What, you may ask, is a Mom Purse? Well, harken back to trips with the family where dear sweet mother carried around this GIANT bag and gave herself scoliosis, BUT whenever someone asked for a random object, she burrowed down into this mega-bag and pulled out whatever you needed. (I have a personal memory of a grandma always seeming to have drinking straws in her purse. Not in a crazy way, but in a "preparing for trips to the mall where I just want a straw for my soda" kind of way.) That is the phenomenon known as a Mom Purse. Kind of like the Mary Poppins tapestry bag where she pulls out a lamp and a ficus. :)
I was never one to have the Mom Purse, as I had a mom to carry one for me, until I was out and about in Tokyo on my own. Then, I actually bought a giant purse (which I referred to affectionately as "Mega Bag") so I could carry everything around with me. Tourist bags are apparently a lot like the Mom Purse. I had my huge camera at the time (SLR= giant), my maps and guide books, a water bottle and snacks, misc emergency cosmetic and hygiene items, sports bra and knee brace for karate trainings in the afternoon, and room for whatever souvenirs I might buy that day. Since then, I have become hooked on having all this mess with me whenever I needed it. Well, maybe not that specific mess from Tokyo, but a huge mess nonetheless. I promise I don't still carry around a sports bra and the Tokyo subway map!
And having a Mom Purse is really addictive! You ever get that moment when you break a nail and say, "GAH! if only I had a nail file right now this would be nowhere near as bothersome!" So you put the nail file in your bag. And Mr Nail File stays there because you tell yourself that it is small and doesn't weigh a lot. Then comes the day when you need a tissue... Tylenol... a brush... your camera... a lighter (even though you don't smoke and don't hang out with people who do)... a socket wrench set... the Arc of the Covenant... the list of stuff that gets thrown in Mom Purse is never-ending, and you quickly see why moms are so tired. It's not from chasing kids all day; it's from carrying around all the stuff that you need when you are chasing kids all day! Never mess with a mom, they have years of strength training that Ahnold would envy.
John never fails to laugh at me and my huge bag, but he also reaps the benefits as every few days he looks up and asks, "do you have ____?" And I burrow down in Mom Purse and say, "why yes, yes I do." (Did I just liken boyfriends to children? sorry) So here for my post is a run-down of what is currently toted around with me every day (I try to clean it out every now and then so as to prevent the aforementioned scoliosis):
Moving across the picture from left to right, top to bottom:
-cosmetic pouch with chapstick, foundation, cuticle snips, nail clippers, brush, lotion, lipgloss, cough drops, and oil-removing face wipes
-IbuProfin
-tissues
-notebook
-camera
-emergency phone battery
-wallet
-lint roller (because of the fluffy cat)
-feminine items for emergencies
-misc pens & sharpie
-lighter (shaped like a Japanese katana! too cute)
-multi-tool
-CPR facemask
-mints
-paint chips from the new bathrooms
-big wad o' keys
-sunglasses
(phone is not there because it lives in my pocket so I can feel it vibrate)
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