Prepared AND Organized

I've said it before and I'll say it again - if you ever need to survive the zombie apocalypse, find a mom. Between her purse and her car, she's got you covered. Need a fork? A drink? A band aid? Done.

I love my giant mom purse, but it is a little tricky to keep organized. It's big enough for everything I could possibly want or need to carry with me, but because it's one big bucket bag, it can become a black hole. And it might be great that I have snacks and band-aids and hair ties, but if I can't find them, it's really not helpful.

It's just like in the car. It's great to be prepared, summer or winter, but if it isn't organized, it's just a messy car.

By the way, I am totally guilty of this a good portion of the time. But I'm trying.

I'm not willing to give up my giant mom purse. But I can make it more efficient.

I joined Ipsy a few months ago, and I get cosmetics and beauty products every month. But even better than the samples and make-up is the cute cosmetic bags. I've repurposed them into purse bags. So in that giant mom bag, I have (among other things floating around):

• a wallet that doubles as a clutch (for when I actually DO just need a clutch)
• a grocery coupon wallet
• a store coupon wallet 
• a cosmetic bag with painkillers (children's and adult), stomach meds (children and adult), and benedryl (children and adult), band-aids, wet wipes and tweezers
• a cosmetic bag with hard candy, mints, and gum
• a cosmetic bag with lip balm, hair ties, a small mirror, a small brush, lip gloss, and mascara
• a cosmetic bag with small snacks (fruit snacks and granola bars), two plastic spoons, forks, and straws
• a cosmetic bag with pens, a small notebook and a few stickers

I grabbed a few key tags, labeled each bag, and tossed the bags in my giant bag. Now, instead of digging for a pen, I know where it will be. Just like in my car.

Prepared AND organized.