During the busy fall and winter months learning how to organize your day is a complete game changer! Gone are the leisurely days of summer, with vacations, and kids sleeping in. Everyone is back to school, activities are in full swing, and work demands begin piling up. All this added busyness can be overwhelming and stressful unless you’re well prepared. And that’s where changing up your fall routine can make all the difference. As a busy mom of 5 with 2 businesses running in my home, I’ve had my share of experience. Check out my top 5 tips!
Organize For Success
One of the most important things you can do is prepare your home for the fall and winter months. This might mean organizing your garage (and digging that snow shovel out) or pulling out your cozy blankets depending on your preferences. But the one thing well all need to tackle is swapping out seasonal clothing. Rather than simply packing everything away from this past summer, take the time to go through it, store what you need to, and donate, toss, or even sell those items you didn’t wear this past season.
When it comes to kids’ clothes you really want to organize for success. Consider sorting, folding, and putting clothes away in outfit sets instead of by the type of item to make getting ready for school as easy as possible.
Start Your Day the Right Way
Having a morning routine you love and look forward to is a great way to start your day off right. But have you ever considered modifying that routine for the fall? How you organize your days in the fall is a lot different than at other times of year. Your day will go much smoother if you prepare well for your morning during your bedtime routine. Simple things like laying out everyone’s clothes the night before and preparing breakfast and lunch for the next day can reduce morning demands making it easier to get out the door on time and maybe even sneak in a quiet cup of coffee.
Tips for Scheduling and Getting Organized
With so many demands for our time in the fall it can be easy to start to feel buried. That’s why the most important tip for scheduling and getting organized is keeping a family calendar. But, simply having it isn’t enough. That family calendar needs to be shared or visible to everyone in the family. In addition, I highly recommend a weekly meeting to determine who will be managing each item on the family schedule. Without this communication we moms tend to carry it all. Making sure everyone is on the same page and having an open dialog makes it much easier to share the load.
Create Collaborations
When it comes to fall hustle, you aren’t alone and that can definitely come in handy when creating a new fall routine. Creating collaborations with other people in your community is a win-win-win. Cut your driving in half by creating a carpool with other parents (win-win) and maybe you’ll even make a new friend (win)!
End Your Day Well Nourished
Organizing your day around activities and homework often makes mealtimes tough. Fall routines frequently interfere with our typical family dinner plans. But if you go into fall prepared not only can you make meal time easy but you can also maintain (or even improve) your health through this season. Plus, you will likely find that you can save a pretty penny by eating at home rather than hitting the drive through. The secret to making this happen is creating a meal plan. I know that can sound a little daunting, so I created a step-by-step video to walk you through the process. Whether you’re looking for help with a 1-week plan or a full month you’ll find it here… grocery list creation and all!
Enjoy Your Fall
With a little preparation and intention, you can have your best fall ever and actually have the time and energy to enjoy the changing season and maybe even enjoy a day at the cider mill with the family. You deserve it!