Have you seen the film “One Fine Day” with Michelle Pfeiffer and George Clooney? It’s a feel-good romcom. Not great, but not bad either. I was already a mum when I saw that film & the biggest thing that struck me was Michelle’s bag.

It was huge. At one point in the film, she produced a zip-lock plastic with her son’s toy cars. The toy cars sealed a contract for the firm she works for as the cars provided some focal point in her building (?) model.

When I was single, my bag was an accessory. True, I was a girlscout & you can find most things you’d need in my bag. But the bags were stylish & petite. Since becoming a mum, my bags went from medium size to combat-ready-size.

I carry less stuff now that Kelvin is nappy-free but I still need an extra shirt, some wipes, food, juice, and other munitions to keep him amused whenever we go out. So rather than go thru the trouble of re-organising my bag-containers, I just keep that huge bag & use it all week (or month at work). Imagine what I look like when I’m also lugging a laptop & struggling to stay upright in the Tube.

Anyway, you know what they say when some people are given storage, we find ways to fill it to the brim? It’s 100% true for me.

So my daily bag is filled with my packed lunch’s container, scarf, gloves, makeup bag (that I rarely use), papers, clips, band-aids, mints, moleskin, pen, map, train schedule, etc etc.

The laptop bag? I manage to fill that with my water bottle, papers from work, mouse, arm brace, and every now & again, stuff for Kelvin. See below.

okay that’s my lunch “box”

See now that’s how you balance your work and family commitments. Use everything at your disposal, no matter how heavy. Afterall, when you’re in love the weight drops off the scale.