Nothing makes me happier than organization (well maybe my husband and kids). I’m a control freak by nature, and when I need to de-stress or rid my thoughts of some anxiety, organizing is my safe space. Being able to control at least one part of my life relieves so much of my stress. So as you can imagine, I did A LOT of organizing during our recent shelter in place.
One area that needed some organization was my van. In the past, I had a small tote with essentials in it including a blanket, some diapers, flashlight, and a few bottles of water. However, I wanted to take it a step further and add some needed necessities to my van’s storage. Nothing drives me more nuts than being somewhere and not having something I need. And with three active kids, this happens (or happened) A LOT. It never fails we go to a grandparents house for a five minute visit and the kids end up in the pool with their clothes on. Or a trip to the park is cut short due to a broken flip flop. My solution? Invest in a few shoe organizers, some string and lots of necessities.
(Side note: that purple fabric shoved into the back of the car seat? A pair of my daughter's underwear. A hack used by my husband to get her car seat to stop squeaking mid-road trip!)
To mount them, I looped the string between the grommets and then hooked them behind around the van’s headrests. The process of doing this will depend on how your vehicle is set up. I also did a tie at the bottom and middle to keep the organizers flush again the seats and not sag.
Here are the things I put in the organizers. I am probably OVER prepared but again, I HATE not having something when I need it!
Sandals for all 3 kids
Diapers
Swim diapers
Hair brush
Hair ties
Bobby pins
Headband
Hats
Extra outfits for all 3 kids
Sweatshirts for all 3 kids
Swimming suits for all 3 kids
Extra underwear for all 3 kids
Socks for all 3 kids
Wipes
Can coozies (because my husband is high maintenance)
Bug spray
Sun screen
Children’s Tylenol, ibuprofen and benadryl
Adult Tylenol, ibuprofen and tums
Puke bags
Scissors
Pens
Flashlights
Sanitizing wipes
Hand sanitizer
First aid kit
Paper towels
Kleenex
Bottled water
Tampons
Snacks
Ziploc bags
Reflective vest
Also in my van but to the side, I have:
Beach towels
Booster seat
Reusable grocery bags
Portable potty seat
Blanket
I will obviously switch some of this out for winter and put in more weather appropriate items such as gloves, mittens, hats, etc.
What am I forgetting? What must haves do you make sure are ALWAYS in your vehicle? While my husband makes endless fun of me for everything I have, I’m sure I’m missing something!