Im a planner, a packer, a what if, well...just in case, kind of person. I keep sweatshirts and a change of clothes ( for everyone) in the trunk of the car along with a rolled up picnic blanket. In my handbag, every thing but the kitchen sink. Im notorious at baby and bridal showers for winning that silly game, what's in your purse. I have band aids, and tylenol, bubbles and pantyliners, sewing kits and dental floss, yes really! With kids, I am like the holy grail of "mama has it" I've always been prepared. Regardless of how rushed I feel, I am easily getting out the door because I always feel prepared.

On the way out I grab my "dash bag." I want to say Its sorta like a diaper bag but for older kids. Its my piece of mind. It has snacks, water, extra socks, hand lotion and sanitizer, some car ride games, some mad libs, tic tac toe boards, mints, gum, hair ties, wipes, tissues, hard candies, sunscreen, bug spray, bandaids, bobby pins, zip loc bags, a charging cord, some gold fish crackers, pens, crayons, a doodle sketch pad, uno cards and notebook. I like Scout Bags for this but really any cool bag will do. A Scout bag is a cool, comfy to carry bag, lots of compartments. and ready to go with us to the park, the zoo, or where ever we are headed. Not expensive to put together at all. Some simple concentration puzzles, kids joke books, lots of creative things out there on Pinterest. I love Target for this reason. They always have that area at the front of the store with lots of fun items.

What also helps, I cook a few things on Sunday or Saturday night that will carry us through the week ahead. Hearty meals like a Meatloaf, home made mac and cheese, a pot of Bolognese sauce with meatballs, and an abundance of grilled chicken cutlets. I cook it all, cool and divide into packages. I plan the weeks meals and freeze what I don't need until the end of the week. I do this with rotating menus. This way, you have a fresh ready made meal to either heat up quickly or defrost on your way out the door ready to be heated up at dinner time. Add a veggie or salad and in 15 minutes or less you have a quick healthy meal. You can always add a potato or rice if you need to. Often for easy add ins I use grilled veggies such as corn and zucchini, which is sweet and is easily a favorite in our home. I also buy ground meat, and mix my own hamburger meat. I press out a dozen or so and place them on wax paper, wrapped in cellophane and put in a freezer zip baggie for those last minute meals in a pinch. It takes the stress out of scurrying last minute for good meals during the week. I have fridge in my basement so that helps too. Extra Drinks, extra pre-made meals, extra snacks, all "in stock" When you have a constant flow of people in the house, or unexpected guests, it makes things less stressful. I can always whip something together, and feed an army of hungry kids.