Seasonal Purse Clean Out

I like to change my purse with the seasons, using a more compact and colorful one in the summer and a slightly larger and darker colored one in the winter. Whether or not you change the actual purse, this is a good time to take a look at what's in yours and get it organized for the coming season.

This is a great 5-10 minute organizing project.

1. Dump everything out of your purse. Throw out the trash and set aside anything you don't need in your fall/winter bag (e.g. sunblock or the summer lipstick color).
2. Sort the items you're keeping into categories (grooming, personal care, coupons, wallet, phone, etc.) and also group them by size.
3. Get out the seasonal items you'll need such as tissues, cough drops, and hand lotion.
4. Decide which items will go in the built-in pockets in your purse and which need to be contained in smaller bags. I like to use little zippered mesh bags (like these or these) so I can see what's in them. I also prefer a bag with an actual zipper as opposed to the slider-close break easily.
5. Fill the bags with like items. I have two: a small one for coupons and receipts and a medium-sized one for personal items (lipstick, ibuprofen, emery board, hand lotion, etc.).
6. ​Tuck the pouches into your purse, fill the built-in pockets, and off you go!

P.S. If you often lose your keys in the depths of your purse, use a carabiner to clip your keys to the strap and you'll never have to search for them.