Written by Ashley Lopez

Hi there, welcome back to Ashley Spills. Ashley, here. You can check out my last post here. We are six days into the year! How are you feeling? Are you holding yourself accountable? Scratch that, maybe that’s a better question for day 30. I know you’re staying accountable. I’ve been reflecting on the things that make my life easier so I can incorporate them more in 2022. So, since driving is a big part of my life, I am now on the lookout for more gadgets and gizmos.

Today I wanted to share the three essential items that I need for my car. If you’ve been following my blog, you know that I totaled my car (2019 Honda Civic) in October. You can read that post here. With the chip shortage going on, I couldn’t get a car from the same year let alone newer because they were way too expensive. I now drive a 2017 Toyota Camry.

The essentials in my new to me car are three things: an extended rearview mirror, a trunk organizer, and a phone mount. I’m telling you: these necessities are the BEST for smooth comfortable driving when you drive a car that isn’t set up with all the new features.

Amazon for car essential: Extended rearview mirror

I used this in my Civic as well and let me tell you something: your peripheral vision is extremely extended, and you can even see your blind spot if you adjust it right. It also has blue film to help diminish bright headlights from other cars behind you. This is my favorite car essential! After using a rearview mirror like this, you cannot go back to the traditional sized mirrors. You can check out the one I bought on Amazon below.

You can buy the same one here.

Amazon for car essential: Trunk organizer

Alright, if you’re anything like me, you crave organization and decluttering. I somewhat use my trunk as extra storage (I know, so bad), so a trunk organizer was something I’ve had my eye on for a while—even before my accident. I love that it prevents things from sliding in my trunk (I get so annoyed by that) and it stays in place due to the material on the bottom of it. The one I bought below comes in different sizes, I bought the two compartment one.

You can buy this trunk organizer here.

Here’s a small disclaimer: be sure of your placement decision because it’s kind of a hassle to move it around; when you need to put larger items in your trunk, it can get in the way. Either way, I still love it.

Amazon for car essential: Phone mount

If your car doesn’t come equipped with Apple or Android CarPlay then this gadget is 100% necessary for safety and convenience. It allows you to view your GPS and see who’s calling you while keeping your hands on the steering wheel. My Civic did have Apple and Android CarPlay, however, I do believe that having a phone mount would have been helpful from a decluttering standpoint because it gives you place to put your phone. I have my mount on my windshield, but you can also stick it on your dashboard.

The model I bought can be found here.

Conclusion

I’m not a fan of driving, okay I hate it. I wish I had someone to drive me everywhere LOL, but the things listed above make my commute easier and more comfortable. I know this post was a bit different from my usual stuff, but after reading so many blogs I realized that a lot of people share things that make their lives easier, so I thought I’d do that for you.

I like to use Amazon for car, kitchen, and bathroom essentials. But… if I had to choose, I would choose Target 99% of the time because I just love it there, LOL!

What are a few things you cannot live without? I know my list is endless. Maybe I’ll share more down the line.

I hope everyone had a Happy New Year!

Thanks for reading, xo.

Extra Resources

You can read about the chip shortage here.

Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.