Corralling Gift Cards and Freebie Cards

I love getting gift cards as presents and love getting those freebie cards from Bath and Body Works and Victoria Secret in the mail! I mean who doesn't like free stuff?! The issue I have with those freebie coupons are they tend to get lost in my purse/wallet. I have a Thirty One Perfect Cents wallet that I love!

But the issue was that with all the freebie coupons (most stores send out 2 to 3 at a time that you can use together) and the gift cards we have- it was bulking up my wallet a little too much.

Well while watching some YouTube videos on a new diaper bag I'm thinking of purchasing soon. So Jordan Page from fun, cheap or free shared this tip in a video (link here) while she was pulling things out of her diaper bag, or what she called a "Black Hole". I did her tip in literally a minute and I already had cashiers at the stores comment on how smart or awesome it was - so I had to share!
Take a binder ring and open it up:

Next take a hole puncher and punch a hole in the corners of all the gift cards and freebie cards and thread them thru the ring.

And that's it! I like to have the freebie cards in front of the gift cards because I will probably use them first, but you organizer however you see fit for you! Now all my cards are in one place in my purse where I can easily find them without bulking up my wallet! I love this tip! It's so easy and kind of like, "Why didn't I think of that?!" 

Happy Mommy-ing!

Mom Bag: No More Diaper Bag

There's a new trend going on these where moms of older toddlers (above the age for 2 years old) are letting go of carrying around a huge, fully loaded diaper bag. I know I have stopped doing so, unless we are going super far away from our house. I used to have a smaller diaper bag always packed and ready to go (link here) but it got to the point that I hated carrying around 2 bags still. Mom of 2, running after a toddler that refuses to sit in the cart or hold your hand - juggling 2 bags was NOT working for me. Or I would leave the small diaper bag in the car and then he would need a diaper change - so that did not work out either. So there are lot of moms on YouTube that were doing "What's in my bag" videos calling them "Mommy Editions". There are also a few Pins on Pinterest about "Ditching the Diaper bag" and "Mom Bag Essentials", both of which are good things to Pin and read later.
So what is a "Mom Bag"?! It is a diaper bag and a purse all in one! There are numerous versions out there but in my case it is a pouch for my kids' needs inside my everyday purse. Stuff that I may need when we are out grocery shopping or other errands. Mine is very basic, very bare minim because I have redone my car to have more of the kids' needs inside it so I can carry less on me (post coming soon on Mommy Car).

When we are out running errands there's really only 3 things that will keep my youngest happy (most of the time my oldest is in school while we are running errands) 1. a sippy cup of juice, 2. my phone or my Kindle Fire with kids apps on it and finally 3. tons of snacks! As long as he's eating, he's happy. So like I said, there is not a lot I carry with me at all times. My new purse is from Thirty One and it's the Cross-body Organizing Tote and I love it! It took some moving around to get use to it but I love it! Everything that I had in my purse (post link here) is in my Thirty One Super Swap It Pocket, so I just took that thing out and placed it in my new purse no problem. This new tote has 2 mesh side pockets which are perfect for my youngest's sippy cup and I bottle of soda for me (mom of a toddler - we need caffeine!). Then it has 2 outside front pockets for my cell phone, sunglasses, mittens because it's February, and Ipod. Even the Kindle in a case fits in these front pockets! Not sounding like too much kids' stuff right?

I carry with me at all times a Thirty One Pocket a Tote, clear zipper pouch with 2 size 4 diapers, a travel pack of wipes (when this runs out, instead of spending $2 for 18 wipes, I am just going to put some wipes from home in a Ziploc baggie to save some money), some fruit snacks to stop those terrible-two meltdowns and small suckers as a last resort.

In addition to that clear zipper pouch and sippy cup, when I know we are going out to run errands I throw in tons of snacks for him: cereals bars, crackers, cereal, cookies and a pouched food of some sort (not all of these but a few things) and I'm all set! So as long as I have a sippy cup, snacks, entertainment and diapering needs for my youngest.. my purse is the perfect Mom Bag!

Happy Mommy-ing! 

UPDATE: What's In My Purse

I did a post about what I keep in my purse (link here) for life's little emergencies a few months ago and the organizer I had was not really working for me. I love many of the Thirty One products and they have come out with a bigger purse organizer called the "Super Swap It Pocket" and it works so much better! 

The size difference is very noticeable!

 I also added some eyeliner, dental floss, pre-packaged individual tooth picks from a restaurant and a fold-able brush to my "just in case bag" because you never know. I now have a full mini makeup kit in my purse. I'm a mom and it's always nice to be able to look your best in a short amount of time. 

The "Super Swap It Pocket" has so many pockets! It holds everything and it gets its name because of how easy it is to Swap it from one purse or tote into another. Now I don't need to take everything out of my purse when I need a bigger one of my stuff and the kids, now I just lift it up and out and into another tote! 

I have always believed that the more organized you are, the easier life is. If you have everything in its place (and put it back once you're done using it, that is key!) then you will always know where to find it! Thirty One products offer many great organization solutions for everyone! check them out at https://www.mythirtyone.com! 

Happy Mommy-ing! 

What's In My Purse?

This is my current purse: it is a Thirty One Retro Metro tote that I bought through Ebay. I love how spacious it is! On the outside you can see I have my hand sanitize from Bath and Body Works in Stress Relief (being a mom I need clean hands and a clear head) and my Peter Pan Pin.

Inside I have a purse organizer that I saw on Pinterest and just had to have! It holds everything I need! I will admit that it doesn't work as well as I envisioned it would but for now it works okay.

Here is the insert out of my bag. As you can see it has a large middle pocket, 2 zipper pockets and mesh pockets on the sides. 

On this side I have (from left to right) my tissue, my breath mints, my Victoria Secret Bombshell roll on perfume, Bath and Body Works Georgia Peach travel body lotion, Baby Lips in Peach tinted lip balm and orange tic-tacs.

On the flip side I have only my store loyal cards on a key ring (Pin from Pinterest!) and my Belle notepad.

From the middle I have my pill case that houses 6 different medicines I might need when I'm out and about (pepto bismol tablets for both me and my kids, Aleve, off brand of Sudafed, Dramamine, Imodium and Allergy medicine) my Dave's Ramsey Financial Peace Envelope system (I have my grocery money, money for diapers and wipes, money for going out as a family and money to spend when family is visiting)  and my Perfect Cents Wallet from Thirty One. 

Inside my Perfect Cent Wallet I have a pen, my gift cards, bank cards, zoo membership card, and a few loyal cards that I use often. It has 4 pockets I can put money and I often separate my money on the left: top has my money to spend freely and underneath it goes the money I use for gas. On the right hand side has pictures of my family. 

These are the contents of my "Just in Case" bag. I have two compact mirrors (not sure why I have two but I do and the Peter Pan one doesn't stay in this bag, it lives in one of the side pockets on the outside of my purse), sunscreen, a Peter Pan Power Bank with cord, Tide 2 Go Pen, a mini lighter, 3 extra lip care items (2 are lipstick and one is chap-stick but not the shimmery one I have in my purse, in case I don't want the color or my husband needs some), a tiny tube of tinted moisturizer, a tiny tube of fountain, a travel sized mascara in black and a small thing of cream blush that I can use as eye shadow as well, travel sized finger nail clippers, extra hair ties and bobby pins and a small safety pin (which yes I actually have used this a few times when I needed to keep my dress from showing too much in the front 😉). 

This is one of the zipper pockets and it just has my headphones wrapped around a clip and a small USB charger that I can use to charge my phone (with that small cable from the "Just In Case" bag), I can charge my power bank or charge my Ipod (that cable is in the car unless I'm not driving then I take it with me). 

This Retired Metro Retro Tote has the key holder on the inside. My car is key-less and we always go in through the garage so I don't need to have my keys out and ready but having them on this hook makes sure they don't fall into the purse and get lost)

Hiding way in there is my Ipod and normally my phone in the outer pocket closest to me. 

I like that this Metro Retro Tote has a tag thing on the outside, I hook my sunglasses to it when they are not on my head. That way they don't get lost or broken!

And that's what I have in my purse with me at all times! You never know what you will need or when so I have always thought it best to be prepared for anything!