Today I took maybe 10 minutes to update our car 'emergency' bin in my magical minivan. This isn't jumper cables, flares, or anything like that (though those are all also important and I need to get those, too!). This has the stuff to make it easier to say 'yes' to spontaneous adventures and to keep our family comfortable and happy. What's in it? Bug spray, sunscreen, hair ties, a full outfit (plus sweatshirt) for our 4yo, PJs for the baby (we always have at least one other change of clothes in the diaper bag), a t-shirt that either my wife or I could throw on if things really go sideways, pull-ups in case we're out in the evening, disposable diapers (we usually use cloth) + trash bags, cleaning wipes, peanut butter crackers, a roll of paper towel, a big canvas tote bag with a blanket that could work for picnics, a spot for baby to roll around, or as a towel, an umbrella, and a first aid kit. Plus our giant stroller that fits both kiddos. Then in my center console, I've got hand sanitizer, wet wipes, granola bars, gum, flossers, a flashlight, a hairbrush, tweezers, nail clippers, and a nail file. Oh, and all the tissues. #momlife
Yes, I know this is a lot, but honestly, if we leave the house with the kids, we take my car 99% of the time. It feels good to know we have this stuff on hand if we need it. Also, we're getting ready to take an end-of-summer road trip and I know we'll be putting most of this to good use. What do you keep in your car to make life easier? Or do you have stuff in a stroller or bag if you don't drive as much?
Kids book storage: ✅ When we were in the midst of trying to get our toddler to fall asleep on her own, we ended up moving all books out into the hallway, lest they get strewn throughout the room. We ended up with a hallway filled with bins of books, which was just a bit overwhelming. We ended up putting this together yesterday (don’t worry, they’re all anchored into the wall!) and we’re in love. Plus it gave us a chance to purge duplicates, books we outgrew, or ones the grownups just couldn’t stand to read 😂 #sweetspace #organization
Here’s what I didn’t know: caring for kids is all-consuming, especially when those kids come from hard places. I could lie and tell you that the past year has been easy, but it hasn’t. And honestly? Our clean, organized house has been the first thing to fall by the wayside, as has taking on new clients. I’ve been quiet on here because caring for these kiddos and ourselves, plus growing a baby(!) has been our sole focus. But now that we’ve finally gotten into more of a groove, and I’m in crazy nesting mode, we’re slowly reclaiming our home and getting things back in order. This little area has made such a big difference now that school’s back in session. Why? Because it actually has hooks the kids can reach! Goodbye, backpacks and coats on our entryway bench and floor. #organizetheorganizer #sweetspace #organization
Y’all, organizing with kids is no joke! Since we became foster parents, keeping our home organized has become a whole new level of challenging. With our current two kiddos, we’ve slowly accepted that, in order to get anything cleaned up or systems in place, we need to do it when they aren’t around. So we’re trying to get things in place that work for everyone in our current season, and know that right everything isn’t going to be picture-perfect. Somehow this makes the snap-worthy spots even sweeter!
