What’s In My Bag x 5

I love “what’s in my bag” posts. Maybe not the best thing to admit, but I’m a little bit nosy about it. For this, I thought I thought it’d be fun to see how I pack for various events. As you can see, there are a lot of repeats. I strongly dislike repacking and packing purses for fear of leaving something behind in the transfer. Because of that, I try to move things over in bulk and carefully add or subtract.

Things that I almost always have with me?

– My iPhone, Wallet, and Keys // Of course. Right now I have this KJP leather case for my iPhone and this wallet.

– A Mophie portable charger // I don’t have to use it every day, but it’s for emergencies!

– Chapstick // I won’t go anywhere without Chapstick, and I have tubes stockpiled everywhere from my car to coat pockets.

– Hair ties and bobby pins // The bobby pins tend to find me no matter where I go, and ponytail holders seem to disappear into thin air. When I get a fresh pack, I “restock” the pockets of my most used bags. It’s kind of like a surprise when I’m desperate and start digging around my bag to find one that I’ve hidden away.

– Band-Aids // I tend to be the “mom” of my friend group and doling out bandages is a major part of the job. Between blisters (!!!) and minor cuts, I’m always stocked and ready to go.

– Tampons // Y’all, I don’t know about you, but I keep tampons in every single bag at all times. This also falls under the “mom” category because I am always helping friends out. It’s just the worst feeling to be surprised and unprepared.

First up, my clutch! To be completely honest, if I could, I would drag a rolling suitcase behind me at all times with everything I could need. (Only slightly exaggerating here.) I do like using clutches for fancier events and date nights. But I would love it if they were Mary Poppins style and could fit everything under the sun.

I bought this clutch earlier this summer, and it’s amazing. It fits so much inside. That’s the one thing about having an iPhone 7+, if that doesn’t fit, the clutch will simply not work for me. That’s the baseline I work off of.

Above is everything that (actually) fits within the clutch. It’s a tight squeeze, but realistically speaking at least one thing is always out, either my phone or my sunglasses. And if I’m going out at night, the sunglasses stay at home.

One thing of note is that when I bring a clutch out, I pull out my most important wallet essentials and use a slim card case instead. The one pictured was a gift from Talbots that they monogrammed for me.

Above is more of a lighter everyday load. If I’m just running errands, this is pretty much all I need. I love this Kate Spade bag (c/o) because it fits everything I need (I can even get a book in there) without being too bulky. And the scarf is just a little fun touch.

Everything is pretty obvious, but if you’ve been following along for a while, you know that I LOVE my Minimergency kits. After I had professed my love for them, I ended up working with the brand, and they send me boxes full of the kits. I, no joke, have a cupboard full of them that I give away to friends and restock my bags with. They have everything you could need in such a tiny little pouch.

When I travel, I tend to pack a little more than usual. Normally when I’m on a trip, I go for very long stretches of time outside without a car or a hotel. I try to be prepared for anything and everything.

My Longchamp bag continues to be the best bag to travel with. It fits EVERYTHING and zips right up, which I like because I feel like my belongings are safe. The nylon is also pretty durable, and the inside is water-resistant which protects your belongings from an unexpected rain shower or your clothes from a busted water bottle.

Five additions here: a book, noise canceling headphones, an umbrella, hand lotion, and my camera. I always bring an umbrella even if the forecast doesn’t call for rain. I’m slightly superstitious and I 100% believe that bringing an umbrella wards off the rain haha. (It’s when you don’t have the umbrella that you get caught in a surprise downpour.)

Because I work from home, when I do pack up a bag for work it’s always to go work somewhere remotely. I’m essentially packing a traveling office, and I need everything with me! Nothing too out of the ordinary here. I’ve added my laptop (of course), a notebook, a pen, and my glasses.

Dagne Dover makes the best bags for work. The totes fit as much as you need and keeps everything organized in the process. The one I have (c/o) above is not specifically made for a laptop, but my 13-inch laptop does fit. They have two options (the Legend and the Classic) that have special sleeves for laptops though. My favorite is the insulated cup holder inside– perfect for a water bottle or an umbrella.

Photos by Carter Fish

Finally, my gym bag! I have a bunch of various totes that I bring as a gym bag. More often than not, I grab my LL Bean tote because it’s already out. (Here are my recommendations on sizing for the totes, FYI!)

I spend so much time at the gym; sometimes I feel like I’m there every day. Kind of wish I could just keep a locker there filled with some things, but it’s not so bad toting what I need in. If I’m in a rush, I just run into the gym with my regular purse and water bottle. If I know I have to take a shower there (versus waiting until I get home), here’s what I end up packing:

Rubber flip flops so I can walk around the locker room, a little toiletry kit (I bring my own shampoo, razor, and deodorant even though I could use the gym’s), an extra pair of socks (they sit at the bottom of my bag just in case), and makeup wipes. Oh, and my hair brush! It’s not a good day if I forget this at home.