7 Tips to Avoid the Morning Rush

It’s stressful isn’t it? Having to get all those things ready, trying not to forget anything, not to mention bickering kids, tantrums about what to wear or the sleepy head who doesn’t want to wake up. No, the morning rush isn’t any fun but luckily there are a few things you can do to bring peace back into your family’s morning routine.

Prepare Ahead – Sounds simple enough but did you know you could actually leave just about everything ready for the next day? It might take a few extra minutes out of your evening but you’ll be much faster if you prepare everything once the kids are asleep rather than rushing in the morning.

Lay out the kids clothes for the next day - Include things like hair clips, socks and shoes. And don’t forget to lay out your clothes too.

Leave breakfast ready (or nearly ready) - Depending on what you have for breakfast you can often pre-prepare a lot of it. If you have pancakes make the batter the night before and stick it in the fridge. If you have cereal and toast, leave the cereal out, bowls, spoons and bread. You can even set the table to save time.

Pre-Pack Lunch Boxes - If your kids take a packed lunch to school prepare it the night before. Most things like sandwiches will be fine left in the fridge overnight.

Pack Their School Bags – Look through their bags and make sure there aren’t any last minute dates or events you’ve overlooked. Pack all their books and things in their bags and leave everything by the front door.

Get The Kids Involved – The responsibility of getting the kids to school shouldn’t completely lie on your shoulders. As soon as children are old enough to help out then they should. Even the youngest of kids can help.

Make a Chart – If your kids (like most kids) are forgetful, make a chart for each one which explains in order all the things they need to do in the morning. You can draw pictures for the really young ones and write a description for the older ones. For example, you can have a picture of a toothbrush, then the school clothes, hair brush, etc.

Talk to your kids about the list beforehand and explain it to them. Then stick it up in a prominent place in their rooms and the next time they ask you “mom, what do I do know?” tell them to go look at their list. This is a great way of getting kids a little more involved and to start teaching them responsibility.

By preparing ahead you can’t avoid all of your family’s morning stresses but it will certainly help a lot, and who knows you may even have time for that extra cup of coffee.

Let’s face it; the closet in your bedroom is a mess, you can’t find anything and you’re ready to scream!  Wait!  Before you go off, here are some easy bedroom storage ideas that will keep you happy, organized and sane.

Go to the nearest house ware store and purchase some Rubbermaid clothing boxes; a shoe rack; hooks; and a dozen or more hangers. While there, buy an under the bed storage box as well.  Once you get home, here is what you can do.

* First, take everything out of your closet. 
* Decide what clothes, bags, belts and shoes you want to keep and put the rest in a pile. 
* Take the jumbo boxes and place your bags in one; and your summer or winter tops or sweaters in the other.
* Mark the boxes accordingly, and place them on the top shelf of the closet.
* Hang some hooks on the side of the closet for your belts, and everyday bags.
* Put the shoe rack on the floor against the back of the wall.
* Place the shoes on the show rack.
* Using the new hangers, place the clothes back in the closet.
* Place everything you are getting rid of into a large plastic garbage bag and call your local church or Goodwill for pickup in the morning.

Depending upon the size of your closet, and the amount of clothing you own, there may have to be some adjustments made. But for right now, you are set to go.  Well, not quite yet.  Is your bedroom cluttered?  Then the next step is to clear up the mess.  Discard any old magazines or newspapers.  Place all your jewelry back into the jewelry box. Remember that storage box you purchased?  You can use it to store excess items spilling out of your dresser drawers. Yes, you’ll have to go through them as well.

Once you are finished, you will be exhilarated for having taken on the job! More importantly, you will have more space available than you ever thought possible.

It doesn’t matter if you are a working mom or not, organizing your home can be a daunting challenge. Whether daily or weekend cleaning is your strong suit, it seems the harder you work, the more clutter you find, especially if you have children. Here are some quick tips for an organized home.

1. If your children attend school, prepare their lunches at night. This will save lots of time in the morning rush.
2. Use a magnetic board; place it on your refrigerator, and list the food items you will need for your next shopping trip to the supermarket.
3. Buy some jumbo storage boxes to organize your closet. Add some additional hangers that support more than one piece of clothing. Some of the home shopping clubs offer space saver hangars and storage units which are affordable, and can turn any closet into an efficient space-saving unit.
4. Get rid of the piles of magazines, newspapers, and advertisements which have been accumulating in your home. Keep the current issues, and throw out the rest.
5. Organize your kitchen cabinets, and line them with Con-Tact paper. Your cabinets will be easier to clean by simply using a damp sponge.
6. Throw out anything outdated from your medicine cabinet. If you also have a bathroom cabinet, line it with Con-Tact as well, and re-arrange the items inside.
7. Do you have jewelry scattered on top of your bedroom furniture. Purchase a jewelry box containing several drawers. You’ll never lose that earring again!
8. Encourage your children to clean their rooms. Develop a reward system which will not only give them an incentive, but will teach them to be responsible for their clothes and toys. Buy different colored storage boxes for their toys!
9. Arrange all of your cleaning supplies in a closet or basement. Use hooks to hang brooms, dusters, and mops. If you have a few shelves, place all of your cleaning detergents, light bulbs and other household items on them. This is not only a good organizational method, but you’ll find everything you need in one place.
10. Buy a CD rack and place all of the scattered CDs into one space. Perhaps a unit combining CDs and DVDs would be more suitable.

When your home is organized, you not only feel better but seem to be able to accomplish more, right?

______________________

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If you have one or more children at school, the holidays can get a little out of hand. Keep yourself (and your kids!) organized this year with these quick ideas:

School Activities:

* Use a calendar. This is the most important thing you can do to keep yourself organized. Keep a large, wipe-off calendar in the kitchen. Have your children write their parties or other holiday activities on the calendar. This way, everyone will be able to see who has an event scheduled. This will help to prevent over-scheduling or double-booking any day of the month.

* Keep a running list. Your kids will be asked to bring refreshments to contribute to their class party. Keep a running list on the refrigerator so that you can do your shopping all at once. Having this list will prevent you from making several trips to the grocery store.

Gift Giving:

* Create a budget for your kids. If you will be providing money for your kids to buy Christmas gifts with, then make a budget. If they will use their own money for shopping, you should still help them make a budget so they don’t overspend.

* Make a shopping list. Again, create a list with each child of who they need to shop for. If they know what kind of gift they will buy for their friends, then let them go ahead and make that list. Don’t take them shopping without a plan or it may end in disaster, with you spending a lot more than you’d intended to in the beginning or worst shopping for hours without finding the right gifts.