Fall is around the corner - time to...

Check your "Emergency Preparedness Kit" for your cars!

Yeah, I know, there is still almost a week left of summer, but I had the thought now and I can't guarantee I'll have it again later.

Make sure your kids have seasonally-appropriate changes of clothing, and restock anything that's been deplenished while you were having a rocking good time this summer! Also, with all the rainy weather we've been having of late (at least in my neck of the woods), make sure you have an umbrella stashed somewhere in the car.

Two things I learned over the summer must go in the Kit - Tylenol (or Motrin or Advil - i.e. your drug of choice) and a disposible camera for capturing every fabulous moment of your child's life, even the unplanned ones!

Also - does anyone have any genius ideas for how to store water in the car? I've read storing water bottled in plastic is a no-no because the plastic leaches chemicals into the water in the heat. Does anyone sell glass-bottled water?

So, now that I've reminded you - hop to it!

Always Be Prepared

My 8 year Girl Scout career has served me well. If I hadn't learned from that to always be prepared, I certainly learned the lesson well during my first year of motherhood! You never know what sort of curve ball these little monsters will throw your way! By the end of Carter's first year, I was packing so much gear in my diaper bag, that it weighed more than he did! That is quite a feat considering he weighed 27 lbs at age 1!!!

Then I got wise. A lot of stuff, you don't need to tote with you everywhere you go. You just need it close enough by that you can access it when the occasion arises. I got the idea to pack a small Rubbermaid bin full of all those random extras you need, and keep one "kit" in each car. These kits have saved my behind (and my kids') more times than you can imagine! I re-check and stock it everytime the weather changes - warm to cold or cold to warm.

This weekend, I made up my summer kits! Here are my necessary items:

* Sunscreen
* Bug Repellant
* Change of clothes for each - shorts, t-shirt, socks, undies
* light weight jacket for each
* 3 extra diapers
* Travel wipes
* Hand sanitizer
* Benadryll bug bite soothing pen
* Snacks - 4 cereal bars, cheerios, fruit snacks
* Two bottles of water
* An extra baby bottle and formula (to make 6 oz)
* Coloring book and coloring pencils (crayons will melt)
* A baby toy and board book
* Beach towel for impromptu picnics!

I swear, all of this except the beach blanket fits neatly into the Rubbermaid bin so it doesn't take up any space in the trunk. We already have a First Aid Kit in the car. Can you think of anything I'm missing??

Bring on summer!!!!!