Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Works For Me Wednesday WFMW - Planning for Spontaneity

With spring fast approaching (well at least I'm hoping it is!) - my Works for me Wednesday (WFMW) tip is to be prepared for unplanned outdoor events.

Sometimes after a time of running errands we realize it is too beautiful of a day to go home for lunch and be stuck inside. Or we’ll have headed out to the library and the kids will want to go to the park afterwards. I don’t like going home between stops, so I try to make sure we have what we need on hand for those spontaneous moments.

As well, if you are starting from home - it's easier to get out the door and go the park or some activity, with half the work already done. If you wait until 15 min before you leave to get everything together it'll take longer to get out the door and you might sometimes just not feel like doing it all, and decide to stay home.

So, especially once the more pleasant outdoor weather begins, I like to make sure my car trunk is ready for just about anything.

Sure there is a spare tire in there, some jumper cables – but I’m talking about keeping things in there for fun.

I like my trunk to contain:

Picnic basket – there are plastic cups and plates, napkins, a trash bag and some type of non-perishable edibles

Picnic blanket

Magazines for me - if we happen to stop at the park, it gives me something to keep busy with while keeping an eye on the kids

Sunscreen and bug spray - nothing puts a halt to the fun like being eaten alive or being burned alive

Change of clothes for the kids – one of our favorite parks has a water fountain that you play in and also a lake you can wade in…so we’re prepared. As well, you never know when someone is going to fall and get dirty or spill their drink on their clothes just before you need to go some place.

First Aid Kit – rarely ever use it…but I do also keep a small amount of money in there in case of an emergency (like we are at the park and someone is in desperate need of a soda!)

Hand Wipes - I like to keep these in the car all the time

Bottled Water - Can't do this in the winter b/c the bottles will freeze...and actually in the hot summer it'll probably be too warm to drink - but it's there and can be used to clean dirty hands or a cut, or to drink if we're real thirsty and haven't brought something else along.

A lot of this stuff I carry around in the trunk year round. I don't use it all in the winter but it's handy to have what I need when I need it.

With the trunk geared up, then I usually just need to make sure we all have our hats (summer) or jackets (winter) on...and maybe I'll add some perishable food to the picnic basket, grab my camera and some thing one of the kids will want. We are out the door much faster and without much "stress" from hunting for all the little things we need.

For more WFMW tips, head on over to Don't Try This at Home.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love the idea of keeping a picnic basket at the ready!

Tiffany said...

What a great idea! Seize the moment, right?

Sweetpeas said...

I always keep some non-perishable food in the trunk, but I love the idea of keeping it in a picnic basket, my kids would be over the moon if I randomly did picnics with them LOL.