As a new mom whose day never goes as planned, ever, I have been learning the hard way that good planning and preparedness eases the pains of a day going off-course.

In fact, I’d go so far as to say that good planning and preparedness has not only eased the pains of my unpredictable baby life, but it has enhanced my family’s ability to be spontaneous and enjoy more of what’s in front of us.

Part of the preparedness equation is keeping 2Clever Crates in my car at all times. One Clever Crate is full, and one is empty and collapsed. Let me elaborate.

1 Full Crate

Crate 1, the full crate, contains baby essentials, hot day essentials, cold day essentials. I recommend the 16L shopping basket as your full crate because it holds a lot (everything you see in this photo), but it doesn't take up a lot of room in your car. 

Here's the complete list of items I keep packed and ready:

• For Baby:
  • Diapers & wipes
  • Snacks that keep in a hot car
  • Onesie
  • Shoes
  • Sweatshirt
  • Hat
  • Light blanket
  • Warm blanket
• Other
  • Large, durable blanket
  • Athletic shoes
  • Sunscreen
  • Bottled water
  • Small amount of cash including coins for meters
  • A few Ziploc bags

Whenever we use items from our essentials crate, we replenish as soon as we get home. This is key!

This crate is what my family needs to be able to say YES to an unplanned opportunity for fun or adventure, and what we need to avoid uncomfortable baby-related "situations" (moms, you know what I'm talking about).

1 Empty Crate

Crate 2, the collapsed crate, tucks neatly underneath crate 1 and remains that way…. Until we need it. We’ve loaded it up with all kinds of spoils, from farmers market plants, to groceries, to a hand-me-down disassembled train set. It comes in handy all the time.

After transporting the goods, the crate simply folds back down.

For the empty crate, I recommend the larger 32L grated wall crate. 32 liters is surprisingly big, but it's also manageable to carry when it's all loaded up. I've specified the grated wall version of the crate because when we use it to transport messy things, the plants for example, we can just hose it off and set it in the sun to dry.

Crates May Vary

While my full crate has mostly baby goods, your full crate should hold whatever supports your active lifestyle and allows you to go anywhere on a whim. And your collapsed crate, like mine, is a symbol of possibility. Imagine what it might hold now that you're prepared for anything. 

This post contributed by Kelsey Olanoff, CleverMade's digital gal, and an active San Diego mom.