In the Bag

I don't know if it's a city thing or a chick thing, but regardless, we carry our life in our bags around here. Just on an average day, I need my keys, wallet, sunglasses, cell phone, iPod, a pair of shoes to change into at work, a book to read on the train (thank God Harry Potter stopped at 7 because I could not lug another one of those behemoths around), a magazine in case I finish the book, a jacket or cardigan for when it gets cold at work, my planner (some of us don't want a Blackberry), assorted bills and envelopes that I need to forget to take care of and carry around for 2 weeks, an umbrella for when it unexpectedly starts to rain this afternoon (tell me again why I bother listening to Weather on the 1s?), snacks, a bottle of seltzer, a selection of no fewer than 4 lip glosses, and extra space to hide purchases made during the day from the eyes of coworkers who may or may not be under the mistaken impression that I was at an off-site meeting for the past two hours. And that's just the basics! It doesn't count the extras I'd have to pack if I'm planning on going out or to the gym after work (in the latter case, I would need a raincoat to protect myself from the droppings of flying pigs).

All those necessities require a big bag. Make that a BIG bag. Which is why I am in love with this one. It's freaking huge. I'm pretty sure I saw guys looking at me on the subway this morning wondering if I had a person in there. (Bonus for Upper West Siders! You can put your children in it!) But all the chicks were totally like, "OMG where do I get me one of those?" Trust me, I could see it in their eyes.

The best part of this bag is that it does its best to mitigate any additional back pain caused by carrying the contents of a mid-sized apartment around with you everywhere, which is a bonus if you're like me and don't have a massage therapist on retainer yet. Two crucial features: a) it is lightweight and therefore doesn't add to the lbs you're carrying around, and b) it is worn across the body, thus balancing the weight on both shoulders so you don't wind up with one higher than the other (as my acupuncturist likes to tell me I have).

Actually, that might just be the second best part. The real best part? It's $12.50! And it will totally fit all of the other purchases you can therefore justify making.