What's in Your Bag?

We carry everything in our purses / tote bags / backpacks / diaper bags, don't we?  I don't even know how my husband makes it through the day with only a wallet. Perhaps, that explains the periodic surge in "man-purses" being fashionable. But, I digress.

Although I've shared what to pack in many of our day-to-day bags - suitcases, swim bags, gym bags, lunch boxes, etc. - in my "Pack Your Bags" posts, I don't know that I've dumped out my purse.  For the fun of it, let me tell you what I've got in there.  And of course the fun part - I'll show you mine, if you show me yours.

I should probably be clear here that this is "what's in my bag today, right now, in this bag." I change my purse with the weather and the agenda of the day. I'm not alone in that, right?  If you've got more than usual to carry, or hanging out at the park with the kids rather than having lunch with the girls or going to work, or trying to look cute with a teeny purse that holds just a lipstick, your phone, and your driver's license.  That's why we need so many purses.

What's in my purse (today):

• my calendar/date book (the green thing with the black rings) - yes, a paper-based schedule which I write in with a pen or pencil and is stuffed with random business cards, receipts, and post-it notes. I know, I'm a dying breed, but its a search I go through every year - my next calendar.  This is the flexible, ring-binder - so far, I like it.
• knitting - I'm mid-scarf right now.  I like small projects that fit neatly in my purse, you never know when you're going to get stuck somewhere with nothing to do and I can only read my friends' Facebook posts so many times.
• 1 pair of glasses - I have three. I'm somewhere between denial that I really do need glasses all the time and the time to go get a new pair that will combine reading and distance glasses.
• nourishment - because I'm a snacker, I try to carry healthy options so I have less excuses to stop for french fries or donuts (note - this does not always work.)
• pink notebook - because I need somewhere more permanent than my calendar to write notes.
• business cards - I'm an indie-writer and a blogger. I'm my own boss, employee, marketer, and agent. I've always got to be ready to promote my blog and my book, Life in Spades, and make connections.
• book of prayers - my sister-in-law gave me this for a birthday gift. I did not realize I would turn to it so often.
• lipstick - why would anyone ever leave home without it?

What's in your purse? What's your "never leave home without it" item?

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Spring Cleaning One Day at a Time

When the snow finally melts, we get all antsy for spring cleaning, don't we?  It's as if once we've started refreshing spring bed covers and cleaning out closets winter is banished.  But then after a couple frenzied days we're all exhausted and don't care about spring cleaning and just want to drink a pitcher of sweet tea. Or is that just me?

So then I go for the one task per day plan and after a few days of that, I feel like I've got it all taken care of and now, it's time for that pitcher of sweet tea.

But this year - I'm determined to get further along since I've come across a day by day schedule, posted by TheDCLadies.

On Monday, Day 1, I cleaned my microwave and stovetop. That was easy. For the microwave, I wet a cloth with water and a little lemon juice and microwaved it for 30 seconds, then wiped down the inside with the hot, lemony cloth.  Granted, we primarily use the microwave for popcorn and defrosting. If you are a serious microwaver - one of those people who can bake a cake and a turkey in there - you might need a little more TLC.  The stovetop, I took apart the burners, washed them, used a little degreaser and scouring sponge.

Day 2 was clean out the pantry and fridge day.  This is actually a great task right before the long holiday weekend. Get all that stuff out of the fridge that you know you are not going to eat anyway, especially if you're going out of town or having a big cookout.  Wipe up spills those you've ignored and those no-one ever mentioned.  Pull out the drawers and swipe out the crumbs and errant green onion that accumulate under them.  Wash the drawers in hot, soapy water.  Then put everything back neatly.

In the pantry, I like to put the dry goods in jars so that we can actually see them and keep them from going stale. (I always have trail mix and can never keep those plastic bags closed tight enough.)  And it's an easy recycling project!  I wash out our used jars (pickles, salsa, spaghetti sauce, etc.), peel off the labels, and to make it pretty - spray paint the lids.  It takes all of 2 minutes to paint the lids, plus the additional drying time.  You could get really fancy and get those chalkboard labels and stick on the sides of the jars (on my list for the next trip to the craft store, but in the meantime, let's stay focused.)

Quick, easy recycling project: paint jar lids & re-use jars to store dry goods.

Cleaned, recycled & filled - ready for the pantry!

Day 3 is clean the dishwasher. That's an easy one for me - I only use mine half the time, so I'll empty it and do a quick run empty, then wipe it down.   Maybe I'll get a jumpstart on under the sink.

Ready to spring clean?  Here's the complete schedule - #TDCL4WeekSpringCleanUp - join in and let me know how it's going.  Post comments here and/or pics to Facebook & Twitter.

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