Keep your vehicle organized and clean.

Have you ever been driving, had to stop suddenly and everything comes rolling under your feet? It can be so dangerous! I can't tell you how many times one of my kids water bottles, or sports ball has come crashing under foot, preventing me from being able to brake. It's

Rubbermaid is my new friend! Really any plastic tote boxes will work. I keep one small/medium sized one between my two front seats. I use it for storing things like pencils and crosswords for those times when you have to sit and wait for one reason or another. Also, things like Wet wipes, purrel, paper napkins and a bottle of water for quick clean up jobs the next time you hear your child in the back seat say "uh ohhhh!".

The rear of my vehicle is the catch all of all things sports related and I happen to keep my baby's stroller there too. It is such a pain having to find that one needed item for their game when it's all tangled up under the stroller. Or even worse for me when I have to pull that stroller out and the entire ball collection comes tumbling with it. Have you ever experienced the joy of chasing a bunch of footballs/soccer/baseballs through a parking lot? I had enough of it myself and once again, Rubbermaid came to my rescue. I bought one of those large and tall storage totes for the back of my van. It's width is perfect enough to fit beside the stroller and it's hiegth is just enough to hold all those balls, extra jersey's, and all other sports equipment needed.

So how about the trash? What about those nasty built in cup holders too? You know how sticky they get from the sweat or spills of drinks! It used to be my one hidden shame of my vehicle. They were  the hardest thing to clean too! Well not anymore! Depending on the type of cup holder you have, I found two options.

1. Fold up disposable coffee filters and place in the bottom of the holders.
2. Fold up your favorite brand paper towel and place in the bottom of holder.

When it comes time to clean those drink holders, all you have to do is take out the dirty paper towel or coffee filter and toss in the trash. Then wiping the bottom of the holder clean with your favorite cleaner or just plain water, will no longer be one of those dreaded chores.

So what about the trash you ask? Where is it? You can buy those fancy bags that hang in your vehicle if you want. I tried that for awhile until I realized that cleaning them out was just as frustrating and time consuming as cleaning out those cup holders before. So instead,  why not recycle the plastic bags you bring your  groceries home in, by hanging one in the most convenient spot in your vehicle? For me this is on the back seat handle, with in easy reach of both my older kids. It's so much easier to just throw the bag away when the time comes.

There are so many things one can do to keep their vehicle organized. Just because we have kids that make messes, doesn't mean we can't find solutions to prevent them. (The messes, not the kids!  )