Keep the most recent copy of your favorite magazine or catalog in your car “just in case” you arrive at the doctor’s office 20 minutes early or find yourself eating alone at lunch time.

The easy-to-digest articles are perfect for those occasions when you have a few minutes to spare, and the bonuses are plenty… You get to read something that you actually enjoy, your unread magazines won’t pile up at home, you won’t be wasting any of your precious time, and you’ll be more likely to remain calm and relaxed (even if the doctor is running 40 minutes behind schedule)!

No, not actual ‘trash talking’… Sorry to disappoint. 😉

Reuse a plastic shopping bag as a ‘trash receptacle’ in your car. For added stability, secure the bag inside a cardboard box. Store replacement bags nearby in an empty paper towel tube or tissue box. When the bag is full, toss it into the trash can at the gas station next time you refuel the car.

Recycle old crayons that are too short to draw with to make new crayons in fun shapes.

Heat makes a crayon a little loopy; it may melt into a swirl or pool into a whirl. With this in mind, we chopped up crayons and baked them in shaped mini cake tins, making large blocks that are easy for toddlers to hold and will surely inspire older artists.

Encourage kids to come up with their own combinations—a blue-and-white blend for drawing the sky, or a mix of reds and oranges for sunsets.

Tools and Materials : old crayons, kitchen knife, mini cake tins

Crayon How-To Parents can use the knife to chop crayons into pea-size pieces, taking care to keep colors separate so kids can combine them as they like. Preheat the oven to 150°F while children fill the tin with crayon pieces, arranging them in interesting designs. Bake just until the waxes have melted, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the shapes after they have cooled. If they stick, place the tray in the freezer for an hour, and the crayons will pop right out.

— courtesy of Martha Stewart Kids

Next time you stop at a gas station to ‘fill up the tank,’ set the nozzle on the pump to run automatically. Then, use the ‘wait time’ to clean your car—remove trash, collect stray items, wash the windshield, etc.