Yesterday afternoon we were out and about: a quick lunch followed by tackling the grocery shopping for the holidays. As ever when leaving ThePalace(OfLove), I brought along my everyday handbag.** After a while my right upper arm started to become kind of sore/numb, but only when carrying the bag over my right shoulder – which is of course what one does, habit being habit. I attempted to switch to the left side, which felt all wrong and awkward. Every time I picked the bag up after putting it down, I’d automatically sling it over my right shoulder. Ouch. Repeat.
Once home, we pulled out the luggage scale and discovered I’d been lugging around 3kg. I’m not at all sure if that is normal, but it seems like kind of a lot.
Because I’m hoping^^ to reduce my acquisition of things in 2019, I’m not about to go out and buy a new smaller alternative bag, but perhaps I don’t need to carry quite so much around with me at all times.
So what is actually in there?
contents as at this morning – what a pleasing arrangement!
It’s all I can do to stop myself weighing each item to see which is the heaviest.
Don pointed out that I probably don’t need to carry around three pairs of headphones. I’ll concede this. There does seem to be a lot of redundancy (even double redundancy) in there.
Possibly I don’t need two lip-balms when I rarely even wear lip balm. Ditto, small packets of tissues.
The three pairs of glasses – sunglasses, distance glasses and reading glasses – definitely need to stay. I wish I could wear transition lenses, but I already own a very expensive pair which give me appalling headaches and make me feel kind of nauseous.
That thing that looks like an audio cassette holds a whole bunch of loyalty cards. I *probably* don’t need that. I rarely access the contents and as I’m trying to cut back on spending I shouldn’t need it. It’s cute though, so probably can go into my desk.
There’s a sample of hand cream that I was given at the November design market – needs to get out of the bag and into use. Actually, samples generally need a whole post to themselves.
Having a spare pair of socks has proven quite useful in the past. Probably stays.
The genmaicha (green tea with roasted rice) tea-bag is a recent addition, genius for the offsite workshop we were at last week where the only tea going was black. Stays for sure.
I possibly don’t need two reusable totes, but they’re both staying 1. because they’re light and 2. I’ve often needed both for post-SML grocery emergencies.
The unopened fan which will be essential in the coming months of old testament style hellfire conditions.
Definitely keeping the notebook, but both a black and blue permanent marker is probably overkill.
There’s usually also an umbrella which is not pictured.
Yes. All this for a 2 hour trip for lunch and groceries. Or a 30 minute commute.
Possibly my whole approach to what I require when leaving the house needs some reassessment. It’s as though I aproach each day as if I’m heading out for a spot of trekking in the Andes.
xxx
** it really is an amazing bag, brilliant quality, holds tons and comparatively inexpensive.
^^ hoping is a bit insipid isn’t it? How about I will reduce my acquisition of stuff in 2019?