Convert

I posted a while ago about how not owning a "mom" purse was just one in a long slew of reasons why I'm a bad parent.  A few weeks later, I broke down and give into the peer pressure and bought the "mom"-ish purse above. 

Now, it's black, which I'm told is no no number one.  Apparently "mom" purses are suppose to be a pretty color and make you feel pretty.  I like it though, and I don't think I'd be happy with a pink purse, so I let this one go.  No no number 2 is that it's not big enough to fit a baby into.  I was unaware, at the time of purchase, that this was a requirement.  Several of my women friends agreed, so I failed in this aspect as well.  However, since it's twice as big, if not more, as any other purse I've ever owned, I'm still calling it a "mom" purse. 

Now, it may not be able to fit a baby into it, but man, this purse holds a ton of stuff.  To start, in a side pocket, I now take a diaper and a little ziplock of wipes everywhere I go.  I will never be caught without them again!  On the other side pocket, I keep my keys, my phone and my Dr. Pepper Lip Smackers.    And inside the main part, I have my wallet, and it's now where I store the coupons I intend on using (no more forgetting them at home!), some travel sized kleenex, gum, a bottle of advil, business cards, mommy cards and the pen/pencil set that my grandparents gave me when I graduated high school.  And periodically it's also where I throw my beautiful, wonderful camera when we're on the go. You have no idea how nice it is to grab my bag and know that I have everything with me without having to look all over the place for it!

It gets better though.  Today, when we went to archery practice, we had a lot of things with us.  We each had our archery boxes that hold our arrows, bows and other equipment.  I had two bottles of water (it was H-O-T today) plus a red aluminum water container (see photo), we had stopped to pick up a snack and a cold drink on the way over, and of course, I needed sunblock.  How on earth were we going to carry all of this stuff?  So I stuffed the two water bottles and the sunblock into my purse.  Attached my red aluminum water container to one side and voila.  Half the stuff was suddenly all taken care of.  Leaving a hand for said snack and drink, and the other hand for my archery box. 

Ladies and Gentlemen, I am a convert.  I have no idea how I functioned all this time without a purse.  I didn't know what I was missing.

Seriously.. Thoughts?