Organizing the Family Car

"What's that horrible smell?" I asked, directing the question to my husband as I crinkled up my nose and plopped into the passenger seat of our family car. Looking around at the back packs, football cleats and baby toys that were littering the back seat, he shrugged his shoulders. "Gee, I wonder?" was his reply.

The front seat was another story! Ashamed of my file folders that I had tucked between the seats, I knew it was time to face it! Our family car had turned into a bit of an embarrassment. Our house was cleanly and full of order, but you'd never have guessed it by looking at our car. That mother who carts her kids around in the gorgeous, ridiculously clean four-wheel drive vehicle that smells of cinnamon at the slightest crack of the window was my worst nightmare.

For many of us, the family car is our home away from home. Whether we're driving the kids to school or commuting to our jobs, it seems we're always stashing something between the seats. With this in mind, check out these tips and suggestions for organizing your family car...and you'll be ready to roll down the windows and step on the gas in no time!

Let's talk kids. Mine are far apart in age. While my twelve year old is interested in his ipod and wildlife magazines, my baby is playing with rattles and looking at board books. To clean things up a bit, I had my girlfriend fashion a couple of aprons for the back of the front seats. Each apron has separate pockets for storage. Since the baby's car seat is always on the right, I filled that apron with books, rattles, teething rings and an abundance of baby toys. I also used one of the pockets to stash some baby wipes. I filled the pockets of the apron on the left with snacks, video games, books, magazines, pencils and paper. I also saved a space for my son's ipod and camera. The aprons worked perfectly.

Next we move to the trunk. With little room to spare, I equipped this space with a couple of matching storage baskets and a crate for that stinky football equipment. I used one basket to hold sweatshirts (enough for the whole family), an extra baby blanket, a couple of diapers, plastic bags, and some snacks. I used the other basket for my work stuff.

I used a plastic pencil case to store a flashlight and some band aids which I placed in my glove compartment. Lastly, I placed a pumpkin-spice air freshener in the front of the car.

My car not only looked better, it felt better and had a better smell too! With a few simple organizational solutions, I had turned my car into a road-ready, family-friendly home away from home! Now there's even room for the family dog!