How to Rock Your Last Minute Life

|The post How to Rock Your Last Minute Life appeared first on Moonstruck La Vie En Rosé on November 7, 2019|

Has your life felt, well… last minute lately? For the past few years I have felt like time is just not on my side. Morning, noon and night it seems as if time is fleeting, everything feels so last minute. There is always something I’ve forgotten to do, multiple to do lists piled high with tasks that outnumber my hours in the day. Ambitious? Maybe…

Rearranging my priorities and taking a step back often helps me to reconfigure my schedule and realize that I may not have those super powers that my to do list may suggest. Want to know something else that helps? A routine.

I know, I know… mind blowing! I am not the first to share this idea of establishing a routine in order to stay sane. But, when the days are long and your to do list seems impossible, crushing those everyday tasks to keep the ship afloat will make you feel like you’re on top of the world with the ability accomplish anything!

So, I am going to share what I set into place to keep things running smoothly around here. These simple tasks make all the difference in my morning routine. And, as most of us know, the morning is usually the rudder for our entire day.

How to Rock Your Last Minute Life Tip #1 – Get the kiddos in a routine and make them responsible

Depending on where you stand this can be a hard adjustment. There are those of us who want our little ones to stay little forever. Ahem, me… And, those of us who would like our kiddos to gain some independence and become self sufficient super humans…Ahem, also me. No matter where you fall on the spectrum, easing your kids into age appropriate tasks will allow you a little more time freedom and foster growth and development. I mean we aren’t going to be around forever, and if we do everything for our kids, we are really doing them a disservice.

Check out this article for more on age appropriate tasks.

For my girls, the focus is on setting an easy routine they can do with their eyes closed and refer back to when mornings get a little extra crazy. Get dressed, brush teeth, brush hair, and wash face. Of course, there are a few tiny extras in there along the way but those are the staples I never want them to miss before heading out the door.

Tip #2 – Prep the night before.

Prep is one of those four letter words I have a love/hate relationship with. When it gets done, it without a doubt makes all the difference. Everything runs smoother and I can find a few extra minutes in the morning to sit around the breakfast table with my girls.

But, allocating that “prep” time to my much loved weekends can sometimes be a complete downer. I’m not going to lie it completely kills my weekend vibe…how am I supposed to enjoy my weekend freedom when I am already planning for the week ahead? And, you just saw a snapshot into my brain’s innermost thoughts, lol.

But, all joking aside…how do you feel about prep? Are there any tips and tricks you have up your sleeve? Or, perhaps just words of encouragement for those times it just seems dreadful to take on… you know where to post..

Pick out clothes

Brain fog is a real problem for me in the morning. Especially if I haven’t had my morning cup of coffee. So, staying on task when I have a million things running through my mind can be overwhelming. If you are anything like me in the morning, you should consider taking some time out on Sunday to gather clothes for the week for yourself and the kiddos.

Unsure of what they can handle? Refer back to the age appropriate tasks to get the kiddos involved! Have a designated place for their weekly wardrobe. It will help make it easy for the kiddos to be responsible for getting themselves dressed too! Two birds, one stone.

Prep Tips Continued.

Meals

I am a big fan of not only meal planning but love weekly menu planning too! It keeps my trips to the grocery store to a minimum. Each week I take some time to prep all snack bags for school. I also have an idea of what lunch snacks I will be reaching for each night so, I put thing like go-gurt in the freezer all at once, ahead of time when I get back from food shopping over the weekend.

The Coffee Pot

My family and I just finished a 4 month stay with my parents after our move back home from California. The most devastating thing to me was going without my nespresso machine and using a drip coffee maker. I know, what a problem to have but, if you are a coffee lover, you get me.
Anyway, being able to press a button in the morning to get that first cup underway is so much better than having to make your brain work through the scoops.
Yet, another glimpse at my inner narrative – “how many scoops did I just put in?!” (yes, I was counting all along “how many cups per scoop?!). I don’t know why but when it comes to water and coffee (or water and rice) my brain just does not want to retain that ratio.

Pack all bags

Snack, lunch, homework, blankets, lovey…these little ones sure need a lot to get through their day. So, why waste your time trying think about it first thing? Have your little one get everything set up with you the night before and place it in your mudroom, by the front door, on the coat rack… you get the idea! And, I am not sure why but, “set it and forget it” just popped into my head.

Rock Your Last Minute Life on Auto Pilot.

If you take anything away from this post, it should be these two words – auto pilot. Pick and choose what works for you and your family. Get them on auto pilot when it comes to their routine and your expectations, and NEVER deviate from it.

For those extra squirrely mornings make sure you remember to breathe. We have just one life, and it is destined to throw us a curve ball at any given moment. When things get out of hand, take a moment reflect on your blessings, know the moment will pass, and when you handle this blip in the radar calmly it will soon become a distant memory.