Busy moms live in the car, especially busy moms with a few kids. And busy moms know that life works best when they are prepared!
In the cabin of the car, it’s helpful to keep:
- One or two plastic grocery bags
- Box of tissues
- Baby wipes
- Bottle of drinking water
- Non-perishable snacks (keep an eye on the expiration dates)
- Two pens (in case one runs out of ink)
- Small pad
- Blank envelope
- Small pouch with the registration and insurance card
- Large zipper pouch with current coupons for restaurants and activities
A well-stocked trunk brings peace of mind. Here are some great things to keep in your trunk:
- Camping Chair
- Blanket
- First Aid Kit
- Jumper Cables
- Gallon of Water (tap is fine – this gallon is for washing, filling a radiator, etc.)
- Light jacket
- Rag Towel
- Water bottles (for drinking)
- Reusable grocery bags
- Plastic grocery bags (just a few – we’ve seen people really overdo this one)
- Small box of balls (tennis balls, volleyball, basketball, etc.)
We also keep a plastic tote in the trunk with a variety of things:
- Car manual
- Sunblock
- Bug Spray
- Clorox wipes
- Extra baby wipes
- Travel-size tissues
- Umbrella
- Clean, empty sports bottle
- Rain poncho
- Emergency flares
So…what’s in your car?
–Jenni
Well there is one statement that could sum up what is in my trunk..karate gear and weapons! But seriously, most of the items you mentioned are great to have in the car. There was one addition I would make. When the kids were smaller we bought a travel potty! (Link at bottom of post) This great little invention saved the day many times especially when potty training or if we were at a place where the kids just couldn’t bring themselves to do #2. We would lay down the back seat of the van, turn on some music and let the little guy relieve himself in peace.
Another mom told me once that when she was a kid (living in Maine so this wouldn’t work for you Florida girls!) that at the beginning of the winter her Dad would buy a huge chocolate bar and some bottled water in the glove box of the car. It was there in case they became stranded in the snow. If they made it the entire winter without incident it was a big treat that the whole family would share in honor of a safe winter.
Fisher-Price 2-in-1 Portable Potty
Awesome addition! I did that with my little ones too. Great idea.
I’m a minimalist, so what’s in my glove compartment is registration + license. What’s in my cabin is an umbrella and camera-toy for our son. What’s in our truck is light weight stroller, a box of emergency cleaning items (trash bag, paper towels, baby wipes, febreze, resolve carpet cleaner). Wish I had these things when our son threw up in the car, so that’s why it’s there now. That portable potty looks really portable!
Being prepared is great but if you’re going to keep a bottle of water in your car, it should only be used for clean ups, not drinking purposes because we know that the heat in our cars causes chemicals from the plastic to release into the water! Better to bring in a fresh one and not keep it in the car.
That’s a great point and one we had not thought of. From now on, we’ll only store non-drinking water in the hot car, especially since we live in Florida! Thank you for your valuable input.