The Sustainable Everyday Bag: Mom Edition

I think we can all agree that change is inevitable; especially while parenting. There are a lot of things that “they” don’t tell you about parenting when you leave the hospital with your little bundle of joy. There is no parenting one-size-fits-all type of manual out there. But that’s also what makes parenting so much fun though! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve told myself, “well, I never thought I would say that” or “what is that?” in my life and have ended up laughing so hard that my abs and face hurt.

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We used to think that routines would help navigate the changes, but that’s just it, as soon as we would say, “I think we are in a routine now” the routine would need to change. Routines are not foolproof. Now, I’m not saying we’re experts, I’m just saying that Bryan and I gave up on relying on routines alone a while ago haha. Kids are always growing. OR you might get a new job or promotion, you might move three times, you get different pets with different needs, your kid joins soccer and dance and girl scouts, things get cancelled because of snowstorms, you start doing yoga, family emergencies, your kid has remote kindergarten, fill in the blank because the list goes on and on… life is always changing. It’s inevitable so just get yourself a really awesome personalized planner and hang on tight to enjoy the ride. 

While I mention that change is inevitable, being prepared makes handling that change a little bit more seamless. Something I have found essential to navigating anything the day might throw at me is what I have in my purse. Call it whatever you want though; we all have that bag, backpack, purse, etc. that we rely on to carry our essentials.

I recently revamped and repacked the essentials in my purse to help me throughout my day and it’s been a game changer. My main objectives were to cover all of my bases (from pens to bandaids, even to-go utensils) while also using products that were functional and sustainable.

A plastic-free day bag was my goal.

Why no plastic?

It’s because plastic is bad for our health and the environment. This is one of the best videos I have found yet. It was made by the Plastic Pollution Coalition and is narrated by Jeff Bridges. Check it out to understand why we need to start saying, “No” to plastic.

The less plastic we buy and use on a day-to-day basis is not only healthier for us and the environment, but what we purchase as consumers drives the market.  I’m hoping we can drive it straight to Plastic-Free City! Corny, I know, but I think you get my point.

So grab your purse, backpack, fanny pack, whatever you carry with you and let me show you what I include in my purse to get through the day feeling a bit more prepared. 

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Let’s get started.

I think I’ve mentioned this before, but I love all things organizational. My husband might scoff at that sentence since he sees my home office, but nobody is perfect and I have my messy days too! I do LOVE all things organizational though. Take me to the Container Store and let me geek out for four hours if you know what I am saying! I just wish they had more sustainable storage options, but that’s another topic for another day. 

With all that being said, my purse has four categories: The Kid Bag, Electronics, Personal Care Items/Beauty, and Free Floating Items.

THE KID BAG

As parts of our daily life have started to open up and Lila is beginning to return to in-person school, what we need on the go is changing. Along with school, we’ve added soccer, dance, and girls scouts… bring on the Do-si-does and Samoas! Although I have LOVED spending so much time with Lila this past year since the initial shutdown, as soon as activities started to open up safely, we decided to sign Lila up for a couple! 

Again, shout out to all the parents out there that need to get their kid out of the house for an hour! Am I right?! Haha! In all seriousness though, it has been such a dream come true to work from home and go on daily bike rides with Lila over the past summer (my favorite time of year), it’s just also been nice to have some activities added into the mix again.

See what I put into THE KID BAG >> CLICK HERE.

PERSONAL CARE ITEMS/BEAUTY BAG

Not only do I have beauty items to help me touch up quickly throughout the day in this bag, this is the ultimate “you need it, I got it” part of my purse. You need an Advil? Got it. You have a hangnail? I got nail clippers. You have a boo-boo? I got a bandaid! And the number one essential of 2020 (and now 2021)… you need hand sanitizer? Yes, ma’am I do! There is only one word to describe this bag and that is “essential”.

See what I put into my PERSONAL CARE ITEMS/BEAUTY BAG >> CLICK HERE. 

FREE FLOATING ITEMS

There are some things that just cannot be contained. This is mostly due to their size that they won’t fit into a bag or compartment of my purse, but there are also some things you have to grab at a moment’s notice. Rummaging through your purse at a stop light to find your lip balm will surely have people honking at you one second after the light turns green. People have places to be in Denver and that one second will really help them make it to work on time apparently. 

In any case, there are a couple of things that need to be easily accessible or take up too much space to be held in a smaller compartment.

See what my FREE FLOATING ITEMS consist of >> CLICK HERE.

Unfortunately, there are a few items I need with me that I have not been able to find as a plastic-free alternative. In this case and all cases with purchasing sustainable products, it’s also about being able to use it. If you buy something that is plastic-free, but never use it, you are creating waste by adding to the carbon footprint it took to produce and deliver that product to you. Not to mention, now you have another product that will end up eventually disposed of in a landfill somewhere.

For example, as you start to convert your life to plastic-free, if you have a plastic bag that you carry your lunch to work in everyday, you should really reuse that plastic bag until you are not able to anymore before purchasing a plastic-free replacement. Whatever you buy, just make sure you use it and if there is a plastic-free alternative that you will use, go for that option first. 

These next two categories are the items that I always have with me and have been hard pressed to find a plastic-free alternative that fulfills the need for those items. If you have any suggestions, leave them in the comments! 

ELECTRONICS BAG

We’ve all been there when we either need directions or you need to send a text… and your phone dies. While I do keep a charging cord in my car at all times, I am not always in my car. In fact, Bryan’s car is the more eco-friendly out of our two cars so we take that to places we go as a family. Having a charger cord and a battery pack in my bag has been a lifesaver. 

I am never without a pair of earbuds either. If you’ve ever had to sit at your daughter’s soccer practice by yourself, you know what I mean. That is valuable time I can get caught up on a podcast while watching her have fun with her friends on the field.

See what is in my ELECTRONICS BAG >> CLICK HERE.

FREE FLOATING ITEMS

AKA randomness. I’ve been able to find functional sustainable alternatives to almost everything else that I use on a daily basis, and as sustainable products continue to be developed (because *wink *wink consumers are driving the market), my hope is that these next items will eventually be plastic-free, as well. Maybe a future Kylie Bee project?? Hmmm. We’ll see.

See what FREE FLOATING ITEMS I have in my purse >> CLICK HERE.

It’s been fun getting back into activities while we adjust to this new normal that has been given to us. We’re taking it as it comes, and I have to tell you, revamping my purse has done wonders to decrease the sense of uncertainty throughout the day. It was also fun to explore sustainability in another functional aspect of my life.

Click on any of the links below to check out what items I put in each compartment of my purse to gain some inspiration for what you could make use of in your daily life:

1. THE KID BAG

2. PERSONAL CARE ITEMS/BEAUTY BAG

3. ELECTRONICS & FREE FLOATING ITEMS

I hope this post inspired you to consider revamping your day bag to help you get through the day seamlessly. We may not be able to control much, as 2020 has shown us, but we can control how we respond to each new obstacle that comes our way. It might even be as simple as revamping your purse to make the day a little less stressful so that you have bandaids for boo-boo’s and Advil if your coworker is in a pinch.

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Until next time, 

Kylie Bee