It seems like we are running from the start of the day to the end, doesn’t it? Here are ten tips to make it a bit easier to survive the crazy days!
1. Have an “Out-The-Door Station.” I have certain things that I always take with me when I go out – purse, sunglasses, phone. By having all of those located in one place, near the back door that we use to go to the garage, I can just pick up and off I go! And it stops the dreaded, “oops I forgot something run back into the house” (I know my neighbors must laugh when I run back in the house 2 or 3 times).
2. Keep a selection of shoes by the door. Yes, sometimes I have special matchy-match shoes I want to wear, but most of the time it’s the same old three pairs. We keep those by the door so they are ready to go.
Here are our "Activity Bags" ready to go!
3. A bag for every occasion! And this is for Rosie, not me, hehehe. Rosie has separate bags for school and each extra curricular event. For example, her soccer bag has her soccer uniform, cleat shoes, shin guards and ball in it. We grab it when we go to a game. When I do laundry I replace everything back into the bag and we’re ready to go the next time. No hunting for shin guards two minutes before the game is supposed to start.
4. Fill up the gas tank when it reaches three quarters empty. I am the queen of “wait until the last minute”, but if you fill up your tank when it gets to the point that you have one quarter tank of gas left, you have a bit of flexibility. If you wait until the very end *blush*, the mileage thingie says “0” left, and your child is saying, “what is that chiming noise”, you have to get gas NOW, even if school starts in five minutes.
5. Keep a special water bottle / beverage that is only for use in the car. Bring it in every day, wash and refill to be ready for the morning. For mom, stock up on something like Seattle’s Best Coffee Iced Lattes – the official latte of pretty much everything. Okay, picture this, you are waiting in the car line to pick up your child from school. You pop in a soft jazz cd, open your iced latte, and read your emails, or catch up on Facebook. This mom stuff isn’t too bad!
6. Keep a basket of “car-friendly” snacks (ie substitute breakfasts) to grab on your way out the door and let the kids eat on their way to wherever you are going.
7. Keep all-purpose wipes in the car. What do you do at a red light? I clean the car! Okay, okay, not every red light. But when the car is screaming “clean me!”, I grab an all-purpose cleaning wipe out of the glove box and do a quick clean up. Works like a charm!
8. Check your list of things to-do the night before and make sure you have everything you need to accomplish the tasks. For example, if “return the swimsuit to Kohl’s” is on my list for tomorrow, tonite I will a. find the receipt b. tape it to the swimsuit bag and c. put it in the back seat of the car. Ready :) Ah, it doesn’t always happen, but it sure feels good when it does.
9. Make sure everyone in your family knows what is on the schedule for the next day. Run down the list with the whole family the night before. This is when you need to find out there is a rain-make-up game or unexpected event, not in the morning!
10. Empty out your car every time you get home. Don’t leave empty food bags, toys, etc in your car. Take everything out when you get home. And put it away. It is so much easier to find things when you don’t have to hunt through the car. Especially if your car is so full of stuff that you can’t even remember what color the carpet is. :)
Our lives are crazy busy enough without making it harder on ourselves. A few minutes of organization the day before can make all the difference. At least that’s what I keep striving for. I let you know if I ever get there….
Do you have any tips to share?
If you’d like to try Seattle’s Best Iced Lattes, here’s a coupon to save $1.50 on a 4 pack today!
Disclosure: I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Seattle’s Best Coffee blogging program for a gift card worth $30. For more information on how you can participate, click here. http://seattlesbestcoffee.socialmoms.com/about
About Seattle’s Best Coffee
As coffee blenders and roasters since 1970, we’ve seen a lot come and go. We went from a tiny shop on the Seattle waterfront to being declared Seattle’s Best Coffee in a local competition. In 2003, we joined the Starbucks family which has allowed us to place more resources into further honing our special way of crafting delicious, impossibly smooth coffee. Every step of the process, from coffee cherry to your cup, is managed to fit our exacting standards and our premium approach to coffee. Now, we’re making it easier to find your perfect coffee with our new Level System.
It’s low calorie: Just 130 calories per can. It’s affordable: A premium latte for just $1.49? And a 4-pack is an even better deal, at just $4.99. It’s everywhere: Available in major grocery, convenience and other retail stores.
More info on Seattle’s Best Coffee: http://www.seattlesbest.com
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All very good tips. I especially like 1 and 3.
Thank you for sharing them!
Madison
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