A Family Car Organized for Success—By Joanna Zucker

Summer finds us in our cars more than ever – road trips, vacations, little league and soccer games and runs to the various camps your kids will attend. Now is the time to organize the car to make it functional and comfortable for the busy months still ahead. Here are ten simple tips to help you save money, time, stress and effort.

	Snacks: Fill a large, lidded container with a variety of non-perishable snacks your kids enjoy and store it in the car. Our favorites are pretzels, cookies, granola bars, cheese crackers and fruit snacks. You can find a variety of snack options in bulk at your local warehouse club to help save money.
	Changing station: You want to be fully equipped in your car to change children of any age. Keep a spare diaper bag with a plastic zip-top bag filled with wipes, extra diapers, ointment, a stain pen and change of clothes for the baby. For the older kids, be prepared with spare clothes to cover changes in weather (sweatshirts, windbreakers), food spills or just to change after activities. This way, you can go out to eat or run an errand without having to return home.
	Videos: If you have vehicle with a DVD player, be sure to have a variety of videos to keep your children entertained on long road trips. Buy a hard cover disc case to keep them safe and sound and save a lot of room. Before we leave, I like to ask each child which one they want to watch and agree to the order we will watch in. This helps limit meltdowns and makes your life a bit easier.
	Table trays: For long trips we put table trays in the car. They fit nicely over car seats or on the lap and can be used for eating or art projects and writing. Trays also come in handy when you’re using drive time to write notes, pay bills or tackle other tasks. Look for trays that have a cup holder, space for crayons, markers, pencils and a space for books. Perfect for all your travel-time needs.
	Seats of all sorts: Always keep seat cushions, collapsible chairs and blankets in your car so you are prepared for any outing: from games, to concerts to play dates in the park. Have a variety on hand and you can’t go wrong. The easiest way to keep them organized is to tie them together with a bungee cord.
	Pillows, blankets and comfort toys: If you are driving to your vacation spots this year, make sure to have your family’s favorite pillows and comfort toys in the car with you. On long drives everyone will need a nap and anything you can do to make it easier for the family to fall asleep will come in handy.
	Plastic bags for garbage: Reuse your plastic grocery bags as garbage bags in the car. Every time you stop for gas or a meal, collect the garbage. This will keep your car neat and reduce the amount of work you need to do once you make it to your destination. To keep the bags organized, wrap one around the armrest and store a bunch inside or tuck them under your seat, so they’re out of the way but always within reach.
	Bring your cups with you: As kids get older it’s easy to be tempted by juice boxes and their convenience. The only problem is they spill easily. Always bring cups from home with lids to limit the messes in the car, or ask for a cup with a lid when you stop at restaurants or gas stations.
	Wet wipes: An easy way to keep your car tidy is to have wet wipes on hand at all times. They can be used to wipe sticky fingers, wipe up spills, wipe down your dashboard and cup holders, even clean stains on the rug or ceiling. You can use cleaning wipes, baby wipes or laundry wipes; they all have cleaning solutions and work just fine.
	Car wash gift cards: Next time your spouse asks you what you want for your birthday, anniversary or another occasion and you can’t think of anything, ask for a gift card to your favorite car wash. My husband gives these to me every year and I love it. Seeing my car clean inside and out really picks me up. Plus, it seems free!