Category: Travel

Top Tips for Spring Cleaning Your Car

5/6/2025

Believe it or not, I’ve helped clients organize their cars. Yup, cars pile up with excess stuff just like our homes. In fact, it’s pretty easy to clutter up a car because it’s a small space and you’re always busy when you’re in it, so you don’t typically take the time to tidy up.

Now, after getting you safely through the slushy, muddy late-winter weather, doesn’t your car deserve some TLC? It’s time to give it a good spring cleaning!

I’ll show you how to organize your car using my same CALM method that I use for your home. CALM = Clear, Assess, Locate, Maintain & Modify

CLEAR THE CAR
Grab two bags — one trash bag and one tote bag — and go through the whole car. First, bag all the trash — gum wrappers, dried-up Cheerios, used tissues (ick!). Next, put EVERYTHING else that’s not bolted down into the tote bag. Don’t forget to look:

In the glove box
In the center console
In the door pockets
In the sunglass compartment
In the seat pockets
In the trunk
In the storage compartment under the cargo area
Under the seats
Between the seats

Get every last bit of junk out of there!

It’s likely that your car could use a good scrubbing. Now’s the time! Vacuum the interior and wash the exterior. Or pay your kids, your grandkids, or your neighbor’s kids to do it. Or treat yourself to a professional car wash.

ASSESS THE STUFF
Toss the bag of trash and bring the tote bag into your house. Dump it out on the floor or a big table. You want to be able to spread things out and evaluate exactly what you’ve been chauffeuring around all year.

Sort things into categories based on the various types of items you find.

Driver’s needs (phone charger, sunglasses, phone holder)
Documents (registration, insurance, EZ pass)
Personal care (tissues, lip balm, hand sanitizer, lotion)
Handy items (coins, pen, paper, plastic utensils, grocery bags)
Kids’ travel items (toys, crayons, puzzle books, chargers)
Weather gear (umbrella, ice scraper, blanket, towels)
Emergency tools (jack, jumper cables, first aid kit)
Stuff other people might think is weird to keep in your car (Pilates and gym socks, gift cards)

While you’re at it, separate anything that doesn’t need to go back into the car. Put these items aside and, once you’ve finished the car, be sure to put them back to their rightful places in your home.

LOCATE ITEMS
After determining what needs to be in the car, head back to the vehicle and find places to stash it all. Be sure to put the driver’s needs in places that are within easy reach. As a professional organizer, I love that most cars now come with a specific compartment in the ceiling just for sunglasses!

Use small zippered cases or even sturdy ziplock bags to corral like items. Alternatively, a jewelry roll case like the ones I use in my organizing tool bag are handy for grouping small items. This can be especially helpful in the glove compartment, which tends to devolve into a cluttered mess.

In the trunk, use a sturdy tote bag or a collapsible crate for larger items like grocery bags and emergency kits.

MAINTAIN & MODIFY YOUR CAR
To avoid cluttering up your now-neat car, take a moment when you exit to grab your excess stuff. One thing you’ll need to include in your car set-up is a small bag to hold trash. I like to use a paper lunch bag in the center console because it’s easy to swap out for a new one when it’s full.

As you use the car, rearrange and modify what’s where. Maybe you don’t really need the umbrella all that often. So instead of keeping it in the front door, you relocate it to the trunk.

SET OUT FOR ADVENTURE
Whether your summer plans include big road trips or just local tours, your drives will be much more enjoyable from the seat of a clean, well-appointed vehicle that’s ready for wherever your adventures take you. Where are you headed?

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Traveling Light: How to Travel with Carry-On Luggage Only

7/14/2022

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Sadly, airline delays seem to be an expected part of travel these days. A friend of mine and her son set off on a 3-week trip that required them to pack for two different seasons. The bad news? Their plane was delayed by 12 hours and all the passengers had to wait in the airport with no access to their checked luggage. The good news? My friend and her son had packed for this big trip in carry-on bags, so they sailed off the plane knowing they had everything they needed with them!

Yes, it’s possible to pack only in carry-on bags, even for long trips.

My family and I always travel only with carry-on bags. I once packed our family of four in two carry-on bags for a 2-month stay in Italy.

With just a carry-on bag:

Your stuff is always with you and under your control.
You have less to re-pack when it’s time to head home.
There’s no chance of lost luggage.
You pay $0 checked bag fees, which can range from $25 to over $100!

“But how can I possibly pack everything in a carry-on bag when I need wardrobe options and my 5-part skincare regimen?” you ask. Answer: you can’t.

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Say YES to Summer Adventures!

6/11/2019

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This summer, get organized and be ready for adventure!

Are you ready for summer fun? Get organized, and you will be prepared to take off on an adventure whenever the opportunity strikes!

Do you ever feel that you want to take advantage of the excellent summer weather, but there’s simply too much in your way to make it happen? Maybe your house is disorganized, and you feel like you wouldn’t be able to catch up on the housework when you get back?

Perhaps you can’t find the things you need, so you waste time searching—Where did we store the picnic blanket?—or buying things over and over again—I can’t find the sunblock, so we’ll just stop by the store and buy more.

By the end of the summer, when kids are headed back to school, and the warm weather is waning, will you look back wistfully and wish you’d had more fun? This year, say yes to adventure with the confidence that you are organized enough to make it happen.

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Top 3 Travel Packing Tips

2/27/2017

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I just got back from a great vacation, so here's a post inspired by my trip.

Here are my top 3 tips on packing your clothes for a trip:

Roll your clothes. This prevents creases and wrinkles, makes your clothes compact so you can fit more in your suitcase, and makes it easy to get to each item because clothes aren’t stacked on top of each other. First, fold the clothes lengthwise then roll them up snugly. For kids, it’s helpful to roll complete outfits together, underwear and socks included.
To help shoes, bras, and caps keep their shape, stuff them with socks and underwear.
Decide what you want to bring, then remove 2-3 items. It’s tempting to try to pack for every eventuality, but the tradeoff is that you’re hauling around a lot of things you probably won't use and that will get in your way. It’s highly unlikely that the tropical island will have a blizzard or that the ski resort will become unbearably warm. Unless you’re going to a remote area with no stores, you’ll be able to pick up an inexpensive sweatshirt, umbrella, jacket, or whatever, if absolutely necessary. Plus this way you’ll have a little room for a souvenir!

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Get organized
Tips to motivate and inspire you!

Top Tips for Spring Cleaning Your Car

Traveling Light: How to Travel with Carry-On Luggage Only

Say YES to Summer Adventures!

Top 3 Travel Packing Tips

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​Get organized​Tips to motivate and ​​inspire you!

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Get organized
Tips to motivate and inspire you!