Hey everybody! Today I’m starting a new series called What’s in my ______? I’ll be doing posts once or twice per month for this organizing series. I’m choosing areas of my life that seem to get disorganized easily and showing you how I’m fixing the problem. I wanted to start with my car because 1. It was a royal mess from our last trip to Indiana and 2. It seems most people who have kids have a hard time keeping their cars organized!
Here is the state my car was in before organizing it (not pictured: stroller and pack n’ play that was just removed):
Not THAT bad other than the trunk, right? WRONG! It bugs me really bad when my car isn’t clean. This doesn’t even show all the dust, hand prints, dirty windshield, dog hair and saw dust that has accumulated throughout the car. I also get frustrated with hearing all the change in the center console shifting around. First step: Empty everything that does not belong in the car.
I like to keep my trunk empty so I don’t have to worry about the stroller getting caught/breaking things and so there is always room if I decide to go grocery shopping on a whim. I’ve left my re-usable bags and umbrella so they’re easily accessible. We LOVE these liners for our floors as well. I carry a lot of flowers in our trunk that always spill and get top soil everywhere. This mat can easily be taken out, shook off, vacuumed and hosed down if needed.
I’d originally made a car kit to keep in my car with safety equipment for winter and one for random ‘you might need one of those someday’ type situations. This car has this nifty tray in the trunk that holds everything I need.
Items in said car kit:
- Lint Roller
- Emergency Food Bar
- Fix-A-Flat
- Emergency Shovel/Pick/Compass
- Deck of Cards
- Baby Wipes
- Kleenex
- Hand Sanitizer
- Handheld Light
- Flares
- Flash Light
- Band-Aids
- Nail Clippers
- Tweezers
- Notebook & Pen
- Collapsible Dog Water Bowl
- Screwdriver
- Large Ziplock Bag
- Socket Wrench for Wheels
- Diaper
- Tampon
- Bungee Cord
- Ponchos
- Jumper Cables
- Hand Warmers
- Hand Held Ice Scraper
- Mini Sewing Kit
This may be a bit much but I had everything on hand, it fit in my car and I’m a Girl Scout- Always Be Prepared!
My next messy space was my center console:
I kept everything in there but organized it better. I used a mini M&M container to hold all my quarters for parking downtown. I also put a $20 in there in case I’m ever stranded for gas or need taxi money. I also have a second flashlight, hand lotion, tire gauge, pen and my local discount cards. I don’t like filling my wallet with punch/rewards cards so I keep them in my car since we almost always drive my car. The bottom portion has plenty of room to grow but holds hand sanitizer, a few CDs, AUX cables and phone chargers. My glove box is also empty which I love because I’m sure I’ll want that easy access space as Sophie gets older.
Do I have entirely too much stuff in my car?? I feel it’s better to be safe than sorry. Unfortunately we can’t access the trunk tray if our car is packed for a road trip. How do you keep things organized in your car? What else is a must-have for your ride?