What Do You Bring to Work Each Day?
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It's been years since we've talked about what you bring on your work schlep (and our discussions on what's in your bag) — but for today let's focus on work: If you're heading to the office, what are you making sure is in your bag? If you're hybrid between in office and remote, what do you bring? And finally — if your company doesn't do assigned desks (aka hot desking), what do you bring?
Things I'm wondering about: Office essentials? Laptop? Lunch? Snacks? Workout clothes? Date night clothes? Makeup for after work? Do you bring in some things at the beginning of the week (lunch items or extra clothes) and then take them home at the end of the week? What lives at the office and what do you bring with you? (Also, how many bags and do you have any favorites for your various purposes?)
I've mentioned before that I'm a fan of the Trapper Keeper for Adults, the polished padfolio — if only so (if working in a conference room or headed to a lengthy meeting) I have lip gloss, some cash, tape flags and Post-it notes and my preferred pen… but the padfolio was always kept at the office; I can see it being a bit bulky to schlep into work each day.
I've also been a fan of the “large tote + smaller bag inside,” whether that smaller bag is a lightweight crossbody (love my ones from Rothy's), a wristlet, or just a makeup bag or pouch.
Readers, over to you — what do you bring to work each day? How has it changed throughout your career?
I’m in the office 5x a week but I hotel (I have 1 drawer for storage and a full docking station at each desk).
My bag just has my laptop (required to bring home each night), PIV (badge), that day’s breakfast/lunch/coffee, and the essentials (phones, wallet, keys, sunglasses, and AirPods).
I can keep a sweater, water cup, notepad, pens, and headphones, hair clip, and an emergency snack in my drawer.
My ID badge, phone, and car keys. That’s it.
at this point, I carry very little back and forth – tote with laptop, office clutch, and little emergency kit pouch is the only thing that makes a round-trip daily.
Bring in daily – yogurt, fruit, lunch if I’m not buying out (typically I buy).
Office shoes, larger emergency kit, makeup touch-up products, variety of layers (wraps, cardigan, dressy blazer) all live full time at work.
I’m a few months into a new role that added a layer of complexity to this question. I’m hybrid, in office 1 day/week at a space with a docking station for my laptop and a drawer to store water bottle, emergency toiletries, and a spare umbrella, but now have an additional 1 day/month in another office with none of that. The difference between carrying a laptop vs a laptop and charging brick is more than you would think! I ordered a new charger this week that I’m leaving at the monthly office with my name on it, wish me luck!
My office is all hoteling with no dedicated storage for employees, so I have to bring everything I need on a daily basis. I carry a backpack with laptop, power cord, mouse, phone charger, water bottle, granola bar, a small toiletry bag to keep necessities, wallet, 2 phones, keys, etc. If I go to client offices, sometimes we bring portable monitors which is even worse. It’s a lot, but unfortunately there’s no way to avoid it given the lack of storage.
I’m in a hotel desk situation since the Government ordered everyone back to the office without enough actual space for everyone. I haul everything back and forth in a large Tumi bag with smaller pouches in it: a laptop (sometimes two laptops), a pouch of all chargers needed for any device, a mouse, a headset, a notebook, a small case with my favorite pens, a pocket sized hand sanitizer spray, lip balm, Bobbi Brown concealer stick and the lip stick/gloss I’m wearing for touchups, a refillable water bottle, business cards although I rarely use them anymore, mints or gum, tissues, airpods, glasses, sunglasses for commuting, wallet, phone, magsafe power bank, metro fare card, ID badge with lanyard, and keys. I only go in a few days a week and usually grab lunch with colleagues, but if it’s an independent work day I might pack a separate lunch. I drive to a nearby metro station then take metro into DC, so depending on the day and how much walking I will be doing, I sometimes take my dress shoes in a separate bag and wear commuter shoes.