Ask Erin: Professional Kits of an Organizer

article by Erin Sharplin Love

As a professional organizer, I truly believe that preparation is the key to a stress-free and enjoyable life.  Imagine a day when you can handle any, and all, emergencies that come your way.  Whether big or small, these emergencies can be handled with professionalism and confidence by creating specialized “kits” for each scenario.  For instance, you’ve heard of a first-aid kit, but I suggest you go a few steps further and prepare more kits!  Below is a list of the kits that I currently have in my arsenal.  I hope they get your organizational juices flowing.

Car-Emergency Kits

How many times have you been out and about and needed to tend to a scraped knee, bloody nose or a swarm of mosquitos?  What about spilled milk, bored kids and a flat tire?  With these kits, there will be no reason to cry over that spilled milk anymore!

First-Aid Car Kit – This kit should include the following, but if you have needs beyond my needs (i.e. –diabetes, allergies) consider adding items that correspond.

• Band-Aids (include several sizes)
• Mosquito repellant
• Baby wipes
• Hand sanitizer
• Antibacterial wipes
• Pain reliever
• Eye drops
• Cortisone cream
• Sunscreen
• Alcohol wipes
• Q-tips
• Anti-nausea medicine
• Small bottle of water

These items easily fit into a small plastic bin or travel case.

Car Emergency Kit – This kit is for when you have a flat tire or other vehicle issue.

• Gloves
• Flashlight
• Jumper cables
• Tire-repair kit
• Tire-pressure gauge
• Electrical tape
• Windshield-wiper fluid
• Anti-freeze/coolant (Keep this out of reach from children and animals!  It is deadly)
• Blanket
• Motor oil
• Empty gas can
• Paper towels
• Pocketknife
• Small hammer
• Small wrench set
• Small screwdriver set

Not only do these items come in handy for vehicle emergencies, but you will also notice you will use a few of them for a lot of other situations, too!

Child Travel Kit – If your children are like mine, their attention span is often shorter than the amount of time it takes to get where we need to go.  Also, it’s just plain fun for them to have their own little personalized “kit” with toys, games, and snacks.

• Fruit snacks
• Crackers
• Colors
• Paper
• Stickers
• Small toys
• Small magnets and an altoid tin

Homework Kit

Much of the time, your child has already been doing school work for most of the day, so the last thing he or she wants to do is come home to chaos before having to do more school work.  I suggest creating a seamless transition from school to home by providing a snack, a little down time, followed by a dedicated and organized space for doing homework.

Homework Kit – A homework kit can be arranged in a plastic bin, pretty basket, or even a shower caddy!  Use your imagination and make it fun for your child.  *Note – Some of the items below may not apply to your child’s age group, so simply leave those out.

• Pens
• Pencils
• Crayons
• Stapler
• Paper clips
• Highlighters
• Paper
• Scissors
• Calculator
• Tape
• White out
• Hole punch
• Ruler
• Glue
• Erasers

Tool Kit

It is my opinion that EVERY woman should have her own personal tool kit.  It is very empowering to be able to handle the simple repairs that arise, sometimes on a daily basis!  You will also need this tool kit for getting your home organized and styled to perfection.

The Woman’s Tool Kit –  You could use a typical toolkit that you can find in any hardware department or you could make it a little more personal by using a pretty zippered bag or colorful plastic bin.  Either way, make sure it has a handle and is easy to carry.

• Small hammer
• Flat-head screwdrivers of varying sizes
• Phillips-head screwdrivers of varying sizes
• Picture-hanging kit
• Nails of varying lengths and sizes
• Super glue
• Command hooks
• Label maker
• Tape measure
• Small level
• Scissors
• Washi tape
• Masking tape
• Box cutter
• Work gloves
• Sharpies
• Pens
• Paper
• Pliers
• WD-40
• Goo Gone
• Batteries (AA and AAA are most common)

Among the kits I listed above, I also suggest creating a “Cleaning Kit” that can be easily carted from one room to another, a “Stain-Removal Kit” for when you accidentally spill red wine on your ivory rug and a “Beach/River/Lake Survival Kit” for you family vacations.  All in all, each kit should contain the essentials that are typically needed for each situation or event and should be assembled and placed in an area that is quickly attainable.  Believe me, one of these kits will save you one day!