Giveaway: Purse Perfector

I love infomercials. I am fascinated by them and frequently see products that I'd love to own, though I've never bought anything from them. I joke that I want to be an actress on an infomercial because their outsize reactions crack me up and have to be a blast to act in them. Then there are the products that just flat out make me giggle. Really? People think they need them? Ummm ok.

I have to admit that a competitor of the Purse Perfector had an infomercial and was one of the product that made me giggle. And roll my eyes. I just didn't see a need for it. At Type A Conference back in June, I was given a medium Purse Perfector in sand. I brought it home, and it enjoyed its life sitting in a basket in my kitchen for the next couple months.

This isn't to say that I didn't have a problem with my purse. I can't tell you how many times I've dug and dug and dug for my keys, finally putting my purse on my car's hood and taking items out one by one before I found them. And that's not counting the times I've missed a phone call because I couldn't find my phone somewhere in the mess. Plus, my purse just looks... frumpy because it isn't full enough and just flops over.

And did I mention that it was really hard to find things? Tell me your purse doesn't look something like this (or more messy).

Part of the reason it's so hard to find things in my purse is because so many are black. If you noticed the inside of my purse is black. So are my keys. And my phone. And my sunglasses case. And most of my lipsticks. And my pen. Plus, my camera when in it - and my video camera - are also black. It doesn't make digging any easier. For the moment, we'll ignore any safety issues if I'm trying to find something while driving.

On a whim, I picked up the Purse Perfector one day when I was really annoyed, just to see if it would help. I quickly packed up the contents of my purse into the Purse Perfector - with room to spare. I was surprised by how little space everything in my purse used once it was actually organized. Shrugging my shoulders, I put it in my purse for the day.

I've yet to take it out. Actually, I take it out. I've taken it out regularly, though not in the way that I'd originally anticipated I would. I'd thought that I'd use it one day and then discard it. I love the Purse Perfector. When I switch purses - and I do so regularly now - I simply grab the Purse Perfector and move it into my new purse lock stock and barrel.

My car keys have their perfect spot, and I can find them almost instantly without looking. My phone goes in a pocket that's easy to find, and I haven't missed a call - even when my phone is in my purse and I'm in another room running to grab it. I have a little spot to put the gift cards that I use somewhat regularly so that they're easy to grab when I need them. My wallet goes in the middle pocket, and it's easy to get when needed.

I was probably one of the biggest skeptics of the Purse Perfector when I was given one. I almost didn't accept it, in fact, but I'm so glad that I did. It has reduced my frustration so much because it's so easy to find things. I really like the fact that my Purse Perfector zippers apart, too, so that if I have a smaller purse, I can take just half of my Purse Perfector with me.

While I originally wished that I had a color other than sand given the colors of purses that I generally use, the color options are actually smart. They are a good contrast to the items that are usually in a purse, which means you can more easily find things. The Purse Perfector seems to be a pretty solidly constructed organizer - and I love the fact that they are hand tailored in San Francisco then packaged in Cincinnati by special needs adults via Easter Seals, giving them jobs that they otherwise likely would not have.

I've shown the Purse Perfector to several friends since I started using it because I have to admit that I'm still sort of shocked that I like it as much as I do - I've done a complete 180 - and they have all been pleasantly surprised by it. In fact, I suspect that there are a few orders for the Purse Perfector in the works because of my show and tell.

And the silliest reason I like the Purse Perfector? It's complete vanity, but it makes my purse look better from the outside. The Purse Perfector provides structure to my purse so that it is supported from the inside and looks better from that perspective, too.

Go fig. Let's just say this wasn't a review I was expecting to write!

Better yet, I have one medium size Purse Perfector (of the winner's choice of solid colors) to give away to a lucky reader. It's the perfect way to try it out yourself. So what do you have to do to win? First of all, let me stress that you must follow all the rules. If you do not follow the rules, your entry will not count!

This contest is open until Tuesday October 11 at 7pm CST. I must have a valid way to reach you, so leave me your email address in your comment or be sure your profile has your email address visible. No duplicate comments will count. This giveaway is open to US residents age 18 and older. Winners will be selected via random.org and must respond within 48 hours of being notified by me or I will select a new winner.

Mandatory Entry: Tell me what you tend to lose most frequently in your purse.

Bonus Entries (leave a comment for each entry - if you put it all in one comment, I'll count it as one entry):

1) Earn one additional entry for following me and Purse Perfector on Twitter, then tweeting this contest with the following tweet: "Is your purse a mess? Fix it with a @PursePerfector #giveaway from @honestandtruly http://bit.ly/riZukF" (leave a link to your tweet as your comment and make sure you do all the steps!)
2) Earn one additional entry by following this review blog publicly via Google Friend Connect.
3) Earn one additional entry by following my “regular” blog Honest & Truly! publicly via Google Friend Connect.

And no, you won't earn any extra entries for it, but you will get good karma for following me on Facebook and liking Purse Perfector, too!

Good luck!

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a medium Purse Perfector for review purposes. I was not compensated for this campaign. That said as always, all opinions expressed remain my own.