Disappearing Coffee Stains: A Busy Girl’s Emergency Kit

Your work should be your main objective at school and/or the office. In order to work efficiently, you must avoid distractions and focus on this objective. Some distractions however, are downright unavoidable. To better prepare for these mishaps, mainly utilize drug store travel aisles. Yes, they can be used for more than just vacations…use them to make your own emergency kit! An emergency kit helps with everything from coffee-breath to outfit spills. Here is how to make your own:

• Safety Pins: This is a quicker alternative to sewing on the go.
• Tide to Go: Helps correct lunch spills, permanent marker on your dress, and other embarrassing mishaps. It also works on bronzer stains (which should be avoided at all costs).

• White Out: Eliminate mistakes in your projects or presentations as quickly as the stain on your shirt you already accounted for with Tide to Go.
• Snacks: These prevent your stomach from rumbling mid-way through an important meeting or library review session. Trail mix is a great healthy option!
• Deodorant: Travel size deodorants are close to the size of a credit card and are a purse and emergency kit necessity when you are constantly moving around and dealing with temperature changes.

• Hair Elastics and Bobby Pins: Do not let hair in your face keep you from your professional or educational obligations.
• Perfume on the Go: Anthropologie sells great ones: http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/catalog/productdetail.jsp?navAction=jump&id=093501&parentid=SEARCH_RESULTS&color=001
• Hand Sanitizer: Think of how many doors you open and things you touch within a day…gross.
• Lotion and Sunscreen: Protect your skin from the sun while driving or during lunch breaks. Even if you are inside all day, sunscreen should be part of your daily regimen and is important to keep in your emergency kit incase you forget.
• Tampons: Do not be stuck digging through the supply closet or reference desk for these instead of permanent markers.
• Band-Aids: No more yelling ‘ouch’ at work or in the silent room!
• Mini Lint Roller: Use this small device to remove annoying fuzz sticking to your skirts or sweatpants.

• Clear Nail Polish: For unruly nails or a quick fix for runs in your tights
• Dr. Scholl’s Inserts for Heels: These make your feet pain-free and feel like they are walking on a cloud.

• Quick Toothbrushes: Whisks and small version tooth brushes; get both to plan ahead, whisks run out but don’t need water where as toothbrushes and toothpaste you do, but they last longer.
• Medicine: Prepare ahead for headaches, eyestrain, writing cramps, etc…Basically anything that can make you lose your focus or want to leave.
• Gum: Avoid coffee breath, beware though, and don’t go into a meeting chomping. In the office setting, gum is to be used at your desk, before work, or after lunch only. In the library, don’t drive your neighbor crazy with your loud volume.
• Extra pens, highlighters, and a small notepad: You never know when you could want to jot something down quickly, so add these to your kit to prevent your creativity from getting lost in the mix of your busy schedule!
• Lastly, purchase a zip lock or clear makeup bag to store it all in (clear helps with easy viewing on the go)!

 
A wonderful website with more instructions to make a wide variety of other homemade emergency kits for yourself or as gifts is: http://www.budget101.com/frugal/fun-thoughtful-survival-kit-156/. Alternatively, if you want to splurge instead, you can also buy: Mr&Mrs Emergency kits to keep in your car or purse: http://www.msandmrs.com/.