the contents of my purse, before & after kids

This one is part of my Before & After Kids series.

Now I am not talking about a diaper bag. Comparing a pre-kid purse to a diaper bag is pointless. Like comparing a tricycle to a cruise ship.

No, I'm talking about a purse. The much more compact and stylish bag I carry when my kids aren't with me. Though in reality, I wind up carrying a diaper bag and a purse because the junk cross-pollinates. 

The contents of my purse before I had kids:

lipstick, wallet, phone, keys, cute little compact mirror, pack of gum

I kept it simple. I'd often transfer the contents from purse to purse to match outfits and fancy stuff like that. Like, daily.

Last week I had plans without the kids. To present the illusion that I am still fancy, I decided to switch the contents of my purse to a different one to match my outfit.

And here are the contents of my purse now, after kids: 

several pieces of scribbled on paper, one rock, one cloth diaper, two heart stickers that no longer stick, one infant sock, old lipstick, wallet, a much better phone, one plastic fish and one plastic ring from redeeming Skee-Ball tickets, five crayons, one smashed fruit bar, 11 pieces of cereal and a crumpled up and used wad of napkins 

Yeah.

So basically the same.

Hey, wait, where are my keys? Has anyone seen my keys?

What is in yours? Anything "extra" now?

Comments

[KarasMummy]

Oh goodness, I relate so much that I've given up on it and exclusively carry a nappy bag now. With toddler twins it is just the only way I can leave the house fully packed.

[Doni]

pfffft. yeah. granola bars, kid's tylenol, colorful hair clips, and a yo-yo. But I just cleaned out my purse a few weeks ago, so this is "light."

[Jodi B]

used tissues. gross.

[Tricia]

Wet wipes! I always carry wet wipes. Sigh...

[kristen]

Should have read the post first then my tweet wouldn't be as silly. I mostly just carry the diaper bag when out with the three. Oh I will be soo happy when potty training will be sucessful!

[Laura]

Smashed fruit bars will drive me over the edge! Utterly uneatable.

[Katie]

Purse? You go places without your kids?! In my fantasy land maybe ;)

[Made By Jorie]

This made me laugh because our purse contents are pretty much identical down to the smashed fruit bar and solo sock (too small). I would add Cheerios crumbs, miscellaneous garbage, and juice box missing a straw.

[Jessica Smith]

a few bandaids, 4 cars (each boy must have two, bc heaven forbid they actually share!), baby legs, used tissues, gum wrappers, an old granola bar...

[Reading (and chickens)]

A potty seat. The whole thing, because my kids have tiny butts and fall in otherwise. It's really glamorous to have a toilet receptacle in my purse.

[Cortney George]

Crumbs, lots of crumbs.

[Amber Dusick]

LOL, that is awesome, made me laugh!!!

[Julie]

I also have Hello Kitty band-aids and purell wipes, which are the best invention ever. Add to that a complete change of toddler clothes in a ziplock, several doctor visit receipts, my ipad...yes this is my good leather purse too. Sigh.

[Jazmin]

I once had a moldy smooched banana(if DS asks fir a banana you better have one, or it's the end of the world!). Thankfully, the banana was in a baggie!

[Cheri Dees]

I found a pacifier, a washcloth, infant gas drops and a nose-sucker-thingymajigit in my purse the last time I went out. I'm still trying to figure out how they got in there since I haven't carried a purse since before my daughter was born....

[Cp3k]

I found a half eaten soggy waffle in my purse once.

[Cheryl]

How did you accidentally wind up with my purse?! Wait, it can't be mine, because there are no trains (specifically, no trains to mysteriously call out, "Bust my buffers!" in the middle of a quiet store).

[Melanie Rozwood]

One day I found 3 tubes of Orajel and no Blistex. Not fair.

[Pam]

I now carry an Epi-pen thanks to an allergy developed during/shortly after pregnancy. Never thought that would be a part of my daily life :(

[Erin]

Usually a "guy" of some kind, loose lego parts, suckers (for bribing kids into being good when we are out) a pacifier, and random earrings of mine that I had to quickly take out before I picked up the baby from daycare or else she will yank them painfully from my ears.

[Rhonda]

My 3 year old is FINALLY getting the hang of using a toilet, so we now have spare pants, undies, diaper, wipes, and fold-up potty seat in Mommy's bag. In addition to everything you listed, of course. Plus lots of receipts because I always quickly toss them in as we're leaving the store, and I expect them to magically disappear.

[Z]

I actually just cleaned out my purse because I bought a new one.
1 wet cloth diaper rolled up & snapped shut
2 clean cloth diapers
5 clean cloth wipes
6 cheap bangle bracelets belonging to my daughter
4 crayons
1 hair tie soaked in saliva
Wallet
Check book
And a giant pile of receipts.

[Jennifer]

I'm the complete opposite!! Before kids I had all kinds of things in my purse (however, not kid related!). But now when I carry a purse I just grab 3 things from the diaper bag...my wallet, phone, and keys. Oh, and occasionally chap stick!

[Stephanie]

Crayons, Matchbox cars, Benadryl, stopwatch (doubles as a watch), Jolly Ranchers, 4 tubes of Chapstick (2 for me, 1 for each kid), Tic-Tacs, wallet, 8 bank deposit receipts (thanks for making me clean out my purse!), mini-flashlight, gum, 2 pens.

[Kate]

Exactly!! I'm wondering where they all come from, because there is never any food in there (that I see anyway).

[Symbiote Host]

Lollipops and a first aid kit.

[Rebecca]

I usually also have a little ziplock bag of baby/wet wipes and those little bags for disposing of disposable diapers that happen to be great for bundling almost anything up to help contain mess/stink if you're not actually at a house or shop where you can use a sink to tidy up... oh and I have at least 3 matchbox/hotwheels cars, an emergency pacifier, while out I usually have their two drink bottles as well (never my own of course), oh and some very sad looking bandaids (sticky bandages/plasters). This is after I just did a tidy up last week cos I got the crankies not being able to find something important... Yep, used to have a cute little handbag, now I have a huge one so I don't have to take a nappy bag as well :(

[panne]

pacifiers and old sticky raisins >:(

[Angela]

Yeah, you forgot the used, tied in a bag diaper that your hubby stuffed in the bag because that way it wouldn't get "forgotten" in the car (done that before, too). And, of course, the 4 1/2 pounds of crumbs that magically find it's way to the bottom of the purse. I've learned, now, to double and triple check the bag when I get home to make sure there are no smelly diaper surprises 3 days later. :)

[Cressa]

Thomas, or one of his friends lives in your purse too?? :)

[Laura]

The 1 or 2 times I've been out without the baby? I stuff my wallet in my husband's pocket because I have yet to relocate my purse since her birth.

[Tasha]

Awesome, as always. New stuff- an extra inch of thickness on my wallet from 5 kids times insurance/ ssn/ cards, bandaids, and community lip balm, even though "Santa" always stuffs a new lip balm in each child's Christmas stocking.
In regards to the smashed fruit bar, here's a great trick. Use a hard-sided eyeglass case as a storage container for an individual fruit bar.

[Beverly]

A pacifier. Wipes. Diaper and pullup. Lol

[E.B.]

Ive got, lets see: 43 1/2 goldfish-like organic cheese bunnies (soggy) A coupon for 45 cents off Roid cream. (Damn, was looking for that.) The Remote Control for a TV (Huh?) Used napkins from those samples they hand out in the grocery (Score! Ones got 1/2 a cookie still in it.) my wallet, The Contents of my wallet (not together, of course, thanks kid) A hospital ID band from the latest 3am kid trip, and some lip gloss from approx. 1994.

[Crappy Commenter]

Goldfish crackers and Goldfish cracker dust

[Kristen]

That made me laugh out loud! I can totally imagine you pulling a potty seat out of your bag...kinda like Mary Poppins!

[Deanna]

Really old coupons and cough drops, receipts with the ink faded completely, a map of the zoo and usually, no wallet. This has saved me a lot of money. Unfortunately my purse is of no use to me without the diaper bag now.

[Kelli]

I dont leave home without wet naps of some sort. I have graduated into carrying the little packs you get from take away. I also have drawings. Always given to me to cherish after every visit to a restaurant.

[Catrina Dodson]

Before I had kids I was in the military, so carrying a purse just wasn't something I really did. Now, I have, a huge wallet, 4 or 5 chapsticks (my kids refuse to share and I'm not fond of snotty chapstick) rocks (my 4 year old's best friends) band aids, tissue (used and new), wet wipes, cars, hair ties, my cell phone, receipts, crumbs, and my keys NEVER go in there, because there's nothing worse than trying to find them at the bottom of a heavy purse, and them coming out with some unidentified goop on them!

[sarah vine]

Usually I pride myself on keeping it light, so I often end up without a change of clothes or that extra diaper.... I have been known to stuff paper towels down my baby's outfit on the way home and hope no one notices! *sad*. But I will NOT leave the house without some rice cakes or bottle of water! God save me from hungry children in the car.

[emma morgan]

Oh yeah, a bag of smooshy cherry tomatoes, a leathery Orange, some rocks, several straws tied with yarn, and a mind boggling amount of matchbox cars.

[AngieB]

My purses have gone from cute, expensive handbags that only held the bare essentials and I never head enough room; to the now mammoth cheap almost-a-diaper-bag that contains one diaper for each child, and extra pair of shorts for each child, children's medication, my medication, misc. toys, and all the other stuff you had listed and I still never have enough room. I know it sounds like a diaper bag but trust me, the diaper bag is worse!

[Amber Dusick]

Ha, that is a good trick, especially since my sunglasses often go missing but I usually have the empty case in my purse!

[lexa brinton]

found a sippy cup with no lid and leaking instant juice mix packet, a smushed granola bar, an empty gum container, 2 broken crayons, an old cell phone (used as a decoy)and misc meds...meh. its all still good, probably.

[Lauren]

Too funny! Here's mine:
Dried up wet wipes, bottle of aspirin or ibuprofen, unidentifiable crumbs, old receipts, miscellaneous forgotten notes to myself. You know...the essentials. :)

[Tiffany Folkner]

Funny thing my kids are preteens now and my purse seem as big as my diaper bag was. What happen to my cute little purse?

[Stacy K.]

Took my answer! I have orange dust all over the bottom of my purse.

[SarahP]

Purse? We can carry purses? I thought we could only have nappy bags :( I miss my fancy purse :(

[Liz Benbrooks]

Purse is now a LeSportsac-style (waterproof) crossbody (won't fall off shoulder when wrestling squirmy child) with 4 separate zippable compartments, 2 of which are child dedicated. 1 has an extra diaper and mini-pack of flushable wipes. 1 has little plastic cups of goldfish and teddy grahams, spongebob band-aids, spray neosporin, a sunblock stick, and miscellaneous coupons. 1 is just for phone and headset.

The 1 I actually use as my purse has 3 different Chapsticks, many keys, a bottle opener key chain with no keys on it, generic Advil and Exedrin for mommy, bunches of crumpled receipts, a neon-green puffball, a cat-toy mouse that child loves, an unopened shrink-wrapped pair of crayons from the Olive Garden, card wallet, change purse, and checkbook stuffed with bills waiting to be paid.

[Likeadeerinheadlights]

That is awesome!!!! You have certainly got everyone else beat with purse contents!!! I have triplet girls and there is absolutely nothing that I can find in my purse that has that much funny factor to it. LOVE IT!

[Wendy @ mama one to three]

Valium and extra Valium

[Kara]

I have toddler twins as well and I use a backpack as a diaperbag/purse and have since they were born. Between diapers and snacks and toys and drinks its the only thing big enough to carry all their stuff.

[zoe d.]

Went out to dinner with girlfriends (sans kids) the other night. Went digging for my wallet and found a neatly wrapped used diaper in my purse. Pretty sure it'd been there for a few days and I hadn't noticed.

[Suzie]

The unidentifiable crumbs are disturbing. Especially when one can't remember ever having anything that would produce them in the bag/purse.
I find random cars, Barbie shoes, beads, small toys I can't for the life of me remember the kids ever having, and shattered plastic easter eggs.

[Samantha McGarry]

a transformer ....

[Kim]

my purse was exactly the same as your after kids purse! I recently got a wristlet for taking the kids to the park. It only fits my phone, some cash and my debit card. I love the simplicity of it so much, I use it all the time now. No more binkies, or smashed cereal bars...there's no room & I love it!!!

[RyAnne]

A Lego wheel, and a mangled fork that was fished out of the garbage disposal.

[Teresa (Embracing the Spectrum)]

ALWAYS extra things in my purse these days. Various Matchbox cars, sand, a sock, and, today, I had a beat-up apple in my purse (because my son had to bring it EVERYWHERE with him today). That's in addition to the wallet, the phone, the keys, the Nook, etc.

[Kerri]

That's the same as me. My purse pre-kids was actually dubbed the mommy purse because I always had everything anyone needed in it. Now, if I have my purse, it is just my wallet, phone, and keys.

[Nicole]

"Cute little compact mirror" ... whoops, I guess my mind was in the gutter. Coulda sworn it was a condom!

[Rainyday]

Right now there's a fist full of grocery store receipts and bank slips, some crumpled up brochures from our recent farm visit, bandaids, a bag of cashews, granola bar, an apple, a calculator, 6 crayons, bug spray, benadryl stick for when I forget the bug spray, forehead thermometer, eye shadow. And this is a small purse. Usually I stuff a paperback in there, too. And I wonder why my shoulder is permanently bruised.

[RuthS]

Hand sanitizer and sample tubes of half used sunscreen...yes both items have opened up in my purse after the caps were loosened by my 3 year old wanting "san-tizer" and quickly shoving it back in before I noticed.

[Erika]

Suckers - as a reward/bribe for good behavior.

[Megan]

Just checked my purse...I have a zipper pouch that carries tampons, bug bite itch cream, a thermometer, infant tylenol, and a compact that bounces around from bag to bag...other than that you can add in a wallet, mini bottle of bubbles, 4 packs of pez, a Rio happy meal toy, Cars Dinaco helicopter, hair spiking gel (for the boy), lots of lids without matching containers, hard candy with no wrappers, and lots and lots of loose change. And crumbs.

[K]

So many receipts! And letters from school about various important functions, which generally only emerge after said function has occurred. I found a loose licorice comfit earlier which was odd. Crumbs, again odd because there's never crumbly stuff in there. Wet wipes, band aids, antiseptic cream, sun lotion, hand sanitising gel, moisturiser... often a toy car or three. I didn't even carry a bag of any kind before having kids, and now my bag is enormous. Sigh.

[Mel]

Cereal bars, a bottle of water, my wallet, keys, a nasal spray (I have allergies), 1 clean Pampers diaper (but I always forget wipes!), a toddler hat.

E.B.:
I found BOTH our TV remotes in my work bagpack while at the office last week - after I had been looking for them all weekend!

[AJ]

YES! Juice box missing the straw. Guaranteed to cause wailing.

I've got too many lip glosses because I have a lip gloss problem. Including one clear natural one for the girls when they start in with "my lips are DWY!" HINT HINT Mama.

[Savi Mama]

I thought I was the only one! My kids are potty trained now, but that seat was a constant companion for about 4 years. I kept it in a grocery sack because it could get kind of icky. ...like that time we went camping...

[Samantha]

LOL!

[Savi Mama]

Same here. If we ever get stranded in a blizzard, we'll be set for at least 3 weeks with all the goldfish dust in my purse and the car seats.

[Brooke]

I have a REALLY big Coach purse, and everyone made fun of how giant it was, and how it mind as well we diaper bag when I bought.... I knew it would come in hands!! We always end up with smashed Z-Bars and then no one wants to eat them.

Random mismatched socks.

Fake phone (after one too many insurance replacements on my Android phones... a fake one for my toddler seemed like a better idea).

1-2 Cloth diapers (unstuffed and the inserts floating in the purse somewhere too).

Wet bag.

Usually I always forget cloth wipes AND regular wipes (lose/lose if she needs changing- at that point we haul it back to the SUV for changing.

Keys- with several different keychains on them my dear brother has brought them back to my children from his travels (they have no keys... so they assume the key chains from him visiting places like New Mexico deserve a home with my keys)

At least 1-2 Little People toys

This book about not wearing a diaper (which, has yet to help the potty training process)

Coupons (that never get used because in the middle of my toddler screaming "Go? GO!" at the check stand I forget I was trying to be thrifty)

[Brooke]

wow. Excuse my serious lack of proof reading before submitting that btw. I'm not sure why I even try using the internet when my kids are awake & I'm not focused. :/

[Julie]

Purell wipes are the best. They don't leak, they're individually wrapped, and you find them at the office supply store.

[Kerri]

My purse before kids and a husband: no purse just drivers license/cash/phone/keys (*totally never grabbed the epipen)

My purse after marriage: Some little bag that fit a wallet (made necessary by the addition of ATM cards/credit cards/grocery cards, etc), phone, keys,epipen (I had a bag so it fit), chapstick, gum and advil (last 3 things always requested by my husband when we went out)

My purse after kids: No purse just everything in a diaper bag.

My purse now that my kids are potty trained and don't need sippys: iPod, cell phone, keys, wallet, chapsticks (4-one for each family memeber), epipen, hairbrush/scrunchie, gum, lollipops/fruit snacks, advil (no longer just for the hubby, often times for the headache from the kids)

[Claire]

You guys have wallets? I'm so jealous! My cards just sort of free-float in among all the scribbled bits of paper. I also keep a notepad and two crayons in my purse... note that these crayons are different colours, because I'm daring like that when dealing with two small children. Also there may be half a packet of some form of child-friendly candy in there, and it's probably half-melted. My purse is crocheted and I never found time to put a liner in it, so it's like a big sieve, and all the crumbs fall out.

[Gabrielle]

Fold up potty seat: $10 at Wal-Mart. It pretty much rocks.

[Jenny]

At least you realized it was Orajel before trying to apply it to chapped lips!

[rachel]

yes! always bandaids. and almost always cars. occasionally a few random polly pocket accessories as well. oh, and the confiscated bouncy balls. who invented those things! they are the worst toy EVER. they're only good to play with in the house. if you play with them outside, they get dirty and lost in like 5 seconds flat. but no parent in their right mind will let a kid play with them IN the house because they will break or knock over everything in a 2 mile radius in about half a second flat!

[Megan]

I was going to say "sand," too! You'd think we went to the beach every day--I wish!

[Gabrielle]

Little People live in my diaper bag. It kinda confuses people when my daughter asks me to get Chris and Chloe out of the diaper bag.

As for purses, it's rare that I go anywhere without a kiddo, yet I still end up with the diaper bag half the time. Today, I somehow managed to leave the house with three diaper bags. Trouble is, I only have two kids...

[Liz Benbrooks]

I have one waiting, for when child actually learns to use the potty :-(.

[rachel]

i have the singing caboose that mysteriously plays at inopportune times as well.

[Laurel]

I've got your juice box straw in my purse. I was wondering where the juice had gone off to...

[Melissa]

I found an old mozzarella cheese stick in my old purse =/

And the receipts that have been savagely yanked out of my wallet while we're out... so I stuffed them quickly in my purse.

[chelsea]

Eyeglass cases are the best! Also good for toting around various feminine products, and for syringes if you're diabetic!

[Jennifer Dixon]

*Wheezing with laughter* that just made my day!

[Stephanie]

Smashed fruit bars ARE entirely uneatable!

[Rebekah]

At least, you are carrying a purse. My daughter is 4 years old, and I still can't break myself of the diaper backpack, and she doesn't wear diapers anymore.

[shelly]

kiddo decided to save a juice box for later. Didn't tell me. CSI could probably find remnants of apple juice several washings later. Sigh.

[Krista]

I just cleaned my purse out. It was awful. I have a 2.5 yr old daughter and I'm pulling spider man pencils and you name it out of my purse

[Am]

Chewed Trident gum, wrapped in its original wrappper, which shrinks after removing the unchewed gum. They need trashcans in church for the dropped Cheerios, goldfish and chewed gum.

[Sue in NC]

My husband calls my handbag "Mommy's Toolbox" (cause it is just as heavy as his toolbox in the garage!)

-Diaper sz 3
-Diaper sz 5
-Ziplockbag w/ wipes
-3 chapsticks (just in case 2 get lost!)
-Sunglasses for me + 2 kids
-handsanitizer
-Checkbook
-Wallet
-Housekeys + Carkeys
-Extra underwear for 3 yr old
-Extra shirt for 3 yr old (although I should have an extra shirt for ME seeing I am always the one being spit up on!)
-2 Bibs
-Pair of baby socks
-Wad of Kleenex (some clean, some not!)
-Gum
-Bottle of water
-Pack of gummies
-Vaccination cards for both kids
-Envelope of coupons

......And probably more junk that is way on the bottom of the biggest leather bag ever (Thanks Cynthia Rowley for making HUGE leather bags!)
I refuse to carry a diaper bag. If I need more junk I just pile it on top....like extra bottles + formula, changingpad, etc. LOVELY!

[Christy]

I'll tell you what I WISH were in my purse, but never seem to make it there: kleenex (when will I learn), tweezers (the natural lighting viewed from a driver's seat sun visor is very revealing, any cash at all (thank goodness McDonalds accepts credit cards.)
What I never imagined would be in my purse: three health insurance cards, because two didn't have enough room to fit all of the kids' names on them.

[Lara]

I always find old grocery lists, a pen, a few hair clips, wet wipes, breast pads, cars and plastic keys, a paperback, wallet, smooshed granola bar, lipstick and chapstick, gum, bottle of water, ummm.... Loose change and real keys.
I normally throw my wallet in the diaper bag and take it.

[Sarah]

Its always great unpacking my purse. All the stuff that comes out... I feel a little like Mary Poppins. Only less organized.

[Caitlin]

I pretty much use my 2 year olds mini backpack... Usually, in addition to my phone, keys, shades and wallet there is kids sunscreen, mini bubble wand and bubbles, water bottle, haba catapillar, 7 temporary tattoos (rainbows), golden beads and a play silk. It reminds me of when I used to go to raves.

[Island Mum]

An umbrella (hey it's winter downunder ok?), a child's toque, two pairs of gloves, quite a few homemade rusks in various states of decay, and so much other crap it's not funny...

[Kate]

I always bring at least four toys and plenty of receipts which can be chewed, read, balled up and thrown, free endless entertainment! And I have to put my keys in the side pocket because if I just drop them in it can take up to ten minutes of removing items to find them- pretty embarrassing in shop carpark..

[Krista White]

I pulled a full size wooden spoon out of my purse just yesterday and said how the heck did THAT get in there? :-) At least now I know I"m not alone!

[Jessica Freiholtz-Van Vleet]

A melted crayon, broken child size sunglasses (one lens), chicken mcnuggets, crumbs, nail clippers, double a battery, a cord to something, a nasty toothbrush, used napkins, a hot sauce packet..... NO WALLET.
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