Helping “tomorrow me” out

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Lace

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Don’t let this photo fool you. I’m not really a morning person.

My husband, however, wakes up every morning and practically beams with joy and enthusiasm about ::fill in the blank:: day. I mean, if he could play the trumpet I wouldn’t put it past him to keep it next to the bed and arise every morning and play a tune.

It’s actually a good thing he doesn’t know how to play the trumpet because that would ultimately be the catalyst for what ended his life.

I’ve learned to soften my attitude a bit over the years of being married to a happy morning person because it’s just much more pleasant to be happy versus feeling stabby about the day beginning.

ANYWAY, the let us get back to the point of this post.

My friend Allyson told me that her friend Michael told her once that she spends time the night before preparing for the next day in order to “help tomorrow me out”. In other words, she knows herself, and knows the things that would be easier to do the night before after the kids are asleep. So, she does those to help “tomorrow her” out.

And, like certain things in life, that phrase stuck with me. And I’ve really utilized it in motherhood and especially mother-of-two-hood.

The high points that I focus on in the evening to make the next day start off smoothly are the following:

1. Lay out my outfit for the next day. Any decision I can make the night before makes the following morning easier. So, I’ll get everything, from socks to jewelry, set aside and ready to throw on. Sometimes I even bring my shoes downstairs so I can just slide them on before leaving.

2. Make sure we have clean bottles AND milk for David. Justin is the typical bottle washer in the house and he’s pretty darn diligent about making sure the bottles are washed and drying at the end of the day.

3. Double check and restock (if necessary) the diaper bag. Getting two boys into the car is enough of a chore, so the last thing I want to do is gather up all the junk that needs to be toted along with us in the diaper bag.

4. Get a morning snack + juice cup ready for David. When it’s just me and the boys I nurse Luke either in his nursery or David’s room. I like to offer David a snack + juice as a distraction if he starts to get bored of the toys we have in there.

5. Make sure I have my oatmeal available to eat. My friend Joanna gave me a recipe for a delicious baked oatmeal that I started eating when I was nursing David and am eating now that I’m nursing Luke! Apparently oats are supposed to help milk production, so it’s the perfect breakfast that is not only delicious but effective!

I make one batch that usually lasts me about 5 days. All I do is add a splash of warm milk and throw it in the microwave for a minute.

Of course there are other typical chores that happen in the evening as well (picking up David’s toys, emptying the dishwasher, etc) but these 5 are the ones that really help “tomorrow me” out.

Do you have certain chores that you do every single night to prepare for the next day? I’d love to hear them in the comments!

 

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Becky says · 03.24.15

Once I put my 15 month old down to bed for the night, I get ready for the day. I make my lunch, pack her bottles and food for the next day, and pick out my outfit for the next day. I also make sure her diaper bag is all packed and ready to go before she goes to bed. If I don’t do these things, the next morning I say, “Why didn’t I do this last night??”

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Jenn Harder says · 03.24.15

I would love your oatmeal recipe! That sounds perfect to eat while nursing my little guy.

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Z.S. says · 03.24.15

me too; would you please divulge it to us?

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Pam says · 03.24.15

I’m not sure which recipe Kate uses, but I use one from Annies-eats.com. She has a few different variations that are all delicious! I’ve even made the blueberry banana one with blackberries.

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Melissa Bird says · 03.24.15

Yes! The oatmeal recipe would be grand! I’m expecting in September 🙂 Please and Thank You

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Candice Whitney says · 03.24.15

Agreed! Bring on the baked oatmeal please!

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Linda says · 03.25.15

I am also interested in the oatmeal recipe please.

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Lisa Wild says · 03.24.15

This is a routine you will follow the rest of your life with kids at home 🙂 My kids are older than yours (11, 8 and 5) but I do pretty much the same at night, take my shower and pick out my clothes for the next day, pack there lunches for school, pick out there clothes for school, pack and make sure homework is done and packed, and any thing else in there school bags that needs to be packed. Good Luck 🙂 Your babies are adorable!

Lisa

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Monica says · 03.24.15

I do this all the time! I work full-time right now, so I make sure my preschooler’s bag is packed for daycare, lay out my workout clothes, pack my gym bag, and pack my lunch. Then I can just grab and go in the morning. It makes life so much easier!

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Courtney says · 03.24.15

Currently, I do the same with setting out all our clothing. Sometimes I will go so far as to set my makeup out for the next day. When I was nursing my daughter, I would have a giant batch of lactation cookie dough frozen and then cook as many as I would need for the next day 🙂 Hope you have a great day today, you are doing an awesome job!

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Becky says · 03.24.15

This is something I have been working on doing ever since my daughter was born (she’s almost 10 months now ~ crazy how fast they grow up!). It definitely helps make the morning go smoother, especially not being a morning person either

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Katie @ Live Half Full says · 03.24.15

I don’t have kids yet, but I still have a routine like this! I lay out my work clothes, pack my workout bag, pack my lunch and make sure my coffee maker is ready to go every single night! Bonus is if I prep something for dinner in the Crockpot so I can just turn it on in the morning. I did that this morning and I’m thanking myself!

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Christen says · 03.24.15

I LOVE this idea. I can’t go to bed at night with any dirty dishes in the sink. It makes me grumpy in the morning to wake up to a messy kitchen so I make sure everything is clean. I also pack my bag for the gym the night before (I will take any excuse not to work out!) and I pack my 4 year-old’s backpack for preschool the night before (any little homework assignments she had or money I need to bring in for field trips, etc.)

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Christina says · 03.24.15

I love that phrase. I use the phrase – my future self will thank my past self for getting (fill in the blank) done now. I try to get as many elements as possible of the next night’s dinner done the night before. It helps when I get home from work with a clingy 18-month old and a hungry husband to already have dinner prep underway. It also saves me from picking up the phone and ordering take out.

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Jessica says · 03.24.15

This is the perfect post for me right now! I’ve expecting my second son at the end of May. As a work-outside the home Mom with an almost three year old and a husband who leaves far too early in the morning, I’m already dreading the morning rush. I love the gentle approach to “helping the tomorrow me” out. It doesn’t sound as scary as getting your ‘ish together the night before.

You’re doing great Mama!

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Anne Y says · 03.24.15

Your description of your morning person husband made me laugh out loud. I love the bit about a trumpet!

Those are great tips! My only nighttime routine to help “tomorrow me” is to set the coffee to brew automatically. I should add a few more things in to the nighttime routine to help myself out. Especially since my 9 month old sometimes wakes up an hour earlier than usual which then throws off my morning routine

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Kristin S says · 03.24.15

A friend of mine calls that “setting the day”. OCD me has done that my entire life. I didn’t even realize it until you posted this! I always pack up my work and gym bag the night before and leave it by the garage door. For real, I’d forget something if I didn’t. I also set out what’s needed to fix breakfast and coffee (because who can figure all that out at 5:45am?) and plan what’s going in my lunch bag the night before and put it all right in the front of the refrigerator.
So, different category than SAHM/WAHM, but similar.
My “setting the day” friend has to wipe down her kitchen counter as the final “set”.

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Kristin S says · 03.24.15

Oh, forgot about planner me as a teen. I would open my closet door and sit on my bed every Sunday afternoon as a teen. I would plan each day’s outfit for the week from shoes to socks (it was the 80’s so socks HAD to match) all the way up to jewelry. I kept it all on a legal pad so I’d know not to repeat outfits. What in the world?!?!?! I don’t do that now but WIWW was sort of like that when I participated. I could look back for outfit help.

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Carrie says · 03.24.15

i used to do that too! By Friday I couldn’t remember what I had worn already and the idea of wearing the same outfit was mortifying! Haha! I wish that was still my biggest worry. 🙂

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Kate says · 03.24.15

that’s amazing Kristin! haha!

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Jackie says · 03.24.15

I love this post! Though I don’t have children, I still do lots of prep for “tomorrow me,” especially with making my breakfast/lunch and packing my gym bag. I will even put my gym bag in my car trunk so I don’t have to worry about accidentally forgetting it. I’d love if you shared the baked oatmeal recipe – sounds like a great time-saver! I love reading your posts!

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Dawn B. says · 03.24.15

Oh my gosh, funny how you really realize this AFTER you have kids. I put my kids clothes out and get my coffee ready to make (water in the pot, cup below the dripper, grounds in the little cup). Also, minor but it does help–my husband and I talk about what we are going to have for supper the next day. So all I have to do in the a.m. is take out the meat out of the freezer if the meat is frozen. Also, you probably realized this already, but in case not, I use and have post-it notes EVERYWHERE. When I think of something, I write it down so I don’t forget it. 🙂

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Megan says · 03.24.15

Before kids when I worked outside the home I always ALWAYS set the coffee up the night before so I could just turn it on and go!! After marriage we got a Bunn so you actually don’t dump the water in until you’re ready for coffee but I would still put the water in the pot so it was ready to dump!

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Jackie says · 03.24.15

Please post your oatmeal recipe! I would love to give it a shot!

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Reba says · 03.24.15

Yes, Please post your oatmeal recipe! I need something new to start my days!

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Katie Ball says · 03.24.15

Can I just tell you that my daughter was A YEAR OLD before I realized I could PACK HER LUNCH (for daycare) the night before instead of rushing to get it done in the morning!?!?! I had been scurrying every morning to pack her a nutritious lunch – chopping up fruit, dividing portions, preparing bottles/sippies. I was like a new woman!

We also run our dishwasher at night and unload it first thing in the morning so that we can put dirty dishes in the dishwasher throughout the day (and through cooking dinner) so that there isn’t a huge pile of dishes to do at night. It makes the horrid chore of doing dishes SO much better!

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Kim says · 03.24.15

This is great! Neither my fiancé nor I are morning people AT ALL, but I’m trying! I always feel so much better getting things done early in the day!

Kim
http://trendkeeper.me .. Travel diaries and be featured!

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Lindsey says · 03.24.15

Both my husband and I work full-time. My husband is at the hospital either before I am awake, or before the kids are awake, so I am on my own. I Make sure the diaper bag is packed, Connor’s book bag for preschool has everything it needs, my bag for the day, my lunch, etc. are all packed and in the car the night before. I also untie Connor’s shoes and loosen the strings (because there is nothing worse than battling double-knotted shoes when you are running late!) I set out all the breakfast plates, medicines, make sure cups are filled for the morning, etc. the night before as well. Anything I can do to help myself in the morning since I fly solo helps to get us all out the door before 7:30. (Who am I kidding, it is more like 7:45 and I am late every day)

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MeganB says · 03.24.15

My oldest son started first grade this year, and I was terrified of forgetting to pack him a lunch. I knew if I did it the night before, it would be easy to just toss it in his backpack in the morning. We’re almost to the end of the year, and I haven’t missed a day yet. I don’t even wait till night time to pack it. As soon as he comes home from school, we unload his backpack and instead of just putting his lunchbox away, I fill it right back up and put it in the fridge. Life saver!

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Lollie says · 03.24.15

“tomorrow me” I love that language!! I have been calling this dilemma “living in the now and not yet” because it is just really difficult to soak in these fleeting moments AND prepare for the what is coming next too, especially when sleep is such an uncertainty. Our older son is 3, so we have incorporated choosing clothes for the next day into his bedtime routine. That has made our mornings SO MUCH BETTER. He doesn’t argue and cry about what he has to wear, because he was part of the decision. In fact, if we tuck him in without choosing tomorrow’s clothes, he reminds us to do it!

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Holly Paige says · 03.24.15

I’m not a mother but I am also nowhere near a morning person. I always like to make sure dishes are done and the house is clean before I go to bed. I also get every thing ready for breakfast and my morning coffee so that all I have to do in the morning is make it.

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Emily @ Perfection Isn't Happy says · 03.24.15

Would you mind sharing the baked oatmeal recipe? The dining hall in my college dorm served it every morning and I loved it, but I haven’t been able to find a recipe that’s even close to it since moving out of that dorm (8 years ago, haha)!

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Lisa says · 03.24.15

I would love the recipe as well! Sounds like a great idea! Thank you!!

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Krista says · 03.24.15

I seriously need to get better about doing this. I have it into my head that I would really be helping myself out, but somehow I just end up not. Making it a point to help “tomorrow me” out!

http://www.kristajacobs.blogspot.com

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Sarah says · 03.24.15

Oh, yes! I don’t have any littles but I’ve helped out “tomorrow me” for years! I set out my clothes–like you, socks to jewelry, set the coffee pot, prepare morning smoothies for blending, set out supplements, make sure whatever I need in my purse is good to go. It really makes the next day start so smoothly!

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Jessica says · 03.24.15

Hi Kate,
You are amazing!!! Although I do not have “babies”, I have 3 daughters (11, 8, 6) and have many friends who are where you are in parenting. Since this post is about “making things easier” I thought it was a good place to tell you about my friend. She invented the “EZPZ Happy Mat”! It is wonderful! If you get a chance, I thought you could try and one and let people know how you like it. You can find them on Amazon. Happy parenting!!

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brittany says · 03.24.15

I also would love the oatmeal recipe! Please!
I TRY to do the following every evening:
dry, fold, and put away a load of laundry
run the dishwasher and wipe down the kitchen
pick up toys and other miscellaneous bits around the house
pack my bags for work the next day
plan my outfit and iron if needed
(when baby #2 arrives in September, we’ll add in washing pump parts and bottles and making the bottles for the next day)

I’m successful about 50% of the time, but it makes a HUGE difference if I summon the energy to do that list every evening. If I couple it with my morning routine (start a load of laundry, empty the dishwasher, make the beds) then things run so much more smoothly!

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Linda says · 03.24.15

Would you mind posting the oatmeal recipe. It would be a great time saver.

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Sara W says · 03.24.15

I am so not a morning person, so it’s unfortunate that my children very much are-like pre-5:30am morning people. if I’m really on the ball I pack my big boys’ lunches for school and after dinner I load the dishwasher and set it on a delay so it runs while we’re sleeping. I also try to do the same with a load of laundry. Looking at the next day’s meal plan to see if there’s anything I need to pull from the freezer is a biggie-saves a lot of last minute dinner woes. Now that I have a fourth baby, any head start helps! I would also love your baked oatmeal recipe. I do one with steel cut oats that is so good!

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Jessica L. says · 03.24.15

I have never heard of it that way, but YES! I always have a small list of things to complete after my girls are in bed to prepare me for the next day. My littles are 2 and 3(only 15months apart), so doing these things has been a lifesaver.
1. Run the dishwasher.
2. Start a load of laundry.
3. Lay out workout clothes AND outfit for the day.
4. Have coffee ready to brew.

Love your blog!!!

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Sherry says · 03.24.15

I have 3 boys ages 6, 3 and 13 months. The night before, I run the dishwasher and at the same time set the delay on the washing machine for 1 hour so when one is ending the other is beginning. I get up the next morning and finish the laundry and get to the dishwasher…whenever time allows. 🙂 I take my 6 year old to school every morning so on days my 3 year old doesn’t have preschool it’s a lot easier. I just throw him and my 13 month old in the car in their pjs. Clothes are laid out the night before along with backpacks by the door. For myself, I take a shower the night before and flat iron my hair just as I would if I were going somewhere. The next morning it actually looks pretty dang decent so I put on minimal make up (thank goodness my boys still think I look pretty with or without at this age) 😉 My clothes may consist of what I wore the day before, depending on if there’s snot, boogers, milk, or food encrusted on it…lol. If I’ve gone to bed the night before without at least two of these things done, it seems my whole day goes downhill!

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Christy says · 03.24.15

I love read your post because routines are my favorite thing. As mom to high schooler and when he was little I had to get up one hour early every morning so I have “me time” before getting my son up for his day (preschool, elementary , middle and now high school) So that I get lot of rest before craziness begins. It really helps. I wanted to tell you that I love a book by Jessica Turner called “Fringe Hours” that is perfect for all mommies to read this book and it is all about take care of yourself while your schedule is crazy with family. Your post will help with other mommies out there!

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Sherri @ Adventures of Love and Marriage says · 03.24.15

By nightly routine for my “tomorrow:”

1. Layout outfit (I actually try and layout all my outfits that Sunday so its grab and go the whole week)
2. Make my overnight oats for breakfast (recipe gives 2 days worth of breakfast)
3. Pack my lunch for work (so I don’t have to waste money and helps get rid of leftovers)
4. Layout my 15-mo’s clothes, wash sippy cup, etc.

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JaNae says · 03.24.15

It’s amazing how doing a few little things at night can make all the difference in the day. Now that my kids are older and 2 Are In elementary school, I take this a step further and do a bunch of stuff on Sunday to help the week go smoothly. I pack the older 2’s lunches in plastic containers with compartments for the whole week. This way they come home from school, put the dirty one in the sink and put a new one in their lunchbox. I will even do it for my preschooler if I know her and I will be out and about the next day. My husband does this for his lunch too. I cut up all the differnt kinds of lettuce I’ve bought and keep in a big Tupperware bowl so salads are quick and easy, and do any meal prep I can for the week. Makes crazy evenings go so much smoother! I’ve been doing this forever, but what you call it is so cute…might help me not dread it as much!

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Gwenn says · 03.24.15

Every (week) night, I make sure everyone has clothes for tomorrow and that they’re ironed. (I’m really bad about leaving the laundry in the basket.) I also pack all the lunches. I run the dishwasher when I go to bed and take the kitchen trash out when I take the dogs out before bed.

Just those few things make life so much easier.

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Valerie B. says · 03.24.15

Yes! At the end of the day, when I finally get the kids to bed and have used just about all the energy I have and am so looking forward to crawling in bed, I have recently started forcing myself to do a few things at night: dishes, lay out clothes, pack bags, wash bottles, pick up living room, etc. My husband says to just go to bed as worry about all that later, but I always tell him that “tomorrow Val” will be so glad that “today Val” did all this so I just have to power through for about 15-30 min. Great tips!!

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Jordan says · 03.24.15

I started laying my clothes out the night before a few years ago when I realized that I was wasting valuable sleeping time each morning! I can only change something about the outfit if something catastrophic happens (toothpaste, coffee, etc). My husband and I have quite the dance at night. We make sure our daughter’s bag is packed for daycare, lunch is ready for all of us and clothes and diapers (we use cloth) are caught up. On the nights before I get up to use the treadmill I put on my workout clothes so I can drag my sorry butt out of bed and just hop on!

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Liz says · 03.24.15

Load up the coffee maker!!

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Misty says · 03.24.15

Now that baby is here, I definitely agree there are things that need to be done to make the next day easier. Top of that list is making sure there are clean bottles, emptying the dishwasher, and just in general tidying up like throwing dirty towels in the washer and what not.

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Wendy says · 03.24.15

I leave a clean diaper and a change of clothes for the baby out on the change station. I also pack my breakfast/husband’s breakfast and our work lunches for the next day. I also meal plan. So on Sunday night I know what we are going to eat for the week. (Taking a shower/bath at night is also helpful.)

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Erin says · 03.24.15

Kate, Oatmeal recipe please and thank you I’m currently nursing my first little boy who just turned 3months old whew it’s going by fast! Thank you!!!

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Rachel says · 03.24.15

I have a 21 month old and a 5 month old so everything takes about 3 trips. To make it easier I put everything (diaper bag, snacks, stroller, my purse) in the car the night before. I have a garage so this makes it easier/safer. But then all I have to focus on is getting them into the car so instead of several trips I only have the boys to load into the car. This works really well for leaving on vacations too.

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shauna says · 03.24.15

I would also love the oatmeal recipe!

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Rachael Canfield says · 03.24.15

I eat instant oatmeal and milk every morning but I’m curious about the baked oatmeal as well. Would you be willing to post about it if you have time.

My daughter is 5 months and I put her down and do these things.
1. work out for 20-30 minutes
2. make lunch for tomorrow I work full time
3. On sundays I set out her clothes for the week and mine as well
4. shower or wash my face
5. pump and relax

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Lindsay says · 03.24.15

Try skinnytaste.com, great baked oatmeal recipes. Overnight oats, too.

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GJ says · 03.24.15

Thanks for that website Linsday! I’ve been looking for a good baked oatmeal recipe that lists the nutrition info and doesn’t use such sugar. And now I’ve found it! 🙂

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GJ says · 03.24.15

*much* sugar — gah!

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Lauren says · 03.24.15

I set out both kids’ outfits for the entire WEEK on Sunday night! Socks, underwear, diapers, hair bows – everything! It makes me feel better that I’m more ‘prepared’ for the week. 🙂

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Kristi C says · 03.24.15

I don’t have babies anymore, mine are 12 and 15 but still I do certain things the night before that I have been doing since they were babies! Ha! Having a clean kitchen and picked up house saves my sanity when I wake up. With my older kids these days making lunches, having schoolwork done and in backpacks and clothes picked out all help for the next day morning routine. I am not a morning person and without a cup of coffee I’m pretty quiet…

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Lindsay says · 03.24.15

PREP THE COFFEE MAKER!!!!

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Kirsten says · 03.24.15

The night before prep is a life saver for sure! Although, some days, I still find myself rushing in the morning to get out the door with my daughter.
As with many others, interested in the baked oatmeal recipe. It’s been years since I nursed, I just love oatmeal. Thanks!

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Morgan A. says · 03.24.15

This is exactly why I started showering at night! I get it out of the way and dry my hair because I know thats what takes the longest in the morning. Then I usually just to a quick curl (or a top knot if I’m feeling lazy) and makeup and done. Everything seems to take longer in the morning does it?

http://www.morningappleblog.com

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Chelsey says · 03.24.15

I also lay out my clothes, get my kid’s (2&1) milk cups ready for the morning, make sure I have either oatmeal or yogurt parfaits ready for the morning. If it is going to be nice the next day I pack our lunches so we can eat at the park. I also workout then shower and dry my hair now that there is no morning nap for my oldest.

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JoAnna says · 03.24.15

Gosh, have I mentioned how thankful I am that your going to be an absolute PRO and have millions of brilliant tidbits about how to handle 2 babies by the time mine is born?! So, so thankful :). And yes, that oatmeal is the BEST. Lifesaver.

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Jenna says · 03.24.15

Today’s me always has good intentions about helping out tomorrow’s me but, sometimes, by the time the end of the day comes around today’s me doesn’t care about tomorrow’s me and yesterday’s me is telling her she should! Lol
-Jenna
http://loveabibliophile.com

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sharon / theprincipledtype.blogspot.com says · 03.24.15

i am completely okay the night before, calculating in an alarm snooze or two for the morning! there’s not better way to get up than to rollover for a few more minutes first, lol.

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Kayla Hutchison says · 03.24.15

Oats do help with milk production! I have an almost 3 year old daughter and a 9 month old daughter, so I feel you on the “help tomorrow me out” thing. I’ve had to learn to do the same thing, especially if I know I’m running errands the next day. If I waited to do everything it would take me 2 hrs to get out the door lol. I’ve gotten to a point where I will even lay out my face cleansers etc for the morning, and now that both girls are (finally) on a pretty good sleep routine, I wake up a little early to have a bit of time to myself before my house is all screams and clutter. Ha! Awesome post!

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Jen says · 03.24.15

We love baked oatmeal too!

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Jennie @ The Diary of a Real Housewife says · 03.24.15

This is great Kate! I have actually turned into a morning person. But I like to wake up and relax so I try and make it easy for myself in the morning. That way I can drink my coffee and have some peace until the boys get up!

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Robin says · 03.24.15

My first and most important thing is to have the coffee pot ready to go. I am the mom of 2 also. However they are now 8 and 4. Coffee in the morning is a must and I hate fiddling with the pot in the morning. So I have it ready to go. Although I am past this stage now, having the diaper bag ready to go with snacks for both kids and myself was very helpful. Also if I had something important that I wanted to do the next day, I would wash my hair the night before. My hair tends to feel oily if I don’t wash it everyday. I usually wash in the morning but if I wash the night before, I can manage to make it through half the day without feeling like I need to put my head under the kitchen sink.

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Lindsay says · 03.24.15

Yes! My husband and I do this too. I definitely have to pick out my outfit (and the kids) the night before. I also pack all of our lunches and set them in certain spots in the fridge. I also get out the cereal + breakfast bowls for the kids and have them ready to go in the morning. Also I have their school/daycare bags packed and ready to go the night before. I am not a morning person either, so it’s best that I have to do as little as possible to get out the doorl. 🙂

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Casey says · 03.24.15

While I’m putting the baby to bed, my husband washes my bottles and pump parts for the next day. Then I come down and assemble my dried pump parts and go ahead and attach them to the bottles so they’re ready for my first pumping session of the day at work. If it’s Monday, then I have to pull milk from my frozen stash because I don’t pump over the weekend. So I will pull that milk out on Sunday Night. If it’s any other day, I put the milk I pumped that day in the fridge for the next days bottles. I pack the diaper bag, pack my breakfast and lunch, and take a shower. That way, in the morning I can just freshen my hair up and do my makeup. It sounds like yve really gotten a good routine down! That’s so important!

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Beth says · 03.24.15

its so wise for you to get into this routine with your kids young! Good job! My kids are older, 18, 16, 14, 10 and 7…and getting the “tomorrow me” ready is crucial. The house must be clean when I go to bed. The best to start a day off badly is to have to clean dirty dishes, or pick up the living room. My night time routine consists of prepping school lunches, dinner planned and prepped, work out clothes and sneakers laid out, outfit chosen for the day, and house clean. It makes ALL the difference to take the extra time to have my day start off well.
Your kiddos are adorable and you’re doing a fabulous job with them! God bless!

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Caroline says · 03.25.15

Kudos to all working moms out there who have a plan to work and “work the plan” to help tomorrow. I have three girls 9,6,2 and what helps the battle cry of what to wear that is weather appropriate as well as allow for individual style is to select 5 clean tops and 5clean bottoms every Sunday. The girls then can mix and match however the like and I save 20 mins each morning and 5 years of my life from fighting with them.

Also training the picky eaters to help make their own lunch the night before is helpful.

It is a blessing to ave children and you and Justin have two very beautiful boys.

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Jane L says · 03.25.15

Would love to try your baked oatmeal recipe! I have a 2 yo son and almost 4 mo daughter and make “regular” oatmeal every morning for us to help with my milk supply and because my son loves it. Have been wanting to try a baked oatmeal but didn’t know if I’d like it.

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Tyana says · 03.25.15

this is great

check out my newest post
xx
Tyana
theluxedition.blogspot.com

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Natalie says · 03.25.15

One thing that has been helpful for me is to do a load of laundry at night. After dinner I start the washer, then as I’m letting the dogs out one last time around 10pm I will put it in the dryer. When I get up, I fold and drink my coffee! Ta da, laundry is done and I feel like I at least got one thing done! and this helps keep the pile from getting huge!

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Jill C says · 03.25.15

I’d love to try your baked oatmeal recipe…please post it when you can. Your family is just beautiful!

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Runt says · 03.25.15

Yess! This little tidbit of information has helped me SO much since having my little guy.
Before he was even born I didn’t feel right leaving dirty dishes in the kitchen sink, so I always put those into the dishwasher before heading up the stairs.
Now that the little guy (Can I even say “little guy” anymore? He’s 15 months old!) is here, it helps me SO much to do what you listed – pick out my clothes and make sure the diaper bag is already stocked. They seem like small things, but they make a big difference in the morning!

Runt

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Melissa says · 03.25.15

Oh I over do it and I’ll admit it. I do all the dishes and put away then sweep and vacuum the floors. Then I iron my clothes lay them out with the necessary shoes jewerly(I am a watch person I won’t wear anything that don’t match one of my 32 fossil watches) then I do the same for my 11 year old daughter. While my daughter is taking a shower I straighten up her room and lay all her stuff on her couch in her room, double check the backpack that she said is ready to go (which of course is never right) then I tuck her in bed and give her 30 minutes of either tv or computer time. Then I take my bath, go through the standard scrub down shave legs everything but wash my hair. I do that in the morning when I jump in shower. Then when I get out of bath I get all my bills ready to mail by laying them in the passenger seat of my truck so I will see them to take to post office after I have dropped my daughter at school. With 7 people in the house we go through a lot of towels so I will load up the washer but wait till I’m walking out the door to turn it on in the morning. Oh yeah I go to every room collect the trash and take it out. I have to say my mornings are delightful thanks to my amazing husband he gets our daughter up fixes her breakfast and then takes her pack back, my purse, and diet mtn dew and put them in the truck all we have to focus on is getting ready and walking out the door. I then leave him a list of what is needed for supper that night and by the time I get home it is there ready for me to fix. Thank goodness he owns his own business and works his own hours or I would be in such a predicament.

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Brenna says · 03.25.15

Quinoa and Ezekiel Bread also helped me a ton with milk supply along with oats! It offers a little variety and I love it!

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Kerry says · 03.25.15

I always always always make sure my coffee pot is ready to go so I can just press the ‘on’ when I wake up at the ungodly hour of 4:30. I am not a morning person and I hate being rushed so I need to wake up at that time to be at school by 6:00. There has been 2 times in my teaching career that I have forgotten to do this and it will take me 5 minutes to try to make a cup of coffee in the morning so it hasn’t to be prepped the night before. I love your little tips!

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Penny says · 03.26.15

I’m a much happier person during the day if my morning can go smoothly. I have 3 school age children and an 11week old. School clothes are set out the night before(for ironing) lunches are made, water bottles filled. Some idea of what to make for breakfast. This can all go haywire if one or more woke up in an off mood! Just keeping them moving so we can get out the door on time is my goal. Brushed your teeth yet? Go get dressed. Hurry up and finish your breakfast we have to leave. Throw in some tattling and a disagreement and that sums up most mornings.

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Natalie says · 03.26.15

I love this! It makes so much sense. I have 14 month oldtwin boys, and a husband who works evenings, so I do things to help “evening me” out. By the end of the day I’m usually left with endless amounts of dishes (no dishwasher) and of course bottles and sippy cups. It’s overwhelming. I could spend nap time tidying up, but who wants to do that? I need a break! Instead I take the first 10 minutes of the morning and afternoon nap to wash dishes and bottles. That’s it. I stop after 10 minutes and have my “me time.” It might not seem like a lot but it drastically reduces the washing up time in the evening, and makes for a much less grumpy mom!

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Martie says · 03.26.15

Nope, don’t do a stinkin’ thing the night before. I should, but it’s just my style to run around like a chicken with my head cut off in the mornings. I should make my own list and give it a try! 🙂

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Michele Lyon says · 03.27.15

As a single working mama of two in diapers, this kind of planning is a MUST! I break things down weekly and daily.Over the weekend, I plan our dinners and prepare outfits for my kids for each day of the week, to include socks, hats, etc. I make sure i have work outfits for myself washed and ready for me to choose from.Every Monday I restock daycare items such as wipes, diapers etc. I make it a point to ask on Fridays what they need, so I only restock things for both of them at the same time once a week, and I have a chance to purchase items over the weekend.
On weeknights, I make dinner for the next night, (my oldest wants to eat dinner right when we get home), prepare coffee ready to brew, make my lunch for the next day, prepare my daughter’s bottles, get an “idea” of what I will wear.
Of course, it does not always work out this way, but when there’s so many things I can’t plan for, I try to take advantage when I can.

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Liz says · 03.27.15

Please the oatmeal recipe!

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Diane says · 03.28.15

Making sure the kitchen is in order, with no lingering dirty dishes before bed, always feels like a little present I give myself in the morning. I’ve never once regretted having forced myself to do it the night before. But the nights I’ve skipped it, always leads to regret. I’m not a morning glory, either.

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Heather C says · 03.28.15

I can’t function in the morning so I get my outfit, including undergarments and accessories, ready. Some times I do it for the whole week! I get my breakfast, lunch and drinks ready to take to work. We also plan our meals out for the entire week. For April we’re trying the whole month!

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Abby says · 03.29.15

I can’t go to bed until my house is picked up. Not clean, just semi-organized. If I wake up to a disastrous house, I feel like I’m going to have a disastrous day.

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Shannon says · 03.31.15

While nursing I would give my little one a “new toy” bucket every morning, it is a great distraction as well as the food. I would do this by getting the little buckets at the dollar spot at target and fill it with different toys and put all five or so in the closet, every morning I put the old one back and pick a new one. This works like a dream!!! I have kept this up in a weekly format for my girls now that they are older, we put away a bigger bin and pull out a new one, they even have started asking for the new toy bin.

Enjoy this time it goes so very fast!!!!

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Michelle says · 04.25.15

Ha, now imagine that list if you have 2 kids AND work full time outside the home!

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Karla says · 03.17.16

Hey I’m not even nursing and want this recipe. Haha 😉

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