This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase something from those links, I may make a small commission. See our full Disclosure and Disclaimer Policy here.

Supermoms have to carry a lot of stuff around and they always need to be prepared. I always carry a large purse that has room for the many day-to-day items I need to have available for me and my little guys. My husband refers to my purses as carry on luggage because they are so big and sometimes so heavy. (Yet he’s super excited to put his sunglasses, keys, phone and wallet in said carry-on luggage whenever we are out and about…). But I digress. I’ve compiled a list of what I think every Supermom needs in her purse.
Basics Must-Have Items:
- Wallet – I carry a wallet that zips up and is also a small clutch. That way it’s very simple to just take my wallet and stick it in my baby bag if I don’t want to carry my entire purse AND baby bag into a store. It’s got my cash, cards, checkbook, and change, all zipped up and contained.
- Phone – If I’m on the go, I make sure my phone is in my purse, especially if my little ones aren’t with me. That way I know it’s right there if something comes up about either one of them while they are at preschool, or with a sitter or whatever.
- Keys – I try to keep my keys in my purse pretty much all the time. My car has a press button to start, meaning you no longer have to put a key in the ignition. And that is a super nice feature, but it makes it easier to pay less attention to where your keys are located. So, if I keep them in my purse at all times, I know where to go to find them. Laying my keys out on the counter or throwing them in the car is just creating a twenty-minute search for them later on down the road. I try to remember that and just put them exactly where they go every time, to save myself time and frustration later.
- Sunglasses – I have to have them!
Cosmetics:

- Makeup bag – I carry a small makeup bag with me in my purse. It’s got everything I need to either touch up on the go or apply a quick layer of makeup while I’m out and about. More than once (or maybe a LOT…) I totally forget to put makeup on. And then I walk out the door to shuffle the kids to whatever we are doing, and realize I don’t feel super about how I look. It’s not the end of the world to go out without makeup, I know this. I just feel better and definitely more confident if I put on a few quick items to freshen up my look. In my little bag, I have a light foundation powder, eyebrow pencil, mascara, and tinted lip balm.
- Smell Good Stuff – I also carry a mini deodorant and a mini body spray. Those are handy if we’ve been at the playground or out for a walk and I could use a freshened-up smell. No one wants to smell sweaty Supermoms.
Personal Care:
- Feminine Supplies – And don’t forget to throw in a few feminine supplies!! We all know Mother Nature will make her monthly debut at the most inopportune time, it’s some kind of cruel scientific fact. If for no other reason, carry tampons to be able to help another woman that’s been taken off guard by her monthly visitor.
- Medicine – If there is any kind of medication you must carry, obviously you should carry that. In addition, I always have a small bottle of ibuprofen. That’ll cover headaches or muscle aches. If I have a horrible headache coming on, I can take medicine immediately to try to cut it off before it gets out of hand. Likewise, if I get that familiar catch in my back and that little nerve starts firing down my entire leg, I can go ahead and take medicine right then to get it going back in the right direction.
- Mints and/or gum – Nobody wants to have bad breath. And no one wants to smell your Starbucks Mocha breath either.
- Sunscreen – My two little guys look like Casper the Friendly Ghost. They have to have sunscreen, and they got that from their MAMA. Which means I have to have sunscreen too.
Organization Items:
- Coupon and Gift Card Envelope – I’m the worst about remembering to use coupons I receive in the mail or clip from the paper. To solve that issue, I have a little plastic envelope I carry in my purse that holds them plus any gift cards we have. I take a quick look in that envelope before I go to a store to see if there is anything I need to use or be on the lookout for. Also, I have a reminder to look through it over the weekends to make sure that there isn’t anything great expiring that I need to use or order online. I hate to see a good Kohls or Carter’s 40% coupon go to waste! My Mama taught me better than that!
- Pen and Small Notebook – I like to carry a pen and a small notebook in my purse always. I am an organized scatterbrain, and when I have an idea about something, I try to write it down immediately so I don’t forget. It’s also very handy if the kids get restless, they can draw in the little notebook while they wait.
Messy Life Stuff:

- Diaper kit – I have a diaper bag that I carry if I’m going anywhere with the kids, obviously. But it’s just good sense to back up your back up. I carry a rolled-up diaper with a tiny pack of wipes and a folded-up zip-lock bag to dispose of any emergent diaper situations that arise. Having this in my purse means I’ve got it covered if an emergency comes up, or explodes in some cases. And as a bonus, if you see someone else get caught off guard with a poop emergency, I can hand them my emergency kit and help them out. Most of us have had a baby explode and projectile vomit or poop (or both) in a very inopportune moment at a very inopportune place. We’ve all been there. Poop happens. Plan on it.
- Hand sanitizer – Cause the world is a gross place.
- Pack of tissues – runny noses can happen anytime, anywhere. Be prepared. Or if you have a round of the ugly cries, you are going to need those tissues!
Food & Water:
- Snacks – I carry something that I can eat or the kids can eat if we need a quick snack. You don’t want to be feeling shaky, crazy hungry and not have anything to quickly munch on.
- Bottle of water – I also carry one of those tiny little 8-ounce bottles of water. You just never know when you might get choked or get something in your throat and need a sip of water. Or when your child will get choked on a cracker and need something to wash it down. These little bottles are small and not heavy at all.
Emergency Items:
Beyond these everyday items, I carry two more emergency items that I ALWAYS have with me no matter what:
- Cell phone battery charger – You don’t want to be without your phone. My car will charge my phone, but it’s very, very slow. And if your car battery dies, guess what? It’s not going to charge your phone either. I got a simple and lightweight battery charger I ordered on Amazon. It keeps a charge for a good, long time even when it’s not been used and it charges up both phones and tablets very quickly. It’s very convenient if you are just running low on phone battery during the day, and it’s a life saver if you are ever in an emergency situation and need to charge your phone quickly.
- Small, STRONG flashlight – Flashlights are handy for tons of reasons. And I keep a huge one in the car for whatever we might need. But just in case of emergency, I have a very strong, very small flashlight in my purse at all times. No matter which bag I’m carrying, it’s always, always, always in the inside zip up pocket. That way I know exactly where to go if I need it in a hurry. I don’t want to shuffle through everything trying to find it.
Purses I like and Carry:
Here’s a few of the purses I own that I like to carry:
Wrap Up
In conclusion, you need a really big purse and you should probably go shopping. Haaaahhhhaaaaaa! No, just kidding (I’m not even kidding… go shop!). You don’t need a huge purse, most of these items don’t take up very much room. And you certainly don’t have to carry all of them. I am just a fan of being prepared. I’m not a fan of being caught off guard, and almost every item on this list is now in my purse BECAUSE I was caught off guard at some point.
So many things in life are unpredictable and sometimes it’s just nice to know you are as prepared as you can be for your daily routine. Also? I just love a giant purse. Feel free to print this post out and show it to your significant other as evidence as to why you need to go purse shopping this weekend to find a bigger purse, lest you be caught off guard and unprepared… wink…wink. Us Supermoms have to stick together.
Want to remember this? Pin this article about “What Every Supermom Needs in her Purse” to your favorite Pinterest Board!


Leave a Reply