my Mama Purse

I am emphatically NOT a purse girl.  I certainly can't tell the difference between a Gucci and a knock-off, and at no point in my life have I ever lusted after any bit of leather costing triple digits (or more...).  Am I breaking your heart, gentle reader?  Are you weeping silent pity tears for me yet?  No?  Well, then.  Wait until I double down on the shock value: I'm not a shoes girl either.  Egads, is she even a girl??!??  

The proverbial "girly girl" stuff isn't much my schtick, and for all of my grown-up years, I've been as minimalist as possible with the whole purse ensemble.  My preference has always been keys & wallet (maybe my phone if I remember) and go.  Hit the door running.  But I often forget my chapstick when I do this, and it's hard to fit a pen in my wallet.  Plus, where am I going to stash a snack or three?  Begrudgingly, I carry a purse because the flip side is more annoying.  But for years, my compromise has been a nifty little cross-body hipster number that's just about my perfect size for one person's stuff.

Then I had more than one person.  Two more, in fact. 

That nifty little hipster doesn't stand up well to the rigors of a pared down diaper bag.  Or a couple of water bottles.  Or the absolutely-necessary-until-I-get-into-the-store-and-now-you-must-hold-it-for-me stuffed animal.

For a few years, I basically ditched the purse completely in favor of our diaper bag backpack (which, friends, I highly recommend...highly).  But that's sooo last year.  We moved beyond our diaper & wipe toting days about 6 months ago, and new times call for new measures.

Well.  I bought a purse.  A real one.  And it's h-u-g-e.  AND, I adore it beyond anything reasonable.  I can fit SO...MUCH...STUFF in there! 

*2 water bottles for the small fry & 1 water bottle for me
*wallet
*several chapsticks
*a couple of pens
*the weekly grocery store/craft store ads
*keys
*lotion
*hand sanitizer
*random notes to myself
*not just one but two toddler activities (a Sunday morning favorite)
*a small notebook where I keep notes like what medicines our tots are allergic too 'cause there's just about nothing more embarrassing than looking your pediatrician in the eye and saying "I don't remember" when he asks you what meds your kid can't have, which really comes across as "I'm not really that into my kid, not enough to try to remember what meds will give them serious hives, so just go ahead and let's play roulette with their health."
*my glasses case, with or without my glasses
*an iPad, no prob
*plus a book
*plus a magazine
*plus a newspaper (like if you're getting your oil changed...come prepared for a wait, eh?)

...and that's just the inside & what I can remember off of the top of my head...

The outside has 4 glooorrriousssss pockets that are ideal (that's "ideal" for those of you not familiar with Spanish) for my own snack-y needs.  Which are serious. 

Do we need an emergency barrette because our youngest likes to fling them about the car?  No probs.  I'm sure I have one in a pocket somewhere.  Do we need to run by the bank?  Ah, yes...I do have the checkbook with me.  Oy vey.  The oldest hooligan likes to waltz through muddy water.  I can undoubtedly find a clean bit of clothing for her to wear. 

I have it covered now.  I'm loving my Mama Purse.  And, it didn't cost three digits.