*It's A Wonderful Life*: What's In Rachel's Purse?

Hi there, internet world. My name is Rachel and I'm the author of The Jersey Mama blog, which I write partly to keep my long-distance family updated with the doings of my household, and partly to keep a journal for myself. I enjoy reading Kali's blog and am tickled to be a guest-author for her this week!

When I got Kali's request to write about my purse, my first thought was, "Whew, I sure am glad I just cleaned it out!" And then I realized that I could clean it out before taking pictures anyway, and no one would be the wiser. But I really did just clean it out. Honest. You're welcome. You wouldn't have been able to see anything through that pile of crumpled receipts and gum wrappers and empty gift-card holders.

I actually just got this purse.

It was my Mother's Day present to myself. When you are the mom of small children, you get to choose your own gifts for Mother's Day!

I am anti-large purses -- I've learned that Large Purse = Too Much Stuff Inside = Aching Shoulders. With kids and diaper bags, I have enough stuff to haul around. (Plus, if your purse is big enough, your husband thinks he can put his wallet and keys in there too. Just sayin'.) This one is just the right size with just the right amount of compartments for me.

I need compartments. I need organization. Cell phones must be easily accessible. Keys cannot dwell within the same space as wallets and checkbooks, as they then hide underneath everything and refuse to be found, especially when I am standing in the rain in a parking lot with a cart full of groceries and two unhappy children. I must be able to reach in without looking and find my chapstick RIGHT AWAY because I'm probably driving and handing sippy cups to the back seat and turning up the volume of the Mary Poppins soundtrack all at the same time.

Exterior (most easily accessed) pockets contain only two things:

1. my non-smart phone

2. my car key and house key

Side compartment:

1. hubby's car key with another house key. You know, so that in case I lock my own key in my car in the driveway, I can get into the house. Not that I'm admitting to ever doing that ...

2. keys to the in-law's house, various store cards, and some other keys that are for ... uh ... actually I don't know what they are for. But for sure if I take them out I will need them within a week.

3. keys to the church building

4. a jump drive which is in my purse simply because it's been there for so long that if I put it somewhere else I'll never find it again

Other side compartment:

1. minty gum for post-coffee breath (this mama drinks a lot of coffee)

2. strawberry-flavored gum for children who must chew gum when Mama does but who don't like mint because it's "too spicy"

3. mint Tic Tacs for grown-ups

4. fruit-flavored Tic Tacs to keep 2-year-olds happy in the car and while waiting in lines

Oh, look, a Jolly Rancher! Where'd that come from ...?

Center compartment

inside pocket:

1. baby wipes are handy for everything

2. hand sanitizer (squirt some on a baby wipe and you've got a sanitizing wipe)

3. hand lotion

other inside pocket:

1. chapstick for children (the cheap stuff)

2. chapstick (the nicer stuff) and lipstick for me

3. Blistex which lives in the purse for the same reason as the jump drive

1. checkbook (I confess, I had the Curious George cover long before I had kids)

2. pocket calendar which is used solely for holding receipts and expired prescription slips

3. well-worn and much loved card/cash/coin purse from Fossil; I've had it for years and will use it until it falls apart at the seams. Then I'll get another one.

1. two pens, because if I only carry one I can never find it

2. new chapstick (can't go in the same pocket as the current one because I reach for it without looking and would then, of course, always pull out the sealed one first)

3. three cds which I'm assuming I put in my purse in order to take to my car

4. a calculator which I use all the time despite having one on my phone; besides, a calculator will entertain a crabby toddler ... at least briefly until she realizes it's not a phone and she can't see any pictures of herself or play any games on it, but that's okay because she can't hurt it when she furiously hurls it to the floor.

And lastly, though I don't carry it all the time, my purse needs to be large enough to accommodate my Nook!