How can you speed up your morning?

Getting everyone out the door for school in the morning can be a massive headache or no problem at all. Here are just a few ideas I’ve gathered to help smooth out the process:
1. Have the kids sleep in what they are wearing the next day (works best for elementary age boys)
2. Make sure all the backpacks are ready the night before
3. Make sure all forms, checks and other paperwork for school are ready the night before
4. Have the kids buy their lunch at school
5. Set a timer for eating breakfast
6. Keep all the kids shoes in a basket by the door
7. Have a stash of breakfast bars to eat on the way
8. Have checklists in the kids bathrooms of what they have to do each morning, like brush their teeth

The moms on my street brag about how quickly they can get the kids from bed to the bus stop. I think the current record is 8 minutes!

Handling the Unexpected, part 3

We had the memorial service for my husband’s grandfather. My in-laws are surrounded by tons of friends who are always willing to help. Even with dozens of family in town, we had very little cooking and cleaning to do. These wonderful friends took over and handled all the details.

The lesson here is that you never get too old to need and appreciate your friends!

Handling the Unexpected, part 2

How easily can your life be put on hold? The unexpected happens. For us, this month we had an out of town funeral. It could be an illness or house troubles or a host of other things that all mean you cannot follow your normal schedule and must adjust at a moment’s notice. So, how easily can you react? If you have simplified your life and keep up with the daily details, then it should be easier to quickly step out of your routine.

For me, one key is to be a digital as possible. My bills, classes, and projects mostly take place on my laptop. So, I can leave quickly without having to put too many of my obligations on hold.

The other key is to do what you can when you can. For example, if you have 15 minutes while you are waiting for the water to boil, then go ahead and unload the dishwasher. If you are on the phone for a nice long chat with a friend, then fold clothes. By doing things with little chunks of time, you (1) free up the large blocks of time and (2) never have as many daily details staring you in the face.

And, for the 99% of the days that nothing unusual happens? You have lots of free time for fun!

Handling the Unexpected, part 1

My husband’s grandfather died this week after a great life of 94 years. He will be missed by everyone!

In the mist of all the emotions this brings, we still have to deal with the logistics of getting to the funeral. Within minutes of hearing the news, I walked outside to join a group of neighbors who were standing outside shooting the breeze. After I told them what had happened, two immediately volunteered to watch our home and pets.

Another took me shopping because she knew where all the sales were. Thanks to her, I was able to outfit my family in the proper attire in almost no time and on a limited budget. Believe it or not, I had never needed to buy my husband a tie or sports coat in our entire 14 years of marriage and desperately needed her help.

There is no way I could have taken care of everything so quickly without these wonderful neighbors. The lesson learned here is to never underestimate the power of great friends!