Taking out the Trash

When I was a girl in my early 20's, I vividly remember visiting my grandparents house and seeing a couple of other family members pull up, open the back doors of their car and unload their very young children.  I witnessed something I'd never seen up close--my eyes saw food crumbs blanketing their back seat.  I was aghast.  These people, members of my own family, people I knew to be normal and clean and put together, were driving the messiest, grimiest, most unsanitary vehicle I'd ever laid eyes on.  I was horror stricken!

To be honest, there were probably just some minuscule Cheerio crumbs dusting the floor mats from their long drive where they wanted five seconds of peace and quiet that can only be brought on by snacking children.  But, to my untrained eyes, the whole thing was downright unsightly.  Fast forward ten years and...uhhhhhhh...my perspective might have changed a teensy tinsy bit.

It started so innocently.  I did have a rule about not eating in the car, but once Cate was snacking on finger foods, it was almost too easy to calm down fussiness with a few puffs here and there.  Then came the Cheerios and Goldfish.  And now, with two littles, I am practically serving five course meals to them in the backseat.

Oh sure, I have my excuses--sometimes we are in the car during snack time, sometimes there is enough whining that I give in--but no matter what, it totally makes me realize that old quote about how you need to walk a mile in someone else's...was it shoes?  Mocassins??  Whatever the footwear, kids eating in the car=glorious silence.

I can't even post pictures of how grubby my car was recently, I would die of embarrassment.  Last week though, I went through over half a box of Clorox wipes when I wiped down the inside of the car with the girls.  I also had it washed and even got out the vacuum!  We found puffs (Charlotte hasn't eaten those in ONE WHOLE YEAR), a random sock (mine--wierd, right?  I don't take my socks off in the car), roughly 100 crayons, and a Cheeto (?????????).

While I will never judge another parent for a dirty car again, I think I've put my grimy days behind me.  Awhile ago I saw someone put something on Pinterest about getting a plastic cereal container and sticking it to the front passenger side of your car near the floorboard.  They'd even attached them with some handy velcro command strips.  From there, you can put a plastic grocery bag in, put the top on, and have a sealed trashcan in your car.  Brilliant!

I tried the idea using what I had--a small trashcan sized cardboard box and Target bags, I'm fancy like that--and it has made my car SO MUCH CLEANER.  My early 20's self would approve :)