Lifestyle Design Vol. 6: Ready for Adventure: The "Stay Ready" System
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Before we get into the gear, here is your weekly reminder: perfection is not the goal. There will be days when you realize your Go Bag is sitting on the kitchen counter while you are already at the park. There will be moments when you open your Trunk Kit only to find that you used the last diaper three weeks ago and forgot to replace it. We are not robots; we are just people trying to make the good days happen more often.
We have all felt that pang of “gatekeeper’s guilt.” It is that moment when your kids see a splash pad or an ice cream shop and ask to stop, but you have to say no because you do not have towels, a change of clothes, or enough wipes to handle the sticky aftermath. By the time you get home, you feel like the fun killer.
Here is the secret: Spontaneity requires preparation. You can say “yes” to the random park stop or the messy sundae because you know you have the tools to handle the cleanup. This is the “Stay Ready” system that turns “maybe next time” into “let us go.”
The Go Bag Philosophy
The hardest part of leaving the house is packing the supplies. So, stop unpacking them. I realized that if I had to pack a bag every single time we wanted to leave, we would never leave. Instead, I keep a permanent Go Bag and a Trunk Kit.
Lifestyle Design is about staying ready so you never have to get ready. It is about protecting your peace by doing the heavy lifting once so you can enjoy the rewards a hundred times over.
The Trunk Kit Essentials
Keep a permanent bin or bag in your vehicle with these four lifesavers. This is your insurance policy against the chaos of childhood.
A quick note: Some of the items linked below are paid links to our family's storefront. Grabbing your supplies through us helps support our business!
The Mess Kit: Amway™ Home Multi-Purpose Wipes, paper towels, and trash bags and doggy bags. Sticky fingers and spilled drinks do not stand a chance.
The Clothing Kit: One full change of clothes for everyone. Yes, that includes Mom. We have all been the victim of a rogue blowout or a giant splash.
The Snack Kit: Non perishable emergency food. We keep XS™ crisps and applesauce pouches for when the “hangry” hits. This is also where I tuck an extra XS™ energy drink for myself because adventure requires fuel.
The Wait Kit: A few small toys, stickers, or books for those times when a restaurant wait is longer than expected or the line at the store is moving at a snail’s pace.
Grace for the Chaos
Just like the Launchpad, the Trunk Kit is subject to the laws of household whirlwinds. Sometimes you get to the car and find your toddler has decided the Trunk Kit is a treasure chest and has hidden your spare keys inside a sneaker. Sometimes your spouse “cleans” the car and moves the bin to the garage without telling you.
This is not about being flawless. It is about creating a safety net for the majority of the time. When you have your supplies ready five out of seven days, the spontaneous trips to the beach feel like a win instead of a chore. If you forget the socks once in a while, it is okay. You are still the parent who said “yes” to the adventure.
What is the one thing you always forget?
For me, it is socks. Always the socks. I can have a full change of clothes and three types of snacks, but someone is inevitably barefoot when they should not be.
I want to hear from you. What is the one item that always seems to slip your mind? Or better yet, show me your Trunk Kit! It does not have to be pretty or organized in aesthetic bins. It just has to work.
Snap a pic of your Go Bag or your car setup, post it to your stories, and tag me. Let us keep designing a life that leaves room for the unexpected.
