What’s in my mom purse – summer edition

(This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure.)

Once upon a time, there was a girl who carried ridiculously small purses. She didn’t need to carry around a lot of stuff. She only had herself to keep track of. A cutesy-poo fashionable little handbag to carry her keys, a lipstick and maybe a feminine product was all she needed.

That girl was me. I had “mom friends” who carried around gargantuan shoulder bags the size of Arkansas containing any and everything one could possibly need: aspirin, a safety pin, a snack…probably more. The mom with the ginormous handbag was someone I wanted to be friends with because it’s great to know the girl who has an aspirin, a safety pin or a snack. I just didn’t want to be her. Mom purses were ugly and they looked like they weighed a lot.

So now I’m a mom. I’ve kind of made my peace with the “mom purse.” Small humans make it necessary to carry around more stuff for that unplanned occasion where you need…well, stuff.

If you want to know what essentials I carry in my “mom purse” during the summer, read on.

First the bag. I like the backpack style purse because it allows me to keep my hands free. I usually choose fabric over leather because I can wipe it clean…some fabric bags are even machine washable which is a bonus. Think sticky, peanut buttery fingers constantly touching and grabbing. Yep. Washable is a good thing.

So here’s what’s in my mom purse:

1. Water bottle

I have a BPA-free bottle that has a detachable neck. I start out with water and fill it whenever I can but I can easily transfer leftover ice tea or lemonade into this when we're out and about. I also make my own ice bags by freezing water in a snack-sized bag. This helps our drinks stay cooler on hot days…and since we live in south Texas, most of the days are hot days.

2. Sunscreen

The sunscreen sticks are nice and portable and they’re easy to keep handy for those times when you find yourself unexpectedly out in full sun.

3. Wet wipes

I like these better than hand sanitizer. I can wipe dirty hands with these but I can also use them to clean just about anything imaginable.

4. Lip balm

I don’t wear much makeup but I have to have my lip balm.

5. Hair ties

Even if I start out with my hair down, I’ll probably want to put it up at some point.

6. Extra underpants

One of my boys is accident prone. It’s easy enough to tuck in an extra pair of undies for “just in case.”

[Tweet “What to carry in your “mom purse.” #RGOTBF @FerraraCandy”]

7. Plastic bag or Ziplock baggie

These have a multitude of uses and they don’t take up much space. I usually end up using them for messy clothes or to collect trash if there’s no bin handy.

8. Snacks

If we know we’re going to be out for half the day, I usually pack a small cooler but sometimes, outings take longer than we plan, right? Do you want to be stuck in the pediatrician’s waiting room or waiting for an oil change with a hangry child?

Okay…so sometimes I’m the hangry one. What can I say? I’m sort of a grouch if I don’t eat. But you really just never know when a snack can make things just a little bit easier, so I always carry a little something in my purse. Because it’s often hot where we live, I like to pick something that doesn’t melt or taste bad if it gets a little warm.

That’s why I choose Black Forest Organics from the Ferrara Candy Company. These are sweet treats that my kids love (see also that will stop a meltdown in its tracks) that I can feel good about giving them.

Black Forest Organics offers premium candy made with only USDA certified organic ingredients…and stuff like that is important to me. These candies are allergen-free and made with non-GMO products.

I want to give my kids fun snacks (and sometimes I just want them to eat the snacks so they’ll stop talking and bugging me) but I like to know that I’m giving them something wholesome…made by people who care about the ingredients that we’re putting in our bodies.

But, we’re not skimping on taste. Black Forest Organics are gooooood. My favorite are the Organic Cherry Gummies and the Organic Sour Heads.

I like the Organic Cherry Gummies so much that I don’t let my kids eat them.

Sorry kids. Not really.

9. Phone and charger

Because obviously.

10. Wallet

11. Business cards

12. Small notebook and a pen

You never know when you want to write down a note, make a sketch of something.

13. Sunglasses

My sunnies are a “push back my hair” thing, a “I don't want to look at you thing” or a no-kidding “the sun is too bright” thing. You gotta look good, right?

14. Emergency toys

I usually keep a couple of small toys tucked in my bag – a couple of cars or mini action figures. You never know when you’re going to need to keep your small humans occupied. And yes…sometimes a mini dinosaur can totally head off a meltdown.

I’m all about heading off the meltdown.

So, carrying a more “robust” bag is not such a bad thing. Life is more complicated after you have kids. There is more planning. There is more stuff. There is more sticky, more arguing, more complications…and also more fun and more joy.

So, what’s in your “mom purse?” Leave it in the comments and don’t forget to follow along on social so you don’t miss the good stuff!

If you’re interested in learning more about Black Forest Organics you can check out their website or follow their super fun Instagram feed.

If you liked the “Real Housewives” you should check out the “Real Gummies of the Black Forest.” Okay, even if you didn’t like the Real Housewives you will probably still like the Real Gummies. They’re much better looking and better behaved.

Thank you to Black Forest Organics for sponsoring this post. I received compensation for this review but all opinions are my own. #CertifiedOrganic #CertifiablyDelicious 

Thank you for reading!

Follow Ripped Jeans and Bifocals's board Parenting Survival Tips on Pinterest.

If you enjoyed reading this post, please give me a vote on Top Mommy Blogs my clicking the button below. It's super easy and helps my site A TON.