Today is Week 3 of the 52 Weeks to an Organized Home Challenge.  We’re working on purses and make up bags.  Why?  Because purses and make up bags are a part of our every day lives and they get plain messy!  Oh and the other reason is because it’s on the list.  

So, how do we keep these things under control?

I’m eager to hear exactly how you do this, but…. for me, being the ultimate procrastinator that I am, I wait until my purse is overflowing with receipts and spilling junk out and THEN suddenly I decide it’s time to clean it out. For my make up bag, I don’t have to clean it out quite as often, but when I do, it’s usually because I’ve opened up 2 empty mascaras in a row….and I wonder which one is the one that actually has some mascara left in it.  You don’t do that do you?  

5 Tips to Keep the Junk in Your Purse Under Control

1. Keep your receipts together – Many people will put the receipts in their wallet, but they tend to get out of control quickly, making your wallet a wreck.  Consider carrying a ziplock bag to contain your receipts in.  I keep mine in a zippered compartment in the middle of my purse.  Decide if you will need the receipt and pitch any receipts you don’t need to keep.
2. Buy purses with lots of different pockets and compartments.  That way you can designate a place for each thing you keep in your purse for long periods of time.  If you don’t like this kind of purse, you can purchase pouches that you can set inside of the purse.  This would also make switching purses much easier, if you’re one who likes to change purses on a regular basis.
3. Make sure you buy a purse with a light colored lining, rather than dark colors.  Dark colors, like black, make it impossible to find things in.  I cannot stress the difference that it made when I switched from a dark colored lining to a light colored one.  It was amazing.  I went from always losing everything to always finding things.
4. Set aside 5 minutes each week to get rid of anything in your purse that doesn’t belong.  If you’re really doing this weekly, it won’t take more than 5 minutes.
5. Simplify – Only keep the things in your purse that you really need.  Don’t keep lots of things in your purse on a just in case basis.

Keep Your Makeup Bag Organized, too

For me, the larger my makeup bag, the messier it became.  When it came time for me to keep my makeup bag under control, I switched to a much smaller bag, keeping only the essentials in it.  I have foundation, eye liner, mascara and lipstick in it.  It is all that I really need and use.  I love how I never have to dig very far to find what I need.

How I Did….

I like this week, because it was quick and easy.

My purse was a mess….. I dumped it all out on the floor….

Then I put it all back in, making sure to actually put the things I want to find in the inside pockets.

For the makeup bag.  It wasn’t as cluttered, but I did take everything out and wiped it all down with a baby wipe.  I had my eye liner sharpener in there and it was dripping eye liner chunks all over the place…..so really, everything inside of there had to get wiped down.  Plus, I had to remove all the eye liner chunks off of my sharpener.  What a difference that will make!  It already feels so much better!

What do Others Do?

Karin says:  Carry the smallest purse possible! Evaluate each item you haul around day in and day out.

Melanie says:  I made up a small makeup bag of items I would take if I were traveling. The surprising thing was I never used anything else! Easy way to see what needs decluttering.

Lori says:  Clean out your purse and car weekly.  

Pin this picture on Pinterest, please.

What about you?  Have you cleaned out your purse and makeup bag yet?  How does it feel?

Next week:

We’re working on switching out and storing the seasonal clothes.  You know this is a hated job for many people.  If you have any tips that would work well for others and make our lives easier, be sure to share them here in a comment or on Facebook!!  We will all thank you for it!    if you’re still following along, let me know how you’re doing.

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