I'm in need of suggestions for reducing the amount of daily luggage I'm hauling around. On a typical day I have:

• A purse
• My gym bag
• My lunch bag (fairly large to accommodate fruits/veggies and a cool pack)
• DD's backpack/diaper bag

This doesn't include the random sippy cup or shoe that gets shoved into my hands at the last second, any grocery bags, and the mail. I have to get all this from my car into my house without DD escaping. Given that all the bags go into different places at different times (e.g. backpack goes into day care, gym bag does not go into work, lunch bag does not go into gym/pool), does anybody have any suggestions for reducing my load?? I'm starting to feel like a packhorse.

Anne

Anne, I carry multiple bags around too! I don't have a diaper bag since I don't have any kids (and I'm assuming that you're also carrying DD around with that bag!), but I do have a 4th bag sometimes for my scripts for whatever play I'm involved in, day planner, water bottle etc. I've definitely felt like the bag lady. My roommates always call me "Rachel Ray" when I come home at the end of the day, b/c on her show she gathers so many ingredients at once in her arms.

Is there any way that you could leave more of your things at the gym in a private locker to reduce the size of your gym bag? A set of shower things, toiletries, and your sneakers, for example. Also, do you have a refrigerator at work? Could you bring several days' worth of lunches/veggies at once so you only have to bring that big bag every few days? Do you clean out your purse regularly so you are only carrying around things you really use often? Or if there is something in your purse that you really only use, say, in the car, could you leave it in the car, and so on? And finally, my last suggestion is if you can't reduce to try and get those ergonomic backpacks that distribute their weight and are easier on your back.

I don't know how helpful I was. Good luck!

Put the lunch in your gym back and your purse as well. You can remove them from the bag /car when you need them.

My solution for the purse is... pockets! I had my purse stolen some years ago, and I realized how dangerous it was to have literally all my important things in a single place like that. So, I buy clothing with pockets and I use them. No purse!

It does take some searching to find women's clothing with decent pockets, though. Why is that? Drives me crazy.

Jay

Jay - finding gym pants with pockets is my personal nightmare. I hate the nylon/swishy fabric, so I like cotton/stretch pants for gym-time, but I don't want the elastic at the ankle and nothing else has pockets! But I need them for my mp3 player and other essentials.

I'd suggest all of the things suggested above. Combine bags where possible. Keep a gym bag, packed with several sets of workout wear, maybe, in your trunk/office/gym if they offer that, and toss the dirty stuff into the diaper bag for the drive home after you've finished working out...that way, the dirty clothes get removed, but there are still several clean sets stored and waiting for you. Get a diaper bag with front pockets/organizers so you can put all of your purse essentials in it (that way, if DD is with you, you have the diaper bag and all related essentials, but the essentials are in a single compartment so if you are going out without her, you can grab them and throw them into a smaller purse, leaving the diaper bag at home).

I second the ideas of packing most of the perishables on the weekend and bringing them into the office if you have a fridge. That way, your lunch can be reduced to purse-size.

I think you're going to have to start being creative with storing things in the trunk of your car for easy access, so you can pull things out as needed.

I had a friend who literally lived out of her trunk. She kept several changes of clothes (for gym and other). She kept a small section for dirty clothes as well. It would certainly be easy to stock the trunk with several changes of clothes for the gym so you wouldn't have to haul that in and out of your house daily. You can buy all sorts of things for organizing stuff in your trunk so it doesn't get thrown all about while driving.

I have no idea on the diaper bag, but rest assured--she'll be toilet trained soon!

I agree with a fridge for work. If you don't have a large one, can you buy yourself a small one for your own private use? Then you only have to take stuff in once a week (keep a stock of paper plates in your desk).

LOL, I know what you look like! I have a similar problem - gym bag with workout clothes, breakfast as well as lunch, a bag with jeans or casual clothes if I was going somewhere after work, laptop bag, coffee cup/water bottle.

I solved some of this by bringing boxed oatmeal, nuts and dried fruit to work and leaving it at my desk. Purse tucks into the workout bag neatly. I keep a pair of jeans, t-shirt, and a pair of old gym shoes in my trunk.

Oh yeah, I carry a plastic bag in my gym bag too, so I can put the dirty clothes in it and easily pull it out each night. I also arrange stacks of clothes to grab every day for the gym to eliminate running around every night looking for clean socks.

My 'system' consists of several of above strategies. I keep kid stuff (diapers, wipes and a change in the car, yoga clothes for me, etc) in the van. I'm also a big bag combiner. I would keep the lunch bag in the purse, in the gym bag. Sort of like those Russian dolls.

Dang! I hadn't realized what a problem this could be for you gals with kids, jobs, gym etc! Sounds like practical suggestions, and good luck to all you busy folks.

I feel your pain...do you get bizzaro (comic panel)? It was us the other day. If I can find it online I'll post a link -
edit: bugger - the comic copyright ****s are taking the daily comics off line.- anyway it shows a person loaded down with baby gear and a guy looking and saying he took less stuff to climb mount everest.

Purse...I dont carry one but since your other bags dont stay with you get a teeny tiny one. Wallet, keys, cellphone.

Gym...leave the bag with toiletries, shoes etc in the car, pack the daily clothes in a plastic grocery bag to bring in/out of the house.

Diaper bag/backpack...how much do you need to change out every day? I usually leave mine in the car and just bring out extra diapers about once a week. I keep extra clothes in a gallon ziploc and only grab those if they get used. - or get a small pretty backpack and have dd carry it....my daughter LOVES hers. Which means I carry it about 1/2 the time still.

How old is your child?

DD is two.

I forgot to mention that leaving things in the car for half the year (I live in Tucson) is just not an option. You would not believe the things that I've had melt.

I would love to ditch the purse, but need to haul around prescription sunglasses (a must) in addition to wallet, asprin, chapstick and cellphone, none of which are summer heat resistant.

I think I'll look for a bigger gym bag and a smaller purse. Good thoughts on the weekly fridge run at work.

Anne

Lets see if I can help.

When I had a two year old I was going to college. I had my purse, got rid of that and stored everything in the diaper bag with her things, I wore contacts sometimes so had to drag around my glasses also and a pair of sunglasses. Got a bigger diaper type bag and found I really didn't need to drag everything around that I had been toting all over the place. A change of clothes, diapers and such is all that was really needed. Even had room in there for my things and my gym clothes.

FIRST SUGESTION, go thru your purse and diaper bag, do you really need to tote around all the stuff you have in them? Maybe find a bit bigger bag and combine the two things.

So, I had her diaper bag, my book bag, traded this in for a big back pack because books are heavy, and our lunch bag. She even sat with me in some of my classes when I didn't have a baby sitter and colored. Some of the other mothers did this as well. This meant I had to make sure I had fruits and drinks with me for her. Plus her coloring books and crayons. I got her a little back pack and she carried our lunch stuff and her coloring books and crayons. It wasn't heavy.

SECOND SUGESTION I now had a diaper bag and a backpack. She had a backpack and enjoyed being able to put things she wanted with her in it along with our food. Maybe your child would like this too.

Getting things in and out of the car wasn't such a big deal. She stayed right beside me in and out until everything was where it needed to be plus I had a child's halter on her with a ( for lack of a better word ) leash hooked to it so no one could take off with her. You can still buy these even today. I never was in a rush. Made sure I had plenty of time to do the things I needed to do. If I get in a hurry I get into a panic. I found I didn't like this so I always made sure I had plenty of time. I am still this way even today. I feel bad for those poor woman at the stores trying to ring things up and the machine runs out of paper. People all in a hurry. I tell them, don't worry about it, if I were in a hurry, I would have came sooner lol.

THIRD SUGESTION Never be in a rush. Make sure you have plenty of time. When people are in a rush things are never where you want them to be and it ends up takeing more time to get ready to go somewhere than it would have if things were planned better.


The least I ever had to drag around was the diaper bag. Must have carried one of those around until both my kids were in school. It stayed with me unless it was locked in a locker so everything in it was safe.

Even now when we go somewhere we each have a back pack with a change of clothes and what ever we want with us for entertainment or to eat. I do get to have a purse now lol.

The other thing I thought was....well leave the stuff in the car until dh gets home at night and make it part of his routine to bring some of it in.

Everyone has made the suggestions I would, but I do feel your pain minus the diaper bag. At my office, we can't leave food overnight, so everyday I bring a large bag with 3 meals in it, my gym bag, my laptop, and a purse that seems to rival my gym bag in size. 2 pairs of glasses, a cell phone, large wallet, appt book (I'm still in the stone age), and usually a zillion pens, lip glosses, business cards from people I can't remember, and a few sets of keys and a mostly unread paperback ensure that I can never find anything in that purse.

Good luck- she will be toilet trained soon!

Mel