Are you the kind of person who can leave the house with nothing but some money in your pocket? I’m surely NOT like that. I am a bit OC and I firmly believe on being prepared for anything all the time, which is why I used to bring a big handbag with me with all my essentials. I LOVE bags and nothing makes me happier than buying a new one with lots of pockets in it. I always make sure that everything has it’s proper place in my bag.
However, recently I made a change when I realized that my big bag was getting in the way of running after my very active toddler whenever we’re out. So, I decided to make a HUGE sacrifice and leave some of my things behind so that I can just bring a smaller bag. You have no idea how hard that was for me. I had to decide which of my essentials I had to leave at home and which ones I absolutely can’t leave home without. In the end, it came down to just being practical.
So, what made it to my absolute must-haves list? Here they are:
1. Body Bag
The first thing I did was buy a new bag that will make life easier for me. The best option, in my opinion, is a small body bag because I can just sling it on my shoulders and forget about it. It leaves my two hands free to carry Ziggy around. It also makes it easier for me to run after Ziggy when I need to. Plus, I don’t need to remove it from my shoulders whenever I sit down.
When I shopped around for a bag, I looked for something small but not too small. It had to be big enough to store my absolute essentials and sturdy enough to withstand my active life. The color also had to be neutral so that it can go with whatever I choose to wear. Plus, it had to be affordable. I saw this bag in SM Department Store and it fit my requirements. So far, I’m loving it.
However, I’m still in the market for more body bags in other designs and colors. Haha! Can you blame a girl for wanting to liven up her wardrobe?
2. Wallet
I have several wallets in different sizes and colors at home. I usually rotate using them depending on my mood. For the past several weeks I’ve been using my green Nine West wallet, which is long and has tons of compartments. Of course, it was too big for my new bag and so I decided to give it a rest and switched to this black Mango wallet, which I’ve had for years. It has space for bills, coins, identification cards and discount/membership cards. I cannot go out without my discount/membership cards because I don’t want to lose out on gaining additional points or discounts. Those can be very helpful nowadays.
3. Pen
You know that girl who’s always ready with a pen whenever you don’t have one and you absolutely need to use one right now? Well, that girl is me! Haha! I just hate having to find someone who has a pen so I always bring one with me. I’m not particular with the brand but usually I buy those that are purple, like this pen which Zoe gave me a few months ago.
4. Beauty Essentials
Okay, I’m cheating here because this is not just one item. There are actually five items: Carmex lip balm, Human Nature Lipstick, Revlon face powder, Goody comb and tissues/wet wipes. I assure you this is the bare minimum. I usually bring a kikay kit filled with make up and stuff back when I still used my hand bags. Now, I just bring these and maybe sneak in a blush and a few other stuff in Ziggy’s diaper bag sometimes (hehehe!). You can’t blame a mom for still wanting to look her best, can you?
5. Cellphone
At this day and age, it is VERY hard not to have a cellphone with you at all times. When I’m out alone (which is rare) I need my cellphone to check on my hubby and kids. I’m a worrywart so not being able to do that would just absolutely drive me insane. The only time I feel safe without my cellphone is whenever I leave the house with my hubby.
6. Digicam
I am big on recording moments and so I always have my digicam wherever I go. I love taking photos of my kids as they go about living life. I am almost always the designated photographer and so most of our photos only contain my hubby and the kids, which I really don’t mind most of the time. Right now, we’re using a Sony Cybershot so I can still fit it in my bag. However, I’d really love to own a DSLR someday, even if I will need a separate bag in order for me to bring it.
While it was a huge sacrifice for me to let go of bringing my other things (such as but not limited to my notepads, books, fan, food, medicines, cologne etc), I have to admit that going out with Ziggy has been easier on me now that I can freely move around without having to nudge my handbag on my shoulders every so often. Another advantage to doing this is the lighter load. Because I used to lug around a lot of stuff, I used to get marks on my shoulders from the heavy bag. Now, my shoulders are thanking me for making their life easier (haha!).
So, what are the things you can’t leave home without. Do share!
