Do you love what’s in my bag posts as much as I do!? I hope so, because I finally got around to sharing my summer/fall everyday carry and I’m excited to share!

This kind of post is maybe a little unusual for a productivity/stationery blog, but I think how you cart around your bullet journal/planner and everything else you need during the day is super interesting. For me, when my bag is organized well, I feel better able to take on my day—especially since I’m usually running around NYC.

This spring, summer, and fall, I’ve been using one of my most beloved purchases from my trip to Japan: my Issey Miyake bag! I’ve wanted one of these for a long time, and saved up because I knew the price in Japan would be a lot better. I love the unique design and the way it forms and folds like a portable sculpture, and the inside is roomy and functional without being too big (I’m petite!).

For anyone who’s interested, this is the Bao Bao Lucent Twill Tote in light grey, which I got at the Issey Miyake store in Kyoto. They make a shiny version that I knew was a bit much for my general style, but when I saw this limited edition with a light grey color (so it won’t show dirt like a pure white one) and the matte “twill” texture (it’s a faint, fabric-like molding on the triangles), I knew this was the one! I got this bag for about 50% off the price they sell it for in the US. The retail price is already a significant amount less in Japan, plus the exchange rate, and then as as a tourist you get a significant amount of VAT so the price ends up being a lot less. It was still a major purchase, but I’m really pleased that I was able to get a good price on something I’d wanted for so long and especially to support the designer directly at their own store, vs. buying at a department store in the US.

So what’s inside!?

As I said, I live in New York City, so I’m often carrying around a ridiculous amount of things with me, even though it might not look like it from the photo above! My key tool is POUCHES.

I keep my bullet journal, pen case, smaller pen case, an organizing pouch, my wallet, and sunglasses in my purse. Any other little things I need are tucked away in one of these cases.

For stationery items, my bullet journal (a trusty, amazing Archer & Olive A5 Notebook that I love so much!) can really take a beating, so I just throw it in the tote. I use a Lihit Labs Actact Compact Pen Case to hold all my pens and pencils I need for a day a work (I could definitely pare down… but would I really be a stationery blogger if I did!?).

For things like lip balms, headphones, hair ties, mints, and other random little items, I splurged on this MochiThings Plan B Basic Pouch. It was pricey but I haven’t been able to find any pouches with a similar “accordion style” divider inside. I’ve linked some more affordable options at the end of this post. You can see the pouch in action and how I pack both it and my pen case in this Instagram story highlight.

Finally, for money, credit cards, loyalty/punch cards, and cash, those all go in my wallet. I recently got this wallet from OAD NYC‘s sample sale. OAD is one of my most favorite brands, a small NYC-based designer with the most amazing functional bags and small leather goods. It folds out to lots of space for storage but is super compact. I also have a card case that isn’t pictured for my most-used cards and Metro Card.

My new favorite product is this adorable pencil case I got from the OAD sample sale! It’s not on their site, but I love that it holds my two current favorite pens and has a keychain.

What do you carry in your bag!? Share all your products, pouches, and organizing tips with me: I love learning about how others organize their life!

What’s in my bag? | Product List
Archer & Olive A5 Notebook in Silver Crescent
MochiThings Plan B Basic Pouch | affordable options: similar 1, similar 2 from Amazon (affiliate links)
Lihit Labs Actact Compact Pen Case in black (affiliate link)
OAD Mini Zip Around Wallet in Bordeaux
OAD Pencil Case (sample sale)
Warby Parker sunglasses