Tuesday's Tip

it's no secret that i'm a big fan of efficiency.  i'd do anything to save time and do a job better all at once.  my poor children are now subject to my bouts of time-saving strategizing.  i don't think they mind that much... in fact, it's made their lives a little easier.

weekday mornings could potentially be the craziest part of my life.  some days they are.  but, i've taken great strides to avoid the daily chaos that could take place before my 3 older children hit the bus stop.

everyone knows you should do as much preparation as possible the night before.  i try.  i do.  sometimes it doesn't happen.  but when it does, my mornings are so much easier.

so, each night i like to:
- set out everyone's clothes  
this is a good idea, especially with girls, because it allows me to avoid morning wardrobe drama.  for some reason, the drama factor is higher in the morning than it is in the evenings.


- make sure book bags are packed, folders filled, papers signed, etc.
this seems like a no-brainer to me, but there is nothing like searching for lost library books five minutes before i'm ready to run out the door.  IN FACT, my rule is that school library books must stay in book bags.  that helps a lot.

- make lunches!!
i think a lot of people do this.  it's just smart.  but sometimes, by the time i've made and cleaned up dinner and snack, i don't want to be in the kitchen.  i really have to discipline myself to make lunches the night before.  i've employed the kids as helpers, though.  chloe will single-handedly pack everyone's lunch, and that is a big help.  my friend, amanda, gave me another helpful tip, though.  she has a friend who makes all her peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at the beginning of the week and then freezes them!  she says they are thawed by lunch, so all you have to do is pop them in the lunch boxes.  genius!  i'm wondering if the same thing could work for turkey/mayo sandwiches that my kids love so much...

- have kids select breakfast 
i realize this pushes me right out of the "organized" bracket and into "slightly anal," but like i said, i'd do just about anything to make mornings easier.  some of my kids are prone to breakfast drama (as in, i don't eat breakfast), but if they choose what they'll eat the night before, they don't seem to have a problem sticking with it in the morning.

as you can see, i have the breakfast options on the fridge (it's foam paper on magnet strips) so i can change them depending on what we have on hand (and what i feel like making).  then the kids move their letter magnet to the option they choose.  somedays i don't do this.  but some days i do... and i like it.

you can also see the list of "things to do" in the morning.  i debated doing this since all the things on this list seem pretty obvious, but i'm surprised at how often i see my kids checking the list to see if they've done everything.

there.  that's what i do.  what time-saving tips do you have for making mornings better?