In My Purse

Like most women, I have a purse. A big purse.  And the older I get, the bigger my purse gets. I didn't carry a purse in high school. In college, I had a few small ones but I usually just shoved my phone in my pocket, some cash in my bra and called it good. Once I got married, I started carrying larger bags to accommodate the things my husband didn't want to carry. And then when I had kids....wow. Diapers, wipes, toys, crushed Cheerios, melted crayons, sippy cups, dirty onesies, extra socks...you would be amazed at the all the stuff I used to cram in to my bag!

My kids are a little older now and I've been able to lighten my load considerably. I thought about going smaller but a nagging voice in the back of my head just won't let me. My bag is my lifeline! I came across an article at Survival Mom about 18 things that every mom should have in her purse. But before I discuss the contents of my purse, let me preface it with this: My husband and I believe in preparedness. We're not of the "I need a bunker in Idaho" sort of preppers though. We're not nuts, just realistic. We've learned how to cook, garden, can, butcher, doctor, sew, ect...not only because it's a simpler, healthier and more fulfilling way to live but because by increasing our skill set, we will be able to be self sufficient in a variety of situations. In our current economic and political climate, you-know-what could hit the fan at any time. It seems silly not have some sort of plan in place!

Anyway...

My purse. I had several of Survival Mom's eighteen items but there were several I did not so I went Amazon shopping. The things I needed were cheap...a whistle, a mirror, a mini flashlight. These tiny items are the kinds of things that get lost at the bottom of your purse and end up coated in a fine dust of Goldfish crackers. To keep things contained and clean, I purchased two zippered pouches from Etsy (I would have made them but I'm still not friends with my zipper foot) and divided my things into two piles; beauty and survival. Things like lip glosses, chap stick, sunscreen, and nail files went in to the beauty bag. My whistle, flashlight, first aid tin, uber cute pink pocket knife (thanks honey!) and other like items went into the survival bag or as my husband likes to call it, my zombie apocalypse bag. Yeah. He loves The Walking Dead...

My pretty pink Kershaw

My purse is now super organized and I feel ready for whatever may come. Yes, there's a lot of stuff in there but honestly, it's not heavy at all. Much lighter than when it was full of bottles and diapers. Everything is contained, easy to find, and ready to go. From a power outage at a movie theater, to a scraped knee at the park I am prepped and ready.

What are some of the essential items you keep in your purse?