What's REALLY in My Bag: Work Edition
Can you believe I've been blogging for 4.5 years and have yet to do a "what's in my bag" post until now? Can I even call myself a real blogger? ;) Haha! I think what initially turned me off from these posts is the fact that everyone's bag contents seemed highly curated/not 100% realistic. I didn't think my bag contents would measure up in the sea of blogger's bags because I don't have any covetable products to show off (and I'm admittedly messy and have lots of "extras" floating around in the black hole that always seems to form at the bottom). BUT, you know what, the blog world could use a little realism every now and then. So, here's what's really inside the bag I tote to work every day.
If you've been around here for at least a couple of weeks, you've likely seen me mention my work bag! I treated myself to Madewell's "The Medium Transport Tote" with my birthday coupon last fall. It has proved to be the perfect bag for the job of hauling everything I need on a typical workday! The regular-sized Transport Tote would have overwhelmed my frame and would have been way more space than I need. I also love how the medium tote features an outside pocket, which is perfect for housing items that I don't want to lose in the depths of the bottom. ;)
I most recently featured my tote it an outfit that I shared two week ago. I don't include it in every outfit post because it's literally the only bag I bring with me to work (besides my lunch bag, which doesn't count) and that would get boring very quickly, haha. Also, sometimes it doesn't really "go" with the rest of my outfit!
Here's what I keep inside my work tote:
Wallet / Obviously. ;) This houses all the necessities, and the wrist strap is the best for when I stop by the grocery store on my way home because then I don't need to bring in my whole bag! Mine is old by Kipling.
Keys / Another obvious one, because without them, I wouldn't be able to go anywhere or get back into my house if for some reason I couldn't open the garage door! I also have some of those store loyalty cards on my keychain.
Sunglasses / I've basically trained my eyes to always need sunglasses because I struggle sometimes with dry eye (this is why I wear them in almost all of my outfit photos). They also help prevent wrinkles from squinting! Mine are old from Moorea Seal.
Water bottle / I am terrible at drinking water, but I don't leave the house without filling it. I like to refill it at some point during the day, but that doesn't happen often...
Notebook / I keep my blog notebook with me in case I spark my imagination or have some time to kill and want to plan out posts. (It's covered in what looks like dust but is actually bread crumbs from when I try to delicately place my morning cinnamon bread in the bag. Clearly the bread crumbs end up getting everywhere!)
Pens / I feel like I always need one and can never find one. I'm not sure how three ended up in my bag but I know eventually I'll be down to zero so I'm okay with having a few. ;)
Treats / Today, it was homemade banana bread (thanks, parents!), but sometimes it's Girl Scout cookies or candy...basically whatever is left over from home. I usually eat my treat(s) before coming home but today I had a mocha that kept me pretty full all day (aside from lunch), so I ate the bread while writing this post!
Bandages / I always keep some of these in all of my bags just in case I wear a pair of shoes that rub or if I hurt myself in some other way. I also have one Bandaid Friction Block Stick, which they no longer make and I don't understand why they discontinued it. It's the best for breaking in shoes! I treat mine like gold. I panicked when I thought I lost it a couple of years ago.
Random items / These vary from day-to-day! I put a touchscreen wipe in my bag to wipe down my laptop screen at home. The secretaries in my division keep these on their desk and I wipe down my phone every payday! I love how clean my phone feels after using these. Sometimes I'll throw a lip product in my bag, too.
Not pictured: my work badge (for privacy reasons), my phone (because I totally forgot to include it, but normally it's in there, too), a bunch of napkins (???), and a couple of business cards/receipts (okay maybe I took a little bit of creative liberty and decided to not include the items that are not photogenic haha). If I had taken these photos in the morning versus in the evening, you'd also see a yogurt and spoon, since I always bring them for part of my breakfast!
As you can see, Rosie loves to help when I arrange things on the floor. ;) I wish I could bring her to work with me, too, though I'm not sure she'd be able to fit in my tote very comfortably!