We all know that the morning rush exists, well before you hit traffic on the road. The morning rush often begins right at home during your morning routine. Those first 59 minutes of your day can be hectic, chaotic, and even downright stressful. But, with some planning, preparation, and ingenuity, you can help yourself have a smoother and stress-free morning routine! Check out my 10 tips for a faster and smoother morning routine below. You’ll find these same morning routine tips and many more on the IKEA First :59 site, so be sure to head over there and see all the great ideas put together by us First :59 panelists. Plus, read on for info on a fun #First59 Twitter party, where you can chat all things morning routine with us and the IKEA team; we really do want to help remove your morning routine challenges!
10 Tips for a Faster and Smoother Morning Routine
- Build a little me-time into your morning routine. Try waking up earlier than the rest of the household so you can have a few minutes to yourself.
- Take advantage of laundry day to get a head start on the week ahead! As you fold, try picking out outfits for the kids for the entire week to help with each day’s morning routine.
- Save time in the morning by preparing school essentials the night before! We make sure to sign all papers at night and use hooks behind the kids’ bedroom door for easy access to their backpacks in the morning.
- Stop playing the “What am I going to wear?” game every morning. Shave time from your morning routine by picking out your outfit the night before, including accessories! Consider ironing ahead of time, as well!
- Get a head start on the kids’ daily breakfast to save time in the mornings. We sometimes pre-cook and freeze extra pancakes or waffles over the weekend, then reheat before serving.
- Pack your lunch for work ahead of time to save time in the morning! As I clean up from dinner, I try to pack leftovers from our meal into appropriate containers to eat for lunch the next day.
- Have a girl with curly hair? My daughter’s hair routine takes a little longer in the morning, but with a few quick, yet cute hairstyles, we’ve narrowed it down to about 10 minutes. Braids, ponytails, and the classic “hair down” style all work great – just be sure to use appropriate products for curly hair so your girl’s look will keep throughout the school day!
- If you’re caring for aging parents in addition to your own children, you’ll need to consider their morning routine needs as well. Depending on their level of care, one thing you can easily do is prepare the morning dose of medicines the previous night and set it out in a safe place (out of reach from children) for them to take in the morning with their breakfast.
- Most kids love jokes and riddles – I know mine do! – and they can make for great early-morning laughs to get the day off on the right foot for your little ones. Try writing a daily joke or riddle on a small bulletin board to give your kids a motivational boost in the morning! Alternatively, let older siblings be the ones to write the daily message for younger children!
- Music is always a great motivator for my family and I – it helps energize us and gets us moving! Consider putting on some tunes while getting ready in the morning. If you have kids, it doesn’t have to be just kids’ music either; my kids love hearing songs from when mom and dad were young too!
IKEA #First59 Twitter Party Details
There are plenty more morning routine tips on the IKEA First :59 site, as well as their Pinterest board! You’ll find more tips from me, plus my fellow First :59 panelists, arming you with a variety of ideas to make your morning routine and the first 59 minutes of your day less stressful. As mentioned, we’ll also be part of a #First59 Twitter party, for even more morning routine chatter!
Join IKEA and the First :59 panelists (myself included) for a fun and informative Twitter party on Monday, November 10, 2014 from 2-3 pm EST. We’ll be talking about morning routines and ideas for improving our first 59 minutes of the day – plus there will be a great prize provided! Want to know what it is? One lucky #First59 Twitter party participant will win a $100 IKEA gift card! How’s that for helping you get organized with IKEA products for a great morning routine?!
Have a great morning routine tip to share with us? I’d love to hear what works for your family for a smoother first 59 minutes of the day. You can also share your morning routine tips on Twitter using the #First59 tag – IKEA may even share to their readers too!
Disclosure: As a panelist of the IKEA First :59 program, I have been compensated for this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Image © Melanie Edwards/modernmami™
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