Boring? Yes. Helpful? Maybe. And for the record, I have zero affiliation with any of these companies, except doTERRA... I can hook you up with some essential oils.
I have a clear plastic bag that has been lovingly referred to as my "Mary Poppins" bag. Why? Because it has everything you'll need in there -- and I can easily move it from handbag to handbag or travel bag! And when traveling, all liquids are in this bag & everything is 3oz or less, so it's easy to remove for TSA checks.
What's actually IN my Mary Poppins bag?
First and foremost, I always have peppermint gum. Always. It wards off nausea (I get dizzy a LOT -- I know, a literal dizzy blonde --, and therefore get nauseous), and gives you fresh breath! You'll always find lip gloss/lipstick/anything lip related -- I'm a sucker for all lip products; Hand sanitizer; Hand lotion; Advil; Bandaids & Q-tips; Emery board; Sharpie marker; Hair stuff (hair tie, bobby pins, headband, clampy thing -- I don't know what it's called!); Ambre Essence perfume oil -- it's just about the only perfume I wear now... it's portable, and it smells amazing; And last but not least... essential oils! I've got most of the essentials: Lavender (to calm & soothe), Melaleuca (all-inclusive, soothing, purification), Peppermint (for headaches, nausea), Frankincense (for anxiety, pain/inflammation, immune system), OnGuard in beadlets (to boost immune system -- hello, airplanes/airports), Peppermint beadlets (for nausea & fresh breath), and DigestZen (upset tummies).
What's in my current handbag?
My Vera Bradley PURDUE lanyard wallet; earbuds; gum (of course); cough drops; sunglasses; random lip products -- and they're all just about the same color -- if anything, I'm totally predictable in that arena; comb, paper/pencil; hair tie; and my Mary Poppins bag. If I were a guessing girl, there are probably some old receipts floating around in the pockets of that purse, too. Oh, and I always have my phone, but I was using it to take the picture, so...
We seem to be traveling a lot more now, and when we do, I don't usually lug a big handbag along. One, it's heavy. And two, I don't want to schlep that thing through airports... especially if we have to run to catch the connecting flight!
For when I need portability, I use a small cross-body purse from Vera Bradley. I'm not name-dropping. I've tried lots of cross-body purses, and these are my favorite -- not because they're particularly Vera Bradley, but because they're the right size, and you can throw them in the washing machine!
What's even better about this size purse, is when we travel by air, I usually take a backpack as my carry-on. I'm pretty much a "what not to wear" person when I travel, and I don't care. It's function over fashion as far as I'm concerned! Anyway, this purse goes perfectly in my backpack.
So, there you go. Me and my bag of tricks!
