a peek inside the fishbowl

1 | Chantal

March 6th, 2013 at 9:10 am

I fit smack in the middle, but I forced myself to this end by buying a medium sized purse (it is even a bit on the small side). I always had huge purses. One day someone called one of my purses a carpet bag and that stung and I started working towards smaller purses after that. I will admit I don’t miss my big bags, My current purse fits my wallet, my kobo (when I need it) and a surprising amount of kids toys. When I have the littlest one with me we have a backpack with his things in it. Which thankfully he is now old enough to wear (and young enough to want to) :)

2 | Allison

March 6th, 2013 at 9:20 am

I’ve moved from big bag to wristlet - as if I am carrying a bag with me, it is always *full*! I do make an exception from time to time - actually I’m like Chantal, if I’m with the kids I will often bring a backpack, or if it’s for a dressier occasion then I sometimes have my larger purse, so I can put their toys/snacks/etc in it. But for the most part, my phone and cards all fit in my wristlet!

3 | Susan

March 6th, 2013 at 9:20 am

Ha - I totally just bought one of those Michael Kors wristlets but I fear it may be wishful thinking that it will actually work for me. My key chain alone is too big to fit in it. The worst offender in my bag is always receipts, though. They’re not heavy, but they sure make a mess. I am going to try to make a habit of cleaning out all the bits of paper and loose change (now that gets heavy) on a nightly basis.

4 | Martina

March 6th, 2013 at 9:38 am

Before I was a parent I carried just a small wallet, and would love to go back to that. Like you, my purse has become a carry-all but it’s not too big so that helps.

5 | Sarah McCormack

March 6th, 2013 at 9:53 am

i travel light! in my small purse; my wallet. chapstick, small flip phone. maybe one kleenex if i’m lucky!

6 | Giulia Doyle

March 6th, 2013 at 10:14 am

While I do carry a notebook and two pens (two kiddies), I have pared down considerably since the diaper bag days. Wallet, phone, small pouch with pen and notebook and business cards, small pouch with with band-aids, tampons, advil, mini mascara and lipbalm, mini hand sanitizer and a fold-up reusable bag. All of this fits in a small handbag and because of the pouches can be transferred easily to other bags.

7 | Sasha

March 6th, 2013 at 10:52 am

I’d say I’m a recovering big-bag-mom. It was a major achievement to get my diaper bag down to a MEC purse that measures roughly 8×12x3″. And still, you can get two diapers, a change pad, a wallet, wipes, granola bars, and a pocket knife in there. What I’m constantly battling is the accumulation of receipts etc, but the nice thing is, I’m FORCED to clean it out once in a while :)

8 | Tarah

March 6th, 2013 at 11:45 am

Great post idea! I have a 2 year old and work full-time so I have a MEC small backpack we use for Max’s stuff (diapers, extra clothes, emergency snacks, tissues, a straw sippy for water). We take that with us whenever he is with us. For myself I have a Guess tote (that is getting raggedy - I asked for a new bag for Xmas but the one I received wasn’t appropriate at all so I gave up using it :( ). In it I have things I need everyday (wallet, keys, iPhone, lipbalm, hand sanitizer, tissues, my stethoscope - I even keep it on me when not at work, any books for work, pens). If I’m going out at night I move necessary items over to a purse of choice. :)

9 | Sarah McCormack

March 6th, 2013 at 1:02 pm

oh…and ADVIL.. of course!

10 | Life of K

March 6th, 2013 at 2:13 pm

I’m not too bad, but I still cringe when my husband takes the kids somewhere and doesn’t take anything except his wallet and car keys. Really??

11 | Life of K

March 6th, 2013 at 2:14 pm

I should mention that one kid is just out of diapers and the other is in cloth. Hello!

12 | Janet Dubac

March 7th, 2013 at 7:12 am

I used to carry a small handbag with me all the time but after I had my little boy, I now carry a medium-sized shoulder bag with all the baby stuff that I need. You’ll never know when something might happen especially if you’re tagging your little one along. :)

13 | Jayda

March 7th, 2013 at 9:53 am

I am both. I lug a big bag full of the ‘essentials’ pens, paper, USB sticks, receipt folder, current assignments to mark, etc but I also a wristlet for a quick pop in to a store.

14 | Lynn

March 7th, 2013 at 11:22 am

Ugh, I’m a big bag lady, despite my husband’s best efforts - he keeps buying me cute little leather purses and I try them, but I always come back to the Big Bag.

I absolutely have to have with me:
wallets - I have two, one for cards and one for cash
phone
extra car key - has saved my ass on numerous occasions
meds - due to food allergies I travel with a big bag of epipens, allergy medication, puffers
bag of granola bars and other on-the-go snack foods
rolled-up cloth bags for stores that charge for bags
camera
personal hygiene products

I can, if pressed, stuff this all into a smaller purse, but the problem is that then there’s no “digging around” room. I need space to shove stuff around to find the thing I’m looking for. GAH.

15 | Lynn

March 7th, 2013 at 11:23 am

Oh, and left off the list - at least one notebook with several pens, OF COURSE.

16 | Kathleen

March 7th, 2013 at 10:57 pm

I love a big purse. Notebook, pens, camera, phone, epipen, keys and random stuff. My ‘purse’ is big enough for a U-lock for my bike or a novel. But if I need to carry my laptop I have to bring along my briefcase. And that briefcase is so big I’ve been asked on more than one occasion if I’m making deliveries. If I’m every going somewhere fancy and want just a wristlet, I borrow a dress-up purse from my daughter.

17 | Hilary

March 12th, 2013 at 9:20 am

Oh good, someone else who has discovered that the lattes at Art-is-in are TERRIBLE. Such a shame because I love the baked goods and the vibe. They need to do something about their coffee stat, though.