Since the nesting began during pregnancy, it has not let up. I am constantly organizing, cleaning out and picking up. I think it has gotten worse since having Anna. It now bothers me to have things out of order or clutter laying around. It bothers me to have dishes in the sink between meals and cups on the end tables. This was not the case before. I was much more relaxed when it came to clutter.

Another area of clutter that now bothers me is my purse. I used to be one of two extremes when it came to my purse.

1. I didn’t carry a purse and had a wad of dollar bills in my wristlet or pocket.

2. I carried a huge bag with everything I could find jammed in it.

Now, I still carry a big bag which I refer to as “the black hole” but I can’t stand when it is messy. I keep a certain amount of things in it everyday and then use the other space for things I need for a certain occasion (diapers when I am not carrying the diaper bag, my good camera, other randoms).

My black hole:

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Must Haves:

1. wallet: I have had this wallet for a long time. I keep it filled with my license, credit cards and other important cards. It’s a great wallet to take on the go when I don’t need my whole bag.

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2. notebook: I am the queen of of lists so I can’t go anywhere without a notebook. I am not talking about a small notebook – I carry a school spiral notebook. It’s the best.

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my list from today…

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3. checkbook: I actually just carry this for back up. I don’t remember the last time I wrote a check.

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4. gum: no need to explain.

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5. coupon/receipt organizer: I use this all of the time. It is new since I had Anna. It is a perfect purse organizer.

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The first slot is for gift cards and merchandise credit. I can never find these when I need them so this helps me be able to glance quickly to see if I have money to use.

The next slot is for receipts. If I ever need to do a return, my receipt is there. The rest of the slots are for coupons. I am not a coupon cutter but I want to be better at it. I figure this is a good start!

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Overall, the coupon organizer is the best investment when trying to organize your purse. It can keep track of anything you need in a nice and clean fashion. It is also available for super cheap. I think I got this one for like $1.

What are your tips for keeping your purse organized?

What essentials do you have in your purse?