Routines are the best way to save time on a daily basis. Kids can definitely make things hard especially 2 under 3 years old, eek! But if you have a plan of action for your day and everyone knows what the expectations are, you’re bound to save time and have a more enjoyable day ahead. 

Start by creating dinner menus for the week and making a chore schedule (for you, not just your kids and partner haha 😉). Having these laid out will take a lot of the guesswork out of your day, which means more fun family time. I like to use the Fraîche Table Living Meal Plan to help streamline weekly dinners. I have a few other tips in my arsenal to get you through the week so everyone doesn’t lose their minds. So let’s get to it here are my 6 tips to get organized and back on a routine with your kids this fall. 

1. Establish a reasonable bedtime… Since we’ve been up later than usual over the summer and it’s been lighter longer, Pierce wanted to be up a bit later. But now that the days are getting a bit shorter (wahhh) it’s time for an earlier bedtime! Bring it on baby… because that means I can have an hour (or dare I say it… two!) to myself or to spend with Gary before I go to sleep. And that does WONDERS. 

2. Set your alarm and wake up earlier… The first week might be a little tough, but once you get on to this routine you’ll set yourself up for success. The days I manage to get up earlier than the kids I fly through a myriad of things on my to-do list that would have taken me twice as long as when the kids are running around! This leaves me feeling so much more calm, centered and happy by the time they’re awake. And I feel like I have a jumpstart on the day that way! 

3. Start laying out your clothes each night before bed… This absolutely will set you up for success. It’s all about minimizing decision fatigue in the morning- the more you have to choose, the less brain power you have left for important stuff later on! I do this for both kids, myself and Gary has his work clothes prepared the night before always. Let me know if you’d like me to share a post about my fall-back outfit formulas!

4. Start getting in the habit of keeping a schedule and tracking your “to-dos”… It’s important to have a schedule each day with your commitments, to-dos and important calls/meetings. Seeing the day and week ahead helps you to mentally prepare, strategize and pre-solve problems. All keys to setting yourself up for success. 

I like to write everything down in my agenda.. old school with a pen and paper so the hard copy’s in front of me (but I am trying Google Cal and not hating it haha. It’s nice having it sync between my laptop and phone so that it’s one less thing to carry/forget.) I like this one because of the way it’s laid out with the month as well as a breakdown of each week so you can see it all together (BONUS: at the time of writing, it’s on sale! 40% off!!) 

5. Make grocery shopping easy… I order groceries from Save On as well as Spud, which is GREAT for organics and more natural items or whatever you need, to be delivered Sunday afternoon or Monday morning so we are ready for the week! We get everything on our meal plan and I like to prep it all on Sunday. I also like to go a step further and cut up fruits and veggies to have on hand when anyone feels hungry… That way healthy snacks are easily accessible and there’s less decision fatigue (😉) getting in the way of making the healthy choice. It’s when healthy snacks aren’t easy that you tend to go to easy junk food instead!! Here’s a tip: after you’ve peeled and cut carrots, store them submerged in water to help them last longer!

Do a Back to School or if your kids aren’t in school Back to Fall Routine (or something clever)  inventory… 

I like to go through the kids’ closets and purge anything that doesn’t fit them. In Baby Bence’s case I’ll insert Pierce’s hand-me-down’s, though I like to get him some new stuff too as well as some new Fall wardrobe pieces for Pierce. 

Bringing a detailed list of what the kids need will save you time and money when you are ready to go shopping!! I love PK Beans for layering staples and stylish play clothes! They are super high quality and can easily be handed down to your next baby and baby after that (would you guys like a post about how I keep my boys’ clothes in tip-top shape? Sustainability is all about longevity, right??) 

I also like to keep an eye on what they are and aren’t playing with so I can purge the toys they aren’t making use of to make room for new toys and educational puzzles, workbooks, etc. I also do this again before birthdays and Christmas!! Makes keeping things organized so much easier and helps keep their focus on one thing at a time 🙂 (it’s so easy to flit around when there are too many options!) 

It can be a tough mental shift hunkering down for fall after summer freedom (especially during Covid time), but the parents among us will know that feeling of gratitude when the kids are back in class!! LOL! The school schedule really helps me to organize my days/weeks and make sure I have the bulk of my own work done in time for the little ones to come home <3

I’d love to know what else you do to streamline your days! Let me know in the comments below how you stay organized and battle decision fatigue 🙂

 

 

 

 

Photography by Alyssa Dawson 

Rompers by Smash + Tess