Mom's Messy Car Photo Contest
There are two types of moms: those with clean cars and those with messy cars. One type of mom isn't better than the other; it's just that they're very different. The "clean car" moms cruise around town in their freshly vacuumed autos that smell of pine scent. Their kids toss their granola bar wrappers in trash bags strapped to the backs of the front seats, and these moms alway empty the garbage before going back into the house. The "messy car" mothers cruise around in cars reeking of rotten milk and overflowing with heaps of junk. The juice boxes, Dora Band-Aids, broken crayons, banana peels, barrettes, gum wrappers--everything goes onto the ground and stays there.
I feel as if I can poke fun at the messy car moms because, well, I am one (see shameful photo above). I'm not proud of my slovenliness--rather, I'm constantly striving for a clean, sparkling state within my car's interior. I bought a special trash bag just for my car, but then I never emptied it and the stench inside became so bad that I was forced to throw it away. And I can't tell you how many times I have banned all drink and food from the car--but then we're late for school and I allow the kids to eat breakfast in their car seats and they spill orange juice everywhere. I try so hard to regularly empty the trunk of the art projects, jackets, wet swim suits, and muddy boots--but typically there's no time to haul stuff when I'm getting out of the car because I'm in such a hurry to get my son, who is about to wet his pants, onto a toilet. (I assure you that if I didn't have kids my car would be so clean that you'd feel comfortable picnicking on the floor of it.)
And so to celebrate--and help--the world's messy car moms (dads are welcome too!) I have put together this contest inviting you to share photographs of your cars in their sorriest, sloppiest states in the Messy Car photo gallery. The messiest photo wins a free car wash from San Francisco's Divisadero Touchless Carwash (The Works Package; value $28) as well as an assortment of car organization items from the Container Store. These nifty products include a SmartLap Lap Desk, where kids can store their crayons and paper for drawing on the road; a TrashStash Car Litter Bag, constructed of durable nylon so it can even hold leaking juice boxes; a Backseat Organizer for toys and books; and a Folding Trunk Organizer, perfect for holding swim suits, towels, and sandbox toys. With these prizes, you're bound to become a "clean car" mom--at least for a few weeks!
You can upload your photos by clicking here. The contest ends March 7, 2009. We will announce a winner on March 9, 2009. For complete contest rules, click here. May the messiest car win!
| February 23 2009 at 05:14 PM
Comments
Messy cars are gross.
Posted By: meep | February 23 2009 at 07:08 PM
Yes, I agree that messy cars are disgusting. No doubt! But they're also a reality for some. We try so hard to keep our cars clean but we consistently fail.
Posted By: amy_graff | February 23 2009 at 08:40 PM
You must have off street parking. You could get at least $0.50 for all those crayons.
Posted By: parent1164 | February 23 2009 at 08:45 PM
I have ants in my car. They live there. Like, its not a summer home. They're there all the time. I cannot leave a coffee cup in the car for an hour. I don't know what they eat when I don't have a coffee cup there.
Posted By: booter | February 24 2009 at 01:32 PM
Hello Husband . . . please do NOT enter me in this contest! I promise to clean the car . . . soon! ILY! L~A
Posted By: abrown415 | February 24 2009 at 01:38 PM
thank goodness, it's not just me!
Posted By: craftymama | February 24 2009 at 01:42 PM
Great comments but don't forget to submit photos! We promise to keep things anonymous. We have some great prizes, including organizational items from the Container Store and free car wash.
Posted By: amy_graff | February 24 2009 at 03:05 PM
Wouldn't it be better if that link was to "UPLOAD your photos"? Or did you mean "Download MY photos"?
Posted By: sf_chronic_hell | February 24 2009 at 03:23 PM
I found a solution. I painted my car blue, opened the sunroof and parked it sideways at the curb on recycle day. Now, each week, all my junk gets dumped by a pair of robotic pincers.
Posted By: gbayol | February 24 2009 at 06:49 PM
I can top the ants. I once had a snail living in the trunk of my car. By the time I found it and removed it, it had eaten deckle edges on the pages of the wildflower identification book that I kept in the trunk.
Posted By: PLozar | February 24 2009 at 08:25 PM
My friend in Texas always let her kids eat in the minivan and wasn't careful about clean-up. Rats infested the car, bred in the side panel, etc. She basically had to get the interior ripped out to get rid of 'em. I think they chewed through wires, too (locks didn't work). Yikes! In related news: "Mill Valley man sues after rats infest vehicle" http://www.marinij.com/marinnews/ci_11754290
(I'm not commenting on the validity of his suit--just be careful with food in the car, ya'll!)
Posted By: mcross | February 25 2009 at 09:35 AM
That's just disgusting, what if your child decides to eat that old french fry covered in dirt. Clean it up.
Posted By: sfcgirl | February 25 2009 at 01:36 PM
Nice photos. Currently I have a 5 month old and clean car. I'm scared.
Posted By: hungrynugget | February 25 2009 at 09:01 PM
I drive around a 22 year old Volvo station wagon. The old girl is not clean on the inside (dust) or much to look at on the outside, but lift up the hood and she purrs like a kitten. I may not get my ol' girl cleaned often, but she gets all her fluids topped, tires rotated (she rides on Michelins only), etc. religiously. She's as reliable as the day is long.
Posted By: moxichick67 | February 25 2009 at 10:53 PM
signle mom here with two jobs...my car is a mess.. i have food so that i can eat between going from one job to the next, clothes since i have to change to a uniform for my second job, a pillow and blanket as I am often so tired i need to take a nap in my car before heading home to a 5 hour sleep , and to do it all over again the next day... 7 days a week... my car is a Mess.. even my friends won't catch a ride with me...yikes!
Posted By: dancingbell2 | February 25 2009 at 10:59 PM
God Bless you, Amy! It is good to no longer feel alone in my shame...
As for the prizes, they will probably get heaped all over the van interior in the event that any picture I submit is the winner!
Posted By: giantsfog | February 25 2009 at 11:14 PM
dancingbell2 and giantsfog: I'm so glad to hear that I'm not alone! Feel free to take a pic of your cars and post them on the site. SFGate has these great prizes...
Posted By: amy_graff | February 26 2009 at 08:29 AM