Make My Life Easier Monday... Umm, Or Something Like That

Here at Noodles & Nuggets, I am constantly looking for something to make my life easier, run a little smoother.  Because, well, did you see my post about getting pictures taken?  Yeah.  That's pretty much my life.  Always.

So in an effort to help myself my readers find things to make their lives easier, I am making Mondays the day that I will highlight the best "Make It Easier" item I have found in the past seven days.  Well, mostly Mondays, unless I find something so special that I have to share it right that second.  Or unless I'm really lazy one week and have nothing to make your life easier.  Then I'm just sorry, and no help whatsoever.

What I'm really hoping is that in a couple of months I'll have found so many ways to streamline my life that I'll just be one walking commercial for perfect mommy-ness.  Or maybe just perfect person-ness.  Doesn't matter what I call it, it ain't going to happen, people.  But I will try my best.

So to that note, I bring you car organization.  Or at least organization of the millions and billions of toys/papers/cups/crayons/books/stuffed animals/bags/dolls/rocks/flowers and everything else that Noodle and Nugget bring into my car on a daily basis.  Ugh.

Most of the time my car looks like this:

And often, like this:

But today my car looks like this:

Did you notice how you can totally see the floor?  Awesome, right? 

See that thing in between the car seats?  Kind of rectangular, metal handles, reddish in color?  Here, try this angle:

That, friends, is from here on to be known as The Thing That Saved My Car.  It's a box.  Or maybe a basket.  Made of canvas.  With handles.  And a zipper top.  And I love it.

I simply took all of Noodle's and Nugget's junk stuff, threw it in the basket, and put that basket on the seat between them. (Then I vacuumed the floor of the car, and I won't even tell you how long that took or of the ick that I removed from my car that day)  If Noodle wants a book or a movie, it's right there on the seat where she can reach it, rather than down on the floor of the car where she can't reach it but can, and does, step on it each and every time she gets in or out of the car.  If Nugget wants a toy, he still can't really reach it (what with the car seat and all), but he can can screech loudly for a couple minutes until Noodle takes pity on him and reaches it for him.  And best of all, on those days when we have one extra person and someone is forced into the seat between the kid seats, they no longer have to wade through a knee deep pile of stuff to get to the seat.  I just zip up the top of the basket and throw it into the back cargo area, and they can get to their seat with ease. And once they are there they can actually put their feet on the floor.  It's a win/win for everyone involved.  Especially me, who has to clean up all the crap stuff out of the car on a semi weekly basis. 

Just for the record, though, once they are there they still have to find a way to wedge themselves between the car seat and the booster seat.  It's a basket, not a miracle machine.

So, I found this little gem at Target (my most favoritest store in the world).  And the best part is that it was only $10.  I just saved my car and my sanity for $10.  I heart Target.

So is it working?  You best believe it is!  I've had this little system going for 5 days, and my car has next to nothing on the floor.  I'm loving it so much I'm trying to think of other things I can put in one of these things.  Car emergency kit?  Sewing kit for me in all my noncraftyness (probably a bad choice)?  Changes of clothing and sunblock for swim lesson days?

What would you use it for?