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We have all heard of those unicorn super moms that wake up at 5 am, run 3 miles, squeeze in a meditation session and still have time to shower, blow dry their hair and make their kids a homemade breakfast. I am NOT that Mom, and I think most women aren’t. Now just because I am a lazy Mom, does not mean I am not efficient. There are ways to still get some sleep and have a smooth and stress-free morning every day.
My Guide To a Stress-Free Morning:
- Get up earlier. Ok, I know I said you were going to get some sleep, but hear me out. If you just wake up 5, 10, or 15 minutes earlier than normal, you will see just how much more relaxing and enjoyable your mornings can be. I don’t always do this, but when I do, I sometimes even have time to squeeze in some light reading before my son wakes up.
- Put your stuff in the same place everyday. This seems like common sense, but it took a couple of weeks of me reminding my son to leave his backpack by the front door when he gets home from school. Put your kid’s backpack, your purse, your sunglasses, keys etc in the same place everyday so you know where everything is.
- No phone or TV. I had the bad habit of checking my phone as soon as I woke up. I would lay in bed and get sucked into Instagram or Pinterest world and would frantically realize I was supposed to wake my son up 10 minutes ago. Now I don’t check my phone until I have gotten ready, gotten my kiddo ready, and our shoes are on, ready to go. If I have a few minutes to check emails, I will.
- Set alarms. I have several alarms that go off every single weekday morning. One to get up, then one 10 minutes later because I know I will hit snooze. I set an alarm to know when we should be getting our shoes on and when we should be physically be walking out the door to walk to school. This has helped us IMMENSELY.
- Never run out of coffee! OK, again, a no brainer right??
- Pack those school lunches the night before. We all hear this one, but do we really do it? I would honestly say I make his lunch the night before about half the time. If I have to make it in the morning, it’s not a big deal. I set up a basket in the fridge with all his favorite cold foods and a basket in the pantry with the non-perishables. He picks them out when we go grocery shopping so I know he will always eat his lunch. I just grab a couple from each and throw it in the lunchbox. Protein:check! Cheese: check! Fruits and veggies: check! I throw in a chocolate milk and a freezer pack and I am done in less than 5 minutes.
- Keep facial cleansing wipes on hand in your bathroom so if you are running late you can at least wipe your face down and feel refreshed.
- Hats can be your best friend if you are wanting to look just a tiny bit pulled together when dropping your kids off at school. Even a baseball cap can help hide those dark circles and the unwashed hair! I like headbands to push my hair out of my face, too. They can hide the craziness of my hair.
Our Morning Schedule
6:20 AM my first alarm goes off.
6:30 AM my second alarm goes off because I hit snooze on the first. I get up and get dressed and put on my face. (Which typically consists of just BB cream and maybe mascara)
6:45 AM I wake up my son and drag him out of bed. He gets dressed with clothes I have set out the night before while I make his breakfast.
6:55 AM My son is eating breakfast while I am unloading the dishwasher and feeding the pets.
7:15 AM my alarm goes off to tell us it’s time to put our shoes on. I grab my Dunkin Donuts Pumpkin Spice Iced Coffee from the fridge for me to enjoy on our way to school. This is something I seriously look forward to in the mornings! Give me ALL the pumpkin spice while it lasts!
7:20 AM My alarm goes off to tell us we need to be walking out the door. I keep a post-it on the front door that says “Backpack, water bottle, lunch, snacks” to remind me to double check I have all those things.
After I walk my son to school, I take my time walking back home and sipping on my iced coffee. All the trees in my neighborhood are starting to change colors and I really savor those few minutes alone in the crisp morning air.
I love that these Dunkin Donuts Pumpkin Spice Iced Coffees are grab-no-go, no-mess and delicious! Not only is it a huge time saver and convenience, it’s also a little treat for myself during the week. #TreatYourself this Fall mama!
You can grab these from your local Circle K and stock up like I do! You’re welcome.
Once I am home, I have just 10-30 minutes before kids are being dropped off at my home ( I am a childcare provider). I finish the rest of my Pumpkin Spice Iced Coffee and snack on a protein bar, peanut butter and banana bagel, or some oatmeal. The house is completely still and quiet while I answer emails, check my social media channels, and jot down blog ideas in my notebook. I even get to catch up on some of my magazines some mornings and I cherish these moments!
Now obviously all our schedules are going to look a little different. Some of you may be headed to work or have younger kids who will be home with you all day. Either way, writing out a timeline of how you want your morning to go and making things as easy and simple as possible is key.
What are some things you do in the mornings that are part of your routine?
What is your favorite fall flavor? Tell me, are you team pumpkin spice??
We went to the pumpkin patch this weekend and I brought my Dunkin Donuts Pumpkin Spice Iced Coffee along! (OK, and my letter board so I could get this shot! Don’t judge my crooked “I”) It was great to throw in my purse and go!
I may not be a momma, but I love morning routines! Once I finally had mine set in place, everything became so much easier to complete. I’m a dog mom, so I’ve got to get them taken care of every morning. I totally agree that getting up early is the key to getting everything done! I feel like I have so much more time in the day!
Ashlee | http://www.ashleestuart.com
I loved reading this! I am the ultimate “lazy mama” and having a routine in place helps so much for those of us that value sleep and those extra moments of calm. Thanks for sharing your tips and tricks! I really enjoyed reading and that coffee sounds DELISH.
I’ve got to do a better job of creating an effective morning routine! These tips are amazing! I definitely need to keep my far, far away from me when I get up in the morning. It’s the first thing I reach for smh! I’m going to invest in an alarm as well.
http://www.officiallychic.com
These are great tips! I haven’t tried that coffee before!
Love these tips! Thanks for sharing girl. I am also a Lazy Mom but very much in the way you described. However, I need to incorporate your tip of getting up a few minutes early each morning to settle myself before the insanity begins 🙂
Thanks Jaime! Yea it can be really hard for me to get up earlier most days! Definitely working on it! 🙂
THIS IS ME! Coffee in hand with sun glasses and ball cap on, messy hair don’t care is my morning motto! Thank you for sharing some great morning tips to get the ball rolling, I need to do better getting up earlier but I love sleep!
haha YES! We are allowed to be a hot mess when it’s that early in the morning lol
These are awesome! Implemented a lot of these measures and I feel much better
I’m not one for setting an alarm unless there’s something we have to do or somewhere we have to be (we homeschool, so that’s not an issue), but I’m all about the hat!!! I just finally got a ball cap and it’s amazing how it can make you look put together even when you’re not.
Hats and wet wipes are every person’s best friend. And, never run out of coffee, I am with you on that!
YES!! haha
Wow, I love these helpful tips! I need to incorporate them into my everyday life!
Thank you Ressa!
These are great tips, especially the one about the coffee. I definitely have to set my alarm 10 minutes early every morning. Waking up at 6 am isn’t for the weak lol.
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