# What's in your purse, lady?



## Lisa Scott (Apr 4, 2011)

Ok, the crazy insane purse thread had me thinking it was going to be a "list the weirdest item in your purse thread."  But it wasn't, so I'm starting one.  Right now, the oddest thing in my purse is a pine cone, (given to me by my 7 year old daughter to hold for a future craft project, yet it remains in my purse.)


----------



## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

my camera bag, but no camera....


----------



## susan67 (Mar 18, 2011)

forks and spoons....in case I need them for lunch at work.


----------



## crebel (Jan 15, 2009)

A small wooden disc with the word "Tuit" printed on it.  It was given to me by a friend so I would stop saying "I'll get around to it" - now I have one!


----------



## Vegas_Asian (Nov 2, 2008)

i have a little pouch with toothpaste, toothbrush, and floss.


----------



## Sofie (Dec 30, 2008)

I have a personal fan shaped to look like a hot pink cell phone.


----------



## hsuthard (Jan 6, 2010)

A cute little pouch filled with all my gift cards, membership cards, and business cards (it's stuffed full).

Plus the standards, Lip gloss, nail file, wallet, pen, keys, phone.


----------



## Pawz4me (Feb 14, 2009)

Hmmm . . . I'm probably not very weird.  The best I can come up with is a pack of dental bands (for DS's braces) and a couple of packs of chemical hand warmers.


----------



## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

Pawz4me said:


> Hmmm . . . I'm probably not very weird. The best I can come up with is a pack of dental bands (for DS's braces) and a couple of packs of chemical hand warmers.


"chemical hand warmers"? what dat?


----------



## LCEvans (Mar 29, 2009)

I have a little Star Trek collector light I got out of a cereal box. It's the Romulan one.


----------



## Joyce DeBacco (Apr 24, 2010)

Besides the usual lipstick, comb, and wallet, I have two small measuring tapes, two magnifiying glasses, bookmarks for my books, and two packs of mustard. I must remember to take the mustard out though before it breaks open and gets all over everything.

Joyce


----------



## Pawz4me (Feb 14, 2009)

scarlet said:


> "chemical hand warmers"? what dat?


Like these


----------



## Lisa Scott (Apr 4, 2011)

Interesting stuff, ladies.  I should have invited the gents, too, in the event any of them are carrying "European shoulder bags."  I have far too many expired coupons.  Don't know why I bother cutting them out, I always forget I have them.


----------



## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

Pawz4me said:


> Like these


ah, okay.


----------



## Rin (Apr 25, 2011)

I'm ashamed, I have nothing weird in my bag. -_-


----------



## Alle Meine Entchen (Dec 6, 2009)

I can usually be counted on having a few diapers and wipes plus snacks in mine (besides the normal of wallet lip balm kindle and iTouch)


----------



## Dawn McCullough White (Feb 24, 2010)

Acorns...  yeah, acorns.  Something saved from our vacation last summer.  They fall out every time I pay for groceries, much to my chagrin.

Dawn


----------



## Lisa Scott (Apr 4, 2011)

Acorns from LAST summer?  you win.  I'm embarrassed about a pine cone from spring break!  Although I probably do have a few seashells kicking around in there.  It's quite a large purse if you haven't deduced.


----------



## MsBea (Dec 2, 2008)

A milk bone dog bone for my dog when we go for a car ride and he starts barking at cars next to us at a stop light.  (he only responds to food and not my voice in that situation)


----------



## Carol (was Dara) (Feb 19, 2011)

I don't think I've got anything too weird in my purse right now. It's mostly filled with a million paper receipts.


----------



## valleycat1 (Mar 15, 2011)

I just cleaned out my purse contents, when I switched to a summer bag.  I guess the weirdest thing I found was a varied assortment of OTC allergy meds and a couple of random bandaids in each pocket of the old purse.  We live in an agricultural area and as different things bloom or pollinate, I have to switch out the allergy pills til I find the one that works this time...  

Today I also had my lavender oil we had used at work - bringing it home for a long soak in the bathtub tonite!


----------



## Susan in VA (Apr 3, 2009)

I don't think I have anything weird in my purse.  Let me tip it out right now and see...  nope, just the usual cards/money/hairbrush/Kleenex kind of thing.  Cinnamon Altoids.  Receipts.  Sorry, mine's boring!


----------



## sherylb (Oct 27, 2008)

I have my good luck charm which is a carved piece of mamoth ivory in the shape of a little frog on a leaf. It goes into every purse with my money.


----------



## NapCat (retired) (Jan 17, 2011)

HEY GUYS !! DO NOT OVERLOOK THIS THREAD !!

One of the true mysteries of the Universe is being revealed ! Ha !


----------



## Susan in VA (Apr 3, 2009)

What, you think we tell the truth about all the little secretive things we lug around?


----------



## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

I don't carry a purse 99% of the time.. I found out LOOOONG ago that if I did, 4 other people in my family wanted me to carry their junk.


----------



## loonlover (Jul 4, 2009)

BTackitt said:


> I don't carry a purse 99% of the time.. I found out LOOOONG ago that if I did, 4 other people in my family wanted me to carry their junk.


I'm with you, B. I haven't carried a purse for about 4 years. Before that I carried a small one so I could tell the rest of the family I didn't have room to carry their stuff.

I often wonder about the contents (or lack of contents in huge purses) when doing bag checks at the arena. Oh, the things you sometimes see.


----------



## LaRita (Oct 28, 2008)

I've switched from a purse to a backpack so I can carry netbook, Kindle and associated accessories.  The strangest thing I think would be the needle-nosed pliers.  They've come in handy several times.


----------



## J.K. Arauz (Jan 10, 2011)

I wondered why my purse felt heavier than usual this past week. I had shampoo and conditioner in there (and not the travel size ones). I don't know how they got there.


----------



## SheaMacLeod (Apr 13, 2011)

J.K. Arauz said:


> I wondered why my purse felt heavier than usual this past week. I had shampoo and conditioner in there (and not the travel size ones). I don't know how they got there.


LMAO!!!! That's awesome.

The weirdest thing, let's see...

Ear plugs. Don't ask. And sun block. What? I'm allergic to the sun, ok? And no I'm not a vampire, I just write about them.


----------



## Tippy (Dec 8, 2008)

Opera wallet, check books (2), card case, leather notepad/paper/pen, phone, Kindle, veryamist, curler, iPod w/earphones, coupons, and receipts.


----------



## Lisa Scott (Apr 4, 2011)

LaRita, have you actually have had reason to pull out the needle nose pliers and use them?  
And the mystery shampoo and conditioner.  hilarious.


----------



## 4Katie (Jun 27, 2009)

I keep a lot of stuff in my purse. (You never know when you'll need something, right?) At a recent wedding shower, I won the who-has-the-most-things-on-this-list game with 18 out of 20. 

Don't know what the stangest thing is, cuz it all seems normal (and important) to me. Cell phone, iPod, Kindle, measuring tape, wipes, make-up, hair brush, hairspray, kleenexes, various medicines, hand lotion, Static Guard... and keys and a wallet, of course.

Oddly enough, it doesn't seem like a lot and my purse isn't really big. I have very small travel sizes of stuff.


----------



## 4Katie (Jun 27, 2009)

BTackitt said:


> I don't carry a purse 99% of the time.. I found out LOOOONG ago that if I did, 4 other people in my family wanted me to carry their junk.


I hear ya. DH usually has one of two things to say about my purse - either 'Why do you carrry that everywhere' or 'Can you put this in your purse?'


----------



## KindleChickie (Oct 24, 2009)

The strangest thing would be a visitors badge from San Francisco airport.  I went on a field trip and forgot to turn it back in.


----------



## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

SheaMacLeod said:


> LMAO!!!! That's awesome.
> 
> The weirdest thing, let's see...
> 
> Ear plugs. Don't ask. And sun block. What? I'm allergic to the sun, ok? And no I'm not a vampire, I just write about them.


Is it weird that I don't find your sunblock weird? I could have used it a couple of weeks ago. So, here's the content of mine right now...

Small front pockets- pack of tissues, pack of gum, bottle of ibuprofen, l2 ip balms, 2 travel size hand sanitizers.
Big front pocket-another pack of tissues


Spoiler



feminine pads


, empty camera case, $1.41 in change.
Big back pocket- packet of Willy Wonka sweettarts. 5 receipts. pen. $1.97 in change.
Internal change pocket- cash (not telling you how much!) another receipt. keys. business card of Cort Theater house manager. empty gum wrapper. $7.09 in change. change purse with credit cards/debit card/metro cards/loyalty cards.
Back pocket- metro card, work id card, work time swipe card.


----------



## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

I carry the normal stuff in my pocket book. Keys, Kindle, wallet, makeup, etc.

I do have a funny story about purse contents. A few years ago I was at a girl's night out with some friends from a courthouse where I had been working. The DJ played the what's in your purse game. One of the girls in our group had just bought a Hummer, and she also got a small toy Hummer that she had in her purse. We're sitting at the table and I want someone from our table to win so I started yelling "ask for a Hummer, ask for a Hummer". A couple of the other women started telling me to stop, stop, you don't know what you're saying. Turns out hummer has a double meaning.


Spoiler



blowjob


 I had NO idea. There are always men at girl's nights out, and this night was no exception. Some of the deputies always came in plain clothes to the restaurant/bar where we were because they were a bit overprotective of us. So of course, they heard my blunder and it was even harder to live the story down at work the next day.


----------



## spotsmom (Jan 20, 2011)

I usually don't carry one either.  I was always forgetting it and leaving it in stores, restaurants, etc.  All I carry is wallet, iPod, and phone.  Take a purse if I'm carrying the Kindle.


----------



## Dawn McCullough White (Feb 24, 2010)

Lisa Scott said:


> Acorns from LAST summer? you win. I'm embarrassed about a pine cone from spring break! Although I probably do have a few seashells kicking around in there. It's quite a large purse if you haven't deduced.


Well, I only buy a new purse every couple years and that's about the time I clean it out as well, go figure. But, now that my son is no longer a baby, I realize I need a bigger purse to carry band aids and crayons and his stuff as well as mine. So I might splurge and get a new one in the near future, maybe even plant those acorns.

Dawn


----------



## Harris Channing (Nov 23, 2010)

Not one but two cameras a point and shoot and a flip video camera.  I never want to miss a photo op...of course I miss lots because my stupid purse seems to hide them when I go fishing for them!  UGH!!!


----------



## KindleChickie (Oct 24, 2009)

Here is a couple of what's in your bag photos I did earlier. In the second one, no idea why I was carrying around some underarm deodorant.


----------



## loonlover (Jul 4, 2009)

The deodorant doesn't surprise me at all.  I've been amazed at the number of purses containing deodorant when doing bag checks at the arena.  What, it doesn't give 24-hour protection?  How many times a day do you use it, anyway?  Sometimes the only items in a purse are deodorant, a cell phone, and cigarettes.


----------



## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

I gave up on the little packets of Kleenex.  I take a bunch of tissues from a box at home and put them into a baggy.  Other important items:  comb, keys, wallet, tube of hair styling cream to tame the hair ends that stick out after my hair dries.


----------



## JRTomlin (Jan 18, 2011)

Wallet and a couple of receipts. That's it. When I leave it's big enough (barely) for my Kindle to slide into it.


----------



## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

KindleChickie said:


> Here is a couple of what's in your bag photos I did earlier. In the second one, no idea why I was carrying around some underarm deodorant.


I've carried deodorant if I'm going for a mammogram -- prefer to use my own afterward rather than the spray they provide.



loonlover said:


> The deodorant doesn't surprise me at all. I've been amazed at the number of purses containing deodorant when doing bag checks at the arena. What, it doesn't give 24-hour protection? How many times a day do you use it, anyway? Sometimes the only items in a purse are deodorant, a cell phone, and cigarettes.


O.k. that's weird . . . .unless the person is not expecting to wake up in their own home the next morning.


----------



## loonlover (Jul 4, 2009)

Ann in Arlington said:


> O.k. that's weird . . . .unless the person is not expecting to wake up in their own home the next morning.


I've thought of that, but sometimes the purse belongs to a teenager that is obviously with her parents. And even if you came from out of town and were spending the night in LR/NLR, wouldn't you have a bag at the hotel for such items?

I must admit, checking bags can be entertaining at some events.


----------



## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

loonlover said:


> I've thought of that, but sometimes the purse belongs to a teenager that is obviously with her parents. And even if you came from out of town and were spending the night in LR/NLR, wouldn't you have a bag at the hotel for such items?
> 
> I must admit, checking bags can be entertaining at some events.


Hotel? What hotel? You seem to think they are "planning" to not go home. . . .whereas it's possible they're just _hoping_ they won't go home . . . .in other words, they're hoping for a pick up. . . . . .

Does seem odd for them not to have any money, though. . . . . . .teenagers might just be hugely self-conscious -- don't want any accidental odor!


----------



## Indy (Jun 7, 2010)

The thing in my bag that gets everyone laughing is my tub of vick's vaporub.  What??  You never know when you will be confronted with stinky things and vicks under your nose solves your problem with the smell.  (It's in my work bag, btw not my normal go to the store purse.  I clean up poop at work.)

The work bag also contains deodorant, toothbrush/toothpaste, floss, asthma inhaler, little bottle of OTC meds, probably fourteen tubes of lotion, sanitary napkins, heck all it needs is clothes and a hair dryer and I can go out of town!  All this for work.  Oh yeah and the "work" makeup bag full of hemostats, scissors, alcohol wipes, penlight, 90 ink pens.  Then you gotta cram chargers and little electronic doodads in there.  Basically my saddleback tote bag is FULL and then some days I throw in a can of soup on top of it.  It weighs about thirty pounds with food in it.


----------



## crebel (Jan 15, 2009)

KindleChickie said:


> Here is a couple of what's in your bag photos I did earlier. In the second one, no idea why I was carrying around some underarm deodorant.




That's it? LOL, dumping my purse would more than double the items in both of those pictures put together.


----------



## KindleChickie (Oct 24, 2009)

The only thing I can come up with is I must have just bought it.  I might have just put it in my purse, I have a thing about one use items such as bags.


----------



## MaryKingsley (Mar 26, 2011)

Chocolate Easter eggs!  I thought I might get hungry shopping and the chocolate would help.  Heck, chocolate always helps.

Other than that, my bag's boring, since I cleaned it today.  About the only interesting thing I have is a pair of folding scissors.  I've been laughed at for those a few times, and I don't really know why.  They come in handy.


----------



## FabulaScribe (May 17, 2011)

Vegas_Asian said:


> i have a little pouch with toothpaste, toothbrush, and floss.


I have a little folding toothbrush and a travel sized toothpaste in my purse, too. What's really weird is that now I work from home, so I almost never have an occasion to use it. I keep it in there, though, just in case.


----------



## FabulaScribe (May 17, 2011)

I've been laughed at for my little bottle of OTC meds, but usually nobody's laughing when they need some Tylenol.  lol

I have a small squeeze-bottle of Soft Soap, because I'm gluten intolerant and sometimes the soap in public restrooms contains wheat.

I also carry rocks.  Pretty ones, for their metaphysical properties.

I should post a picture . . .


----------



## lpking (Feb 12, 2011)

MaryKingsley said:


> About the only interesting thing I have is a pair of folding scissors. I've been laughed at for those a few times, and I don't really know why. They come in handy.


Exactly. I can't recall how many pairs of folding scissors I lost to airport security, before I stopped carrying them for that very reason. I miss them terribly!


----------



## Alice Y. Yeh (Jul 14, 2010)

I collect the kitchen sinks that are missing from everyone else's multipurpose purses. They deter pickpockets.

The strangest would be a removable shoulder strap from a dress. I took it off for a wedding after party and keep forgetting to reattach it.


----------



## MaryKingsley (Mar 26, 2011)

I just looked in my purse and discovered I do have something weird in there - those little nylon sockie things you get in shoe stores for trying on shoes.  I took them because I thought I might be trying on more shoes than the 3 pairs I'd already bought.  You never know, right?  Which is how a lot of stuff ends up in my bag.


----------



## rla1996 (Oct 28, 2008)

Well lets see whats in my bag...

not on but 2 digital cameras, a camcorder, Nintendo DS, games for DS, eyeglass case full of tampons, a bib, 2 leashes of shame (dog leashes for the belt-loops of  bad children who try to wander off when we're out), camera chargers, jump drives that you put the cameras' memory cards in to hook up to a computer, program from nephew's fist grade musical performance, my I=pod, the usual Carmex, wallet and such, and of course my Kindle.  I also used to have a small container of baby wipes, but my sister took that one day, when she forgot to put wipes in her daughter's baby bag, and never returned.
  

*** a little side note: The reason some of these things are odd for me to have in my purse is because I DO NOT have children. ***


----------



## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

I keep a small package of baby wipes in my bag.  Use them mostly at work for quick desk clean-ups.


----------



## NapCat (retired) (Jan 17, 2011)

OK ladies.....you have had your say and you are all lightweights !! We guys carry a whole lot more "stuff" around with us.......BUT we hide it in backpacks, computer cases, briefcases, toolboxes, etc.......Cargo Pants are the greatest.

"ManBags" are going to come around someday. !!


----------



## KindleChickie (Oct 24, 2009)

I love it!  Great shot napcat!


----------



## Lisa Scott (Apr 4, 2011)

Man bag.    You need to run with that.


----------



## NapCat (retired) (Jan 17, 2011)

Lisa Scott said:


> Man bag.  You need to run with that.


oh blush.....I checked your profile.....sure enough, "romantic comedy" genre !!

Based on your post, I have purchased your book ! giggle


----------



## spotsmom (Jan 20, 2011)

Man bags?  The City Manager who used to work here carried one around.  Looked like a lady's makeup bag!!  We thought it was hysterical.


----------



## Lisa Scott (Apr 4, 2011)

Thanks nap cat!  That would actually made a hilarious scene in a romantic comedy.  Girls shows up for a blind date--and the guy has a man bag.  Oh, the wheels are churning...


----------



## lpking (Feb 12, 2011)

You know the way your guy holds your purse out about two feet from his body, by two fingers, and his face scrunches up into a look of utter disgust, whenever you ask him to hang onto your bag for a sec?


----------



## Lisa Scott (Apr 4, 2011)

I sure do lpking.  My husband and I got in a HUGE fight when we were leaving a NASCAR race because he wouldn't carry my purse for a bit.  (In my defense it was a big purse and we had head phones and other race gear in there, so I thought he should take a turn carrying it on the long trek back to the car, but he wouldn't, because it was a purse.)  This past spring break, I offered my 10 year old son $5 to carry my purse around some nature hiking place because it was so heavy. (sunscreen, water bottles etc.  All the stuff mom gets stuck with.)  He was far too embarrassed after a few minutes and canceled the deal.

Perhaps I need to get a backpack.


----------



## lpking (Feb 12, 2011)

Lisa Scott said:


> I offered my 10 year old son $5 to carry my purse around some nature hiking place because it was so heavy. (sunscreen, water bottles etc. All the stuff mom gets stuck with.) He was far too embarrassed after a few minutes and canceled the deal.
> 
> Perhaps I need to get a backpack.


Perhaps they need to carry their own waterbottles.


----------



## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

lpking said:


> Perhaps they need to carry their own waterbottles.


Oh yeah. Growing up the rule in my family (5 of us kids) was that if we wanted it, we had to carry it. This included packing luggage once we were a certain size. Even now, while I may be happy to take help if offered. . . . I would never ask someone else to carry my junk.

If it's shared junk, the best solution is a fairly generic bag and a well understood agreement beforehand that _anyone_ who wants to use it *will* take their turn carrying it.


----------



## Lisa Scott (Apr 4, 2011)

Generic family bag.  I'm going with that.  I'll get a backpack or something and everyone will take turns.  I like it!  (and I should start carrying a smaller purse.  Sorry honey, I don't have room to carry it.


----------



## Kimberly Van Meter (Apr 22, 2011)

I'm a mom so the things in my purse vary in weirdness. My 5-year-old has a fondness for treating my purse as her personal little catch-all. The other day I was rummaging around for a pen so I could endorse a check and couldn't find a single one! Instead, I had 10 tiny colored pencils in every color of the rainbow — courtesy of my daughter.   I also have a Goddess stone, a dragon pendant, a wishy-washy from the local car wash, bills, and a packet of wildflower seeds.

  

Kimberly V.

P.S. I've loved reading what other women have in their purses! Too funny!


----------



## stormhawk (Apr 29, 2009)

Please note there is no wallet in my purse.I keep my wallet in my pocket.

Kindle
Small Multitool
Swisscard (an even smaller multitool in a credit card sized package)
Nail Care Kit
at least two lighters
matches
foldable brush
comb
drybag
travel toothbrush and toothpaste
Altoids
gum
Those drink mix packets that are sized for 1 liter water bottles
1 liter water bottle
headphones
thumb drive
Bluetooth headset that I haven't charged in several months and I don't even know if it will pair with my new phone
Hippie Shopping Bags (Chico bag and one I got a Disneyworld)
camera
spare magazines
three or four pens, at least one in an "odd" color
"hobo" set (folding knife, spoon, and fork)
Throwing Stars not really, just checking to see if you're paying attention
cell phone charger (with multiple tips ... micro and mini USB)
Garmin GPS unit
Fan
Bandanna
Little Pack of Kleenex
Bandaids (HelloKitty)
First Aid Kit
Assorted rocks with mystical properties
Granola Bar
Baggie of Almonds
Tarot Cards (varies, can be either mini or full-sized set)
Notebook
Pager
CISM Reference Cards
Aspirin, Ibuprofen, Antacids (short and long-acting), emergency House's Little Helpers


Spoiler



Feminine Convenience Products



Basically, if the world ends while I'm away from home, I'm ready.


----------



## NapCat (retired) (Jan 17, 2011)

stormhawk said:


> Basically, if the world ends while I'm away from home, I'm ready.


Best list yet !! The Tarot Cards and Throwing Stars really impressed me !


----------



## tsilver (Aug 9, 2010)

Man bag?  As Jerry Seinfeld said, "It's European."  Not that there's anything wrong with that.


----------



## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

No. Of course not.


----------



## KindleChickie (Oct 24, 2009)

My latest "Whats in your bag?"...










I guess the mini maglite would be the weirdest thing? Not much weird as the purse is new.


----------



## Lisa Scott (Apr 4, 2011)

Of course!  I forgot to mention my kindle.    And stormhawk, I want to hang out with you during an emergency.


----------



## Lisa Scott (Apr 4, 2011)

tkkenyon said:


> Matchbox-size cars of the latest characters from Cars 2: McQueen (WGP paintjob,) Francesco Bournoulli, and Finn McMissle.
> 
> TK Kenyon


Oh, I remember stalking Target for the latest edtions from the first Cars movie. I'm glad my son's past that!


----------

