Jac follows some groups on Instagram that are all about the Every Day Carry.  They feature “pocket dumps” in which the contents of their pockets are artistically laid out for others to gawk at.  In case you’re wondering, there isn’t a stray coin, receipt or lint ball to be found in any of these images. These are highly curated, high class collections of items.  Only the fanciest of knives, pens, handkerchiefs and moneyclips make the grade.

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The kids tease me that my purse is less purse and more Mary Poppins bag.  As in it’s big enough to hold a lamp AND it’s completely possible that one might be in there.  Really, it’s possible that anything could be in there.

I have 7 kids. I gave up the idea of having a separate purse and diaper bag a looooong time ago.

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I think the actual words that came out of my mouth when searching for a tissue during Mass last Sunday were, “What in the actual world?!” Because I found a small mason jar in my purse.  A mason jar, people.  I am not hipster enough to rock that kind of crazy.

I really was dreading the thought of cleaning out the deep, dark recesses of my bag until I remembered the “pocket dump” pics.

My favorite parts? The Penny tights and single sock and shoe. Don’t ask me where the others are.  How about the 6 stray coins not in the coin purse or the unsent mail?  I also like the acrylic paint in a ziplock and the purse within a purse concept.  And how about that library receipt?

Was there a more productive way to spend 40 minutes of my Monday?  Probably yes.  Have I ever enjoyed cleaning out my purse more than this? Definitely not.  It was good to laugh at myself (and the kids because the mess in the purse was a team effort) and to realize that of all the crap, I only NEED 7 of those items.  The tiny Cinderella slipper is on that list, obviously.