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Trying to maintain a clean and organized car while traveling, chauffeuring, and adventuring during the summer can be just like the popular analogy of brushing your teeth while eating Oreos.

BUT it is possible to stay generally clean even while spending extra time in the car with a handful of simple systems in place. Besides the obvious of easily accessible trashcans, it’s also super important to have convenient storage options for the things everyone “needs” on the drive.

And, of course, the habit of not leaving half your personal belongings in the car every time you return home helps, too.

Car Organization Ideas for the Family

Let’s begin with the most basic things for car organization — trash and food. Two essential considerations if ever there were any.

People have a lot of different ideas about whether or not to let kids eat in the car, but honestly, to me it’s just entirely impractical to say that we will never eat a meal or a snack on the road.

Instead, I make the process as easy as possible– both super easy for the kids to eat and easy for clean-up to be streamlined.

My favorite hack for eating on the road is to keep food baskets in the car (I keep mine handy in my center console). We use these to divy up fast food, pass out snacks, and make meal baskets for longer rides.

These baskets are especially helpful during the summer, when we’re traveling further and spending full days adventuring. Sometimes I’ll prep breakfast for the drive there, and then pack something for dinner to keep in the car until we are ready to head back home. (For many/most adventure days where we live, this means at least an hour drive).

We keep a water cooler in the car to refill water bottles, my kids may change into dry clothes, and I assemble dinner baskets. I’m working on putting together a list of pack-ahead dinners for the drive home, but for now, just be sure to follow me on Instagram for lots of ideas and recs!

I always use fast food napkins or paper towels to line the baskets, which makes clean up really easy.

There’s no perfect car trash can that will magically motivate everyone to make sure they’re throwing away their trash (rather than it ending up on the floor or left on the seat).

That said, I have found a blend of reminding the kids during travel and when we get back to take care of their trash AND having big enough trash cans/bags within reach really does go a long way to keeping the car clean.

These are the three trash cans/bags we’ve used in our truck.

1. Waterproof Car Trash Bag with Lid & Storage Pockets
2. Easy Mountable Car Trash Can for Back Seat
3. Small Trash Can with Lid & Foot Pedal

Option one is a great design, but it didn’t end up being a good fit for our vehicle where I hung it. For a while, it was hung next to the center console on the passenger side so I could reach it and easily throw things away. However, because it wasn’t convenient for my kids to reach and it took up space from whoever was in the passenger seat, I swapped it for other options.

The second option is another great design, with a completely washable interior, an adjustable opening, and velcro closure. I wanted something for my kids who ride in the third row to be able to easily access for their smaller trash, so I hung this in-between the two headrests on the back row.

Option three isn’t actually meant for the car– it’s a bathroom/small trash can. BUT, it’s currently working really well for us after multiple trips and lots of time in the car. I wanted something with a sturdy lid, something big enough to hold. more than one outing’s worth of trash, and something that my youngest kids in the second row could easily use to throw away their trash. I have it strapped to the center console so it is securely fixed in-between their seats and cannot fall over. We just line it with grocery bags for quick and clean swaps.

Five Favorite Car Storage Recommendations

I’m mildly obsessed with each of these storage/organization items for the car and not at all embarrassed about how happy they make me. (Especially number five!)

Visor Napkin Holder

This is actually meant for tissues, I think. But, I wanted a way to keep napkins quickly in reach while driving. Instead of asking for the passenger to pass me some (request often goes unheard due to headphones), or reaching across to the glove box (not exactly the safest), there’s always a stash of napkins to pass out right above my head.

(It’s also super easy to refill, which I always do when I get more napkins from a restaurant).

2. Ceiling Cargo Storage Net

This cargo storage net really helps to reduce the clutter and mess on the floor of the car. (And helps to protect books from getting destroyed underfoot!)

My kids use it to keep a book or two, hats, small toys, etc, above their heads.

3. Car Seat Gap Filler

This little pocket organizer is helpful to utilize a small amount of space in which things would usually just fall into and get lost under the seat. I keep some simple basic things in mine, like chapstick, a pocket knife, lotion stick, and sharpie.

4. Car Backseat Organizer

We used these a year or so ago and they were helpful in keeping my younger kids’ toys and gear organized and accessible for them. Eventually, they did become clutter-magnets themselves, though, so I took them out of the car. However, I would still recommend them for longer roadtrips and drives when there is the expectation that they will have more with them in the car to stay occupied.

5. Car Trunk Organizer and Storage with Lid & Removable Leakproof Cooler Bag

I’ve used a variety of organizers in the back of our car over the years, from laundry baskets and bags to plastic drawer organizers. They all did the job well enough of keeping items we needed corralled and for that, I’m thankful.

But they also all had their pitfalls and I wanted to find another storage option that could keep everything organized without looking messy or taking up too much valuable space.

I am obsessed with how much I like this trunk organizer. I wanted an organizer that had a sturdy lid so we could stack things on top as needed. I also appreciate that if we don’t need to use all the compartments, it can close up and buckle to take up less space.

The organizer also comes with a cooler bag, which I honestly didn’t realize how much I would use. I bought some flat, stay-frozen longer ice packs and we use the cooler bag all the time for drinks, snacks, and more.

It’s honestly such a great investment for keeping the car organization and preparation this summer (and beyond)!

15 items I always keep on hand in our car ::

1. Emesis Bags
2. Compact Picnic Blanket
3. Ultralight Chair
4. Rain jackets for the family
5. Hats (for sun shade and hiking)
6. Flip flops (in case people forget shoes)
7. Travel games (for the car, parks, & restaurants)
8. Hair brush and ties
9. First Aid Kit
10. Microfiber towels
11. Trays (currently these dry erase, magnetic trays)
12. Ziploc bags
13. Hammock
14. Pocket knife, magnifying glass, net, whistle
15. Travel Cutlery

I hope these ideas and recs help you master car organization this summer! Being prepared and organized is a great first step to fun and adventures!

More Like This:

• Adventure Day Bags
• 10 Summer Mom Hacks for Better (& Easier) Family Adventures
• Traveler’s Journal Ideas: How I Use A Traveler’s Journal to Organize My Life
• Summer Adventure Bingo
• Summer Checklists & Our Summer Rhythm

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The post Car Organization for the Family appeared first on This Pilgrim Life.

The links below may be affiliate links, meaning I earn a small compensation at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure policy here. 

It’s that time again. We’re done with school this year, we took a week or so off with nothing on the agenda (because I had not made the kids’ summer checklists yet), and then I realized WHY THERE HAS TO BE SOMETHING TO DO EVERY DAY.

I don’t mean like a fun errand or adventure everyday. We definitely do not have the stamina for that.

But during the summer, the whole household runs better with at least a little structure. So, personal summer checklists it is. (I even make on for myself!)

Summer Checklists & Recommended Resources

The thing about a checklist or rhythm or schedule that I absolutely love, is that when the tasks are on a piece of paper, posted for all to see, the job of TELLING THE KIDS WHAT TO DO is off my plate. The checklists are the bossy ones making the kids do their math, read their books, write in their gratitude journals, etc. It’s not mom. She’s the easy-going one who get to defer to the checklist whenever anyone asks for screen-time. “But what does the checklist say?!”

(Highly recommend this method for assigning regular chores, daily rhythms, etc, too. Less decision fatigue for you, more responsibility for them). You can find a lot of ready-to-go printables and organizers in my shop to help with this!

I like to laminate the checklists so the kids can use dry erase markers to check things off, then erase for the next day/week. I also printed mine 4 to a page, but you can go bigger if that works better for you. (Different print options are available with the download in my shop).

WHAT’S ON THE KIDS’ CHECKLISTS (2024*)

Each day the kids all have to complete 1 page of math in their math books, read an hour independently or 30 minutes with mom, and complete a page in their word building or grammar books (my middle schoolers are doing a page of grammar a day).

In addition to the daily tasks, they have once a week tasks, like write in their gratitude notebook, write a journal entry about something that happened that week, read current events and do a written narration about something interesting, do a building project or science experiment, play math games, do a math speed drill, etc.

*I will add an updated picture of our 2025 Summer Checklists below with a few new ideas and resources.

Here are a few of the resources we’re using for our checklists: 

• Math Mammoth (this is the math curriculum we’ve used for years. They have review books, but we’re just going to keep working in their regular books because we didn’t finish)
• Honey for A Teen’s Heart (this is a book recommendation book for teenagers. I have the standard Honey for A Child’s Heart too. I’m using this to pull reading ideas from for my oldest boys)
• The Week Jr. (current events magazine that arrives once a week. Interesting and fun, generally non-partisan. My kids typically devour it when it arrives)
• Word Ladders (this is a whole series of books on different grade levels. The pages are simple to complete and will serve as fun spelling and vocabulary practice)
• Grammar Practice (basic grammar rules and practice exercises. I got 6th grade level for both my middle schoolers because grammar isn’t something we typically focus a lot on)
• Gratitude Notebook (Juniper Grove Journals has a lot of printed notebooks like this to go in a traveler’s journal. I love that the prompts and places to write are ready to go)
• Cardboard Engineering (I bought this for my 8yo’s birthday. He can use this book, and others in our library, to complete his project task each week).
• Multiplication Speed Drill (I use this website to print out our speed drill practice pages)

In addition to the math and language arts practice this summer (and our summer nature study, gardening, interests, and adventure days), there is also a section in the checklists for habits. I’m trying to help the kids develop a habit of starting each day with water, sunshine, and movement, so that is on their checklists. I also included gratitude and random acts of kindness in the habits section.

You can see and print the Random Acts of Kindness sheet for free at the end of this post! 

My summer checklist is a little different than the kids (the last one on the daily section should actually say book reading, so that is actually similar). But I wanted to set some regular goals for myself this summer, and help me reach some of my work deadlines.

Hopefully, my personal checklist will be a helpful reminder to make both work and personal fulfillment a priority most days!

2025 Summer Checklists

I used our checklists from last year as a base for this year’s checklists, with a few small changes based on my kids’ current ages and needs.

One of the great things about summer is the extra time for individual interests and lessons. My oldest boys will be signed up for typing lessons, my older daughter wants to start learning French, and my younger son will have ample time to build and experiment– his particular passions.

Most of the kids’ summer work and habits will be independent, but I also want to be sure we have intentional learning time together and time to connect as well. (Especially since I try to use the increased free time to increase my own work and project time independent of the kids).

My goal is to gather the kids at lunch with a lunch tray and our Summer Nature Study. I LOVE this time of learning together about summer nature topics– things we are already going to be exploring and active in for the next few months.

Other resources we will be using this summer:

• Challenge Cooking Cards :: deck of cooking prompts to inspire and motivate kids to cook regularly and try new recipes
• Oyla Science Magazine :: we’re trying both the regular and the junior version this summer
• Duolingo :: language lesson learning app– we’ve used it for Spanish for a while, and are going to try French this summer
• Typing.com :: free typing practice and fun games
• Yoto Player :: I’m going to get my youngest set up with some podcasts via the Yoto to listen to during craft time

Printable Resources

You can find these customizable summer checklists in my Etsy shop, along with a lot more resources like a Water & Nutrition Tracker, Drink Flip Menu, Summer Menu pages, and more.

The Random Acts of Kindness page is free to print here. I hope it inspires more kindness in all of us, in new and fresh ways!

I love summer and this season of adventuring and gardening especially! If you enjoy organizational content, fun family content, and great summer recipes, stick around, look around my site, and follow me on Instagram!

These are some great summer posts to get you started:

• 10 Summer Mom Hacks for Better Family Adventures
• 50+ Fresh Summer Vegetable Recipes & Resources
• 20+ Tasty Summer Cookout Recipes
• Adventure Day Bags

Sharing is caring! Don’t forget to pin and share. Thank you!

The post Summer Checklists & Our Summer Rhythm appeared first on This Pilgrim Life.

The links below may be affiliate links, meaning I earn a small compensation at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure policy here. 

Before I learned about travelers journals, I kept a bullet journal in a plain notebook. Everything I needed to remember was recorded in the notebook. While I used some of the organization methods I still use, there wasn’t a great way to separate notes and lists by category.

A travelers journal allows me to organize everything much better. Instead of one notebook with everything all together, I have separate notebooks for each category of information or notes that I want to record.

The great thing about a travelers journal, just like with a bullet journal, is the endless variation and customization that is possible. A student could make one to hold notes for each of their classes. An artist could keep different types of ideas and sketches and business figures separate. Or, anyone could simply have different notebooks for any facets of their life.

In my travelers journal, I have a notebook for home and family, one for homeschool and community, one for work, and a “commonplace” notebook. Keep reading to see travelers journal ideas and lots of picture examples of how I like to set up mine. 

Travelers Journal Ideas

How I Use A Traveler’s Journal to Organize My Life 

If you like this method for note-taking and organization and would like to make your own Travelers Journal, I have a simple sewing tutorial in my Etsy shop. You can also read more about recommended supplies and how to start your own in my other travelers journal post. 

I can’t reiterate enough how customizable a travelers journal is, especially if you make your own cover. Choose your favorite fabric, your favorite colors, notebook inserts that match your needs, and you have a system that you can use for years. (Replace notebooks as you need to). Oh, and keep your favorite pens in the back pocket!

In my travelers journal, I use the front pocket for papers I might need, receipts and current notes. I also have opted to use a regular calendar instead of writing out my own calendar pages in my notebooks. I find this easier to keep up with dates and see everything quickly.

After the calendar insert, I have 4 blank (unlined) A4 notebooks. I like to buy a bulk box of these because we use them for various things in our home and they’re handy to have on hand.

*NOTE: I print my printables at 60% to fit in my travelers journal. 

HOME & FAMILY NOTEBOOK

The first notebook in my travelers journal is my home and family notebook. I have lists and pages dedicated to birthdays, house project ideas, and other personal things I need to record/remember.

My most frequently used and helpful pages are my grocery list and meal plan, my seasonal meal menus, inventory checklists, to-do lists, and a page for my cleaning rhythm and seasonal reset questions.

My grocery list and meal plan are both laminated so I can reuse them over and over. Its really so helpful to be able to open up to these pages and highlight my shopping list and jot down a meal plan. (You can find these printables and more in my Etsy shop).

My to-do list page is simply two post-its– one labeled ASAP and the other labeled EVENTUALLY. I fill them out and then switch them out for fresh post-its as needed. It’s an easy way to keep this page helpful and long-lasting. (I keep post-its in the back of my notebooks).

This year, I’ve added a basic cleaning rhythm I got from Clean Mama, as well as my seasonal reset questions. They’re both really helpful in *attempting* to stay on top of keeping our home in order.

HOMESCHOOL & COMMUNITY

My second notebook is dedicated to homeschool and community (specifically our Wild & Free community). This notebook is PACKED with schedules, learning rhythms, curriculum guides, event planning, co-op plans and lists, and more.

One page that gets used the most is my laminated daily and weekly school rhythms. I love that I can open up to this page and check-off/highlight what we’ve done as we progress through the school day. Then, erase and start all over before the next day.

I also have dedicated planning pages to each of my classes I teach at co-op. It’s really so helpful to have these notes and plans with me whenever and wherever I go (but especially to co-op).

There’s a lot more, but I’ll also mention that I really like having long-term overviews and rhythms in my notebook for some of our specific curricula, like Bravewriter and Treehouse Schoolhouse Nature Studies. It’s nice to have them succinctly organized in my notebook.

WORK

I don’t have many pictures of my work notebook, but I generally use this notebook for tracking long-term plans, goals, and ideas for my business. I often print out important emails or docs to hold on to in my notebook as well.

(Pictured below is my planning page for the new Intermediate Nature Study for Treehouse Schoolhouse).

COMMONPLACE

The commonplace notebook is a special notebook to record and remember book quotes, poetry, and other generally beautiful and noteworthy ideas. I also have a collection of significant cards written by loved ones in the back of the notebook that I enjoy revisiting when I need the encouragement.

I hope this gives ideas on how to get started with a travelers journal if you are a pen and paper person like I am. Start with what’s most impactful and helpful and go from there!

Don’t forget you can find more tips in this post, and lots of resources and a travelers journal sewing pattern in my shop! 

Follow me on Instagram for more like this!

The post Travelers Journal Ideas– How I Use A Travelers Journal to Organize My Life appeared first on This Pilgrim Life.