Get Organized: Clean Out Your Purse

Remember the days when all you had to worry about putting in your bag was lipstick, money and your ID? Now that you're a mom, your bag has probably become more like a mini-suticase that doubles as the family resource center. Well, this is a small, satisfying project for the mom-on-the-go that packs a big reward: Organizing your bag (and lightening your load)!

Clean out your bag
Here are 6 steps to get—and keep—your bag organized:
1. Take a "Before" Weight of Your Bag: So you can measure your success in ounces…or pounds! 2. Dump & Sort the Contents of Your Bag: Empty the contents of your bag and sort the contents into the categories:

• Permanent Items: These are things you need everyday, such as keys, wallet, cell phone & charger, glasses, planner, writing utensils, kid's supplies, basic makeup and personal care items ...
  
  
• Transient Items: These are things that come in and out of your bag and should change on a daily basis, such as gym clothes, kid's snacks, bills to pay, errand list ...
  
  
• Obvious Trash: Brace yourself for shredded tissues, outdated stamps, crumpled shopping lists, toy parts, nameless phone numbers, broken Crayons, ancient cereal bits, grit covered gum…and dump it (but NOT before taking a photo!)

3. Lighten Up and Pare Down Now, within your Permanent and Transient categories, the goal is to pare each pile down to the true essentials. Remember the 80/20 rule (that we only use about 20% of what we own in any given category—and be brutal! If you don't put mascara and foundation once you've left the house, why do you have them in your make-up bag? A small bag of make-up essentials: 2 lipsticks, a blush, and small perfume should suffice. Travel light: One book or magazine to read while waiting, 2 toys for the baby, one coloring book and set of crayons for your toddler, and one pack of tissues should be plenty! Reduce sizes to smallest versions possible. No need to tote around large hard cover books, nor bulky toys or games, no full size cosmetics, no spare electronics. NOTE: If you like having options, keep back-up supplies (extra make-up, games, change of clothes) in a container in the trunk of your car, to prevent yourself from having to lug them on your back.
4. Create Activity Zones: Now it's time to put the stuff you are keeping back into your bag by creating Activity Zones based on the various categories of tasks you do while on the run.

You may consider these five zones:

• Money: wallet, coupons, receipts, keys
  
  
• Communication: Cell phone and charger, planner, pen, paper
  
  
• Personal Care: sunglasses, medicine, make-up, brush, tissues, mints
  
  
• Kids' Transient Supplies: snacks, toys, change of clothes
  
  
• Mom's Transient Projects: yoga clothes, bills to pay, library books to return

Assign each category of items its own particular place in your bag, using accessibility as a guide. For example, Communication tools belong in an easily accessible outside pocket. Inside the bag, perhaps one section can be for Mom's Transient Projects, while another large section holds Kid's Transient Supplies. Consider a secure zippered interior pocket for Money, and another for Personal Care items (for privacy). Once you have your system of zones, you should be able to reach into your bag with your eyes closed, and always be able to find what you are looking for. 5. Take an "After" Weight: Let us know how many ounces or pounds you lightened your load by! Record the "After" number in a pocket in your bag and use it to keep yourself on track. Never let your bag get heavier than that!

Happy Organizing!
Ready to keep organizing your life? Check out the rest of the challenges in our Get Organized Boot Camp with organizational guru, Julie Morgenstern:

• Challenge Week 1: Cleaning out your bag
• Challenge Week 2: Getting rid of toy clutter
• Challenge Week 3: Cleaning out the car
• Challenge Week 4: Finding "mom time"
• Challenge Wrap-up: Staying organized
  

Read Julie Morgenstern's advice on:

• Changing handbags
• Getting started at home
• Keeping home organized
• Simplifying your commute
• Creating storage in your apartment
• Finding time to organize
• Cleaning with partner
• Staying motivated
• Organizing home after baby
• Managing laundry
• Cleaning out the closet
• Getting out the door faster
• Making bill-paying easier