1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,440 --> 00:00:13,880 Speaker 1: Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:14,360 --> 00:00:17,439 Speaker 1: Today's tip is about some smart things to stash in 4 00:00:17,520 --> 00:00:21,759 Speaker 1: your car so that all trips or weights are more comfortable. 5 00:00:23,040 --> 00:00:25,360 Speaker 1: Unless you've lived in a few big cities, if you've 6 00:00:25,360 --> 00:00:29,560 Speaker 1: got to commute, or kids or both, you probably spend 7 00:00:29,600 --> 00:00:32,839 Speaker 1: a fair amount of time in your car. I used 8 00:00:32,880 --> 00:00:35,760 Speaker 1: to think I didn't. I work from home and my 9 00:00:35,880 --> 00:00:38,960 Speaker 1: kids schools are less than ten minutes away. But then 10 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:42,840 Speaker 1: I started tracking my time and realized, Wow, all those 11 00:00:42,840 --> 00:00:46,360 Speaker 1: short trips add up. That's one reason I started the 12 00:00:46,400 --> 00:00:49,640 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast podcast. I wanted to give people something they 13 00:00:49,640 --> 00:00:53,479 Speaker 1: could get through on a short trip. Anyway, after my 14 00:00:53,520 --> 00:00:56,560 Speaker 1: recent episode on using up gift cards, I got a 15 00:00:56,600 --> 00:00:59,680 Speaker 1: note from a listener named April. She wrote that I 16 00:00:59,760 --> 00:01:03,000 Speaker 1: kept ending up at Target or CBS or some other 17 00:01:03,080 --> 00:01:06,080 Speaker 1: store on an errand and realizing I didn't have the 18 00:01:06,120 --> 00:01:08,800 Speaker 1: gift card, or running home for an in an out 19 00:01:08,840 --> 00:01:12,000 Speaker 1: gift card before we made a rare impromptu gift card 20 00:01:12,080 --> 00:01:15,760 Speaker 1: stop for dinner. So one day last summer, I grabbed 21 00:01:15,760 --> 00:01:17,760 Speaker 1: a credit card wallet I had and put all of 22 00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:20,240 Speaker 1: the gift cards I might use outside the house in it, 23 00:01:20,840 --> 00:01:24,080 Speaker 1: then put it in my glove compartment. Now, if April 24 00:01:24,120 --> 00:01:26,759 Speaker 1: needs to stop by Target Chicken, just reach in there 25 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:30,160 Speaker 1: and grab the card. This got me thinking of all 26 00:01:30,160 --> 00:01:32,600 Speaker 1: the other things that it's wise to keep in the car. 27 00:01:33,280 --> 00:01:35,320 Speaker 1: I don't think it's a coincidence that my family has 28 00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:38,840 Speaker 1: gotten sick less frequently since we started keeping bottles of 29 00:01:38,880 --> 00:01:42,720 Speaker 1: hand sanitizer in the cup holders of our cars. We 30 00:01:42,760 --> 00:01:46,240 Speaker 1: also keep some paper towels for the inevitable messes, and 31 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:50,240 Speaker 1: a small garbage container. In our family minivan, there's a 32 00:01:50,280 --> 00:01:53,560 Speaker 1: bottle of water or two for hydration emergencies, usually some 33 00:01:53,600 --> 00:01:57,400 Speaker 1: granola bars, sunscreen for sunny days, and an umbrella for 34 00:01:57,480 --> 00:02:01,040 Speaker 1: rainy ones. I keep a handful of quarters in case 35 00:02:01,080 --> 00:02:04,800 Speaker 1: I'm somewhere with old fashioned parking meters. I thought these 36 00:02:04,840 --> 00:02:08,360 Speaker 1: were pretty smart ideas. Then I asked by Twitter followers 37 00:02:08,440 --> 00:02:11,480 Speaker 1: about their car stashes, and I realized I'm pretty much 38 00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:15,200 Speaker 1: rookie level when it comes to preparedness. The most common 39 00:02:15,320 --> 00:02:18,640 Speaker 1: out of the box idea people mentioned a big towel. 40 00:02:19,680 --> 00:02:22,640 Speaker 1: This is as useful for messages as paper towels, but 41 00:02:22,720 --> 00:02:25,600 Speaker 1: can also be used for drawing off. Anyone who is wet, 42 00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:29,520 Speaker 1: or putting under anyone who is wet for whatever reason 43 00:02:29,720 --> 00:02:33,520 Speaker 1: that wetness has happened. A large towel also enables an 44 00:02:33,520 --> 00:02:36,720 Speaker 1: impromptu picnic, or if you need to be outside, can 45 00:02:36,760 --> 00:02:40,120 Speaker 1: be wrapped around someone who is cold. A few people 46 00:02:40,160 --> 00:02:44,280 Speaker 1: mentioned garbage bags. These are useful for the inevitable garbage 47 00:02:44,280 --> 00:02:46,600 Speaker 1: that builds up and that people forget to cut out 48 00:02:46,639 --> 00:02:49,640 Speaker 1: of the car, but can also make reasonable ponchos for 49 00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:54,040 Speaker 1: a sudden downpour. That said, actual ponchos aren't that expensive either, 50 00:02:54,120 --> 00:02:57,519 Speaker 1: and might be worth keeping around. A first aid kit 51 00:02:57,639 --> 00:03:00,200 Speaker 1: or at least band aids is never a bad idea. Yeah, 52 00:03:00,840 --> 00:03:04,280 Speaker 1: people with teenagers mentioned the importance of extra phone chargers. 53 00:03:04,919 --> 00:03:08,240 Speaker 1: Your young passengers might desperately need to restore their batteries 54 00:03:08,520 --> 00:03:11,000 Speaker 1: so they can text each other across the back seat. 55 00:03:12,080 --> 00:03:15,920 Speaker 1: Of course, not all entertainment must be electronic. One person 56 00:03:15,960 --> 00:03:19,040 Speaker 1: mentioned a book of mad libs. Another suggested a book 57 00:03:19,040 --> 00:03:22,679 Speaker 1: of crossword puzzles. Both require a pen, so be sure 58 00:03:22,720 --> 00:03:25,400 Speaker 1: to have that too. Either of those are a sticker 59 00:03:25,440 --> 00:03:28,400 Speaker 1: book for little kids can provide a lot of entertainment 60 00:03:28,919 --> 00:03:32,280 Speaker 1: for a small amount of car volume. A few people 61 00:03:32,320 --> 00:03:35,960 Speaker 1: mentioned Frisbees and April, who wrote in with the gift 62 00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:39,240 Speaker 1: card Hack, mentioned that she kept a deflated beach ball 63 00:03:39,360 --> 00:03:42,000 Speaker 1: in the car so she and her family could bat 64 00:03:42,040 --> 00:03:45,520 Speaker 1: a ball around if they found themselves waiting somewhere like 65 00:03:45,560 --> 00:03:49,560 Speaker 1: a sibling sports event with time to kill. Now that 66 00:03:49,600 --> 00:03:52,200 Speaker 1: I'm back in the newborn stage, people reminded me of 67 00:03:52,200 --> 00:03:56,680 Speaker 1: the importance of extra clothes. An extra sweatshirt should suffice 68 00:03:57,080 --> 00:04:03,160 Speaker 1: and helps with unexpected cold and find extra socks. Cold 69 00:04:03,200 --> 00:04:06,720 Speaker 1: feet make people miserable, and that's the last thing you 70 00:04:06,760 --> 00:04:09,960 Speaker 1: need on a car trip. As I read through this list, 71 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:12,000 Speaker 1: I realized that it sounds like a lot of stuff. 72 00:04:12,640 --> 00:04:14,520 Speaker 1: But the good news is that none of it takes 73 00:04:14,560 --> 00:04:17,560 Speaker 1: up that much space. A small crate in the trunk 74 00:04:17,760 --> 00:04:21,000 Speaker 1: could corral it all and then you'll be ready for 75 00:04:21,120 --> 00:04:24,000 Speaker 1: whatever life on the road throws at you. So what 76 00:04:24,040 --> 00:04:26,120 Speaker 1: do you keep it in your car? I'm sure I'm 77 00:04:26,120 --> 00:04:28,480 Speaker 1: forgetting something brilliant, so let me know what it is 78 00:04:28,920 --> 00:04:33,240 Speaker 1: at before Breakfast podcast and I hurt media dot Com. 79 00:04:33,279 --> 00:04:37,480 Speaker 1: In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and 80 00:04:37,520 --> 00:04:46,359 Speaker 1: here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody, 81 00:04:46,560 --> 00:04:48,680 Speaker 1: I'd love to hear from you. You can send me 82 00:04:48,720 --> 00:04:52,359 Speaker 1: your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with 83 00:04:52,400 --> 00:04:56,760 Speaker 1: me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod. 84 00:04:57,480 --> 00:05:01,839 Speaker 1: That's b the number four than breakfast p o D. 85 00:05:02,680 --> 00:05:06,200 Speaker 1: You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast podcast. 86 00:05:06,320 --> 00:05:09,160 Speaker 1: At i heeart media dot com that before Breakfast is 87 00:05:09,200 --> 00:05:12,000 Speaker 1: spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much, I 88 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:20,080 Speaker 1: look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a 89 00:05:20,080 --> 00:05:23,320 Speaker 1: production of I heart Radio. For more podcasts from my 90 00:05:23,440 --> 00:05:27,280 Speaker 1: heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 91 00:05:27,520 --> 00:05:29,400 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.