I’m feeling very fond of this $1.99 bag from IKEA. It hangs cheerfully on a peg in the mudroom waiting to be tossed into the car for swim lessons or a day at the pool or beach.

My many years of mothering have taught me that being prepared is half the battle. We will lose goggles and we will run out of sunscreen. So I’ve learned to stock up early in the season. It can be painful watching the numbers add up, but it’s less painful than realizing we’re out of sunscreen on our way to the pool on a hot summer day.

At least a half-dozen pairs of goggles are kept in the bag so there’s no wail of “I forgot my goggles!” the minute we arrive at the pool. I keep an extra bottle of sunscreen and two or three sunscreen sticks in there, too.

The best thing about this bag is that it can hold enough beach towels for all six of us, plus snacks, with room left over for a few books and magazines. It’s plastic so it resists sand and water and can easily be wiped off, and it has a zipper so things don’t fall out.

It’s only a matter of time before Lexie realizes she can make a raincoat for her American Girl dolls out of the bag, so the next time I’m at IKEA I’d better buy a few more.