For the Love of Bags!

How does this happen? There are twelve bags on that couch--and that is not all of the bags I could have collected for this picture! I can think of several more that are missing, but of those included there are bags I received as gifts, bags I bought at garage sales and second-hand stores, bags I paid over $100 for (only one like that!), practical bags, grocery bags, library book bags, diaper bags, hand bags, leather, cloth, and plastic bags. I love bags! I am always searching for the perfect bag, and since there isn't one perfect bag, I have collected lots of nearly perfect ones.

You know how certain things just seem to draw you to them? It's like they are quietly calling your name and no one else can hear it. Well, for me that call comes from the silent allure of a new bag. Have you experienced this innate attraction that seems to be instilled at birth? It is often diagnosed with the fateful shoe fetish--which only agitates the bag obsession, causing both to flare up at rather inopportune times when low on the natural remedy of self restraint. Size and intended use do not matter. I can't even say there is a certain style, color or common trait among them (other than the simple fact that they hold stuff) which draws me to them. Really, I just love bags!

It's funny because some of my friends know me as the girl with the Mary Poppins bag. Not because I can pull a lamp and a mirror and a house plant out of my bag, but because I often try to pack an entire household into one bag when leaving the house. I have even at times, with polite honesty, accepted the comparison of my packing habits to that of a pack mule. Yes, I am the human pack mule. No, no, I was the human pack mule. I am starting to realize how being over-prepared, and thus over-packed, actually increases my stress and anxiety rather than decreases it. I used to think that I should pack everything I "might" need, just in case... But now I'm finding that when I only take the bare essentials, the lightness of my bag adds the the lightness of my mind and I am less stressed and less anxious and can focus on what I'm doing or who I'm with and enjoy my time so much more! It's amazing how physical things can contribute so much to our intangible state of well-being. That is why I would encourage you to find a bag you love. Carry something cute over your shoulder, fill it with a few things that will make your day run smoothly, and leave all the unnecessary junk at home.

And for those of you like me, who have a different bag for different things--the diaper bag, the swim lessons bag, the church bag, the lunch bag, the shopping bags, etc., etc.--if you seem to be asking, "Now which bag did I leave my phone in? And where are my keys?" as often as I do, here is a little trick I have found and am loving...use one small bag (Rachel made one for me!) to keep all your personal items (wallet, phone, keys, chapstick, gum, etc.) that can be transplanted from bag to bag as needed. I love doing this because I can throw my little purse in my diaper bag when I leave the house and then when we're running into a store where I won't be for long and I don't need the diapers and wipes I just grab my little purse and go. The less that is strapped onto my body, the less anxiety I feel. The right bag packed just the right way is such a beautiful thing.

What is your favorite bag and why? Do you have any tricks for keeping it clean?