One thing I’ve learned through my years as a mom and wife who works outside of the home is the importance of PREPARATION. The key to having a successful day and getting the things you need to get done DONE.
If you take about 30 minutes at night to prepare for the next day you will be surprised how much easier that makes your morning flow.
Here are a few tips:
· Meal Prep- Prepare for tomorrow night’s dinner while cooking tonight’s. Have an idea in your head on what you are going to cook and do as much of the prep work (chopping veggies, taking items from freezer to thaw, measuring out ingredients, etc) as you can while tonight’s dinner is cooking. This is also a great time to jot down items you need from the grocery store and avoids the last minute panic of realizing you are missing an ingredient.
· Pack Lunches- During after dinner clean up time (which should be a team effort by the way!) pack tomorrow’s lunches. This way leftovers can be divvied in containers to take to work, the kids can throw together their sandwiches and juice boxes in their lunch boxes, and WALLA! Everything goes into fridge as the kitchen closes for the evening.
· Lay Out Clothes- There is something to be said for laying out clothes the night before. I’ve had so many people swear by this! This can be especially helpful with children. Get them in the habit of lying clothes out the night before. I’m sure your children have never come to you at six o’clock in the morning saying, “mom I don’t have any clean socks” as mine have, so I am saving you the trouble my friends.
· Backpack Check- Speaking of kids….those lil’ buggers have this amazing technique which has been mastered in our home. It is the “Oh yeah mom my teacher said this is the LAST DAY to turn this in” as they hand me a ¾” stack of paperwork neatly stapled together, crumpled a little at the corners, at promptly 6:49 a.m. as I’m walking out the door. “Yes Mr. Policeman I was filling out my child’s paperwork while at the stoplight….not texting on my phone.” This can be AVOIDED by getting kids in the habit of going through backpacks on a nightly basis and giving you those important papers, lists of supplies needed for projects, and helps them stay organized so they won’t lose completed assignments before they get turned in…..(yes, I’ve suffered through it all.)
· Every Item in it’s Home- Lastly, I can’t emphasize this enough. Every single item from the mail to the toaster oven should have a home in your home. Whether it’s temporary or permanent all things should have a place they belong. This is especially true for items like car keys, cell phones, purses, shoes, and other walk-out-the-door essentials. Having your car keys in their proper place can alleviate the stress as you face the morning commute.
So plan a little preparation time in your nightly routine and give yourself the gift of a less stressed morning.
Thank you for reading and Enjoy Life Organized.
-Janel
702-498-1636
