What's In My Bag?

I thought it was a as good a time as anything to do a "What's In My Bag?" post. Today I took advantage of a $15 loyalty voucher I received from Strandbags, and finally replaced my wallet that was practically in tatters. Now that I had a brand spanking new purse that screamed for attention, I figured it was time.

I actually have two bags that I use on a regular basis. I swap them over depending on what I'm doing for the day, so if I'm going shopping, seeing the doctor, or casually visiting my family and friends, then I use my basic black bag from H&M. I bought this about a year ago, and I love it as much as I did the day I bought it. It's the perfect size for all of my basics. Other times, such as a day in the city, a party, job interview, or anything where I put more effort in my appearance, I carry my tote from Collette, as it fits much more than my standard fare, and it's really neat and clean thanks to the structured design.

I always carry my Avex thermal bottle, but I didn't include it in the photos on this post, as it's quite beat up with its various dents and scratches. Hey, I never said I wasn't clumsy. Nonetheless, it is quite the perfect bottle, as it has a locking mechanism that seals in the water, keeps my water chilled for over 8 hours, and it's the perfect size for both my little black bag and the tote.

H&M Bag
Mum calls this bag my doctor's bag, because it resembles a doctor's medical kit. Despite that, I really love it because it's structured, has clean lines, and looks as cute as a button. I'm always going for texture and patterns instead of colour, so as soon as I saw the contrast between synthetic leather and suede, I made up my mind right on the spot. I prefer to carry this bag when I go shopping, because I hate having to open up my bag for security inspections at the exit. Having a teeny bag just eliminates security checks on the whole.

In this bag, I always try to carry as little as possible, and that includes:

1. Purse - this is the purse I picked up today, and is the perfect testament of my addiction to pattern and texture.
2. Avex thermal bottle - I got this in a two-pack set from Costco for half the price, and it is in fact one of the best purchases my partner has ever convinced me to buy. No regrets.
3. Keys - I have two sets of keys, one for my own place, and the other set for my mum's house because she never hears the doorbell.
4. Phone - I think this is pretty obvious.
5. Painkillers/relievers - On the occasions that I get a bad headache, I need something as strong as ibuprofen plus codeine. Regular ones, such as Panadol, won't work on me because of my fast metabolism, so I need these in my bag at all times.
6. A pen - I always end up needing a pen, either to write down reminders or to tick things off a shopping list. I prefer to do things manually instead of on my phone.
7. Frisk Mints - yes, I have a thing for Frisk mints, and no, they do not make me frisky. I just really like them. It just sucks that I can't buy them in Australia.
8. Hurraw! Lip Balm - I rarely ever get dry, chapped lips, but some days my lips crack all of a sudden, so I like having access to my lip balm. It also doubles as an emergency gloss for my lips.
9. Hair pins and tie - I tie my hair up every time I eat, and having a pin or two handy also helps with bad hair days.
10. Tissues - My nose always get stuffy and blocked, and it seriously affects my deviated septum, which makes me breathe out of my mouth, which then makes my mouth dry, so I always have tissues with me to avoid the whole ordeal.
11. Wet wipes - I keep individual packets of wet wipes in my bag, just in case I've touched something icky, and don't have access to a body of water.
12. Pocket mirror - I am very anal about food on my face and teeth, so I'm always checking myself after each time I eat.
13. Glasses cleaning cloth - I always need to clean my glasses, because it has anti-glare film that attract grease so easily, and tissues just don't cut it.
14. Protein bar - I get very hungry, very suddenly, and a lot of the time it's really inconvenient for me to stop and grab a bite, especially when I'm on a tight budget.

That actually looks like a lot of stuff... How does all of this shit fit in there?!

Collette Tote
Rarely ever do I own more than one bag, and when I do get a bag, I always make sure I have a very good reason to make the purchase. In this case I needed something that was structured and professional for job interviews, something that was large enough to contain documents safely, and to be able to lug around more stuff, especially while travelling. There was also the added benefit of it being 40% off on sale, so I saved a fair bit on this beaut. In addition to all of the above items, I also carry the following in this tote:

15. Daily planner - I got my very first daily planner this year, and I've been using it obsessively ever since day one.
16. Mophie power bank - It has eight charges, and my partner and I bought this for our road trip around Tasmania two years ago, and it was a lifesaver then, and it is a lifesaver now.
17. Essence All About Matt! Fixing Compact Powder - I have oily skin, so this comes in handy when I need to stop my foundation from melting off, or eye makeup from transferring to the brow bone.
18. Lipstick - I always carry lipstick with me in this bag, because I'm usually always made up when I carry this tote, and putting lipstick on feels like the finishing touch. I grab whatever lipstick I'm wearing for the day and shove it in there.
19. Book - When I'm traveling on public transport, I like to have a book with me to read while I'm on the go, instead of being on my phone the entire time.
20. Notebook - Sometimes I bring my notebook with me so I can jot down blog post ideas, shopping lists, chores etc.

Well, that's pretty much what I have in my bags. What do you have in your bag? Any suggestions on what else I should add to my tote, let me know!

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