The Practically Organized Purse

Hi, everyone!  This is Lara Hammock from the Marble Jar channel and in today’s video, I’ll show you how I keep my purse organized!

There are a billion of these videos out there, but everyone has their own spin, so I thought I’d throw my system into the mix.  I should say at the outset that I am not at ALL brand oriented AND I am practical to a fault. These things drive my handbag choices, so this video is NOT going to appeal to you if you differ from me too much on either of these preferences.  In terms of gendres, this is more organizing than lifestyle video.

Right around the time I read the Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, I completely changed my purse philosophy. I used to believe that the bigger and roomier the better. My bags would hold a plethora of things and it would take me forever to find anything in them. The bigger problem was that I started getting shoulder pain from carrying around such a heavy bag. So, I changed my purse philosophy. 

Now, my bag contains only what I consider essentials, so it is much lighter and smaller. I can find everything immediately since things are always stored in the same place and everything is stored vertically thanks to Mari Kondo’s advice.  So, here are my bag requirements:

• Smallish, but has a long strap to be worn cross body
• Sits up on its own
• External pocket for phone
• Internal zip pocket PLUS internal non-zip pocket
• Not super ugly or a garish difficult-to-style color
• Easy to access from the top

This purse fits the bill for me. I don’t think it’s is SUPER cute, but it is not bad, it’s a neutral color, and meets all my practical requirements. Plus I got it at Marshall’s so it was probably like $20. Like I said, this is not a lifestyle video. 

In terms of what goes into the purse, you really need to use Marie Kondo’s process for this. Dump everything out of your purse into a giant pile. Now, pick up each thing and determine whether it “sparks joy” — her term, not mine.  It just means — do you like this item?  Then once you have a smaller pile, make a second decision about whether you really need to carry this thing around with you everywhere. 

Here’s what I have in my purse. 

• My phone goes in the outside pocket. Nothing else — like most people I access my phone more than anything else.
• These things go into the inside zip pocket. Why?  I don’t need to access them frequently: Sharpie, Advil, pocket knife, iPhone cord, the skinniest hand sanitizer ever, earbuds, eye drops, and mint oil for headaches.  To the extent possible, I try to store them vertically, so they don’t take a bunch of room all bunched up at the bottom of the pocket. 
• These things go into the inside zipperless pocket, so I have easy access to hand lotion, gum and mints.  And this pen that I clip to the side. 
• Everything else is stored vertically, like file folders for easy access: sunglasses (I hook these through this ring, so they stay vertical), reading glasses (these are an annoying recent addition), tissues, wallet, and keys — with a bottle opener. 

I rarely need anything else. Sometimes, on long days, I might need an external battery, which I slip in right here. If I need to bring more things, like my iPad, a book, or a water bottle, I have a large bag that I simply put this purse inside along with everything else.  The beauty of this system is that everything has a place and there is literally no rummaging around. Plus I always have mints and gum to share. 

Let me know what you think!  Comments are always appreciated and thanks for watching!

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