Slow Weekends & Busy Weekday Mornings

Thanks to Chinet® for sponsoring today’s post.

Now that school’s back in session and weekday mornings are busier than ever, we are definitely cherishing the slower paced weekends.  We’re fortunate to have a great neighborhood park nearby that we we can walk to.  It’s a perfect 10-15 minute walk and when the weather is cooler, getting outside in the fresh air is such a nice way to begin a Saturday morning.  With a cup of fresh brewed coffee of course!


The walk to the park isn’t too long, but we’ll typically pull James in a wagon because he’d be too slow or “get tired” of walking.  Me, on the other hand, I love the easy exercise!  And I can just put my coffee in the wagon cup holder with my Comfort Cup® by Chinet®.  These cute little cups are perfect for keeping your drink hot and your hands cool.  And they’re cute, which is a bonus. đŸ˜‰

When we get there, James can run around and play on the playground, and we can join in, or take a break on a nearby park bench and just enjoy the morning. 

Come Sunday night though, it’s time to get ready for the week and get back to the hustle and bustle of busy weekday mornings.

 BUSY WEEKDAY MORNING ROUTINE

If our household is anything like yours, there’s not a minute to spare on weekday mornings when you’re trying to get yourself ready for the day and get the kids to school on time.  I’ve found a few simple daily routines really help the mornings run smoother, and as long as I actually stick to them, we can get out the door on time (hopefully, with a few minutes to spare)!

1 ::  End The Day with A Quick “Timed” Clean-Up

The mornings run most efficiently for us when we end the day with a clean kitchen and a quick living room clean up.  At the beginning of the summer, we instituted a 10-15 minute “timed” quick clean up of the living room (my husband and son) and kitchen (me) where we all pitch in to get our house in order.  Because my son sets the timer, there’s a fast energy to beat the clock to get everything picked up quickly.  Getting everyone involved makes the work get done in triple time.

It worked beautifully and I found that I could relax better after my son went to bed with a tidied living room and kitchen.  When we wake up in the morning, there’s not the chaos of dirty dishes in the sink and clutter all over the living room floor.


2 :: Choose Clothes the Night Before (Yours & the Kids) 

For both myself and my son, I lay out our clothes the night before.  For me, if I’m working out that day, I pick out exactly which shorts, bra, tank, and socks I’m wearing and even put my sports watch with it.  When I was working full-time, I also picked out my outfits for the week.  It saved so much time in the morning, instead of standing in a closet full of clothes feeling like there’s nothing to wear.

For my son, he wears a uniform to school, but I have to make sure he’s got his special Spirit Wear  shirt ready for Monday (if no tardies the previous week), Mass uniform ready for Wednesday, and sometimes a “free dress” day for special occasions or holidays.

3 ::  Make School Snacks & Lunch in Advance 


My son might just be the pickiest eater of all time, so he takes his snack and lunch to school everyday.  I prepare each of those as soon as he comes home from school and empties his backpack.  I keep the packed bags inside the fridge and, in the morning, just have to put the ice-pack in each and load them into his backpack.

But, I make this process quicker by prepping all the fruit as soon as it comes home from the grocery store and I like to have him help.

4 :: No TV or Electronics for the Kids until Completely Ready 

This is a big one.  This year, we’ve had to institute a “no tv or electronics” until our son has eaten breakfast, gotten dressed and brushed his teeth.  He’ll take twice as long to eat his breakfast if he’s watching cartoons at the same time.  It’s too much of a distraction for him.  He is allowed to watch if he’s completely ready with time to spare before we need to leave, but to date, that’s not happened.

5 :: Enjoy Coffee/Tea To Go 


If it were up to me, I’d still be sitting sipping my coffee well past the time we have to be out the door.  I’m still working out with my trainer 3 days a week, and it works best for me if I get my workout in  right after I drop off James at school.  I still drink a cup of coffee each day, and on workout days, I enjoy it on the 20 minute trip to the gym in my Chinet Comfort Cup.

My trainer’s gym isn’t super close to my house and I have to fight that 8:00 a.m. morning traffic to get there, so having a hot cup of coffee to enjoy on the way is a pleasure.  It also gives me a much-needed boost of energy to get through that exercise routine.

I train for an hour with my trainer, and then I might do 30 minutes of moderate cardio right after, which puts me back home by about 10:15.  Then, I can get on with my day, showering, eating a healthy lunch, and getting down to business with all the things entailed in running a household and keeping up with my blog.

Busy weekday morning routines to start your day off right!

Do you have any secrets for making weekday mornings less crazy?? 

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Meet Megan

Hi! I’m Megan, mom to a thoughtful teenager and spunky young girl. We call Houston home and recently moved into our dream home. I traded my lawyer hat to become a full-time blogger in 2010. I love sharing my passion for affordable fashion, home decor, organization, & fitness to help inspire you to take care of you!

18 Comments

  1. Thanks for sharing! I'm a big fan of prepping the night before too (especially a clean kitchen!). Do you mind sharing some lunch ideas for your son? I seem to pack the standards & do a lot of repeating for my daughter's lunch. She's picky at times too, so I'd love to know what things he's eating!

    1. Waking up to a clean kitchen is the best, and waking up to a dirty one full of dishes in the sink is not how I like to start my day (although it happens!). I wish I could help you on the kid's lunches. My son eats the same thing everyday! He eats a variety of fruit, yogurt, cheese/crackers, granola bars. He can't take PB to school or else he would eat a sandwich.

  2. While I don't use these cups every day, I absolutely love them for days when we're on the go. Saturday morning little league double-headers mean I'm likely showing up with one in each hand:)

  3. Love your posts as always! Just brightens my day! I'm loving how you used a cake stand to put your coffee accessories on. I'm hoping that's what it is. What a great idea?!?! Where did you get your from?
    Also, with 4 kids it's like getting a small army ready for school especially when my husband leaves @630am for surgery. I started a no iPad policy during the week but this is good for older kids because I know your son is still young. They are locked away Sunday night and they get them back after school on Friday. Believe it or not, they don't complain and I've been doing this over a year now. It juste helps morning run smoothy because it can get crazy up in here!
    Enjoy your day & thanks for sharing!!!

    1. Ah Vivian, you are too sweet! I love your iPad idea, may have to steal that one for our house! You would run circles around me with your four! đŸ˜‰

    1. It's a Jura from Sur La Tab, but they sell them everywhere, including Amazon. We love it! It was our 'home' Christmas gift (in lieu of other gifts to each other) a couple years ago. It's amazing!!

  4. I need these cups on hand when guest are over and want to leave with a cup of coffee. It's happened and our travel mug was never returned. Not a huge deal but something disposable would have been better! They would also be great for hot cocoa for the kids once it cools off!

  5. I completely agree with all of these! Especially picking up before bedtime. Now that I work from home, I started a small interior design business this year, it helps me not to be stressed about cleaning a messy house instead of working. And it gets our 4-year old son involved with chores around the house! And coffee is ALWAYS a must for me (and it tastes better in cute cups)!!

    1. Working from home is so hard not to be pulled away to clean or straighten up something. You have to be so disciplined to actually work during working hours. I give myself some tv time when I eat lunch, but then back at it.

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