79 The Traveling Blogger

I have done a few posts in the past where I state, "and it just pops into my travel tote or camera bag".  Then, of course, that feeds the question, "Can we see your travel bag?".   Well sure!

My organizing systems and methods of course are always changing and evolving, and how I travel is no exception.  It always varies on distance, length of stay and what I hope to accomplish during my time away from the home.  Sometimes it may be an afternoon at the coffee shop, other times it may be a week away with the fam.

So, although it can slightly vary from time to time, there are a few things that stay fairly consistent.  I like to use a single tote to hold all of my work tools, my wallet and my phone.  I would rather carry one bag than twelve, so it had to be big enough for belongings, but couldn't be so big, that my back would ache ten minutes into carrying it.  I found this bag from DSW, and have been extremely happy with it.

Here is what you will typically find inside.

• My Planner {more details on that here}
• Some current magazine reads
• Hand Lotion
• Project Work Files
• iPad
• Office in a Pouch

In the past I have tried a few methods for keeping my itty office bits nice and tidy when I travel.  I like to fill out my planner, flag pages in magazines and within paper files, access digital documents, highlight things.... you know, all the things I would do at my desk at home.  I have tried using the pouches on the inside of the travel tote and even those cheapy pencil pouches from Target.  Nothing ever seemed to be ideal until I decided to try a cosmetic case of all things {also found at Target}.  It was the "fits like a glove" solution.  So smitten!

I call it my traveling office.  I love that it is so compact, yet due to all the pouches and slots, can hold so much.  There are three separate zippered pouches, and the back side has multiple pockets which work great for things like pens and highlighters.  Yes, even a small notepad fits inside perfectly, for all my random notes and things I like to jot down {I found it here}.

Here is a closer look to what I have inside all of the pouches inside of the cosmetic case.

The first pouch holds some of my actual cosmetic type items, such as lip balm, a finger nail clippers, a hair tie, bobby pins and headband {last three not shown}.

The second pouch works great for my techy items, such as my iPad USB attachment, mini-calculator, my headphones, my SD card and jump drive.

The third pouch works great for stationary type items, such as blank note cards {you never know when you will need to leave a random Thank You or note}, page flags, paperclips and washi tape. 

After tossing my phone and wallet inside the tote, here is a quick glance down inside, so see how nicely everything fits for simple and streamlined travel.

The bag is versatile enough that if I opt to travel with my laptop instead of my iPad, I can easily do so.  And there is one more zippered pouch inside the travel tote, which is perfect for stashing the electronic chargers for longer trips.

What tips do you have for traveling and working on the go?  Any one item you couldn't leave home without?