Make It Simple (3) – What’s in Your Car?

Welcome to the trunk of our Corolla! A well-stocked car takes a lot of stress out of my life. Because I almost always have what I need in the car, I don’t have to think as hard about what goes into my diaper bag or what should be in my hand as I leave the house. And when you have small children underfoot, the less you have to think, the better! So first up, I keep a canvas storage bin from Target in the trunk, which I try to keep stocked with these items:

1. Tie downs and jumper cables.

2. An envelope of family photos that my preschooler can use for his weekly Show & Tell. That way even if we forget to grab something from home, we always have a photo in the car that he can take.

3. Wipes.

4. Diapers.

5. Food! For in the event of an actual emergency (like mechanical problems) or a less-pressing but still distressing emergency (like unhappy, confined children on an unanticipated long drive).

6. Band-aids for scraped knees at the park. (I should beef up my first aid supplies.)

7. Clorox wipes. I use a couple each time I vacuum my car, to wipe off surfaces.

8. A change of pants and underwear, because you just never know when a kid might need them. (I originally put these in when T was potty training.)

9. A couple of super absorbent microfiber towels, from Target’s automotive section. I use these to give my car a cursory dry after I wash it, and I also regularly use them to dry off slides at the park.

10. (Not pictured) Several water bottles.

Now the rest of the trunk! Obviously, it is packed!

I keep a beach bag complete with sunscreen, a beach blanket, sand toys, a soccer ball, and even some soccer cones. I love that these things still get a surprising amount of use in a California winter! I probably use the contents of that bag at the park more than at the beach, though.

The red bag to the right of the blue beach bag is jumper cables, and right now I’m also keeping my tennis bag in there. The boys and I have fun playing with our four rackets and bunch of balls at a nearby park with tennis courts, and I even sneak in a few minutes of practice hitting a ball against the wall. 🙂

And lastly, of course, our beloved double stroller! (a Combi Twin Sport)

As if you weren’t already sick of hearing about my car, I must tell you that I LOVE cleaning my car. I never used to. But now that it is a daily struggle to stay on top of the house cleaning, I love that I can make the entire car sparkle in less than an hour.

It’s quick and satisfying! We manage to do it about monthly! The boys happily climb around and push lots of buttons while I work! Then they sit in the double stroller while I do the actual vacuuming at a local car wash! Then they think it is over-the-moon awesome when I spray them with the water while they sit giggling in the carseats! It is just plain fun. Anybody else agree??

See that face? So happy cleaning the car. Plus, he thought it was hilarious that his sock came off.

So, the big question—what is the state of your car?