Set a Simple Routine (That Everyone Can Follow)
Your morning routine will be different from your toddler's, your husband’s or your teenager's, but making sure everyone knows what is expected before they head out the door keeps them on track. Don’t get too detailed, but spell it out (literally) if you have to; charts with stickers work great for little ones.
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Lemon Water
First thing: Drink a glass of room temperature or warm water mixed with lemon slices and the juice of 1/2–1 lemon then wait 15–30 minutes before eating breakfast. Lemons are packed with vitamin C (boosts the immune system) and potassium (necessary for heart health and brain function). Lemon water also helps freshen breath, loosen phlegm and cleanse the liver.
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Image via How You Glow
Make Breakfast Doable
Having a cupcake pan full of eggy breakfast cups is one way to jump start the day. Get the kids involved: Let them choose and assemble the ingredients they want in their morning breakfast cup, then watch them devour their creation.
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Prioritize and Stick to It
Yes, 1,052 things need to happen between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m., but you can’t do them all. You simply can’t. Prioritize, be realistic, trim away the fat and learn the difference between what would be perfect and what’s the bare minimum to get you out the door. For instance, I’ve got four daughters who need to leave for school by 7 a.m. The only things they are expected to do in the morning is get up, get dressed, brush hair and teeth, and eat breakfast. Beds are NEVER made during the week and PJs sometimes remain on the floor until they get home from school. I’ve learned to shut their bedroom doors.
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Pack a Bento Box the Night Before
Opening up a bento box at lunch is like opening a bunch of presents. It makes lunch FUN (and it’s not just for kids)! Get kids involved in the packing. They get a (controlled) say in what they take and you get help in making lunches. Give them good choices (whole wheat wraps, nut butters, lean meats, cheeses, cut-up vegetables and fruit, quinoa, pasta or whole grain salads, pretzels, dried fruits, etc.). Store in the fridge, wait to add the cooler pack until the morning.
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Jimmy Dean Delights®
Jump-start your morning with a quick and delicious breakfast from Jimmy Dean’s Delights line. Here are just three of our favorites:
Fully Cooked Sausage Applewood-smoked chicken sausage patties that are only 120 calories per serving.
Breakfast Bowls A savory combo of turkey sausage, scrambled egg whites, potatoes and reduced-fat cheese at just 240 calories.
Turkey Sausage Egg and Cheese Muffin Enjoy a delicious sandwich with turkey sausage, egg whites and cheese. It’s just 250 calories, plus a good source of calcium and whole grains.
Pack School Bags the Night Before
Children are surprisingly responsible, when they are expected to be (and praised for it). The first thing my children do when they get home from school is unpack their book bags, clean out their lunch boxes and look through their homework folder. They don’t have to do their homework at that time, they just need to know what will be coming later that day/evening. Before going to bed, they pack up their book bag with everything except lunch, which is already packed up, but remains in the refrigerator until morning.
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Ready, Set, Charge!
Just before going to bed, shut down and charge all electronics, so that they are ready to go in the morning. Also, set your car keys next to your charging phone, so there won’t be searching in the morning.
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Look Over Tomorrow’s Schedule
Whether you work outside the home or not, you will have things to do tomorrow. Look at your schedule the night before to get a handle on what is coming up. Use the power of positive thought as you imagine the events of the next day.
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Image via Sugar Paper
Make Dinner for Tomorrow Night, Tonight
This one will make your evening a little easier—because you make it the night before, you won’t have to worry about what’s for dinner in the morning. This recipe for slow cooker chicken tacos is great. Mix up the seasoning and chicken broth the night before, then in the morning pile fresh chicken breasts (never put frozen meat into a slow cooker) and seasoned broth in, set on low and cook all day. Serve with tortillas, guacamole, shredded cheese and salsa.
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Recipe via Honey We're Healthy
Go to Bed Earlier and Wake Up Earlier
Look, with the exception of being on a lazy beach vacation alone, waking up in the morning is hard—no matter what time that is. If your alarm normally goes off at 6:30 a.m., set it for 6:15 a.m. (without hitting snooze an extra time) and wake the kids up slightly earlier, too. Don’t get sucked into thinking "I have a few extra minutes, I’ll do a few extra tasks"—keep your routine simple and streamlined. You may be surprised what those few extra minutes can mean to easing morning angst.
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