The Simple Life: The Night Before

I have found one simple trick that helps my mornings run a little smoother and lets me accomplish more during the day. That is to prepare for the morning rush the night before.

One way I am doing this is by making Tim’s lunch the night before. This gives me time to unload the dishwasher and quickly pick up the house before Tim leaves for work and while our son is eating breakfast in his high chair. It also saves us money because we are less tempted to say, “Oh we forgot your lunch, why don’t you just go out today.” Although Tim does have a budgeted amount to spend on lunches with co-workers 3-4 times per month, any more than this really eats into our budget.

I also prepare for laundry day the night before. Since our apartment doesn’t have washer/dryer hookups we have to do our laundry at the laundry facility in our complex which is 2-3 blocks away. I have found that by having the laundry sorted, the coins and detergent gathered, and retrieving all the odd washcloths and rags laundry goes so much smoother. I am able to start the laundry before Tim leaves for work which makes it much easier to finish with my toddler.

If I know that I am making pancakes or hashbrowns for breakfast I often whip up the pancake batter or microwave the potatoes the night before to speed up the baking process. This helps me feed my family healthy meals even when everyone’s rushing around.

Even though we don’t have school age children, I know how crazy getting children ready for school is. You can help them by laying out their clothes and backpack the night before. This way they aren’t looking for lost shoes while the bus drives away. Encourage older children to prepare for school the night before.

Even though I am not as good at this habit as I have been in the past, I know the days go by much easier if I have prepared the night before.