"For every minute spent organizing, an hour is earned." - Unknown
If this time calculation is anywhere close to accurate, it has convinced me to continue to try to simplify and organize. Once it is gone, it can never be retrieved...time is a precious thing!
Throughout the years my organized and efficient husband has made numerous comments about the not so organized and constant, overflowing state of my purse. I have not wanted to buy a larger purse because I know I will just fill that to the brim, but even with a smaller purse, the pen I want, the ringing cell phone, etc. always seemed to find a hiding place just out of reach and buried at the bottom of my purse.
As a mom I could justify this conglomeration of stuff: I need toy cars when the waiting room is void of toys, crayons for when the cars become boring, hand sanitizer for when playtime is over, Kleenex for the whole family, band aids for scraped knees, plus all of the usual stuff I might want or need; lotion, Chapstick, a phone, and oh yes - a wallet!
How is it when we go on a family outing I am supposed to also miraculously have room for everyone's water and snacks!?! Anyhow, on Easter Sunday I finally came to grips with my need to revamp my purse. I needed a pen in church and after spilling out all of the purse's contents only to discover that I had no operational pen, I had to bother the lady sitting next to me and ask to borrow hers...which was of course easily accessible and reachable for her.
Solution! The previous month I read a column about organizing your purse, so that week I purchased two small bags and got my purse in order. I bought one small bag for my small things: earphones, Chapstick, and gum. I bought a larger bag for toy cars, crayons, pens, checkbook, and Kleenex. The inside pockets in my purse have designated uses: ID and business cards, phone, etc. I chose the LUG bags because I wanted clear bags that were solid plastic, but the article recommended see through mesh bags. There are many options available to suit individual tastes. I have used quart-size plastic ziploc bags leftover from airplane adventures, but I would recommend going with something more permanent. Not only will it give the "organization" a more permanent feel, but they won't rip and are easier to clean. At least two sizes filled with corresponding items also keeps items where they are intended to be and separate for easy access.
It seemed somewhat counterintuitive to buy more things to put into an overstuffed purse, but after a month of use, I will say that these quick and simple actions have saved many minutes of searching and have returned a simple apparatus to a simple function. For the first time in years, I can actually zip my purse closed 90% of the time. I should have done this years ago!
Throughout the years my organized and efficient husband has made numerous comments about the not so organized and constant, overflowing state of my purse. I have not wanted to buy a larger purse because I know I will just fill that to the brim, but even with a smaller purse, the pen I want, the ringing cell phone, etc. always seemed to find a hiding place just out of reach and buried at the bottom of my purse.
As a mom I could justify this conglomeration of stuff: I need toy cars when the waiting room is void of toys, crayons for when the cars become boring, hand sanitizer for when playtime is over, Kleenex for the whole family, band aids for scraped knees, plus all of the usual stuff I might want or need; lotion, Chapstick, a phone, and oh yes - a wallet!
How is it when we go on a family outing I am supposed to also miraculously have room for everyone's water and snacks!?! Anyhow, on Easter Sunday I finally came to grips with my need to revamp my purse. I needed a pen in church and after spilling out all of the purse's contents only to discover that I had no operational pen, I had to bother the lady sitting next to me and ask to borrow hers...which was of course easily accessible and reachable for her.
Solution! The previous month I read a column about organizing your purse, so that week I purchased two small bags and got my purse in order. I bought one small bag for my small things: earphones, Chapstick, and gum. I bought a larger bag for toy cars, crayons, pens, checkbook, and Kleenex. The inside pockets in my purse have designated uses: ID and business cards, phone, etc. I chose the LUG bags because I wanted clear bags that were solid plastic, but the article recommended see through mesh bags. There are many options available to suit individual tastes. I have used quart-size plastic ziploc bags leftover from airplane adventures, but I would recommend going with something more permanent. Not only will it give the "organization" a more permanent feel, but they won't rip and are easier to clean. At least two sizes filled with corresponding items also keeps items where they are intended to be and separate for easy access.
It seemed somewhat counterintuitive to buy more things to put into an overstuffed purse, but after a month of use, I will say that these quick and simple actions have saved many minutes of searching and have returned a simple apparatus to a simple function. For the first time in years, I can actually zip my purse closed 90% of the time. I should have done this years ago!
Just a few weeks ago, I came to the conclusion that at this season in my life, have a bountiful amount of stuff is my reality. Instead of feeling like I constantly need to try to be throwing things away, I, instead, need to focus more time in finding a proper home for everything. I came across the quote below, and it summed up my new approach succinctly!
"Being organized isn't about getting rid of everything you own or trying to become a different person; it's about living the way you want to live, but better." - Andrew Mellen
"Being organized isn't about getting rid of everything you own or trying to become a different person; it's about living the way you want to live, but better." - Andrew Mellen
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