, thumb printed and dolloped with lemon curd or strawberry jam. ⁣
Cookie recipe linked in the profile and the rest of the gussying is up to you! ⁣
⁣
Xo
Baking 101: How to Throw Flour (and make an absolu Baking 101: How to Throw Flour (and make an absolute mess in the kitchen) Like a Professional.
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2023 · Joy the Baker
All rights reserved. Violators will be whupped and sent to bed with no dessert · Privacy Policy

Scroll Up