I’m known for carrying around a large bag full of stuff. My friends lovingly call it a Mary Poppins bag but unlike Miss Poppins my bag a) has limits to how much you can put in it and b) is damn heavy.
Clik here to view.
I think I'm gonna need a bigger bag
It started off with just carrying lunch around to be all healthy and sensible. Then I got all into the gym and started adding a gym kit to the bag. Then my office became wherever had wifi so a laptop had to be factored in. Then I started staying over at people’s places because there was no point going all the way home and so I needed a change of clothes and overnight bag…and more and more things started to become essentials.
I switched between carrying several bags and a really geeky rucksack before seriously considering getting a wheelie bag. I’ve decided that now this is frankly getting a litte ridiculous. So I’ve made some changes, not to my lifestyle – that’s not changing anytime soon – but to how I pack. So for anyone else out there like me; aka freelancers who spend more time outside their house than in, here are some of the best ways I’ve found to carry your house around on your back.
The technology
Firstly, I’ve replaced my heavy monster with a teeny light Samsung netbook with an amazing 8 hour battery life meaning I don’t have to carry around the wire. I leave big chunky laptop at home and also regularly make use of the external hard drive a lot as little laptop gets a bit lethargic when filled with masses of unfinished word documents and downloads.
The gym kit
I used to carry my running shoes to the gym despite the fact I was rarely running, and would fill up the rest of the bag with tracksuit bottoms, top, maybe a swimming costume, just in case, and a towel. Firstly, I got over the aversion to gym towels. Then I decided that as plimsoles were longer relegated to the school playground, they could double up as gym shoes. I also decided on compact leggings. Flattering? No. More practical? Yes.
The toiletries
It’s all about taking everything you need but in miniature. Those travel sizes you get in Superdrug have become a staple and I have a weird obsession with tiny things anyway so I now stock up on mini shampoos, moisturisers, deodorants. I’ve also stocked up on sample versions of all my creams so I can leave the big ones at home.
Lunch
As much as I love my Wonderwoman lunch box I figured if I’m going to be taking advantage of cafes with wifi the least I can do is buy a sandwich with them. I spent far more on coffee than I would have spent on lunch before I realised I should just go for the lunch option. So now unless I’m going to be in an office environment I forgo the lunch box.
The change of clothing
The plimsoles thing has already solved one issue and gets rid of the need for another flat shoe so the only other shoes you need are your snazzy day or evening ones. Going from day to night is simple enough but rather than taking a whole new outfit I wear something that can be dressed up or down and vary between the two. If it’s for an overnighter, there are essential undergarments of course and again leggings and a long top/dress are about the easiest thing to squish in the bag for a full outfit change.
Most days I won’t need all of the above to be honest but these little things have managed to get my bag as close to a Mary Poppins bag as is realistically possible.
The post I’m not Mary Poppins, I’m a tortoise appeared first on Eat, See, Do.