Today we’re talking purse essentials, brought to you by my buddies at Bob’s Red Mill! You of course know Bob’s Red Mill for their minimally processed whole grain products, including gluten-free flours, blends, and baking mixes, but Bob’s is rolling out an AWESOME new product called Better Bars that I am absolutely loving, and am sure you will too!
When I first had to go gluten-free almost 5 years ago exactly, I majorly OD’d on bars – and we’re not talking of the wine variety. Many of you know that back then I went a little sugar crazy after having to give up all of my gluten-filled favorites, over-compensating for the foods I had to give up and miss out on. Bars were a major source of that sugar and to this day I still feel gaggy when passing by the ones I used to eat regularly at the grocery store. A lot of this is mental – I associate some of those bars with a REALLY rough time in my life, ie being diagnosed with Celiac Disease, but it’s also because some of those bars are literally sickeningly sweet.
All that to say, there’s no denying the convenience of a bar you can toss into your purse and so I’m thrilled to have found Bob’s Red Mill Better Bars which aren’t too sweet, have a short, simple ingredient list, and up to 7 grams of protein per bar making them an ideal on-the-go breakfast or snack.
All that said, Bob’s has invited me to tell you where my Better Bars take me and the answer is, EVERYWHERE – HA! With three small kids I am on the go what feels like all day, every day. Between dentist visits and doctor appointments, trips to the library, school drop off and pick up, play dates, karate, swimming lessons, and everything in between, we are out and about a ton and I don’t always have time to sit down to eat at traditional meal times. Actually who am I kidding, I never sit down at traditional meal times, except for dinner, so these bars are great to pack in my purse and eat when I’m hungry and not at home.
Better Bars come in 5 different flavors (Peanut Butter & Banana is my favorite,) are soft and chewy, made with Bob’s Red Mill whole grains and certified gluten-free oats, plus they have 11 grams or less of sugar per bar. For comparison, the bars I have in mind that make me extra gaggy have 20 grams of sugar per bar!!!
When Lincoln started going to preschool I’d have a “special snack” for him to eat in the car every time I picked him up – a tradition we’ve continued for four years now. These bars have become a favorite of his to spot in the car when he hops in and I love that it’s a “clean” snack that will also fill him up. This smily boy is our little skinny mini!
Better Bars are rolling out in grocery stores at the moment, plus you can order them online. Sign up for their newsletter to get 20% off your first order.
Ok – let’s talk purse essentials!!
Since Bob’s Red Mill Better Bars have become a staple in my purse over the last few weeks, I thought I’d show you what else I keep inside my bag! 99% of the time I carry a crossbody from Banana Republic that I got several years ago which I SO wish they still sold because people stop and ask me where I got it from constantly. (Ben just had a coworker who saw me at the mall ask him where it’s from, hahaha.) There are a few similar ones here, here, here, and here. My diaper bag is from Thirty One Gifts – I can’t find the exact one but this bag is adorable – and if I want a diaper bag-sized purse that doesn’t look like a diaper bag, I bust out my Hobo (an investment for sure, but that thing is indestructible!)
Now, of course I always have diapers and wipes on hand, but here are the other 10 essential items I always keep in my purse!
Snacks
Duh! For all the reasons we talked about above, plus I’ve got little guys who are always hungry. Seriously, do your kids eat as much and as often as mine do? What in the whole wide world?! That said my purse is always jam packed with snacks. Bars, applesauce pouches, and individual sized bags of popcorn or crispy lentil chips are our favorites.
Collect Roller Ball
I’ve shared this Aromatherapy Roller Ball from Little Barn Apothecary several times on the blog before and love it so much that I bought a second one for my purse. The combination of violet leaf, lavender and petitgrain oils provides me great relief from stressful everyday moments, plus I find it relieves headaches naturally. It is SUCH a gem and small in size – comparable to a tube of lipstick.
Swiss Army Pocket Knife
I keep this bad boy on my key chain and use it constantly – what the heck did I do before I had a Swiss Army Pocket Knife? I most often use the scissors for snipping long straws for the boys when we’re out to eat, and the nail file because I always seem to need one when I’m not at home (right?), additionally though, it feels good to be prepared in case I ever find myself in a Macgyver-esque situation. Pro tip: take your Swiss Army Pocket Knife OFF your keychain before flying, or it will 100% be confiscated. Ask me how I know.
Personal Alarm
Speaking of shifty situations, I also keep a small personal alarm on my keychain in my purse at all times (this is the same one I carry in-hand while running outdoors.) Can never be too safe, ladies.
Lip Balm
I’ve always been loyal to EOS products since they’re gluten-free, but a friend gifted me a Live Beautifully Lip Balm last summer and I am *obsessed*. Not only does the Juicy Peach & Pear flavor smell like fruit plucked right from a tree, but the balm has a hint of shine which is nice if I’m out and want a little something extra special that’s not lipstick or stain (which I hate.) This company has the most delicious flavors of lip balm and the ingredients are top notch.
Metal Comb
It’s a fact that I have the most staticky hair on the planet. I literally cannot even touch it if it’s down in the wintertime because hairs will immediately start flying if I do. That said, I carry a metal comb in my purse for on-the-go touchups as it doesn’t cause as much static as a regular comb or brush. I have no idea how it works, but it does! I like this particular comb because it’s very flat and has a carrying case, so it’s great for even small purses.
Mini Deodorant
This is more of a summertime necessity, but I keep a travel-size deodorant in my bag for freshening up when necessary. I use Primally Pure and the company offers a small, 1.7oz option that’s great for tossing into a purse or bag. I like the Tea Tree (on a huge tea tree kick atm,) and Lavender scents, especially.
Grab and Go Play Packs
What is life with small children without Grab and Go Play Packs?! You will ALWAYS find one or two of these play packs – which contain stickers, a little coloring book, and crayons – in my purse at all times. They are life savers when we’re out to eat or in a waiting room. I buy them in the Target $1 aisle though Amazon sells them too. Magic Ink books are another activity I like to keep on hand for Cam, especially.
Compact Pocket Mirror
Sure the forward facing camera on a cellphone is nice, but nothing compares to a compact mirror with 10x (!!) magnification when I really need to see what’s going on! Bonus points for this thing also entertaining my 2 year old when times get rough.
Tell me a purse essential of yours that isn’t on this list!
A $20 bill folded super tiny and hidden where it would be hard to find.
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This is probably obvious, but my meds at least for the day and credit cards.
I never knew about these bars! Not sure if we have them by me yet but next time I go to the US I will have to grab some. I’m always looking for healthier snack bars and my husband is always looking for yummy gluten-free snack bars and peanuts are the one nut he can have. My purse needs a cleaning out but I always have: pens, hand sanitizer, usb drives (I work in IT), lip balm, benadryl in case my husband accidentally eats something with nuts, wipes, painkillers, and pads
Thanks for the metal comb trick! Who knew!? My hair is so staticky and when I use dry shampoo, it’s even worse. Buying the one you recommend!
The amika dry shampoo works well on my hair. I had a tiny can that lasted forever, only spray at the roots. I need to get some again.
Thanks Anna! Is it a salon product or an anywhere kind?
LOVE that casual cargo bag!! SUPER cute and stylish and I love the crossbody feature. I always keep some sort of wipes and individual cups of Coffeemate creamer in my purse. You never know!
Always a tide to go stick! I actually stash them everywhere (office desk drawer, glove compartment, purse…). Can’t tell you how many times I have gotten to a meeting or work and noticed one of my kids left a smear of something on my clothes! My coworkers also come to me frequently to use it before a meeting.
With a 1 and 3 year old I ALWAYS have snacks. Seriously, we get in the car to go anywhere, “I’m hungry”, and before my husband can even think of saying “Sorry, we don’t have any.”, I’m whipping out the snacks. Also, cross-body purses are EVERYTHING when out and about with small kids.
Now that my daughter is a teenager, I always keep CASH in my purse. It’s always a bake sale, candy gram, or something else and she regularly needs cash. So that and dental floss picks.
My dad has had to throw away so many of those little Swiss Army knives because he keeps forgetting to take them off. I got him one when I went over to Switzerland with his name on it and he had to chuck it.
The same thing almost happened to my husband. I bought him one in Switzerland with his initials and he forgot he had it with him when flying once. Fortunately it was our local airport and he had time to go back to the car to leave it there. Now every time we fly I always ask if he left it in the car.
My husband lost two pocket knives that way so no new knives for him
Oops–based**
You can tell I don’t have children yet, lol: some makeup(lip color, a powder compact); a can of seltzer; iPad mini. I used to carry 2 phones but setting up my iCloud for a professional AND personal account really cuts down on purse bulk. Are those bars vegan? (Totally cool if not, 100% bass on personal preference.) Sorry if it was mentioned, lol, reading on the train.
They are not – they’re sweetened with organic honey!