Handbag packrat

Ack! It’s happened again! I’ve become a handbag packrat. You know, those women who carry these massive bags around all the time that are loaded with rubbish they don’t need. And the reason they do that is simple: As inhabitants of the western world, we fill the space we have to capacity. (And if that’s still not enough, we just rent a storage unit somewhere on the outskirts of town!)

I am not generally a handbag packrat though. For three main reasons: I don’t wear makeup; I carry smaller, vintage bags most of the time; and I swap out my bags often.

But when I go on holiday I generally carry a shoulder bag so that I can toss my camera and any small purchases into the bag and my hands are free.

Anyhow, when I went to England at the start of the month, I grabbed a larger handbag so that I could have various bits and bobs with me on the plane. And when I got back I entered straight into a crazy world of work and foster mommy-ing and I never had time to switch my bag back over. Which meant that I did what inhabitants of the western world do and I filled the space.

Well, I’ve had enough and am now cleaning house. Or, rather, cleaning bag!

So, what was in the bag? Well…

• Money floating loosely: £4.05 in coins; $3.25 in coins; and $6 in cash
• Two iPods; 1 iPod headphone; and 1 iPod cable
• A smart phone; a wireless mouse/pointer; and three thumb drives (total storage: 22 GB)
• Two sets of keys
• A pack of gum (four pieces of which were out of pack floating loose); a pack of Love Hearts; a pack of Giant SweetTarts; two tins of mints; three lollypops; a tea bag; and an apple
• Three handkerchiefs; a nail file; a pocket mirror; a pack of secret girly things; and two chap sticks
• A silver ring; two tooth pick flossy things; five safety pins; and a small container of hand lotion
• A seashell from Seaton and one teaspoon worth of sand, grit, and coal bits that must have come from the shell floating at the bottom of the bag
• A large note book; a small Moleskin; two novels; a check book; and a filled check register
• Fifteen envelopes filled with new bank cards, bank statements, bills, and a fun new art project
• Four pens; a business card holder; and seven loose business cards
• Eleven ponytail holders
• Two empty gum wrappers and a partial wrapper from a pack of Mentos
• A camera
• A wallet with: Nine receipts that need to be reconciled; six business cards; a pack of domestic stamps; three international use stamps; eight bits of plastic for banks, identification, and insurance purposes; $11 in cash; and $2.95 in coins

And now, I’ve cleared out the mess and transferred junk into one of my favourite vintage bags: A 1960s wicker bag with teal lining and brass handles and closures. This is a fun bag that I purchased when out shopping with my mummy shortly before I got married.

And its contents are:

• A smart phone; a 16 GB thumb drive; and one iPod with headphones
• Two sets of keys
• A pack of gum; a pack of Love Hearts; a tin of mints; and three lollypops
• One handkerchief; a nail file; a pocket mirror; a pack of secret girly things; and two chap sticks
• A tooth pick flossy thing and a small container of hand lotion
• A seashell from Seaton (I’m taking it to Paul’s grave at the weekend, otherwise I wouldn’t still be carrying it – promise!)
• A small Moleskin and a check book
• Four pens and a business card holder
• Two ponytail holders
• A wallet with: A pack of domestic stamps; three international use stamps; four bits of plastic for banks, identification, and insurance purposes and $17 in cash

Ah… that’s better. Still a bit too much clutter but much, much less than before! I wonder what bag I’ll pick to use next week…?