What’s In My Bag?

Covid Version

Happy day, reader dear!

Are you nosy? I’m not and I am. I don’t like to think of it as nosy, because I really do not want to know everyone’s business. It’s better for all of us that way! But I am desperately curious, which means that sometimes those two butt heads. Is it nosy to want to know what someone else eats for breakfast every morning? Maybe. Maybe not. I might be looking for inspiration for a new breakfast. I think, like so many other things, it depends on the intention… And we all know that road paved!

My insatiable curiosity means that I find those What’s in My Bag videos on YouTube immensely entertaining. Why? Because I’m a student of human nature and what we carry around with us tells a great deal about us and our habits. Are we kitchen sink people? Or more minimal? Do we work from our bag? Do we have small children? In a previous life, I found more than one car and dinosaur in the bottom of my bag! That reminds me of the part of Let’s Make a Deal where the host would pay people for things they had in their bag! “Do you have… Gum?” “A tire gauge?” “A toy truck?” “A bag of pretzels?” Some days I look into my bag and think I’m preparing to be in that studio audience! I never liked the rest of Let’s Make a Deal. I stressed out when people lost!

I have two bags ready to go at all times. Since COVID, my everyday bag is no longer a “work bag,” so many of the things I used to carry are sitting in a bin in my office. I also have a “sport bag,’ that I take when we go out for hikes or bike rides. It has cleaning wipes and adhesive bandages and the like. You could call it a stylish first aid kit into which I throw my sunnies, phone and ID’s.

Note: If all this talk about bags prompts you to look for a new one, here are some things to think about before you buy… Style Myths: The Perfect Handbag. Maybe it’s time to branch out and try a Colored Bag. Read the post to find out why!

So what’s in my bag right now?

Yes, a Mask. Really! I have a variety. We keep disposable masks in the car, but I prefer a soft fabric one for those quick trips into the store. I throw a fresh one into my bag when I come home and either hang the used one out in the sun, or toss it in the laundry. Some of my favorites are from Patty at Scarf Shack. (#notanad #justsharingthelove) Our Georgia heat makes cotton masks more comfortable than the medical versions or the P95 from the home store that I was wearing everywhere for the first month. (Don’t get me wrong! I was grateful. You couldn’t get masks for love or $$$ at that point, and Mr. CP found a box in our garage from a house project!)

Hand Sanitizer It goes with the mask. (OBVS!) A Wallet. I prefer a small French wallet style with a coin purse on the outside. They’re getting to be harder and harder to find. Sunnies.

I’m still wearing these… I’m clinging to the vaycay vibe! This is the pair I bought for our Capri Staycation. I don’t take my good sunglasses to the beach or the lake. I don’t want a broken heart when they get lost in the sand or water. (More than once. Lesson learned the hard way.) A Fan.

It’s summer in Georgia, people. That should say it all. I started carrying a fan the first summer we lived in Spain and rediscovered the joys of a hand fan when we moved to Georgia. I’m not sure I would have survived menopause without it! I used to buy them in bulk to gift to overheated looking women. It might be time to buy another batch! No it isn’t the most tasteful fan, but it works, and that’s all that matters at a certain temperature. A Pencil Case

I don’t (generally) buy highly compartmented bags with a space and pocket for everything. I lose things in that kind of bag! I can never remember in which pocket I stashed my keys or lip balm. To prevent the dump at the bottom of the canyon that can happen in a less compartmented (Is that even a word?) bag, you will usually find a pencil case in my bag with my Wallet Color Swatch, an Emery Board, my Pocket Knife (Leave it in the car at the airport!), some Tinted Lip Balm, a Highlighter, and a Pen.

I throw in my phone on the way out the door and I’m good. It sounds like a lot when you write it all out, but it doesn’t feel that way when I look into my bag!

So how about you? Are you a bag lover? Or do you just have one or two? Do you carry the kitchen sink? Or prefer minimal? Are you somewhere in between? Do you prefer highly compartmented bags? Do you prefer hand held? Over the shoulder? Crossbody? Wristlet? Or clutch? Would you be a winner on Let’s Make a Deal? Do tell!

Stylishly yours,