Motherhood: the days are long but the years go by too quickly
I decided it would be a good idea recently to clean out my handbag. I think for most women, the handbag becomes a bit of a catch all, a safe place to deposit various odds and ends that at the time, seem like a good idea to keep. In my younger days I would carry these relatively small handbags. These bags were typically about 6 inches across, leather, and black with a long strap that I could wear across my body. I always liked having my arms ready. Ready for what? I'm not sure, but my long straps left me free to grab and hold whatever looked enticing during my day. My bags then carried some make-up, a small wallet, and phone when these became readily available. Before then I'd often carry an actual camera...makes me seem old yes?
My Movie Star Mommy bag!
When I first became a mother, I looked to similar styled bags, although considerably bigger.
I settled on a bag made by Stork sak. The style was recommended to be by a friend who saw a photo of Angela Jolie carrying it. She was never someone I wanted to emulate but I had to admit her baby bag choice was solid. I think hers was the leather version, I went for the easier to clean (and yes less pricey) nylon version. The bag had a long strap, a large center pocket, two front small pockets and (the great selling point) two insulated pockets, one on either side. I envisioned having more room than I would ever need in this mini suitcase. The contents of this bag of course grew and my vision shrank. One needed diapers, wipes, food, boiled water, pacifiers, extra clothes, and maybe a small make-up bag for mom and a slightly larger wallet. For some reason this large bag never really seemed large enough, but it did look good hanging on the back of my stroller.
When the second child arrived I was still using the big bag. Of course now I needed double the diapers and clothes, as well as having to have a sippy cup and solid food on the ready in addition to any bottles, wipes etc. This is probably the time my bag sanity began to unravel. I decided that summer that I had had it with the black bags. I had found a Vera Bradly bag which is about the least Vera Bradley looking pattern she has made which I'm sure is why it’s the only one I've ever liked. The new bag was red with black and white flowers. It basically was a large sack with about 8 small interior packets that have never been utilized as imagined. I was happy to have the new bag, but it lacked the insulated pockets so I now needed to sometimes swap out bags or find new ways to carry "product”. I loved that the bag was really a nice looking satchel that I could dump all my mommy gear into and still look somewhat pulled together. The size of the bag and its lack of a long strap didn't bother me either. Generally when I was out of the house, it was stuck into the bottom of the stroller leaving my hands free to push the stroller and again grab at whatever caught my eye. 
Almost ready to March in the Patriot's Day Parade.
This past fall I decided that I needed to step it up again. Once the boys were both diaper free I no longer felt obliged to carry such a large bag and could finally down size especially for my work days. This way I would not be carrying around too much. Then last week I looked, I really looked. My Dooney & Bourke small Lexington Shopper in green had somehow become a black hole of mess. This bag is easily half the size of the Vera Bradley or the Stork sak, but I swear there was twice as much floating around in there. It desperately needed some attention. So I sat down….
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Past OfferingsAs we know life is never simple and it throws at us many curve balls, "A Matter of Heart” includes reflections related to my younger son’s heart defect then and now
(pulmonary stenosis). “The Search for Perfection” includes those regular trials of parenthood and how we must balance our goals for our children and self with the reality that –no – we cannot quite do it all. “Gear” is simply tirades related to the stuff of parenting & life
“Insights & Inspirations” contains my thoughts on items not necessary related to being a parent, but simply life in general. "Travel"
Trying to make the best of it this past winter.
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Out of the bag in no particular order came:
2 gum wrappers, a plastic toy wolf, a wad a napkins, 2 used pieces of gum wrapped in paper, My now larger wallet, also full of cards and receipts, a Costco flyer, 3 dinosaur stickers, 1 gift card, a Costco return receipt, a clean pair of Matty's underwear, 2 Starbucks free song download codes, 1 package of Orbit gum, a Costco renewal from, a blank envelope, A small hand cream, My make-up bag, a Costco receipt, House keys (that should have been left on the hook), an empty small travel wallet, a small hair brush, a bottle of clear nail polish, A note for my husband with a beer recommendation, 1 ice skating practice card, 2 lip balms (1 empty), 2 pens, 1 nail file, 1 empty small travel bag for jewelry, a wad of tissue, a pair of earnings, 1 unused panty liner, 1 golf pencil, a membership list from my parent group, 2 hair ties, 1 direct deposit pay stub, 7 business cards, The phone number for a solar installer, 1 kids valentine's card, 1 jewelry repair receipt, Blank stickers, 1 green crayon, 1 glass lady bug, 1 US cents, 1 Euro cent, 1 dime, and my cell phone.
No wonder I've needed a chiropractor.
2 gum wrappers, a plastic toy wolf, a wad a napkins, 2 used pieces of gum wrapped in paper, My now larger wallet, also full of cards and receipts, a Costco flyer, 3 dinosaur stickers, 1 gift card, a Costco return receipt, a clean pair of Matty's underwear, 2 Starbucks free song download codes, 1 package of Orbit gum, a Costco renewal from, a blank envelope, A small hand cream, My make-up bag, a Costco receipt, House keys (that should have been left on the hook), an empty small travel wallet, a small hair brush, a bottle of clear nail polish, A note for my husband with a beer recommendation, 1 ice skating practice card, 2 lip balms (1 empty), 2 pens, 1 nail file, 1 empty small travel bag for jewelry, a wad of tissue, a pair of earnings, 1 unused panty liner, 1 golf pencil, a membership list from my parent group, 2 hair ties, 1 direct deposit pay stub, 7 business cards, The phone number for a solar installer, 1 kids valentine's card, 1 jewelry repair receipt, Blank stickers, 1 green crayon, 1 glass lady bug, 1 US cents, 1 Euro cent, 1 dime, and my cell phone.
No wonder I've needed a chiropractor.
Copyright 2015 Motherhood Uncorked
Please do not copy or reproduce without permission.
Links are just fine, though.
Please do not copy or reproduce without permission.
Links are just fine, though.
