I need handbag organisational help....really badly....

[Heathcliffscathy]

for the last few weeks i have spent more time rummaging and thinking i've lost my carkey/phone, panicking then having to tip it out onto pavement then i care to mention.

how do you all keep your handbags in order?

Recently bought a new summery handbag but it is HORRIBLE organisationally. The problem is that it has too many sections. My life works better if there is a section for the mobile phone and one big section for everything else. This bloody new bag with umpteen sections just defeats me. In fact it is going to go in the charity box.

So I think that fewer sections is the secret of organisational success.

I have an Ameribag/healthy back bag rucksack - it has lots of compartments (even has a compartment for a bottle of water) and a little clip for your keys. Tis marvellous (it's not very pretty though - can't help you if you want practical/organised and pretty).

Just realised my post says the opposite to Quattros's - I like my sections

zip pocket on the inside has lipbalm, mints, pen, lipgloss etc

small make up bag thing inside has nail file, hayfever stuff, paracetamol, perfume, concealer

keys go in pocket on the outside

mobile in mobile holder (all bags have them now surely?)

I swap my bags around all the time so keep it tidy, clear it out of an evening of receipt and general crap

Healthy Back Bags

what olive said.

I do have a lovely leather Mulberry look a likey from Mango which is quite annoying as it only has ONE zip up thing inside

but it opens fully so I can see straight away what is in there (depending on amount of crap in obviously)

have 'lost' mobile in there when it is ringing away before, buried under magazines etc

Malory - I do that with mine

Roughly what olive said.

I have a large purse with a clippy old ladystyle clasp (so no time-consuming zip but still secure) which holds keys, oyster card, and other bits that I want to take from bag to bag (e.g. breathmints, business cards etc)

Everything else is loose - not a sectioned hand bag which can be a bit naff IMO but easy to access. Makeup bag (with pen in it), diary and then wallet and large purse (with keys breathmints etc)
Means you can plonk phone on top and then even if it falls to bottom of bag you can still rummage easily for it as there's not much in the bag.

I used to use a clear makeup bag but it's v ugly, made me feel like i was taking an exam(!) and also extra zipping time. Purse with clasp quicker and prettier.

I do that make up bag thing that has all the vitals - phone (if no seperate carrier - like tote bag or something) purse, mints, lip balm. this is then transfered between bags as depends on where I'm going as to how much stuff I'm wearing.

Don't get a see through exam one though - doesn't it get all grimy?

I had a pink sparkly half moon pencil case and am now on a cherry patterned make up bag.

how much stuff I'm 'carrying' not 'wearing'

so....clean out bag regularly.

put important things into smaller thing in bag (makeup, oyster, phone...whoops, can't put oyster and phone together as the phone kills the oyster) have a red filofax thing that has all my credit cards in it...

what about car/house keys...i'm forever rummaging for them, and lose them half the time.

mine is a single vast cavern with a small zippy bit just inside

everything small/important goes into said zippy bit (phone, keys, tissues)

have to rummage for everything else

but bag looks good, and that's what'simportant after all

my keys have HUGE keyring on them

also I have lots of keys, look like a bloody jailer

always get bag with zipper pocket inside and one other pocket, then keys can go in there

I am bag OBSESSED

What is an oyster?

sorry cloudberry it is a glorified london bus pass.

Does your phone kill your oyster? scary.

Okay for keys, my top tip is a lanyard which is not very stylish but is brilliant for finding your keys when they're at the bottom of your bag. An alterative is long string of ribbon (vv rouleaux, natch)
hth

it happened to me once...all the money i had on it was scrubbed off, and the man at the station said that mobiles magnetic electro watsit sometimes does that....and that you shouldn't store them next to each other for that reason.

NO to lanyard

long ribbon might be a plan though.

small bags no problem - phone, purse, keys, diary means minimal rummaging

large everyday work bag has sections but is always organised exactly the same way so I know where to find stuff
outer pocket a: purse, carkeys, bus pass
outer pocket b: phone, diary, businesscard holder (with stamps, library cards etc in - purse is v minimal)
inner zip pocket: comb, hairbands, pen
inner non-zip: bus timetable, unspent Christmas vouchers, things to keep flat
main bag: all other crap

agree keys on a ribbon can be v good - use a velvet one then it's easy to distinguish by feel from all other crap in bag.

Message withdrawn

This is spooky as I've just been having this very conversation with dd1. I asked her to get me something out of my work bag and she went on and on about how it needs to be organised as it's hard to find things in there. Honestly, she is such an Anthea.

So - I think the long ribbon for keys is a genius idea - do you tie it on to the bag somewhere?

I've just been talking about getting some clear pencil case type things but in arange of sizes. Any ideas where?

Also - what do you consider to be the absolute essentials that you need to carry every day?

it's not very big cod. but does have a lot of crap in it (foil wrapped wipes collected from wagamamas in case of ds emergency, sewing kit (!), couple of homeopathic remedies, some rescue remedy, few biros, colouring pencils for ds (never used), my diary/wallet thing, car key, house keys, little notebook (from that very posh david cameron's wife place) called 'dreams and reflections' that dh got me one birthday but i've never used, cheque book, lighter (i don't smoke), tampons, sellotape, a nivea mini deoderant, a cloth for cleaning glasses, some batteries, coins.....

errrrr....think i've just realised why i can't find anything in it!