Busy Season Survival Guide

What’s in My Cooler, Bag, and Car that Helps Us Survive Baseball Season

For our family, summer means baseball season, and baseball season means we mostly live at the field and in the car. Instead of trying to live regular life during this crazy season, we’ve become accustomed to and started planning for life lived out of lunch boxes and the trunk of the car. Over the years, we’ve developed some systems that work well for us, and which may also benefit you during busy times—whether you have athletes or are involved in theater productions, 4-H exhibits, planting and harvesting, or any other activities that keep your family on the move.

This post will break down three major areas of my summer life – meals, the car, and my bag.

What’s in My Meal Plan

My summer meal plan is more of a loose guideline. We've decided that during the summer, the priority is to have food that is simple to prepare, easy to pack in a lunch box, and readily accessible. This isn’t the season for variety!

One valuable tip from a busy farming and homeschooling family is that dinner (supper?) doesn’t have to be the biggest meal of the day. During summer, we often switch our meals around, having our main meal at noon and packing snack lunches for dinner.

We repeat the same handful of meals all summer, too. Tacos, brats/hot dogs, hamburgers, spaghetti, grilled chicken, and pulled pork are weekly meals throughout the summer.

When I’m not at the fields, I am probably at the grocery store, but ideally I buy and prep foods on Mondays (because we don’t usually have much baseball that day). This means making buns for the week, cleaning and chopping fruits and veggies, and decanting snacks into our pantry bins.

Everyone in the family packs their own gameday lunches – sandwiches, the occasional Uncrustable, burritos or wraps I’ve prepped ahead of time, beef sticks, string cheese, applesauce, granola bars, fruits, veggies, nuts, popcorn, etc. Nothing too fancy – just needs to be ready when we are.

What’s in My Cooler

For weeknight games we each pack our own lunchboxes, but for a weekend tournament we usually keep a cooler in the car. Instead of a bunch of ice packs that don’t last, we’ve frozen some gallon jugs of water that work great to keep a cooler cold all weekend, plus they double as extra water in a pinch. We also use some frozen individual bottles for that purpose.

I keep our paper picnic products in a reusable grocery bag all the time, so we can grab and go as needed. This bag always has cups, plastic utensils, napkins and plates for a meal on the go.

What’s in My Baseball Bag

To clarify, this is not the gigantic backpack boys carry around with cleat-topped bats sticking out; this is my catchall bag, designed to minimize trips back and forth to the car. Many baseball moms opt for a collapsible wagon, and I understand the appeal. For now, I simply carry a bag to the field, keeping it packed and stored in the kitchen for the season, so I’m ready to leave in a hurry if needed. Contents include, but are not limited to:

• Sunflower seeds

• Licorice

• Medicine bag

  • Tylenol or Ibuprofen for kids and adults

  • hydrocortisone cream

  • bandaids

• Sunscreen

• Bug spray

• Chargers and battery pack

• Sunglasses

• Hat or visor

• Socks

• Pants and sweatshirt

• Book, kindle, or magazine (or all 3!)

It might sound like a lot but it all fits in a Gap tote bag I got as a bridesmaid favor in 2007. If it ever breaks I may upgrade to a Bogg or similar, but it’s been going strong for 5 seasons so far.

Bag-within-a-bag

Another helpful strategy is using a bag-within-a-bag system instead of dumping everything into one large tote. The medications are stored in a small makeup bag, chargers in another. I keep a small bag of toiletry items like a nail clipper and chapstick in my purse, which can easily be transferred to my baseball bag, eliminating the need to carry both at once. Rather than bringing my wallet, I carry cash, a card, and my driver's license in a small pouch that fits snugly in the inside pocket of my tote.

What’s in My Car

Just like we have a winter survival kit for roadside emergencies, I maintain a summer survival kit in the car that includes:

• My lawn chair

• Umbrella

• Towels

• Weather proof blanket

• Grocery bags

Other ideas include:

• First aid kit

• Extra chairs

• Extra hoodie/jacket

• Wet bag

• Extra water or emergency snacks

• Bleacher seat

A busy season may feel chaotic, but it doesn’t have to leave you feeling scattered! By implementing systems such as an easy meal rotation, pre-packed bags, and keeping essentials in the car, you can make the most out of a hectic season.

Hi, I’m Ashley.

I am a professional organizer serving Jamestown, ND, and surrounding areas. I help overwhelmed people tackle clutter, get organized, and be the boss of their stuff. From a streamlined kitchen to helping you plan for a busy season, I’m here to help you move from scattered to simplified.