You probably have everything but the kitchen sink in your purse. Keys to every car you’ve ever owned, phone, wallet, a receipt for that turkey bacon guacamole sandwich you ate two weeks ago, old gum wrappers, melted candy, your favorite lipgloss. You may feel that you’re ready to face the world when you sling that cute little black bag over your shoulder and head out to work / on the town / hiking / vet appointment, but what happens when you stop by the restroom and .. oh. Aunt Flo has arrived for her monthly visit. If you’re lucky, while frantically pawing through the nightmarish jungle that is your purse, you may happen upon a questionable tampon that escaped the wrapper two years ago.

Stop torturing yourself every month! I finally did. It’s time to be period-prepared and make a purse pack of all the menstrual essentials we have to deal with. It’s simple, quick, and if you put a little thought into it, it can be almost fun.

For starters, gather your supplies. A few ideas for the contents of a period-prepared purse pack would be tampons and/or pads, panty liners, sanitary wipes, your favorite monthly symptom supressor (Midol, Pamprin, etc), and even a clean pair of underwear, you know, just in case. Customize it! These are just some thoughts to get you started. Pack whatever you know you will need when the period beast comes knockin’ .. Diva cup, dark chocolate bar, whatever!

Now comes the fun part: finding something cute to pack it all up in. You didn’t think that you were going to get away with just throwing your well-laid plains into the bottom of your purse, never to be seen again, did you? Nope, we’re going to do this right, and keep everything together. Hence the pack in period-prepared purse pack.

The pack can be as simple as a ziplock bag .. but why would you want to be that boring? Get to gettin’ and find yourself an adorable little zip or button close bag that is small enough to be unobtrusive, but big enough to hold everything you need. And don’t just cruise the accessories department of Target. Be bold and use a Lisa Frank pencil pouch with rainbow leopards and butterflies. If you’re crafty, knit or crochet a little cupcake bag. Or, if the thought of Lisa Frank and knitting make you want to puke, pick up one of those cute little coffin-shaped bags and create the Monthly Doom Box.

Currently, I’m storing my goods in a cute, bubbly, unassuming Dr. Pepper zip-up bag. It’s fuzzy and Dr. Peppery and it makes me smile when I’m forced to carry it into the bathroom.

When it’s all said and done, throw the bag into your purse or tuck it away inside your car. Remember to replenish your supplies monthly. Congratulations, you are now preapred for anything.