Photo copyright held by Rida. Please do not use without permission.

EDC, WIMB, essentials, whatever you call the stuff you carry everyday is the topic of our latest blog series. We ask productive people to empty their bags and share their everyday carry with us to find out what helps them make stuff happen and what they can't live without.

Bag owner: Rida, Busy Mum (New Zealand)
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This month a librarian mum in New Zealand has opened up her bag to us and given us insight into how busy mums manage their lives.

What's in your everyday bag and why?

Being a mum and a yet-to-be-a-qualified-librarian, I have to firstly make sure that my everyday bag is spacious, so I carry a tote bag. I have to carry a drink bottle for my forever thirsty kids, and some snacks. I usually prefer fruit, we have amazing cherry guavas growing in our backyard and a handful of these easily fit in a plastic container. For myself, I make sure my keys, my diary, a few pens (I prefer Staedtler), my LG G4 phone, my QuadBeat 3 headphones and my USB cable are in the bag. I also carry a small grey bag in my tote bag because tote bags don't have compartments and the grey bag has important plastic fantastic cards such as my driver's license, my credit card, reward cards and so on. The librarian in me cannot survive without a book so a fiction-fantasy book is a must.

the more organised I am, the more likely I get to have some free time

What's your minimum must-carry?

My minimum must carry has to be my keys, my drink bottle and my LG G4. I never leave the house without these three things. The Goospery cover for my G4 has pockets for small cards so to go with bare minimum, I take out my driver's license and my eftpos cards from the grey bag and keep it in there. The G4 has a really good quick memo app which lets me note down anything in a hurry, add reminders to my notes and also save links. The camera in my phone is a great tool for capturing images on the go with 16MP resolution.

If I am in a rush I take out the grey bag instead of taking out the essential cards and wear it across my body to head out.

Any tips for getting things done anywhere?

Have a plan. Jot it down in your diary or add it in your calendar on your phone so you can set reminders. Follow it. Don't get distracted although it is sometimes impossible for mothers because our beautiful angels are capable of creating a million distractions in a day, taking us completely off the track. But I have noticed the more organised I am, the more likely I get to have some free time to read my favourite books.

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See also... What's in my bag series, Everyday Carry