What should you carry with you at all times?

You may think all parents carry around a diaper bag or large purse filled with wipes, snacks, Neosporin, and an extra change of clothes. Well, you're wrong about this mom! Sort of. I do have a bag inside of my car that holds wipes and a change of clothes, plus I always pack a lunch bag for my son when were going to be out of the house for longer than an hour, but I have a completely different necessities list for what I carry in my purse. No it isn't a huge bag, it's a medium sized cross-body, and it holds everything I need. 

This isn't just a "hey, let me show you what's in my bag", blog post. It's a "hey, maybe you should be carrying these items too", blog post. It's also a partial review of the specific items I carry and why they made the cut:

1. Blistex. 

I have horridly dry lips. Their personal "about me", would be: "Hi, I'm dry lips. I enjoy cracking, bleeding, and peeling with the occasional swelling. If you don't moisturize me with the exact chap stick that I prefer, I'll make you pay by doing a combination of the things listed above. Also, I will sunburn easily, making it impossible to enjoy you're favorite spicy chicken, so moisturize with Blistex or pay the price." Jerks. I do enjoy the fact that this chap stick has no taste - at least to me - and it glides on rather smooth. I have quite a few of these babies hidden all around. In the car, my bedroom, my purse, the bathroom, the kitchen, and the first aid kit. 

2. Moisturizing eye drops.
This particular one is a "sample size" I received from my optometrist, but I did purchase a full size bottle for afterwards. I have contacts, so if I go into a dry area without moisturizing eye drops, I'll be peeling my contacts off my eyes later that night. If I don't wear my contacts, my eyes still dry out and I end up having pain throughout the day. Trust me, it's not my idea of a grand ol' time. These Blink eye drops help relieve ANY pain or dryness in my eyes, with or without contacts. I am so grateful to this product.

3. Mini notebook with pen.

You can get these at almost any car dealership, insurance company stand, or dollar store. I love having this handy, because sometimes I want to research a website or remember a certain grocery item that I forgot. Really, everyone could use this. Especially parents. How many times are you so distracted, you completely forget what it was you were trying to specifically remember? 154678456 times a day? Yeah, me too.

4. GINGERMINTS.

If you haven't already tried these, you are missing out on a sweet-ish, ginger mint that will rock your taste buds. You can purchase them at Trader Joes. These mints are great for sushi dates, when you want to cleanse your palate but hate the real thing, or when you just chugged two espresso shots and your breath smells like Starbucks during lunch hour. These mints will have your back. 

5. Eucerin or lotion in general. 

Normally I carry a Bath and Body Works lotion with me, but I picked up a handful of these samples from the doctors office, because not only do they work for me, but for my son. If you've read my previous blog about sensitive skin, you'll know that this is one of the products I use for my son's eczema (and if you haven't read that post, go check it out for a list of products for sensitive skin). It's perfect for a quick touch up. Whenever my son starts to complain about his eczema hurting, I just add a drop of this and he's comforted almost immediately. 

6. Battery pack.

I found mine at Target for $5 and I can't tell you how truly grateful I am to have purchased this item for my purse. My phone is an older model iPhone and constantly dies on me. When I'm having an adventure with my son no where near a power source, I really don't like being with battery on my phone for safety reasons. Yes, I worry, I'm a mom. It's what I do. This little guy (see picture - the turquoise rectangle directly underneath the mini notebook), holds five hours worth of talking time. I just charge it up in the car with it's charger (it has a USB end), and when I'm ready, I simply plug my phone in with my iPhone charger. Boom, you have cellular life! Compared to the other battery packs I've seen and the high prices that are associated with them, for $5 this battery pack is more than efficient. 

7. Mini tape measure.

I am an IKEA addict. There, you know my secret. I can't tell you how many times I would measure something at my house with my fingers, only to be met with the task of returning something because it didn't fit. Surprise, surprise. Those paper measuring tapes never do me any good either. They always end up ripped, lost, or turned into a toy. This mini tape measure keeps me sane. With anything really. Having this handy has been much more useful than you'd think. I was able to safely bring home my son's toy box, without the tears of having to return it, simply because it wouldn't fit in my car and paying $59 for delivery was a no-go from me. 

8. Travel size hairbrush/mirror combo. 

If you're a mom, you've probably experienced your child caressing your hair like it's play-do. Your once put together pony tail, now looks like you've been in a fight with a frisky bear. I don't mind a few strings hanging loose, but when the entire front of my hair is masking my face and I have a giant knot the size of a baseball, my handy dandy hairbrush comes to my rescue. Plus, having a mirror is always a must when you're trying to get out pesky eyelashes while avoiding scratching your contact. Again, not fun.

9. Neosporin spray-to-go.

A BIG mommy must. My son is a thrill seeker. Terrifying I know. He gets scrapes, just like any other kid, and he does not like them...just like any other kid. This Neosporin spray allows me to easily spritz on the antibiotic liquid, and it not only helps to heal the wound, but takes away the pain, all without getting that greasy goo on your fingers, or being wiped off instantly. Just spray, and place band-aid if necessary, then it's off to the next rock climbing escapade. 

10. Sriracha2go.

I am a spice lover. I add spicyness to anything that I can, so long as it's not sweet. I don't do spicy and sweet, it's just not my thing. This convenient keychain goes with me everywhere, and whenever I get home, I just simply refill it. I do place my Sriracha in a plastic baggie before putting it in my purse, only because I always get worried about explosions. My son's feet tend to climb all over the car before exiting in an orderly fashion, therefore my purse is in a constant war zone. Better safe than sorry. I also don't put it on my key ring, because I don't want to run the risk of every loosing it. I purchased mine on Amazon and it was the greatest Christmas gift I ever gave myself! I mean, it's Sriracha people!

11. Epipen. 

This one is pretty self explanatory. My son has a very severe peanut allergy. He's been read the riot act on why he should never, under ANY circumstances, touch, taste, or smell peanuts, but peanuts are tricky. They can be in the most unexpected things and my son wont know it's there. So, in order to avoid catastrophe, we carry the Epipen EVERYWHERE.

12. IKEA reusable bag.

This pink little square, turns into an adorable tote that easily holds your purchases. It easily folds into a little square pouch provided. I also make sure to have this with me, because I don't like having a huge amount of plastic bags. Most of the time if I purchase something, I don't buy a lot, making this a perfect bag. If I do plan on making a big purchase, I just make sure to bring in my regular reusable bags. Make the Earth a little happier!

13. Hand sanitizer. 

I'm a mother to a very "hands-on" child. He learns through experience and while I don't blame him, I also want to make sure he has clean hands when he leaves the park, before we get home for our hand washing "ritual". Just in case. 

Add-on: Pepper spray. 

Now, I have a confession. I personally do not own nor carry pepper spray. This is actually belongs to a friend of mine, but I included it here because there are many men and woman who are alone, going to unfamiliar territory, or feel unsecured. This particular brand is a quick-release, key chain pepper spray by Sabre. It's a really good option as an added protection for when you're in college, at work, or just on the go, but want something readily available. Recently at a college near by, a few woman were attacked, unharmed physically but terrified. I recommend this for woman and men to keep when they are going to school or work late, stopping in an unfamiliar area, or going out. This is simply a suggestion and recommendation I've heard from others, but I wanted to include something "travel size", to show the convenience of safety. Also, be sure to check with work and school guidelines, as to not break any rules. I don't know the laws and rules for every environment.  This Sabre pepper spray was purchased on Amazon.

This isn't EVERYTHING inside my bag of wonders, these are just additional add-on's. I think whatever you carry in your purse, should help convenient your life. For me, I like to be realistic and think outside of the box. Obviously this isn't a crazy unique post, but it's a suggestive one. Maybe you didn't know about some of these items or maybe you never knew you needed them. Either way, may your purse be filled with conveniences and may your journeys be safe!

What do you consider an essential for outings?