Purse Problems

It's hard to find a woman who doesn't carry too much stuff in her purse. In One Year to an Organized Life I've got great tips for whittling down the contents of your purse.  In fact I strongly suggest you whittle down the size of the bag itself! But once you're down to the sane basics, how do you keep it all straight? The gizmo above is a popular solution.  Your sort your stuff and pop that contraption into your bag and off you go.  If that works for you, I say 'Do it!'  It just doesn't happen to work for me. 

I decided to photograph my personal containers and share them with you. You'll see them at the top of the page. The long, skinny roll container holds my make-up.  The mesh bag is where I put my i Phone charger (I don't want it to get tangled in my purse).  The 'Divorce Money' is from one of my favorite designers Anya Hindmarch.  I keep my cash and credit cards inside.  I don't carry change.  I do have a small change purse in my car so that I'm always ready with coins for metered parking. And that's it! I can find anything in a flash because I know the shape and feel of the containers. There is no end to the power and fun you can have by creating categories.

And for those who are wondering how a writer makes it through the day without pen or paper the secret is my iPhone.  I use 'Notes' for just that purpose and yes, sometimes I do toss a pen into my purse.  It's to help out my friends whose phones don't help them out when it comes to recording important information.  And finally there's always a tissue in my pocket.  Mom told me not to leave home without it!