Bag Lady

Let's get down to business: I own a shi* ton of bags.

Sadly, just a smattering.

And save for my "seasonal" handbags lurking in the guest closet, they all serve a purpose.  They are my way of staying sane with a two year old who just won't quit and a newborn (who even when he protests and cries, appears to be the mellower of the duo).

To keep our schedules full and the wild one entertained, we tend to always be heading this way or that.  MOPS, dance, music, soccer, the park, the pool, the zoo, the museum, play dates, the mall and overnight trips to Grandparents fill our days.

Without a system, getting out of the house can get a bit chaotic and getting somewhere by 9am is a small miracle. I have found myself racking my brain on more than one occasion for the necessary gear, clothes and food needed for the planned activity(s).  Only to arrive at our destination without the dang _________ (insert most important item for said activity.  i.e. dance shoes, pool towel, soccer ball)...

Enter the bag system.  

I now have a bag for almost every activity waiting at our beckon call.  I'm sure some of you totally want to barf right now, and I get it.  I'll admit to the bags getting a tad redundant.  But it takes the headache out of adding and subtracting gear to one bag every time we want to leave the house in addition to being able to swoop out the door on short notice.

Here's how to give it a shot:

1) Gather all of the reusable bags (large and small) from around your house.

2) Determine your daily activities and what you are continuously packing an extra bag for.  This does not include your purse or diaper bag, which I always take with me as well.

3) Designate a bag for each activity (or double up if they use almost identical gear) and fill it with the appropriate items.  Don't forget the things you always wish you had packed like goggles for the pool or trash bags for concerts in the park.  And keep in mind that the bags may change with the seasons.  Meaning the pool bag might become the sledding bag with snow gear during the winter, etc.

Tip (that I have learned the hard way): Make sure that any snacks you pack are non-perishable.  Who knows how long you may go in between using a bag and/or storing it in your car.

4) Store in a space where you can easily see them (rather than forget about them, thus packing yet another bag) and label if necessary.

5) Remind your husband, family, babysitter, etc. of the bags so that they can grab them and go as well.

Currently we have: Logan's dance / soccer bag, her church daycare / MOPS bag, her overnight bag, our pool bag, our park bag, our picnic cooler, my "back of the car" bag (including a bag for to-be-returned purchases) and my work bag.

Designating the bags and filling them for the first time is the most time consuming part, but after that it's just about maintenance.  The sunscreen got left at the pool?  Refill.  The blanket in the park bag is dirty?  Wash it.  The Church daycare bag is out of snacks?  Stock up.

Here are links to a few of my favorite totes and bags: Scout, Thirty One, Rosanna Inc. and Toss Designs.  

Anyone else have a similar obsession system?

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Insert transition...

Does anyone receive Birch Boxes or Bluum Boxes?  If so, what are your thoughts?  Worth the hype?  Worth the price?  And how long did it take you to get on "the list"?  More importantly, why is there an exclusive list - my guess is because of limited product?  All questions that I have been meaning to get the skinny on, but not worthy of a full blog post.