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| An organized handbag can simplify life. |
Do you carry around practically everything but the kitchen sink in your handbag? If you're like me then you probably do, but if you organize with what's necessary you can lighten that heavy load instead of wasting time constantly hunting for items.
Step One: Declutter
Start decluttering by dumping everything out of your handbag and examine what's really inside. Look through the papers first and throw away expired coupons, circulars or dated appointment slips that already passed. Place important receipts in one envelope and the unexpired coupons in another.
Save those envelopes that come with junk mail with a clean side to write your grocery list and stick the coupons you're planning to use that week inside.
Check the medicine bottles for dates that you're lugging next. Toss those expired pain killers or antacids. Any over the counter medication older than thirty days past expiration could change in formulation and hurt you besides no longer working.
If you find makeup that you forgot that you even owned, it's probably a wise idea to get rid of it. After all, if this particular cosmetic made you feel pretty you would have remembered it. This was probably one of those you lipsticks that you hated the shade, but kept it just because it was expensive and the thought of pitching it made you cringe. However, you need to toss it because it's probably so old it's growing enough bacteria to contaminate a mountain of petri dishes, if swabbed.
Pens and pencils seem to accumulate in everyone's handbag as well. Test the ones for writing ability and toss out the ones without ink. Return those pencils without points to your child's pencil box or wherever they're kept until they can get sharpened again.
Pens without caps are a good idea to leave in the same place unless you like those ink stains in your bag. Hair spray often helps remove stubborn ink stains from fabrics. Test out a small spot on the fabric stain in your bag and see if it helps before squirting more.
Step Two: Establish Inner Organization
I found the easiest system for organizing my handbag is using several cosmetic bags or zipped pouches to house the important things I need. Cosmetics go in one. Another pouch has my checkbook and pen. A third pouch is good for cell phone, keys and wallet. A fourth pouch is for the an envelope with coupons, one for receipts, etc. as they come. You get the idea.
What's great about this system is that when you want to change handbags, you don't have an awful hassle to go through. All you need to do is to grab those few bags from the old handbag into the new and off you go!
