December 9, 2008

Handy Handbag Help

Your handbag does not have to become the Bermuda Triangle! Michal Gregus is the founder and managing director of TheTaskPros.com, a company based in Los Angeles that provides organizational services and lifestyle management.

You can subscribe on his site to receive his periodic newsletter called "Tips for Better Living" that will give you ways to take back the time and space you need in your life.

Here are some of Michal's easy and efficient ways to organize your handbag:

- Use the bag you've got and buy a removable purse organizer.

Purse Organizing

Removable pocket inserts will hold all of your things in place and can be easily moved from bag to bag. The most stylish ones have nine different pockets of different sizes can be found at Esty.com. Put things neatly in place, roll it up and put it in your bag. It's that simple. Similar ones can be found at Amazon.com by Joey Junior. And lastly, BagMate.com is the perfect purse-inside-a-purse, with retractable handles so you can lift out of one bag and move it to another.

- Or, buy color-coded pouches to organize your things.

Purse Organizing

How many times have you found coins, receipts, sticks of gum and who knows what else floating around the bottom of your bag? A great and inexpensive way to solve this problem is to purchase zip pouches. Get a few in different colors and use each for a different thing. Red for emergency items like stain remover, wipes etc; blue for receipts, green for loose change, etc. Check out WalkerBags.com for these handy pouches.


- Start all over with a brand new organizing-friendly bag.

Purse Organizing

At ButlerBag.com, you can buy a purse that is literally built for keeping things organized. It has plastic dividers that separate the interior space into compartments for all essentials like phones, writing utensils, water bottles, compact mirrors, make-up -- there's even a slot for a magazine.

Another choice is a quilted classic. Colorful and practical, this weekend bag known as the Villager is by Vera Bradley. With six slip-in pockets that ring around the inside of the bag and two outside zip pockets, you'll never lose anything again.

And just a few more things:

- Before you start organizing, first make sure you always take everything out of the bag and get rid of anything you don't need or don't use anymore.

- Make sure everything has it's own place/compartment.

- And don't let all those cute compartments and containers encourage you to carry more than you need!