Twas the Night Before, Part 2

Last week we looked at three ideas (Twas the Night Before, Part 1) for getting things ready the night before to make the mornings run more smoothly. With a little preparation before, everyone can be dressed, fed, ready for the day and out the door ON TIME -- all without tears, fears and head-explosions! Here are the final four suggestions for making an easy-breezy morning:

4. Prepare lunches the night before and have them waiting in the refrigerator for quick grabbing. (In future posts we'll examine just what you can make and pack early for delicious, creative lunches.) If you have to leave before breakfast, pack some granola bars, fruit and even peanut butter sandwiches to give you a good morning start. My daughter keeps some of things in her desk drawer so that she can eat when she has a morning break at work.

5. Write a list of things you need to grab in the morning right before you leave such as water bottles, lunches, potluck salad. Put the list with your bag and keys so you will see it in the morning.

6. Empty the dishwasher. How does that help in the morning? With the dishwasher empty, everyone can quickly load their breakfast dishes before leaving so that you aren't coming home to a sinkful of dirty dishes.
7. Set up for breakfast prep. Remember that every few minutes counts in the morning. The night before, lay out bowls, spoons, cereal boxes, sugar and whatever else you can do for the morning. Set the coffee maker, fill the tea kettle. Check to make sure you have the milk or eggs that you need.

A little bit of preparation the night before will make for a smoother morning and prevent unexpected disasters. Try it and see if things don't run a little easier for you.