If you're a fan of autumn, you're likely ready for all that comes along with it. The cool air, the crisp leaves, and the color- oh, the beautiful color! While fall is stunningly gorgeous and gives us all the feels, you might want to make a few simple preparations before you hunker down for the cooler months and put on a big pot of hearty soup. Grab your favorite blanket and get ready to make a simple checklist of tops items you should keep in your car this fall season.

Crunchy leaves, cooler temps, wet and rainy days. While it all sounds nice, the truth is, it's also messy! When you're in and out of your car several times a day and you're picking up a lot of fall elements, of course- they wind up in your car. Dirt, crushed bits of dried leaves... what a mess! If you have kids or pets, chances are, they're helping to track all of that mess into your car and maybe even into your home. 

I try to keep messes to a minimum by keeping these products in my car during the fall season...

Cordless Car Vac

This probably seems like a no-brainer, but you'd be amazed by how many folks don't have an easy or quick way to vacuum out their cars. I have two cordless hand vacs. I keep one in my house and the other one in the car. The car vac can quickly suck up messes wherever we are. My vac gets bonus points because it's a wet/dry vac. It's perfect for cleaning up crumbs, leaves, and even mud!

Trash bin

I'm almost embarrassed to tell you how long I went without a proper trash bin in my car. My mom keeps little plastic grocery bags in her car and just tosses them out as they get filled up, which is a free alternative to buying a trash bin for the car. I like to keep a small trash bin up front so I can toss wrappers or receipts into it without having to reach to the backseat. I also keep a bin in the back so the kids have a place to put their trash, rather than on the floor of the car.

Car Mats

You may not think about this item because most all cars have them, and they're pretty standard. You'd be surprised, however, how easy they are to destroy! I wound up getting weather resistant mats for my car, because the mats that came with my car just couldn't hold up against kids, high heels, and general wear and tear. It may be a bit of an investment, but they're easy to clean, and you'll be so glad to have them in the long run.

Lightweight Throw Blankets

This is especially important if you have kids. Why? It's dangerous to place little ones in their car seats with heavy coats or puffy jackets on. It can cause their safety straps to not function properly and can result in injury or worse. Our rule is that coats cannot and will not be worn in the car if a child is in a car seat. We keep light blankets in the car that can be worn over laps to help keep them warm so that the child's safety harness isn't compromised in any way. Safety first.

Seat covers

If you have kids or pets, you might want to think about investing in seat covers for your car. My husband complained about the mess the kids made in the back seat of his car (food, toys, spilled drinks), so we placed a water-resistant cover over the entire back seat. It's helpful for keeping liquid off the seats, and we can just take the cover off and shake out crumbs. Plus, it can go right into the washing machine and dryer for easy cleaning! This is also a great way to limit the transfer of fluids or odors from pets to the car's interior.

With these handy products, we're set for fall car travel! What items do you like to keep in your car during the fall season?

Brought to you by Junction Auto Chrysler Dodge Jeep.