please advise

Dear Wendi Mc-C: How Do I Organize My Rat’s Nest of a Purse?

What I do weekly.

Wendi McLendon-Covey isn’t just a comedian and performer. As we discovered in herWhat I Can’t Live Without,she’s a savvy shopper, too. Now, theGoldbergs,Bridesmaids,andReno 911!actress is also a Strategist columnist, tackling your burning questions about what to buy and where to buy it. Welcome toDear Wendi Mc-C.

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Dear Wendi Mc-C,

Despite my best efforts, mypurseis a rat’s nest, and I live in fear of losing small things, like my keys and AirPods, in the mess. Any suggestions to help keep my bag organized?

Yours,
Overwhelmed

Dear Overwhelmed,

In the movieAmélie,Amélie’s mother was so fastidious that she dumped out her purse once a week,vacuumedit, and put everything back in an orderly fashion. That’s me.

I can’t stand having a messy purse, and it makes me anxious to watch other people dig through their messy purses (especially if it’s an expensive designer bag! Don’t treat your Chanel like atrash can).

Here’s what I do — I’ll dump everything out and literally use a tiny vacuum cleaner inside my purse and mymakeup bag.The Ushonk I found was made forcomputer keyboards,but it works perfectly for my weekly purse-cleaning ritual in a way that othervacuum cleanersare a bit too cumbersome to. Ushonk makes aUSB-chargeable version,too, if you prefer.

As for storage, get yourself to Target right now and pick up afew makeup bags from Sonia Kashuk.They come in different colors, shapes, and materials, and are useful for so much more than just makeup.

These flatter, foliolike ones are good for iPads orKindles,and even passports when you’re traveling.

I love the barrel-shaped case for things likechargersandcordsbecause it’s got real structure.

The longer bag is handy formakeup brushes,mascaras,and eyeliners, or even just pencils andpens.

And I love theclear bagsfor makeup, so I find what I need quickly. This one comes with refillable bottles that are perfectly sized for TSA requirements, but there areclear bagsfor all kinds ofother purposes,too. Your purse shouldn’t stress you out, so conquer the clutter, and conquer your LIFE.

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Dear Wendi Mc-C: How Do I Organize My Rat’s Nest of a Purse?