I've been looking around for a review to write while I wait for some suggestions to come through. I've always been intrigued by these bag reviews so thought I'd add one of my own.

THE BAG: I have a selection of bags that I use depending on where I'm going and sometimes on what I'm wearing. At the moment I'm using a smaller bag which is a beige canvas number with dark brown leather straps and trim (sound like one of those people who describes things on the shopping channels....!). For work I'm using what Mr Tart has dubbed my British Airways bag as it is in the BA colours. This is larger and has end pockets. It is again a canvas type material and is navy blue with red and white birds over it, and has white straps.

THE CONTENTS: Ok, so what's actually in the bag? Well it depends a little on my destination but on an average day it contains:

1. Water - I always carry a water bottle in my bag. I try to drink water throughout the
day but resent paying for bottles of it when I'm out and about. My present bottle is a red, metal sports bottle which holds one litre. I fill up the bottle every morning and it keeps me going throughout the day. It's also useful when going to places that charge stupid amounts for drinks, like the cinema.

2. Lip balm - I apply lip balm a few times throughout the day. I always use Carmex as I
think it's by far the best one around. There's normally a couple of these floating around in my bag!

3. Lip gloss - This is in my bag for those occasions when lip balm isn't quite special enough. I don't use it very often but it's good to know that it's there. At the moment the gloss in my bag is a bronze coloured Clinique one. This has SPF in as well which is really useful when it's sunny (honestly, it does happen sometimes!) as the Carmex has no SPF in it.

4. Eyeliner - I don't carry around a make up bag but do tend to carry around this one
essential. Eyeliner would be one of my desert island items (well you never know how good looking Man Friday might be!). I know that with eyeliner in my bag I can touch up or dramatically improve my look in no time at all. My eyeliner is again a Clinique number.


5. Pencil case - A lot of people seem to carry around a pen in the bottom of their bags
but I take a whole pencil case. This is mainly because of my job as a teacher. My pencil case is actually a No 7 tin which I got free with some make up. In it I have my fountain pen (the only one none of the kids can borrow!), some biros, pencils, a Bagpuss sharpener, rubbers and a few of the all important red pens!

6. Chewing gum - Another must for my bag is a packet of Wrigley's Extra peppermint
chewing gum (the blue one). I'm quite fussy on gum because I'm not actually a huge fan of mint (weird for someone who has chewing gum as an essential, yes!) but once I get used to a flavour of gum or toothpaste I find it very hard to change. I'm quite paranoid about my teeth (having a huge fear of the dentist) so like to keep this to keep them healthy and keep my breath fresh.

7. Purse - I got a new purse a couple of weeks ago and really like my new one. It is a
Quiksilver purse and is grey with yellow and blue spots. In my purse I have some spare change, but no notes at the moment. There is the usual mix of credit and reward cards. I carry my photo driving licence as it's a useful form of ID. I also carry around various membership cards - the General Teaching Council, National Trust, CADW, the Historic House Association and the Historical Association (notice a theme.....??). There's also some foreign coins from my various travels.

8. Mobile - Not a lot of handbags seem to be without these, these days. Mine is a fairly
simple Samsung. It has a camera and the Internet but I hardly use these functions. I tend to stick with my phone being used as the phone gods intended.....as a phone. Having said that, I still feel slightly lost if it's not in my bag!

9. iPod - Another item that seems to be making its way into lots of people's bags these days. Mine is an iPod Touch. I absolutely love my iPod. It carries all my music, everything from Take That, to country favourites to musicals (yes, I have slightly odd taste for a relative youngster!). I also have loads of Podcasts on there, a lot of comedy and lots of language ones (I'm learning Italian).

10. Book - I have always got a book on the go and can't stand to be stuck somewhere without it. I often read at lunchtimes in work, I read in queues or when sitting in waiting rooms, so you can see that it's important to have the book in my bag ready to go. At the moment I'm reading one of Jeremy Clarkson's books as a bit of light relief between my last (one of Ken Follet's mammoth medieval numbers) and my next which is going to be some Thomas Hardy.

11. Food - I tend to have at least a snack in my bag. If I'm going to work then I take my whole lunch in there, including sandwiches, cereal bar, crisps, apple and something sweet for afters. If I'm going out I'll often take a cereal bar or something with me in case I get peckish!

12. Tablets - I get migraines quite badly so I have to carry around medication with me. I always have my main tablets for getting rid of the migraines and then some soluble aspirin as a backup.

So that's my bag, hope it was vaguely interesting and it means that you have got to know me a bit better!