TIME MANAGEMENT: A Kit for Everything

Last week, after suffering from several rounds of illness, I made myself a “Sick Day Kit” so that, the next time I came down with the next bug, I have things in place to keep me going. This isn’t the first kit that I’ve made for either myself or someone in the family. Most of them have been inspired by either a lack of storage space (we live in a 140-year-old-”fixer-upper” farmhouse with no closets) or lack of time; for whatever the reason, each kit was a result of me wasting time trying to get everything I needed together at the last minute or going without something because I was caught on the road and unprepared or… (fill in typical Mom situation here).

Making kits is a great time saver. Grabbing a package of everything you need, already preassembled, when you are on the go and don’t have time to think “what is it that I need?” gives you the time to focus on other tasks with much less stress.

We already make lots of “kits.” Our purse is really a “kit” of those things we need when we travel around town. The diaper bag is a “kit.” A child’s backpack, dance bag, sports bag, lunch bag, etc. is a “kit.” We know what needs to go into our daily “kits,” even if we don’t always restock them as we should. We all know that, when our bags are packed as they should be, with all the trash and nonessentials weeded out and everything we need all together, we feel much happier and less stressed.

Have you ever thought of organizing in terms of making a kit for everything you can? Like I said, I’ve made lots of different kits, but it’s only been recently that I’ve realized how much easier and more organized my life would be if I thought of putting my belongings together in terms of making a kit, rather than just trying to find a place to keep something.

Here are some kits that I’ve either made in the past or am working on now:

• The Clothes Kit Our house doesn’t have closets, and we didn’t have a lot of money to purchase tons of dressers, shelves, or equipment to build closets when we moved in. Instead I bought twenty-one cheap canvas bags (bought online, don’t remember where) in three colors: red for the children’s day clothes, green for the children’s night clothes, and blue for my clothes. I used fabric paint to write the days of the week on them and placed everything I’d need into the bag. For instance, in the children’s red bags I’d place underwear, socks, pants, shirts, and any matching accessories in the bag, making certain that the outfits matched the activity that was going to occur that day (i.e. pants on T-ball day). This freed up dresser space. Not only were several outfits stored in such a way that it didn’t require extra furniture, but then I could just grab the bag in the morning and run. I don’t do this for my older two girls anymore as they prefer to take care of their own clothes, but I do it for my five-year-old and myself.
• The Make-up and Hair Kit I’m not a fan of Mary Kay cosmetics (I like Clinique), but a friend was selling it and wanted me to come to one of her open houses. I felt bad…I wanted to support my friend, but I didn’t need any make-up. Fortunately she was selling these babies: a hanging storage bag that you could roll up and keep a ton of supplies in a very little space. I’ve never seen these in the stores before, so I snagged two of them. I’ve been using them for two years LOVE them!
  I use one bag for the daily essentials: the top for facial washes and lotions; next down is my make-up; then comes a mix of my contact lense stuff, body lotion, and body mist; and my basic hair supplies (brush, volumizer, mousse). If I need to go on a quick surprise trip, run to the gym, etc., all I have to do is grab this bag and add a toothbrush. My other bag has things such as my manicure set, my facial supplies, etc. I keep the two bags hanging in the bathroom; when company comes, I roll them up and stash them in my bedroom.
• The Cleaning Kit All of my cleaners, dusters, apron, robber gloves, and towels are kept in a basket on top of my dryer. When I clean I just take the basket with me from room to room. This is what a cleaning service does; I figure if it doesn’t fit in the basket, then I don’t need it. (Well, everything but the vacuum cleaner, broom, and mop.)
• The Snacks-On-The-Go Kit I keep a small cooler filled with juice boxes, gnu bars, a few bottled waters, etc. in the car at all times. If it turns out we get caught being away from home longer than expected, we dip into this supply instead of going through a drive-thru. Saves money and is more nutritious. I try to always have the girls and I fill up a water bottle before we leave the house, but, in case we forget, at least we have something.
• The Car Wash Kit I keep my wash bucket, wash mit, towels, and some quarters in the trunk of the car. I use the self-serve car washes most of the year due to the weather, but my bright yellow car always needs scrubbing as opposed to just being sprayed. I save money by paying the first minimum amount, filling the bucket, spraying the car until time runs out, then scrub the car, then pay the minimum amount again to rinse and add wax. I don’t recommend this if you have people waiting for their time in the car wash, and I’ve also heard that some car washes forbid this practice, so, if you do this, be polite and check the car wash rules.
• The Emergency Clothes Kit I keep a pair of sweats or shorts (depending on weather), underwear, travel toothbrushes, and socks in a canvas bag in the car trunk (sits on top of the car wash kit) in case of falling in mud or other kid hazards. (I keep an outfit for me, too, along with a small make-up bag that has some Clinique “free gift with purchase” samples in case I need make-up, a travel brush/comb, etc.) In the summer I add a second bag with beach towels and swim suits…you never know when you’ll be out and want to take a detour to a lake or pool or something.
• The Charging Kit I keep all the camera/phone/battery chargers in one basket in my office. When not in use, everything is in the basket charging. This basket is also next to where I keep my purse, organizer, computer bag, and other things with which I travel, so when I’m ready to leave I can always grab a charged camera and phone. Everything goes right back to the basket when we get home.
• The Flu Kit I can’t take credit for this one–I got this idea from Flylady. Take your summer beach bag and add your beach towels, beach bucket, and Pedialite (or equivalent). When your child gets the flu, keep the beach towels under him/her, keep the bucket handy for when he/she can’t make it to the bathroom, and use the drink when possible. When the illness passes, wash the bucket and towels, repack, and replace Pedialite as soon as possible.

I can keep going, but you get the idea.

If you have any ideas for other kits, please let us know!

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