There are a few things that I can’t really go without when I leave the house.  Granted, the only thing that sets panic in me if I don’t have it is my chapstick!  As soon as I realize I don’t have it, my lips instantly get dry and I have to talk myself out of licking them every 5 seconds.  This used to never be a problem because I always had chapstick in my pocket… but I realized, in one pair of jeans especially, that the little tube was starting to wear the fabric away on that pocket!  So, I put a little distance between me and my addiction and started keeping it in my purse.  Which has worked just fine!  Except for the times that I take my camera bag somewhere or use a different bag and on one end of the transfer of things from one bag to another, the chapstick gets left behind.  And of course I never realize it until I’ve long since left the house.  Cue panic.  And talking myself down from a ledge. (Ok, not really a ledge… I’m not THAT addicted to the stuff!)

Goodness, after that paragraph, you’d think all I carried around with me was chapstick!  Well, that’s only half true.  Last year sometime I switched to a much smaller purse.  So what I carry with me is super limited.  And that’s a good thing!  Most of the time ;-)  But below is pretty much all that is in there.  I have a few coupons in an outer pocket and a small mirror that I always forget is in there, but these are the things I use on a regular basis and don’t usually leave home without.

I love my wallet.  I’ve had it for over 3 years and it’s starting to wear a little thin on the front, but I’m hoping it will keep holding out!  It was one of those finds at a thrift store when I went to visit some friends in LA in 2010.  It’s just unique and extremely functional!  Plus, it has a small mirror inside of it, which is why I tend to forget about the other one I carry around.  My little Shoot&Share notebook is in there because you never know when you’ll need to jot something down or need a scrap piece of paper (the cover of it says “Share Serve Celebrate”).

Of course I carry Advil around.  Sadly, I get too many headaches to not have some kind of pain relief on hand!  I’ve got my Cherry Chapstick, Cherry Coke Chapstick and a tube of lipstick that I got while we were on our honeymoon in Paris.  I don’t use it often, but it’s just enough color for when I’m feeling extra pale!

Yes, that is indeed Christmas/Winter hand sanitizer.  It’s a candy apple scent and I love it!  The dental floss is obvious and I don’t use it a ton, but you know those times something gets stuck in your teeth and you drive yourself crazy trying to get it out??  Enter the small container of dental floss from my last check up.  It’s awesome to have on hand.

Believe it or not, I actually use all 3 of these pens I carry around with me.  I actually use the blue one most – definitely my current favorite pen!  I’ve always preferred blue ink, but not everyone (or ever form) likes it as much as I do, so I have a black pen too.  Just in case.  It also gives me an extra pen to lend out if someone needs to borrow one!  And the Sharpie?  Well, it’s come in handy way more times than I can count.  I remember my brother discovering Sharpies and how he started carrying one around with him… he was so excited about discovering this marker!  It was really cute, actually.

And finally… my favorite lotion from l’Occitane.  This is the first tube I’ve had of the lavender scent and I actually like it more than I thought I would.  It was a gift so I wanted to give it a fair try and it hasn’t disappointed me!

So, that’s it.  That’s what I have with me almost all the time (unless I have my camera bag with me, then this is scaled down even more!).  So, if you need some Advil, a scrap of paper, some lotion, dental floss or to borrow a pen… just ask.  Because I have them with me :-)