Something that has popped up on some blogs that I frequent is what to do with your purse while traveling. How do you fit it in your laptop bag? Why do airlines hate women, only allowing two carry-ons? What if your laptop is huge? My laptop bag is not that attractive, I don’t want it to be my purse. Etc. I find that there are three ways you can deal with this.

• Get a big purse that fits your laptop. I am a big advocate of getting a purse for travel that is big enough for your laptop. It’s the simplest way to make sure all your stuff fits. For some people, this means you have a really large purse for travel! But there are definitely large, attractive purses (or laptop bags that look like purses) that will fit a LOT of stuff. (Like this bag from Latico. Check out the so-cute lining!!) This works well for me because my laptop is pretty small, and I have found a regular purse that will hold it and my other stuff.
• Put everything in your laptop bag and pack your purse. I think this one is a little more complicated, but it seems to work for some people.  They simply take all of their purse stuff (wallet, phone, lipstick, etc) and put it in their laptop bag, and then they pack their purse in their big suitcase. This way when they get to their destination they pull out their purse and put all the stuff back in. They still only have two carry-ons, and they have a smaller purse for when they arrive. Best of both worlds!
• Drop a clutch or wristlet in their laptop bag. The other way to have the best of both worlds. Take your normal laptop bag, and have a wristlet with your wallet, phone, keys, and lipstick that you just drop inside. Especially convenient if you can put this small purse in a pocket or hook it to the inside top of your laptop bag.

So there you have it. Lots of options when it comes to purses. And of course, the fun part is shopping for the combination that works for you!