1. Lunch Prep Organization:
Lets admit it, life gets a little crazier as Summer nears its end and school is just around the corner. As Moms, we do the best we can to shave off time from everything we possibly can to help our mornings run more smoothly and stress-free. Packing your kiddos lunches & backpacks the night before - will help relieve some of that morning stress.
Here are a few tips for packing school lunches
1. Have a container for everything!
Clear containers work best - you can see exactly whats in them (super helpful for those little ones who can't read yet), and two, you can see when they are near empty and its time to add the items your low on to your shopping list.
2. Label Everything!
I found these classy chalkboard labels at Wal-Mart in the Kitchen aisle (by the clear containers I purchased for my fridge, tupper ware, hand towels, ice cube trays, etc). I used a silver sharpie pen (permanent markers work great for labeling) - to write on the chalkboard sticker labels - which makes it look like chalk, but it wont rub off. On each label I wrote - carbs, proteins, fruit, veggies, snacks/treats etc. Under each category I wrote how many items my child needs to pick out of each bin to pack his/her lunch. (Yes they pack their own lunches :)
3. Add Variety
In each bin - have a variety of items offered to keep things exciting and to give them options (especially if they are picky eaters).
Examples:
Fruit (pick 1): bagged apple slices, bananas, applesauce, fruit cups, fruit leather, oranges, jelly/jam (in tupper ware containers for sandwhiches) etc.
Veggies (pick 1): bagged baby carrots/sliced carrots, celery sticks, sliced cucumbers, sugar snap peas, etc.
Proteins/Nuts (pick 2): cheese sticks, yogurt, boiled eggs, peanut butter, deli meat, sunflower seeds, pine nuts, trail mix, almonds etc. *Note: the more proteins your children eat, the longer they will last without snacking in between meals...which also means they will eat healthier too.
Carbs (pick 1): Teddy Grahams, graham cracker sticks, goldfish, pretzels, crackers, bread (for sandwhiches) etc.
Snacks/Treats (pick 1): fruit snacks, granola bars, pudding cups, jell-o cups, cookies, sweet breads (zucchini, banana, pumpkin breads), etc.
Drinks: water bottles, juice boxes, or milk.
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| FRIDGE: Proteins (pick 2) - Veggies (pick 1) - Fruits (pick 1) - Water bottles ready for on the go |
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| PANTRY: Snacks - Shelf stable items for lunches -Quick breakfast items kiddos can do on their own to help save you time. |
2. After School Homework Station Organization:
Its important to get into an after school routine that works well for you and your family to keep the stress levels down in the house. From after school until bedtime is going to be the craziest and most hectic part of the day...if you let it. However, if you are organized and think things through ahead of time - the "witching hours" will become the "welcoming hours" and you and your family will learn to love the afternoons and evenings as you spend them together working as a team. I'm not saying everyday will be a piece of cake...there will still be times where things go crazy for one reason or another - I mean we're all human okay? :) Having a routine will simply make things easier, even during the crazy, stressful times.
I find it works best (for us) to check backpacks at the door - so we don't lose any papers along the way. They hand me their homework folders, place their lunch boxes and water bottles on the counter, hang up their backpacks, put their shoes in the shoe bucket, wash their hands and then sit down at the counter for a snack. After their snack, we unpack their lunch and pack it for the next day - then put it in the fridge. Wash/fill up their water bottle and place it back in their backpack, then get started on homework right away. If not, then I'm stressed trying to help them with homework, make dinner, clean house, and keep the younger kiddos out of trouble. Everything runs smoother - if I slow down and spend some one on one time with them to help them do their homework and talk about how their day went, then let them have quiet time and play together while I get dinner ready. However, this may not work for you and your family - do what works best for your home. These are just some ideas to get you started.
Some families may have a large house and have the space to create a permanent homework nook or area for their kiddos to complete their schoolwork. On the contrary, not all of us have that luxury - and will need to create more of a "mobile homework station" if you will.
As you shop the sales for your kiddos' school supplies, be sure to get an extra set of each item to keep at home for homework purposes. (Keep some pencils, crayons, scissors, markers, glue, paper, etc. for your own collection)
*Target has some great finds in the front of their store in the dollar section. I found this cute mint green metal tote there and am in love with it! It matches my decor perfectly - and works great for holding school supplies needed to complete homework and art projects. (Not to mention its just handy to have in the kitchen for those spur of the moment cards to Grandma, coloring pictures or finger painting). They may also have something similar at the Dollar Store, At home, Walmart, or Ross.
*Wal-mart has a variety of peel and stick chalk labels that work great for organizing things around the house! And they're adorable too! I write on the chalk labels with silver permanent markers instead of chalk - I don't use chalk because it rubs off, and two, using the marker leaves a cleaner/nicer line.
I filled my bucket with Elmer's glue, watercolor paint set, a ruler, pencil sharpener, a box of 24 crayons, colored pencils, #2 pencils, a pen, kid friendly scissors, and a set of washable markers. Its nothing super fancy, but it gets the job done and keeps the stress levels down. Finding things last minute with kids can become very stressful - so this little tote has been a wonderful item to have.
I wrote "homework" on one of my chalk labels with the silver marker and stuck it to the front of the bin and voila! Now we have a portable homework station that they can take wherever they need to - in order to complete their assignments successfully. (It also just looks really cute on the counter too :)
pic of homework tote
3. Chore Charts:
My husband and I designed and created these magnet boards (you can find them at KMD Boutique in our Etsy Shop) to be used in the home, in the office or at school. They come in two sizes and can also be custom designed to the size needed for your home, office or classroom. They work perfectly for daily routines, chore charts, to do lists, menu planners, cleaning schedules, shopping lists, reminder notes, hanging children's artwork, displaying family pictures, etc.
I found my chore chart magnets at BusyKiddos on Etsy. I ordered them, printed them off and placed them on adhesive magnet sheets, then cut them out and voila - my chore charts were done! Ha ha...let's be real here...these chore charts took me a while to make - but I was so excited at how well they turned out! It was totally worth the work! I've also found chore chart magnets (that are already made into magnets) online on Amazon or other places - so you do what works best for you.
4. Family Command Center/Mudroom Ideas:
1. Morning, after school and evening routines/schedules & Reward Stickers or magnets as tasks are completed.
2. Reward Jars
3. Family pics
4. Family photo books
5. Chalkboard wall decor
6. Clock
7. Shelf with hooks for backpacks and next day outfits
8. Preschool Calendar (for the little ones - if your kids are older - you could do a dry erase calendar in replace of it).
9. Shelf for Calendar magnets, reward dollars and chalk
10. Favorite Family saying wall decor
11. Another family pic (pics are the best and cheapest decor and we love them!)
