Today I’m letting you in on a little secret about how to stay organized as a PTO leader…
Enter the magic of the dedicated PTO tote bag!
Yes, staying organized begins with having one place to put all of your PTO stuff that you’ll need for meetings.
It’s especially handy to grab this tote and head out the door, confident that you have everything you need!
If you are involved with multiple PTOs, then you very well may want to consider having a separate tote for each PTO!
That way, you can just grab the right bag and go!
And you’ll never have to hunt down where your binder for that PTO ended up!
In my PTO tote bag, here’s what I keep:
- my PTO binder
- pens and sharpies
- a few paperclips or binder clips
- clear tape
- name tags, usually just when I’m President or Membership Chair
- hand lotion
- lip gloss or lipstick
- a few bandaids
- Tic Tacs or breath mints
- kleenex
- a reusable water bottle
Basically, I keep anything I think I’ll need for the meeting to do my volunteer job and stay comfortable!
Over the years, I’ve had a variety of bags and as I’ve gotten more involved in additional PTOs, my tote collection has grown!
One of the most important factors is to consider the size of the tote bag.
I had one that was super cute and comfortable to carry, but my binder didn’t quite fit right!
So the search for the perfect PTO tote bag was on!
Here are a few tote bags I recommend:
This Scout tote not only comes in a variety of super cute patterns, but is made from a water proof and durable material that’ll withstand getting carted around for years!
The exterior pockets are great for stashing papers fellow volunteers hand you when you’re on the way out the door!
It’s also roomy enough to accommodate your binder too!
I love Reisenthel bags and totes!
I own several and the material is super durable, keeps pretty clean and washes up easily.
Plus, there’s a bunch of patterns and sizes to choose from!
I don’t own this medium sized Reisenthel tote (yet!) but I can already tell that I should be adding this to my collection soon.
The prefer a more upright shape to keep the bag standing tall when loaded up or empty, just like this tote.
This is the same medium sized Reisenthel tote bag, but in another different super cute floral pattern.
So cute and happy!
I forgot to mention that these totes have zippered tops.
Perfect for keeping everything inside and dry!
If you think you’d prefer to have a larger bag, then Reisenthel has you covered!
This bag converts into an even larger size, perfect for when you need to bring lots of stuff for PTO events.
If you don’t plan on carrying around so much, but want a fun and carry tote bag, then this Kate Spade striped tote is perfect!
It comes with an interior pocket to keep small items within reach.
Bright and cheery, just the feeling you want to exude as you walk into a PTO meeting!
In reality, you’ll probably be carrying a fair amount of things around, especially if you’re PTO President, so this Fossil tote bag will accommodate your needs pretty well!
To be honest, my PTO bags get a lot of use, so a fabric over leather is a better choice for me, but maybe you’d prefer a more polished look?
Be sure to consider how you’ll use and store the tote when deciding on the material or fabric type.
The Fossil Rachel Tote comes in a bunch of other colors and patterns too!
Like this multicolored geometric style tote bag.
Fun, right?
Bottom line…
No matter which tote bag you choose, or even if you use one you already have around at home, the bottom line is to set up a PTO bag.
And then make sure to use it!
Once you do, you’ll realize that this is a great little hack to stay organized!
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