It’s that time of year when we are switching from summer mode back to busy fall schedules. Just looking at our activity schedule sort of makes my head spin! Over the years as a working mom I have some tips to keep life more organized and everyone happy while we move into BACK TO SCHOOL time.
While I know everyone has kids at different stages, ages and temperament these are all tips that not only get my kids back on track but really help me as well.
Fit Tips: Top size down if in-between, M // Jeans tts, 12
TIP #1: ROUTINE BEDTIME & WAKE UP
Let’s be real there is something so nice about the “don’t have to be anywhere” of summer. I work from home so if the kids don’t feel like getting changed until 9am it’s not a big deal. To slowly get them into the routine I start setting their watches for an earlier wakeup time and get them into clothes around 7:30am. Then the last 2 days before school they get up at normal school time and changed by 7:00am.
This means I need to get back on a routine wake up time as well. Recently I switched my Hatch alarm clock to wake up to morning bird sounds and it really works. That chirp, chirping reminds me to get up and try and get a workout done BEFORE the hustle of the morning.
This clock also has setting for bedtime where you can set light and sound settings to get you off to sleep. I do 20 min brighter light of reading (or last min FB scrolling) then 15 min lower light with ocean sounds, I swear I’ve never heard it turn off because by the end of those 15 min I’m out!
TIP#2: PREP REFRIGERATOR SNACKS
If you are new to my house then you might have not heard about our pantry/ refrigerator snack rule but basically I keep prepped veggies & fruits ready for the first line of defense of a hungry kid. My kids need to have a refrigerator snack before they can reach for a pantry snack. This typically fills them up with the goof stuff first or if they are not really hungry gives them pause before just stuffing some Cheetos in their mouth.
During the school year this divided bin gets TONS of use because this is also where the kids pull cut veggies and fruits to quickly pack their lunches in the morning.
Let’ be real I ALSO grab a quick veggie snack when I’m on the go out the door to play Uber driver to and from activities.
Divided Refrigerator Bin | Clear Label
Some of our favorites are:
- sliced bell peppers
- baby carrots
- sliced cucumbers
- snap peas
- grapes
- snack cucumbers
- jicama
- peeled edamame (Trader Joes is great for this)
- peanut butter “energy” balls (not at school)
I then put everything into Ziplock Snack bags and pile them into the bin. While I KNOW I’m going to get some haters saying using all those ziplock bags is wasteful, yeah I get it. If you want some reusable try these, but this mama is going for easy these days.
Ziplock Snack bags available on subscribe & save
TIP #3: LAY OUT OUTFITS
As a working mom my kids have pretty much always gone to “school” starting off with private daycare and moving into public school for 1st grade. For the past 3 years my son has been in uniforms so setting out this polos and khakis was imperative to ensure no fighting on what to wear each morning (if it was up to him its athletic shorts).
Now that both kids will be in public school and have choices on what to wear we plan outfits on Sunday and set them out based on their school activities. Our school has rotating PE, Music, Art and Theater days so not having to think about what day it is first thing in the morning keeps me sane.
Recently I picked up some kid items from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale for my daughter who is in that hard to dress tween years and she is LOVING them. Zella and Steve Madden for the win!
Caslon Tee | Zella Joggers | Girls Wedge Sneakers | Girls Zella Top
Fit Tips: Tee, L // Jogger, L
TIP #4: SET UP DUMPING AREAS
Y’all dumping areas save my sanity! Especially when it comes to back to school and they are brining in backpacks, sports, bags, dirty shoes etc.
We have a few “stations” but my favorite is this huge basket behind our couch. Kids know take off their shoes and put them here, looking for some shoes go LOOK in the basket. We previously had a smaller one but as the kids shoes have gotten bigger I needed a bigger basket!
Next week I’ll be showing you the rest of our recently updated living room so keep your eye out for that.
Studio McGee for Target Round Rattan Basket Gray 18×18
TIP #5: SCHEDULE DINNER MEAL BOXES
Even if this is not an every week type of purchase for you having recipes and ALL the ingredients at the ready for the first few weeks of school can be clutch! It feels like I have tried every meal box on the market and over and over again I come back to Gobble.
One of the biggest differences between Gobble and everything else I tried is how EASY it is! Most of their meals are mostly prepped and take about 15-30 min to cook. I do less chopping and using multiple pans. The receipes are super kid friendly like these Lasagna Roll Ups.
Anytime these are available it’s an instant YES from my kids. On meals like this we get a 4 meals but for most we just get a 2 meal serving then add in more of our own veggies or carbs.
Gobble Box Delivery | Santoku Knife | Similar Wood Cutting Board
Last year when my son graduated Kindergarten and we left our private day care it was so sad saying goodbye to all the staff that had become family like Chef Andrew. He was the one that made Cookie Friday special. Each week Chef Andrew made freshly baked cookies for the kids and parents to take home on Friday afternoons I know when school starts we are going to be missing our cookies!
So what really sealed the deal on our love for Gobble boxes are their chocolate chip cookies!! You can order 4 at a time and they are pre-wrapped with 2 in a pack. This way I can be the hero of a tough school week in a flash with 13 min the oven and NO PREP!
IT’S COOKIE TIME!
Apron with built-in pot holders | Silpat
I hope these 5 tips get your school year off right. As I mentioned before even if you have older kids or no kids these 5 tips are great for everyone (especially the cookies after a hard day!) Happy Back to School!
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