Mornings are the most stressful time of day when you're a mum. Getting dressed, getting lunches sorted, getting the kids ready (and finding that shoe that is always lost!) Sometimes it feels that no matter how much time we give ourselves in the morning we still end up rushing out the door late and stressed.
To help you save time in the morning we have compiled some life hacks that will help you stay calm and give you more time in your morning.
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Coffee hacks
Are you someone who literally cannot function without your morning coffee? Even those 10 minutes between getting up and pouring the coffee are too much to handle? One mum has the perfect solution. She suggests investing in a double walled thermos bottle such as the S'well bottles and filling it with fresh coffee right before bed. She places it on her bedside table and the double wall keeps it piping hot over night. Then, instead of dragging herself out of bed to the kitchen she can have 10 minutes peace in bed with her coffee before starting the day. Genius!
Or, if you buy your coffee on the way to work, try booking it ahead with an app like Hey You, Beat the Queue. Order your coffee online, run in a grab it. Time saved!
Hair Drying Hack
If, like me, you need to wash your hair every day, then investing in a microfibre hair towel is a must have. Just wrap your hair straight after your shower and then leave it on while you get the kids ready and the bags packed. Once you take it off it should only take two or three minutes to blow dry your hair and you're ready to go! You can pick these up at Kmart for about $7.
Lunch Hacks
If you and/or your partner take lunch to work, make extra at dinner and then fill your lunch box straight from the table and put it in the fridge. The next morning you can just grab and go!
For the kids, you can freeze a week's worth of sandwiches at the same time. Yes of course fresh is best but if you are flat out for time then this is a great way to save time, especially if you have a lot of kids. Freezable fillings include; meats, cheese, Vegemite, nut butters (if allowed at school), jam, cream cheese. However, don't freeze tomato, lettuce, egg or any fresh veg. Tip: when freezing bread use very fresh bread and wrap tightly in glad wrap rather than a snap lock bag or air tight container. Also, make sure they are laid flat in the freezer so they don't freeze in strange shapes.
Shower Hacks
There's a lot more you can do in the shower than just wash. Brushing your teeth saves time and means you'll never get toothpaste on your clothes. You can also floss while showering and cleanse your face. Then when you get out you can quickly tone and moisturise as you dry yourself.
If you don't need to wash your hair daily stock up on those $2 plastic shower caps (not the fancy fabric ones). Steam/heat from the shower opens the pores in your scalp and allows more oil to be excreted into your hair. Also, the fine mist from the shower spray gets into the ends of the hair and makes it gritty. Putting a barrier in the form of a cap will stop this happening so quickly. You should be able to get another 1-3 days out of washing your hair just by wearing a shower cap.
Clothing Hacks
Invest in a clothing steamer. It is so much faster than ironing! Also, if you have clothes that are slightly crushed, hang them in the bathroom while you shower. The stream will release the creases and you'll be ready to go.
For the kids, get a week's worth of clothing ready on Sunday. No more looking for socks and undies and digging in the laundry for a specific top. If you have kids with opinions on what they wear (I know I do!) then get them involved in their choices so there is no Tuesday morning melt down.
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