Working from home is awesome. Until...you're not working from home and you have to pack up your entire office to work someplace else that is decidedly NOT home.

This is totally not some scandalous look into my bag of unmentionables (sorry y’all… I’m not THAT exciting!). Anyway, I AM a graphic designer and author and illustrator (read: ALL.THE.THINGS) and I happily work from my home office/studio (otherwise known as “the coldest room in our entire house”) every other week. I am lucky that my job allows me some freedom because on the weeks our kids are with us (every other week they’re at their dad’s), I pack up my work and go to the neighboring town (where they go to school) and work from there. 

Sounds crazy, but I actually really like those weeks. I take the kids to school and go to this really cool park for my morning walk (gettin’ my steps in!), then head to Starbucks and work for a while until the public library opens at 10. Then I pack up my stuff and go to the library until it’s time to pick up the girls from school. I usually go to the magazine reading room because it’s ok if I take a phone call in that room. Oh, and the tables are taller in there too. Hey, that’s really a big deal for me. I’m almost 6ft tall and a girl’s GOTTA be able to cross her legs! Otherwise, when I know I’m gonna be concentrating on something and I don’t want people around me talking or loudly eating a full size bag of potato chips… while smacking… and LOUDLY licking his fingers…(true story), I’ll go sit in one of the reading rooms where talking (and eating and NOISE) is frowned-on. 

Anyway, back in August I started intermittent fasting (IF) for this stomach condition I have (more on that later - it’s too much to try and fit in here). You know that when you’re sick, all you want to do is get into bed with a book, a fluffy blanket, 2 boxes of tissues, a bottle of nyquill, and some juice while your hubby gets dinner and does homework-duty (TAG - you’re NOT it for a change!) - otherwise known as REST? Well, IF is kind of like that for my stomach… I’m giving it maximum time to rest and settle down between meals. And since I started IF, my mornings have been AWESOME! No worrying what I’m going to pack for lunch and making sure I’ve got enough ice packs to keep it cold - it’s SO LIBERATING to leisurely drink my coffee while packing up my kids’ and hubby’s lunches (who am i kidding - it hasn’t helped my mornings THAT much)! Most of the time I skip lunch altogether and just eat dinner and dessert. Since I’m not carrying a lunch bag with me every day, I got to thinking about other ways I could streamline what I take with me on my out-of-town work days.

Ok, let’s just be honest. I used to carry ALL SORTS of stuff with me… my purse, water bottles, a lunch bag, and a HUGE work bag (read: truly huge! Like, a family of armadillos could live in this massive bag) full of all the essentials. I mean, you never know when you’re going to need 18 different kinds of essential oils,14 different colored pens (don’t forget the markers), a set of color-coordinated post-its, and 3+ rolls of washi tape, right? Am I right? Nobody? **crickets** 

You know your house-sized bag is a problem when your shoulder (neck and arms) hurt EVERY.SINGLE.DAY! 

Back in the early fall I bought myself this small-ish vegan-leather backpack that I was SUPER EXCITED to use for my travel work weeks. Two straps are better than one. Am I right? Side note: the SMELL of vegan leather isn’t for the faint-of-heart. Let me tell you - LOTS of baking soda and essential oils and several weeks = a somewhat decent-smelling bag (insert the stinky-face emoji HERE). Anyway, the only problem with this bag  (other than the smell… moving on now) is that it’s MUCH smaller than the HUGE bag I’ve been carrying. So after A LOT of soul searching, I came to the conclusion that I’m just carrying way too much stuff. Stuff I really don’t need. Including my purse. I mean, I can’t tell you the last time I actually needed something in my purse when I was at the library (ok, maybe my chapstick, but I can easily stash that in my backpack too). 

So below is my list of 7 things I absolutely need in my backpack and 3 things I don’t.

Need:

1. Computer and Ipad (unless I’m not planning on drawing)

2. Phone. Because, DUH!

3. Computer cable, Ipad cable and ear buds (ALL.THE.CORDS)

4. Bullet journal. I use this as my planner and journal. I also use google calendar, but I think I’d PERISH if I accidentally left my bullet journal at home!

5. 3 pens and some whiteout (1 black pen, 1 highlighter, and 1 colored pen. JUST ONE.) The whiteout is because I’m a total perfectionist… NO VISIBLE MISTAKES!

6. Wallet. I got this cool wallet at Christmas that’s kind-of like a clutch purse with a wrist strap and it is just big enough to hold my keys and phone. So this gets thrown in my backpack (and I can leave my purse at home too).

7. Water bottle. One. Not 3. There is a water fountain (ie. water bottle refilling station).

Don’t Need:

1. Art supplies: markers, colored pens, colored pencils, washi tape, post-its, etc. I’m an artist. I use art supplies. But taking them with me is just a pain in the A$$ and something I can live without. **sniff sniff**  I’m not crying, YOU’RE crying!

2. Pantone swatch book. If I need it, I’ll look up the color(s) when I get home. I used to carry this like a blankie… it just makes me feel better to have it. But do I truly NEED it every day? Nope. NEXT!

3. A book to read. Ok, this one is nice to have, but I realized I was taking a book with me everyday thinking I’d have time to read (wishful thinking)... Yeah, I can probably count on one hand the number of times I’ve actually had time to read a book during the day. LOL! Side note: I’m also AT THE LIBRARY. If I need a book, I think they’ve got me covered.

Ok, I realize this is totally not life-or-death stuff and it’s DEF not as interesting as what Chrissy Teigen carries in her itsy bitsy, teenie weenie bag (knowing her, there’s NO TELLING what she carries… maybe washi tape... No?). But for me, this has taken a lot of soul-searching to be able to winnow down my bag contents (I honestly don’t think I’ve ever typed the word “winnow”. I totally had to look up the spelling. Just keepin’ it real, here.). And I felt the need to share it with you. All of you. My friends (said in my best “Dobby” voice. If you need to ask who Dobby is,  just don’t… let me be blissfully ignorant that you don’t know who the BEST character in the ENTIRE Harry Potter series is. Dobby is a FREE elf… Moving on)! 

What are some of your work bag essentials? And please don’t @ me if you’re totally happy carrying your massive valise full of washi tape and stickers. You do you, boo!