Paper or Plastic?

185 minutes –the average amount of time I spend per week in the carpool line.

30 minutes — the length of QMonster’s drum lesson each week.

60 minutes — the amount of time I am guessing I spend waiting at various places each month for miscellaneous things.

This adds up to serious idle time each month…aka this adds up to serious phone in my face time each month. Let’s get real for a minute; you know you just mindlessly scroll through your FB feed while waiting to pick Jr. up from school. You know you pin your way through Sally’s dance lesson. You might even get super productive and respond to a few emails while waiting to see the gyno. Nonetheless, it adds up to wasted time each month.

Enter my grand idea: Momma’s Mobile Office! The general idea is to have everything you need to be productive ON THE GO! Think paying bills, meal planning, couponing, personal development, family engagements, etc. Instead of sitting in the car FB stalking your neighbor’s cousin, pay your bills! Instead of sending a ridiculous “so bored” snap to your girlfriends while waiting for Susie Q to finish piano lesson, write that stack of thank you notes you’ve been meaning to send out. Instead of pinning a boat load of yummy looking recipes you’ll never actually make, work on perfecting a skill you’ve wanted to master.

The deets on my bag:

Large (Bigger than the average purse, smaller than an overnight bag) sized canvas tote with my monogram (of course!)
Clip Board –If you’re writing in the car, you’ll need a sturdy surface. I also clip my bills on the clipboard as they come in so they’re in my face and I remember to pay them.
Pencil Bag — I love school supplies so I have 600 different colored pens, paper clips, a jump drive, and markers
Thank You Notes — To send out as needed
Check Book — Gotta pay the bills
Stamps & envelopes –Gotta mail the bills
Sketch Pad — Hand lettering is my personal development skill that I am trying to work on….I use my sketch pad as a place to write my name over and over again like a middle school girl bored in science class
Markers — For the sketch book mentioned above
Snack & Water — Self explanatory.
Planner — Believe it or not, I actually plan out my blog posts (You could use this as your meal planner, family calendar, social media schedule, etc. depending on your needs)
Nail Care –Nail file and SeneGence’s NailExtend because sometimes my car is the only time I have to do my nails….

Here is why I am TOTALLY loving this idea….

Less clutter on my counters…as soon as a bill/letter/etc comes in, I clip it to my clipboard. It never lands on my counters never to be seen again.
I feel productive during idle time. Nothing says “Queen of Carpool” like writing thank yous while jamming out to 90s hip hop before the school bell rings!
I love that I am actually making time to work on a skill that has NOTHING to do with being a wife or a momma. It’s just something I want to do but wouldn’t actually do once I got home.
I don’t NEED to spend so much time on social media. I know its a distraction in my life that I don’t need.
I feel like I am able to give more of myself to JHub and QMonster when I get home because I accomplished a couple of my “to-do” items while out and about.

Here are some other ideas for your bag (Remember, this is ALL ABOUT YOU so customize your mobile momma office to whatever helps YOU be productive!): Crossword puzzles, latest best seller, bible, whatever magazine or catalog that came in the mail this week, birthday cards (You know you always forget to send Grandma’s card until its a month late), Cross stitch stuff (or whatever your personal development items are), notepad (school excuses, notes to teachers, etc.), iPad/Laptop (To type out blog posts, NOT to get on FB!!!). Basically, anything you need to get that phone out of your face!

The key, I discovered, to making the bag work is making sure you actually have the bag with you. It needs to become sort of an extension of you. My bag goes pretty much everywhere with me. I make sure to bring it in the house each evening (to load it down with bills, cards, etc.). I take it to the car each morning. I also make sure I carry in anywhere I think may have a wait. Otherwise, it sits in the car all day until carpool.

Alright mommas, you’ve got this mom hack “in the bag”! Tell me, what is your mobile momma office going to hold?