MeckMom.com

A few weeks ago I was at my daughter’s gymnastics class when a woman asked me to borrow a pen.  I knew that I probably had a few lingering around the bottom of my purse so I started digging.  After pulling out a half a dozen crumpled receipts, lotion, gum, and loads of other mom-on-the-go essentials I finally found the uncapped, dried-out pen.  I was kind of embarrassed about my disorganized mess until the other mom smiled and showed me the chaotic contents of her own purse.  We spent the next few minutes commiserating about how much stuff we lug around everyday and what a hassle it was to keep it all handy.

Sadly, this wasn’t a new problem for me.  I’ve had a messy purse forever.  Since downsizing the stuff in my purse wasn’t really an option, I decided it was time for a real solution.  I looked online and found lots of purses designed to keep things organized, but their price tags were a bit ridiculous.  Also, I wanted a solution that could move from purse to purse.  Again, I found a few options out there, but spending $30 to keep my tissues and earbuds in order seemed a little silly.

After wandering the aisles of Target for inspiration, I came up with this cheap and easy pencil pouch solution.  Granted, this is not the most attractive idea.  I know it’s not very chic to stuff your purse with something you find in the school supply aisle, but chances are if you’re concerned about the inside of your purse looking chic you probably don’t carry wet wipes anyway .

I’ve used this little solution for over a month now, and I must say it functions perfectly.  The clear front makes it easy to spot the contents and the zipper top makes it easy to access all my mom essentials without having to pull the pouch out of the purse.  Consequently, I’m able to find exactly what I need quickly and my purse has never looked better.  Best of all, when I need to switch purses I simply grab the pouch, my wallet, and my cell and I’m on my way.  In fact, I liked the solution so much that after a week I added a second pouch to keep my receipts, checkbook, and pens organized.

My everyday purse is fairly large…I like to be able to stuff a novel or magazine inside.  If yours is a little smaller, you may want to try a small clear make-up bag in place of the pencil pouch.  Just look for something that is fairly narrow, has a zip top, and sturdy sides to keep the items in place.  Otherwise your pouch will take up too much space in your purse and it won’t be as functional.  Good luck, ladies.  Just thought I’d pass it on.