Purse Organizing – Part 1

Purses Can Be A Bottomless Pit!

“I know I put it in here?”   “It just has to be here!” “Where are my keys?”  Do any of those sound familiar?

When it comes to purse organization I don’t know if any method can be completely foolproof, unless you are never in a hurry, never just throw something in your purse and always take the time to put everything back perfectly.

I know that isn’t me, and I would bet it also doesn’t include 99% of you! lol

But, purses do not have to be hopeless. There are some really good ways to organize them.  There are many purse organizers out there. I have my favorite and that is what I will show you today when I clean out my purse.

Here is my purse “Before”  Things aren’t where they belong, there are receipts tucked in the sides, etc..

I use a Butler Bag that I reviewed last year.  I still love it (although I’d like a spring color).  I like having a place for everything in my purse and this helps me do it.

Step 1: Dump everything out of it.

Step 2:  Sort it!   (just like you sort anything you organize)

Do you use it?
Do you need it in your purse?
Does it serve a purpose in your purse?

This is pretty much of what I decided to keep.  Not the little buttons, and add in the coupon keeper and make up/medicine bag.

Step 3: Clean It

Then if possible pull out the lining of your purse and clean it.  Even if you are planning to switch out and use your spring purse now and store this (or donate it), you should still clean it thoroughly.  Get out all those cracker crumbs and loose pennies, gum wrappers etc, that get caught down in your purse.

Once you have cleaned it and sorted it, you can start putting things back in. My old pouchee was still in decent shape after a couple of years, but it was dirty and dingy looking.  I could have spent some time working to clean it up, but since I’m spoiled and I sell them, I just went and picked out a new hot pink one. lol

Step 4: Reload it

I’ll be going over my pouchee tomorrow with you in detail and how useful it can be.   I start with putting my newly organized pouchee down in my purse.  I am showing you how you can switch out for a spring purse if you’d like….

But in reality I am still going to use my Butler bag, so my pouchee will go back in it. I also cleaned out this medicine/makeup bag that I use in my purse. I have my ibuprofen, stomach medicine for my hubby, Benadryl, tiny sewing kit, Shout stain remover, etc.. in here.  I did clean out some things I didn’t need or that were expired.

Then I put things back in the slots I like them in. I keep my frequent user cards and gift cards in the lime green Card Cubby (which I’ll show you later this week) also hand lotion, gum, a phone battery charger and a little multi tool in this side.

My husband calls my purse, “Your bag of many wonders”.  lol   I have my coupon holder (black long thin thing, a note pad, sun glasses, extra reading glasses, my medicine bag (off to left) my flip video camera, a high lighter, lipstick, pen.

That is one thing I really like about this purse, it has all the separated pockets.  Before this I have always looked for a purse with organizing pockets in it.  So that things can have their own places.

Designer purses are not important to me.  What is important to me is finding a purse that is usable and that has organization stamped all over it!

I then tuck my pouchee down in on the side. It has my three (yes…  one for joint account, one for my son’s support account and one for my business account) checkbooks, money, pen and my phone fits in it too.  Then my keys usually tuck down in the space to the right of my pouchee so I can find them easily.

Keeping your purse organized doesn’t have to be hard if everything has a place.  Rather it is this purse organizer (pouchee) or another one, they are very handy and I do encourage you to try one.  Also using things like the Card Cubby or a little bag like I have my medicine in also helps to categorize and organize things.

Be sure to watch for the rest of my posts this week:

Purse Organizing – The pouchee (Part 2) *watch for the discount code to order one
Purse Organizing – Card Cubby (Part 3) *watch for the discount code to order one
Purse Organizing – All those purses (Part 4)

See my Readers purse organizing posts.

Randomly Robyn: Purse Purging

Robyn also posted how she is organizing all her purses now.  She is using a sweater storage hanger.

Good Enough Mommy: Healthy Back Bag

I want to see your purse organizing!  If you link up your purse post to my linky party and it is of your purse organizing, I’ll pull a picture and add a link to this post too!

I’d love for you to link it up to my Organizing Mission Monday Link Party
It will be open until March 27th to link to.

I LOVE your comments!

I’m linking up to these blogs:

A Snob Comes Clean

Card Cubby

Congrats!

Winner #1  Random.org # 127 is Cheryl G.

Winner #2 Random.org #106 is Busiemommie

A Rolodex for Your Purse

I love an organized purse and this Card Cubby makes organizing all those gift cards, reward cards, library cards, etc… easy to find.  I know that I had a pile of them in my purse before…and what do you do each time you need one? Yes….you sort through them until you find the one you need. No more!!

The other thing I think is great…what a cool gift for Graduation or a Wedding?  What does everyone give now? Gift cards right? Wouldn’t it be neat to put your gift card in this to give to them?

The Card Cubby has  alphabetized dividers. So you Target gift card goes under “T”. Your Subway rewards card goes under “S”.  Easy to find!!

I have been using one for over a year before I decided to sell them myself.  It has held up great, it has a strong magnet on the front. It is easy to clean if needed and the dividers are a sturdy and haven’t gotten bent up or destroyed.

Here is a video to show you how the Card Cubby works

In Celebration of carrying them in my “store” I am going to give away 2 of them to you!

To Purchase Your Own:

Go to my Store and order.  They cost $19.95 each.

To Win:

Go to Organizewithsandy.com/pouchee and tell me which color Card Cubby you would like if you win. **Be sure to come back here and leave me a comment.  Your e-mail needs to be either on your comment or easily accessible in your profile.

For Extra chances to Win:

**Each of these HAS to have a separate comment written please. (I know its a pain, but other wise you won’t have as many chances if you don’t)

You can find all the links in my right hand sidebar.

1) Subscribe to my Organizing with Sandy blog – 5 chances to win (be sure to leave 5 comments)

2) Subscribe to my NEW Blog Chat with Sandy for 5 chances.

3) Follow me on Twitter

4) Follow me on Linked In

5) Tweet out this giveaway up to 3 times per day. Write a comment for each time you do with the link.

6) Add any of my 3 buttons (Organize with Sandy, Reviews, Chat with Sandy) to your sidebar and come back to let me know. Separate

entry for each one you add.

See….lots of ways to enter to win!

This contest will run until 11:59pm est on  June 3rd, 2010 . THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED

Any comment that comes in after the above time will be deleted.

This is open to US mailing addresses only. One person per mailing address only. Winner will be chosen by Random.org

You will have 48 hours to reply to my e-mail if you win to be eligible. If I don’t hear back then I will go to the next winner.

Disclosure Policy

Pouchee Review

Go check out the review that Angela from Mom’s Fortress of Solitude
She did the review as part of Global Influence Holiday Gift Guide.
She just learned what I learned a couple of years ago…the pouchee is a great product!

There will be a giveaway this Saturday Dec. 11th for a sitewarming twitter party. So watch for it!

Love me that Card Cubby!

I love the Card Cubby!! I have been using it close to a year now and think….wow, this is another product that I wish I thought of. (same with the pouchee..wish I came up with that one!)

I use mine for all my “cards”: discount cards, gift cards, library cards, insurance cards and special coupons..either free things or like 20% off Kohls card. I do not use it for all my coupons.
I also have one for business cards. So when I go to conferences I pull the other one out of my purse and throw in my business Card Cubby.
Pair this with the pouchee and you have one very organized purse.

I actually had 2 girls come up to me at the Type A Mom Conference and ask to see in my purse. They wanted to see if I really was organized. I was a little nervous wondering if I was going to pass the test (I am certainly not perfect and I can be known to throw something in my purse in a hurry when stressed!) But I did pass their test..{phew}. It basically looked just like this, except I have the brown croc card cubby now and my fall purse is that cool yellow gold color.

Full disclosure: I am an affiliate for the card cubby and I sell the pouchee (but I wouldn’t do either if I didn’t think these were the coolest purse organizing tools ever…duh!)