Car Kit

A while back, I saw a few pins on pinterest far a "car kit". It is just a little something to keep in your car if you need it. I found some examples here, here, or here. I took a few of those ideas and made it my own. I grabbed an old make up kit and gathered my materials.

Here is a list of what I included in my kit.
-hand sanitizer: just because it's a staple in my life.                
-hair ties/bobby pins: I always manage to leave my hair ties at home when I need them the most
-Orajel: Sometimes I just get random tooth aches, always when we are in the middle of a 14 hour car ride.    
-Insect Repellent: The kind I have is actually a lotion, but it works all the same.
-Anti Itch Stick: This is great because it's not a cream, and its a stick you can just easily throw in a purse or bag!
-Chloraseptic Spray: Always be prepared for cold and flu season. Bring on the sore throats.
-Baby Wipes: Things tend to get messy, I actually got a free sample so I just added it to my kit.
-Ibuprofen- These are obviously for those mid-road trip head aches, or for that one person in your car that has a head ache but no one has pain reliever..ever!
-Feminine Hygiene Products: Okay, Okay. I mean tampons and panty liners. I am a girl, and one of the pleasures of being a girl is getting a monthly cycle. Something I affectionately call shark week. Matthew could care less if this was in our car kit, but sometimes things just sneak up on you and you need a "feminine hygiene product".
-Imodium Tablets: Let's face it, sometimes that burrito from a fast food chain was just a bad idea.
-Tissues: ..because sometimes you just have to blow your nose. Or, blot your face because it is a million degrees out. Either way, tissues are handy.
-Midol: See "Feminine Hygiene Products". Shark week tends to include cramps and bloating.
-Tums: See "Imodium Tablets"
-First Aid Kit: I always seem to cut my finger at the most random times. Like, from a paper cut while reading a book in the passenger seat. Yaaaay bandaids!
-Chap Stick: Chapped lips just aren't fun at all.
-Contact Solution:When I need to flush out my eyes because I yet again managed to get something stuck in my eye and it's driving my contacts crazy...contact solution is amazing.
-Cough Drops: See "Chloraseptic Spray"
-Gum: Driving through the mountains= ear popping
-Cliff Bar: This is the "ahh, I'm starving but I'm in the middle of no where" emergency fuel. I may or may not be the person that feels the need to have a few MRE's in my tire hatch.
-Sunblock: I have gone to the beach on more than one occasion and realized I forgot my sunblock. Be Prepared!
-Lotion: Have you ever shaved your legs, wore shorts outside and realized when you're 5 miles down the road that you forgot to lotion your obviously ashy legs? This girl has on more than one occasion.


This is just what I personally need for my car at the moment. I would make a kit for Matthew's truck a little differently, but honestly feel satisfied with just one for right now. Another thing I have is a plastic bag dispenser to store plastic bags, obviously. And by plastic bag dispenser, I mean that I have an empty Lysol wipes container. I got the idea here. You can take so many takes on this idea. I plan on making a "kid" car kit when the time comes. I've seen a few different concept of this idea. You can make them for different age groups like baby, toddler and child. You can include things from toys and entertainment to a spare change of clothes, diapers and bottles. Some ideas are like this, this and this. I absolutely love the idea of having a "go to" bag for the car. When we get a little bit bigger car, I will probably make something like this. I hope I help inspire you to make a "go to" bag!

Pumpkin Muffins

Pinterest is possibly the greatest thing ever. I was on the quest to find something to make ahead for breakfast in the mornings, or a snack when I'm hungry. I came across these pumpkin muffins that literally have two ingredients; yellow cake mix and a large can of pumpkin.

 I picked up a box of sugar free yellow cake

I know it only calls for yellow cake mix, but I also added some ground flax seed. Maybe 1/4 of a cup. I honestly just dumped some in from the container, no measurements. 

I also did the same for wheat germ. I just dumped a good amount on top of the flax seed.

I mixed it together well

Then, I began to add the pumpkin little by little until the entire can was mixed in well.

Since I added the extra dry ingredients, I added a little bit of applesauce. I'm not sure if I needed it, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. 

I forgot pictures of this step but I put them in muffin tins and baked at 350 for 25 minutes. I ended up baking them for almost 30 minutes because they were still pretty sticky. The last batch, I added some chopped walnuts. Best. Decision. Ever. They turned out amazing and tasty. Best of all? They are so much better for you than regular muffins. 

Pinterest Project:Where I'm From

Pinterest can be a dangerous place during a deployment, heck it's a dangerous place in general. I had a million different projects planned in my head to do while Matthew was gone. However, that was not the reality of the situation. I only managed to have a few projects done that I deem Pinterest worthy. One project that I absolutely love is a project that I made with a few picture frames, some paint and the print out of three states. I saw a few ideas on pinterest that looked a little like this..

I loved the concept of making fun things out of states that are important to us. I decided on an outline of the state of Indiana with a heart in the city where I'm from. I made an outline of the state of Louisiana with a heart in the city where Matthew grew up. And then finally, an outline of the state of Georgia with a heart in the city where we got married. I absolutely love this concept. For military families, you can make one for every state you have been stationed in. There are so many ways to spin the concept.

The Finished Product

please excuse the terrible quality of the photo. Matthew is the photographer of this family, not me. 

This isn't the exact version of the project that I originally wanted, but I am beyond thrilled with the end product. I can't wait to possibly add more states, or find some way to add to the original project. I may add the state of North Carolina, where we live currently. Or, when we have children, make one for where our children were born. I eventually want to add the names and states underneath so everyone knows exactly what each heart stands for. There are so many possibilities! It wasn't a giant project, but it does add a little something to the house. The following pictures are just the initial process, but I hope you can take from them! 

 First, I printed out a picture of the state I wanted to use in the project

 Then, I used an xacto knife and cut along side the outline

Instead of tracing around the state I removed from the paper, I used the paper itself as a templet. I took think card stalk and painted in the lines of the templet. Simple enough right? I forgot take photos of the next few steps but...

Hartford City, Indiana 

Kingsland, Georgia 

Marksville, Louisiana 

Basically, I located the county of where the important place was and painted a heart on it. Then, I picked up dollar pictures frames for The Dollar Tree and popped those bad boys in. I put them on the wall coming into our home because I thought it just looked best there next to our key holder and the "God Bless Our Home" sign. Plus, it can be a nice conversation starter if you have guest to your home whom you've never entertained before. I hope I've inspired some of  you to make something fun for your own homes, it truly adds a little something special! Until next time! 

Proverbs 24:3-4

By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious pleasant riches.

Household Binders

Ever since I came across Jen’s blog over at I Heart Organizing , I knew that I was going to take a ton of great ideas from her blog. The biggest project I’ve conquered yet? The Household Binder. It has literally been months in the making. Basically, a household binder is a place where you can put anything and everything important to make your household function smoothly. Everyone’s binder can be different. The first thing I needed to decide is what kind of “categories” I wanted for my tabs. In no particular order, here they are; vehicles, school, important information, bill information, cleaning/home, pet information, and I have one free tab that I’m not sure of the category yet.

I needed to pick up a few things for the binder itself. I went ahead and bought a large and very pretty binder, protective sleeve, and divider tabs. I also used google to find templates for various things. I honestly can't remember where I got some of them, so if you recognize them please let me know and I'll give credit where it is do! 

First I added a little something at the beginning of my binder. It's a personal goal tracker. It's not anything big, just something that records goals I have one year from now, five years from now, and ten years from now. Things like paying off student loans, how to go about doing it, and exactly when I want to complete them. It's just fun to have a reminder of what you want to work at.

Let’s start by exploring what to put into each category. First up, vehicles. We own two vehicles, so I like keeping separate information for the two. We have a car maintenance logs for each the Yaris and our truck. The maintenance log has everything from getting the oil changed, to getting major work done. I write down the dates, what was done, the mileage and cost. Then I put the receipts behind the log incase, Lord forbid, I have to check back to them if something comes up. I also have our loan information for each car, and also our updated car insurance declarations.

 The school tab is just for me at the moment. It has my degree completion plan with classes that I have taken and classes that I still need to take. Luckily, I have a large portion done! I also keep my class outlines in it if we are traveling, or I keep it hung by my desk. I can never remember my student IDnumber when I’m on the phone with financial aid or my academic advisor so I keep that information written down as well. 

The “important information” tabs is just for that, important information. I really should do “sub” categories because this tab contains everything from contact prescription, explanation of insurance .coverage, shot records. It’s really for anything and everything I find important at the time. I don't have any photos because I don't have any fun templates, just boring things

And yes, I even have a tab for my children pets. I plan on adding an updated photo for each pet, and basic information. I found this great little template that is perfect for us. It is a place for us to keep microchip information and pet sitter information. I also have a section for both Buddy and Soto for their Vet Records. Their rabies and their pay and neuter certificates are also in here.

      I find having a bills section a lifesaver to say the least. I have part for log in information for different websites since I always seem to forget them.  I also have an excel spreadsheet that lists all of bills, what paycheck they are due, if they are an automatic withdraw and if they are how much the bill is. The bills that aren’t automatic are also listed, and then I write how much they were as soon as I pay them. It’s an easy way to see if I paid the bill that month. I also look at the monthly average, which is nice for making our budget.

The cleaning and household section of the binder will probably be split into two different sections in the next few years. Right now, while we’re renting, the household section only the home of our renters insurance. But, eventually it will house our home maintenance log. Like our vehicle log, our home maintenance log will help keep of track of things like when to change the air filters, when to power wash the house, when we’ve had the repair man come and things like that. This section is also a great place to put a notation of brands of paint and shade of paint used in painting your home. Maybe even add a popsicle stick with a paint sample to take with you when shopping for new drapes or home décor. Like I said, right now it just houses our renters insurance, but it will eventually house our homeowner’s insurance declaration.

The “cleaning” part of this section is such a great tool. Right now, I have a list of things I do daily, and my weekly cleaning list. I like a weekly list has things like Monday and Friday are laundry days, but sheets on Wednesdays. I also have days where just one day a week I deep clean the bathroom, or mop the kitchen floors really well. This way, I don’t get overwhelmed on Sunday afternoons to get everything done before the workweek start Monday. When we finally get out of a rental, I plan on having a monthly, quarterly, and semi-annual cleaning list. This will have things like cleaning out the garage, cleaning baseboards and organizing closets.  Right now the section is small, but there will be a lot more things added in the future.

When we have children, I will obviously modify my tabs, but right now it works for us. I have take out menus in the back for the nights where we don’t feel like cooking. I also have two “mini” types of binders. One is for our warranty information and manuals for different projects. The other is kept in our safe. This is where we keep our birth certificates, marriage license, social security cards and life insurance policy information. I call it my “important” binder. I don’t use it often but it’s nice to have when I do. 

Everyone can modify a household binder to meet their own needs. you can add a section for bible study, homeschooling, or project plans. I plan on adding an address portion for Christmas Cards, Invitations, and various announcements. I also plan on adding a "food" section as well. I may try to incorporate it to my household/cleaning section. This could keep things like a "master" list for freezer and pantry invantory. It can also have a meal planning portion. It has so many possibilities. It is a tedious task to start, but once you establish your base it is simple to add or remove as your needs change. It really does help make life easier! Until next time.. 

But all things should be done decently and in order- 1 Corinthians 14:40