I'm baaaaaccccck after an accidentally mini-hiatus. Between school, Marylou's and a new job I have become extremely lazy when it comes to making time for this blog. I have decided to (literally) pencil in some more ME time, which hopefully means reading a book that isn't a required text and, you guessed it, writing some stuff for the blog! Ready, sit down for this one... I have a whopping three other posts outlined and written already, and one of which I'll even be posting tomorrow. I KNOW, back-to-back posts. I should probably apologize to those of you who don't really care about this blog but I have recently discovered the "Unfollow" feature on Facebook, so if you don't like what I post you can just unfollow me and I will disappear from your Newsfeeds. You're welcome.
Continuing on. As I've mentioned before I spend a large amount of my downtime watching people online talk into cameras or iPhones on Youtube. Today I happened to stumble upon one of my favorites, Zoe's updated "What's In My Bag" video (I'll post a link to the video at the end!!!) which turned into me making my own post about it, minus the whole talking into a camera thing. Instead I opted for laying out my new, HUGE bag I recently purchased from Target and reviewing what I carried around with me on the daily. Plus it was a great opportunity for me to organize and clean out any recipes, food or extra stuff I had laying in the bottom. So without further rambling, here's my What's In My Bag...
(Small disclaimer: I used my compact Sony camera to take these photos and my room isn't really the brightest so I'm apologizing for the quality of some of these. I left my nicer camera + flash at Ryan's house. Good place for it...)
This is my Merona Tote Handbag From Target. I have a smaller version of this bag in red but I was looking for a new black bag since I realized I own a ton of red shirts. I'm weird and I don't like when things match like my shirts and pocketbook so I searched for another Merona bag on Target's website and fell in love with this! I'm really cheap when it comes to bags and clothes and I've never owned a designer handbag since Target has never let me down with bags! I didn't realize how BIG this was, but since I'm back in school it's super convenient for my night class because I don't need to bring a frumpy backpack to only one class. It has a removal laptop center, two inside pockets, three smaller pockets for your phone, chargers, etc, and a front pocket (pictured) that fits my iPhone 6!
In the removal laptop center I keep all my school and work supplies which includes my iPad mini and Bluetooth keyboard (Both thanks to Ryan!), my planner and pencils, pens & highlighters that I keep in an old Ipsy bag, a notebook I use for blog ideas, reminders, and recently takeout orders at the restaurant I work at, and finally the book A Passage To India which I am currently reading for my Modern British Fiction class! (Also yes, I have an issue with pens and highlighters. I own no less than 100 different pens in a variety of unnecessary colors...)
The front "section" of my bag holds my wallet and my coffee koozie! I seriously need a new wallet because this one is a few years old and it blends in with my new bag... I constantly lose my wallet, or leave it places, or recently just think I did. I also got the wallet at Target (shocker) but if anyone knows of other places to get bigger wallets for a steal pleaseeee let me know, because I need a neon wallet that I won't forget or misplace. My Fenway koozie is honestly my favorite thing in my entire bag since, if you are friends with me on any social media, you know I'm obsesssssed with the Red Sox! I also drink way too much coffee and need to keep that ice from diluting my caffeine, and koozies are the perfect solution :)
The back section of my bag holds every unnecessary item that I could probably do without in a bag but bring with me anyways. On the top I have my Burt's Bees chapstick. I was an advid mint EOS person but I kept losing or somehow breaking the egg so I decided to give Burt's Bees a try and oh boy do I loveeeee this chapstick. I also carry what I had deemed my "Traveling Medicine Cabinet" -- that little Advil bottle holds a handful of different medicines, from Midol to Extra Strength Tylenol to allergy medicine. It's probably not the greatest idea to have all that stuff in one container but it's compact and less extra crap in my bag, so *shoulder shrugs* In the middle I have three (er...) different eyeliners I apparently thought I needed today, along with a travel eyelash curler and a cheap mascarra that my Dad got in his work's Christmas Gift Haul (Thanks, Gillette!) I also always carry a contact case full of fresh solution because I have wonderfully sensitive eyeballs that like to get red and itchy whenever they please. I also have the essentials of a brush and deodorant since I will admit I can smell pretty nasty, and my hair is so long it gets tangled on anything and anyone. I think my most useless items I carry around are my makeup wipes and nail filer. I have yet to ever use either of these items while out and about, but for whatever reason I never take them out of my bag...
Also hiding in the back of my bag are my glasses and one of these two pairs of sunnies! I got the top orange pair at Claire's for $4 (!!!) Now I know at 22 I probably shouldn't be shopping at Claire's anymore but in my defense I brought my sister to the mall last summer and she was HORRIFIED that I thought the glasses were cute. So I bought them. The bottom pair I bought on a whim at American Eagle one day because I thought I lost the orange pair and I absolutely hate not wearing sunglasses when I drive. They'e not my favorite but they're comfy and simple, so I keep them on backup. In the middle are my eyeglasses which I need to keep with me incase I need to take my contacts out. I have worse eyesight than an 80 year old, I swear. I got these frames online at Warby Parker for $95, which incase you don't have perscription specs -- is super cheap! I also love Warby Parker's campaign that when you buy a pair of glasses they send a pair of prescription glasses to a child in need. Instantly sold. Check out their website if you're in need of any type of glasses -- prescription or not!
Inside one the smaller pockets I carry these randoms! I always have snacks with me lately because I feel like I'm constantly running from school to home to work and when I get hungry I turn into one of those people from the Snickers commercials... I also have a lighter from my friend Dom's shop... Which I discovered shoots a ten foot flame out of it. I also have the "girly" essentials of a mirror and clips. Random, random, random.
The final pocket of my bag holds sadly the most important items I have with me on the daily: Tissues, a phone charger, a charging cube and my phone. I carry the charging cube with me in case my phone is on some serious low battery; you just plug in the USB side of your phone charger to it and then connect your phone and viola! Charging phone without an outlet. This is always on me because again, I lose everything, and I can never find my car charger for my phone... And the tissues are, to me, just one of those things you always need on you, especially this winter!
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I'm not quite sure if anyone made it to the end of this since it was waaaay longer than I originally planned but if you're like me and are super nosy then thank you for reading!
Like I said earlier, one of my favorite Youtubers posted her own updated "What's In My Bag" that gave me the inspiration to write this post! So if you're looking for a new bag to purchase, or ways to organize all your stuff (like me) here a few of my favorite/newer "What's In My Bag" videos from some lovely ladies of Youtube:
Thank you for reading this monstrous post, and I hope this was an enjoyable read :)
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I mentioned earlier that tomorrow I am posting another blog, one I have been working on for a year that I was never going to publish. I decided to honor a friend of mine, Jack Scanlan, whose death anniversary was yesterday, by publicly posting a memoir I had written for him. I would absolutely love for anyone to read it, and to honor Jack in every possible way. So be on the lookout tomorrow xoxo
