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Today’s prompt can go a number of different ways — what crossed your mind first? The philosophical or the practical?
I’m mainly curious today about practical things that have “saved you” after reading an interesting comment from a Magpie on my “Beginning to Think about Disney” post. Kelly wrote: “And whatever they wear, I always take a picture of my kids before we go somewhere crowded in case we get separated.” (!!) This had never crossed my mind before, although I probably accidentally accomplish this anyway, as I take tons of pictures every day. But it made me think about the things you do “just in case” that end up saving the day. I know you Magpies will have great suggestions along these lines. What would you add?
A handful of things that we do:
01. Travel with photocopies of our passports, etc, and also scan them and save them in 1Password.
02. More generally, use 1Password — after the initial panic that you might lose the master password, it saves so much time and makes your online “stuff” much safer. I also love that you can share passwords with your spouse and access the passwords from anywhere.
03. Pack a light change of clothes in our carry-ons for longer trips.
04. Bring a full water bottle with me any time I get into the car. I’ve been doing this ever since I read about a terrible accident on 495 in which people were stranded in their cars for hours and hours. There have also been too many drives home in which someone is “dying of thirst!”
05. Related to the above: use the restroom before leaving home.
06. Take a lot of pictures. Of everything. Box arrives in the mail tattered or torn open? Take pictures before opening! Minor scratch appears on the car door? Take picture! (I also photograph things like license plates, receipts that might need to be called up, shipping labels, etc.)
07. Update new addresses in iPhone as soon as I receive notice! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve received a “we’re moving!” card and then neglect to update it in my phone and have a Christmas card returned. Or, worse, I show up at the wrong address — this happened two years ago while I was traveling out of state and I vowed to be better about this!
08. Keep children’s medicine cabinet fully stocked. I always have a back-up bottle of Tylenol, Benadryl, etc, and the minute I tap into the back-up, I re-order another bottle on the spot. The same goes for tissues, toilet paper, paper towels, and wipes. (You’d think we’d be beyond our “wipes” years but we still find them handy for sticky fingers, travel/outings, etc, and ordering a new box as soon as the back up is done is the easiest way to stay on top of inventory.)
09. Keep emesis bags in the car. These pack up compactly/flat but the ring keeps the bag open and makes it easier for little kids to actually throw up in the bag. Gross but so helpful and has saved our car (and my brother’s car, relatively recently) on several occasions. Emory used to be prone to carsickness, so I would also keep big trashbags (for stowing soiled clothes) as well as a change of clothes and a towel just in case any time we were on the road.
10. Having a few important phone numbers committed to memory. You never know when you’ll lose your phone / be without service / run out of battery and need to call for help!
11. Have my children verbally rehearse their address and plan for what to do if there is a fire inside our house. Thankfully these haven’t been needed but I feel at peace knowing they know what to do if the horrible happens.
12. Label children’s clothes. I recently discovered I must also label their shoes when my daughter came home from a field trip with the wrong shoes on, and we couldn’t figure out who had swapped with her. (The shoes she wore home did not fit her — we had to buy a new pair immediately!)
What else would you add to this list?
Post-Scripts.
+An extension of this list: gifts for our future selves.
+A Magpie desiderata. (More philosophical rules of life.)
+What are your non-negotiables?
+Come, share your grooming routines with the group. (Loved the comments on this post.)
Shopping Break.
+Pretty eyelet shirtdress ($156!)
+Love the fit/style of these jeans. I was delighted to find that these also come in a petite inseam but are selling fast!
+Sam Edelman has some fun new sneakers in great spring colors — love these, and these reminded me of my VB Valentinas.
+Some fun Quince new arrivals: a Hill-House inspired “nap dress”; leather wrap sandals that remind me of my pair from Margaux; a sleek one-piece swimsuit.
+Fun gingham midi from Zara.
+New Varley arrivals! I love how they are redrawing the lines between athleisure and everyday womenswear. Love this sleek set and this sweatshirt-material cardigan.
+Just stocked up on some activities for upcoming road trips / travel / rainy days / sick days (I like to do this in batches so I always have something at the ready): road trip table topics (my daughter LOVES these; we have several sets); a book of drawing prompts; a neon hidden pictures book; Usborne activity books of different varieties (doodling, secret codes, stickers); fresh sketch pads and sets of markers; and “Weird but True” Disney facts. (The Disney mania is in full force in our home; my kids are absolutely obsessed with these guide books to Disney World for kids — a Magpie reader rec!)
+While we’re talking kids activities — mine keep coming back to / rediscovering this magnetic story maker set. They mainly use it to string together silly stories but I like the way it’s teaching in its own way the parts of speech and art of sentence and story construction.
+Love this chic vest top from Posse — perfect for pairing with the matching skirt or ecru jeans.
+A very chic suede sandal. I love brown suede — you can wear it any time of year! Transition to fall, transition to spring, even in summer!
+G Label just dropped a new collection and I’m swooning over this perfect shirtdress. They do elevated basics so well.
+The sweetest Mary Janes for a little lady for Easter, First Communion, etc! Emory decided these were too “frilly” for her taste but had to share. I thought these sneakers (also J. Crew Factory) were also adorable.
+J. Crew has some cute athletic wear for little ladies — love these shorts, this ribbed tank, these ribbed shorts.
A scanner app like adobe scan! I have all our important documents on there and it’s easy to search the text, plus it’s where I keep receipts and insurance reimbursements, or miscellany like my glasses prescription. A portable charger. Yearly calendar updates for deadlines (taxes, preschool applications). Postable is how I send my Christmas, birthday and thank you cards and the convenience is worth the price.
Love these — had to add: did you know that the native “notes” app on the iPhone has a remarkably good scanner built into it? Open a new note, tap the paper clip button, and click “scan documents.” It’s really good!
xx
Your mention of Disney reminded me of this great article from Busy Toddler (love her!) on what to teach your kids about getting lost at a place like Disney.
https://busytoddler.com/kids-get-lost/
Thank you!! xx
I do so many of these!
– taking a picture of my daughter before going into a crowded place (full body, so her clothes can be seen, and bright colors if possible!), and also practicing what to do in case we get separated (stay where you are and we’ll come back for you. Now that she is reading well we also show her what the “official” person’s ID or badge looks in case she needs to talk to someone)
– Practicing a 911 call with home address. I printed this out in large font to keep on the fridge door as a backup in case she feels frazzled.
– Look for the nearest exit wherever you go, and train your kid/s to do the same
– Yes to photocopies of important documents when traveling — this is a practice I can’t let go of, having been on an international student F1 visa to an H1-B work visa, I had sooo many documents to carry for proof of identify and legal presence in the US. I feel like they could have needed their own dedicated briefcase! I am gratefully past that stage but I also take pictures of everything and save them in a “documents” album on my phone so I don’t have to scroll through the 20K photos and videos
– emergency boxes in the car (with change of clothes for her and me, extra snacks, water, blankets, etc)
– A fire blanket and small portable fire extinguisher at home near the stove and near the grill.
– Change of clothes, extra meds in carry-on — Yes!
– “Go-bags” for when we need to evacuate.
– Practicing “what if” situations — e.g., what if a grown-up approaches you at the park and asks you for help with a sick puppy in their car? (A grown-up should never ask a child for help, they should ask another grown-up!)
– Taking a picture of where I parked in a big multi-level garage or a big parking lot
– Giving a trusted friend a spare key to our home when we travel for extended periods
– Extra SPF in my purse and in the car. Extra hats in the car as well.
– Re: labeling kids’ clothes — yes! I love “The Name Stamp” for this. I can attest that it does last through several washings. I started using it in my daughter’s kindergarten year and there was only minimal fading of her name on her clothes, inside her shoes, etc. by the end of the year.
– My daughter is way past the toilet training stage, but the bulk of this happened during the pandemic and we wanted her to avoid public restrooms as much as possible (because she could not tolerate wearing a mask at the time), so we had what we fondly call a “mobile restroom” in the trunk of our car for when we went for walks, hikes, etc. Also had those plastic bags to line the potty seat (the OXO foldable one) with the absorbent pad inside to hold the pee. Extra wipes, big bottle of water, “paper soap” for washing hands. She’s now 7 and I have still kept our mobile restroom 😉
– Sending my location to 1-2 family members/friends when alone in a rideshare (Uber etc)
– I keep a laminated medical/emergency card in my daughter’s school backpack, travel backpack with her medical diagnosis, meds she cannot take, etc.
– I love this product called “RoadID” which I attach to the laces of my running shoes. It’s a laser-engraved plate which you customize with your name, emergency contact, etc. I bought this probably 15+ years ago and it still looks new — really good quality. They also make a stretch ID bracelet for kids.
– Park the car in reverse: life skill for women driving alone. Easier getaway if needed. I learned this very early on and I feel like I have bragging rights about parking different size cars in reverse using mirrors only, way before the age of rearview cameras in the car. I park better in reverse than forward!
Typing this out made me realize that I am such a “plan for every possible contingency” person!
WOW, Mia! So many things I’ve never thought about — you are so prepared! Thanks for sharing all these tips!
xx
I always carry a big cotton scarf when traveling (a kikoy from Kenya, to be specific.) It has come in handy so many times: when I need extra warmth, sun protection on my head or upper body, to cover my shoulders in a church, to dry off wet hands, or serve as an impromptu beach towel or a picnic blanket.
So clever – I can imagine how helpful this is in so many situations!
Handy more than lifesaving, but I always keep a pair of travel scissors in my purse – they look like a pencil. You’d be shocked at how often they are needed when out and about and it has given me the opportunity to help others more times than I can count!
I have a pair like that too that I keep in a pouch that I transfer in/out of my bag for bigger day trips, etc. Maybe I should move these to my everyday bag pouch OR keep them in my car?!
Great idea – thanks.
xx
Gross for sure but the emesis bags — genius!
I have an extra pair of contacts on me at all times! Been stuck one too many times not being able to see clearly after “losing” a contact. Lifesaver!
This is SO smart – copying. I’m really disciplined about doing this while traveling; I always have 2 back up sets just in case — but I wish I’d thought to keep a spare set in my everyday makeup pouch!
xx
Definitely need to be better about having phone numbers memorized or written down, that’s a great reminder. Same for fire drills and kids memorizing address and phone. Re: taking pictures – when at somewhere like Disney/the zoo/anywhere with a huge parking lot (especially if we’re driving an unfamiliar rental car!) we take a pic of the car and the nearest parking marker so we can find it later!
Oo love this one. Thanks!
I take pictures of the stovetop, kitchen and bathroom outlets before going on vacation. No more “did I unplug?” moments.
So clever!!
Fire drills. Every October my dad would test our smoke detectors and we would practice running to the meeting spot on our neighbors stoop. I too do that as a parent. It seemed extreme at the time but a year or so ago our smoke detectors went haywire and both my children bolted from the house and ran safely to the meeting spot. It turned out to be nothing but having a plan made everyone stay a lot calmer
Smart! We’ve talked about plans but never actually run a drill – thanks!