Early Morning Hacks For Back To School

Back to school means early mornings! Use these hacks to make them as efficient and smooth as possible

If I haven't said it here before, allow me to announce it to the world now: I am NOT a morning person. I hate mornings. I wish nothing happened in the world before 8 am and it that it was required for all people to sleep until AT LEAST 7 am. I'm sure to a college student or even a 20 something year old, that sounds like the early morning, but to those of us who are parents or hold down typical jobs or worse yet, both of those things, you know that those hours are indeed considered sleeping in! Henry has one more year of preK preschool left, and after that, we'll need to be in the carpool lane by 7:15 am, Monday through Friday. Just pull my hair out now, please. That sounds like death. I'm going to pretend like that's not my impending future because getting four kids out of the house by 7 am is too much for my despise of morning hours self... However, through this hatred of early hours, I've developed a series of hacks that honestly make the mornings bearable! Not likable, but tolerable. If you're anti-mornings like me or you just need some tips on how to use your time more efficiently, check out these early morning hacks that are great for those back to school rushes.

1) Make lunches the night before and make them in bulk

Everyone knows this one but so few do it! Trust me on this one and just do it. I like to make them after dinner but before I've done the "final clean" of the kitchen for the day. If your kids go to school everyday, make them two at a time! This is a super efficient way to do it - you've already got the bread and peanut butter and jelly out, make two sandwiches instead of one. Then store it in a paper or plastic bag in the back of the fridge, and swap it out when your kids come home from school and you're cleaning out their backpacks and lunch bags.

Breakfast #1 gets set out on the counter, ready for the kids' early wake up time

2) Set out your kids supplies the night before

This is for everything: Outfits, special supplies like an art project or a towel/spare outfit for a field trip, homework in folders, tuition checks/lunch money/etc in the right spot - whatever your child might need for school the next day, have it set up and ready to go for the morning. Make sure it's all in one spot so you're not chasing it down when you should be getting in the car! The only thing I don't set out the night before is the kids' lunches, which stay in the fridge until we zip up and put on backpacks.

We're a two breakfast kinda family (or at least my kids are) so I set out their first breakfast the night before. They like to wake up early so I shove cereal bars at them because these kids wake up hungry! Then I usually heat up pancakes that were made the day before, scramble a few eggs, or give them yogurt and fruit closer to when we leave for school. The first breakfast is the super early one and therefore needs to be made as easy as possible! You could set out cereal bowls or partial supplies for breakfast if your kids eats from the fridge. Get out whatever you can to make it as easy as possible!

Otto's packed backpack ready to go in the morning

3) Set our YOUR supplies the night before

I don't go as far as getting my outfit planned because I work from home and can wear whatever I want, but if I had an office job, better believe I'd plan that out! I do get my coffee set up. I make individual cups (don't use a Keurig because of the mold and mildew that grows in them and how wasteful the actual cups are... Seriously it's like getting a new plastic straw everyday for your drink - why are you doing that?! Plus, I think it makes sucky coffee and isn't strong enough hashtagsorrynosorry) when my husband is working or traveling and I get this and the kids' "first breakfast" all set up and on the counter at the same time. Takes less than 2 minutes.

My coffee station is ready to go for an easy morning cup

4) Wake up early enough to move at your desired pace and still leave on time
Seems like the wrong advice coming from a woman who hates mornings right? Like I should be telling you all of this so that you're able to stay in bed until the last possible minute for the most possible sleep, right? Here's something else I've learned: When you push your timetable, it makes early mornings WORSE. For example, I don't like mornings, so I don't like moving fast or loud sounds; basically, the general chaos of rushing is excruciating! I've started to wake up a half hour before I used to in order to move at a calm, reasonable pace in the morning. We aren't rushed but there's also no time built in for dragging our feet. It makes a huge difference on my mood not only while we're getting ready to get out the door, but also for the rest of the day for me! It might take you a few tries to get it right, but you'll find the sweet spot of time to get up that enables you to move through the steps necessary for the morning at the pace you need to be a happy and calm parent. For me, that was more than worth shaving off 30 extra minutes in bed.

Back to school time is always a crazy mess of figuring out new schedules, timing, and what all needs to be done to get everyone where they need to go. If you're not a morning person like me, this is especially painful! Use these early morning hacks to get you on track for a well planned, prepared, calm and efficient back to school morning schedule. 

Happy Independence Day!

Happy 4th of July! May your day be full of BBQ's and cookouts, parades, fireworks, and everything red, white and blue. Taking a break today to celebrate with the fam, but I'll be back Monday with a some back to school 'successful morning' tips I've developed over the years. Can you believe kids go back to school so soon?! Third week in August for Dallas students. Cray cray.

Enjoy some adult bevvies for me and make sure to stay safe - don't drink and play with fireworks!

The Best Summer Mocktails

Whether you're pregnant or simply avoiding alcohol this summer, I've created some great mocktail recipes that are refreshing and fun to sip on all summer

I know some people are huge fans of sipping summer cocktails when the weather is warm. I'm one of the weird ones that actually doesn't mind forgoing alcohol in the summer. Day drinking on a boat was my JAM when I lived in Minneapolis, but now that I live in a city that is triple digit heat from June through September, alcohol just makes me feel more loopy and frankly - a tad ill in the summer. I truly haven't minded giving up booze for this summer pregnancy! Water and juices get boring day in and day out though, and I like to still be "a part of the group" when I'm with non-pregnant friends who can indulge by a pool or at lunch. If you're riding the sober bus for any reason this summer, I've crafted a list of great alcohol-free summer mocktails for you to enjoy. *Affiliate links used*

Bubbly Bloody Mary
The key to this one is the mix. If you've got a bad mix, this will be a bad drink! I have tried mixes from here to kingdom come and hands down the best one is Zing Zang (available here and Target also stocks it). It's not too tomato-y, not too much horseradish or pepper, the perfect saltiness, and just a great, robust favor. In fact, if you think you don't like Bloody Mary's, try this mix and see! Now that you've got the mix, you need a vodka replacement. Topo Chico is a great way to cut the acidity of the tomato juice mix without the booze. While Zing Zang is the king of Bloody Mary mix, Topo Chico is the king of sparkling mineral water. Seriously try it. It's so much better than La Croix or Perrier, it's insane. Like, miles ahead of the race better.

Bubbly Bloody Mary
- Zing Zang or your favorite Bloody Mary mix
- Topo Chico sparkling water
- lime
- salt and celery seed
- other accouterments to garnish as desired

Mix together a small plate of sea salt and celery seed. Line your glass rim by rubbing a lime wedge over it to moisten, then dip into the plate of salt and celery seed. Add ice to your glass and fill 1/3 to 1/2 full with Topo Chico. Top off the reminder of the glass with your Bloody Mary mix and garnish with a lime slice and whatever else you desire (Tobasco sauce, other hot sauces, olives, pickles, a celery stock or even a beef stick are all good choices!)

Enjoy! Hubs and I had some one morning out in our courtyard. I like adding the bubbles so much, I might keep it as an addition even when I'm able to enjoy vodka again! I will say, this virgin option is a nice morning drink that keeps your head clear, unlike the traditional Bloody. It's also a great recovery drink after a good morning workout.

Strawberry-Basil MojitNO
See what I did there?! I know, but I'm not even sorry about it. There is nothing like warm weather and a good crisp, fruity beverage to tame the heat. This one has the fruity flavor from the strawberries, fresh basil and mint to brighten it, and coconut water that actually helps keep you hydrated by providing natural electrolytes. Win win win! I would CHOOSE to drink this on a super hot day instead of a wine spritzer to keep myself hydrated, that's how good it was. If you watched my IG Stories the day I made and filmed it, you saw I made myself three of them. Yup. That good.

Just like with the Bubbly Bloody Mary, this drink requires QUALITY coconut water. I'll be honest with you: I don't like most brands of plain coconut water. When I first went "crunchy" and replaced Gatorade with it, I had to buy the fruit juice infused blends because the plain coconut water taste was just terrible! Turns out, I wasn't buying the right brand. My favorite is Zico (available here and at Whole Foods - it is NOT sold at conventional grocery stores, at least not that I've seen). This brand is smooth, not too nutty and not too bitter. By far the most drinkable brand I've ever tasted.

Strawberry-Basil MojitNO
- 3 to 4 fresh strawberries per drink you're making
- 2 FRESH basil leaves per drink you're making
- 2 to 3 FRESH mint leaves per drink you're making
- Zico coconut water
- 1 can lemon lime soda

In a small bowl, rip up the basil and mint leaves and add the strawberries after you've removed the tops. Muddle the berries and the herbs until mushy. In a tall glass, add ice and the muddled berry mixture. Fill about 1/2 to 2/3 full with coconut water, and top off with the lemon lime soda. Mix together to distribute the ingredients. Enjoy with a paper straw to help filter out the berries and herbs or drink straight from the glass to get bits in your sips (it enhances the flavor!)

Peach Bellini MimNOsa
I'm at it again and I'm still not sorry. This is by far the easiest drink to make, so if the others were a tad too labor intensive for you (especially with no fun boozy benefits!) than this is more your speed. Two ingredients and one step. This pregnancy has made me in love with any and all things peach flavored, but you could easily use traditional orange juice or ruby red grapefruit juice too.

Again, the QUALITY of the ingredients is key when you're not using alcohol. Do not buy cheap, processed junk that's only 10% juice and expect it to taste good! Save that for alcohol when you won't even notice it after your first drink anyway. Better yet, cut that garbage from your life. If it's only 10% juice, what the heck is the rest of it? Fake sugar and water that they're charging you an arm and a leg for. But I digress, back to the mimNOsa.

Peach Bellini MimNOsa
- DRY sparkling apple or pear cider
- 100% peach juice (or orange or grapefruit)

Get a champagne glass, fill it 1/3 full with juice and top it off with the sparkling cider. Boom! Mocktail express. This is an excellent option if you're expecting but haven't told anyone yet - nobody will know it's sparkling cider and not champagne. In the same vein, this is the perfect baby shower drink option for the mama-to-be and enables you to still serve the other guests real champagne. It's also a great brunch option if you've got a long list of things to do after brunch that a few mimosas will inhibit.

Just because you can't or don't want to consume alcohol doesn't mean you're stuck drinking water or soda! These fun mocktails are the best of summer booze-free flavors! If you're entertaining, they're great to impress guests and you could make some mocktail style and some traditional style by adding vodka to the Bubbly Bloody Mary, rum to the Strawberry-Basil MojitNO and champagne to the Peach Bellini MimNOsa. Just be sure to clearly label which drinks are virgin and which are traditional for your guests.