When I was pregnant, I did TONS of research using Google and, of course, Pinterest to find everything I needed to be an organized new mommy. I found lots of 'prep-ahead' meals, freezer meals, etc, but nothing about actually preparing for the work week itself outside of the food choices. So today I want to share what's helped me get organized for each week for those moms out there, who are like me, and just have to have some kind of plan in place.
Our morning routine is pretty set, because I need to be at work at a certain time each day and the commute can be a gamble if I run late. I had to come up with a morning routine that gave me time for snuggles, but also got us out the door on time. The best way to do that was by planning ahead so every night I take about 45 minutes to prep for the next day.
My Prep-Ahead To-Do List:
1. Wash bottles and pumping supplies.
Washing everything the night before saves a ton of time in the morning! Pretty sure this is the biggest time saver on my list. Luckily, my husband often takes over this task so I can head right to step two. (Have I mentioned how awesome he is lately? Because he sure is!!)
2. Move any frozen milk to the fridge to thaw.
If I have frozen milk from the weekend that I need, I'll move that to the fridge. Then in the morning, I just have to put it in bottles.
3. Make bottles of formula as needed.
I generally send 5 bottles (4 ounces each) a day with Eli. (I'll be sending 6 ounce bottles once he hits 4 months.) I fill up as many as I can with my breast milk from the day and then fill the rest with formula.
4. Check and Refill the diaper bag as needed.
I make sure all his essentials for school are packed. Plus I put 5 or 6 diapers and some extra little containers of formula in there in case we have to run errands or something after I pick him up.
5. Check and Refill my pumping bag as needed.
I check the bag to make sure I have plenty of milk storage bags and put the freshly washed supplies into a large Ziploc bag.
6. Pick out clothes.
Here's another big time saver, because, if you're working with a new postpartum body like me, picking out clothes that fit and make you feel good can take some work. If I have to fumble with this task in the morning, I always seem to run late.
I also try to pick out Eli's clothes the night before too, because let's face it....babies have the cutest, teeny clothes and I could gush over them long enough to make me run late, but seriously. Why are tiny clothes so darn cute?!
7. Pack Lunches
My hubby usually makes dinner these days and then we take the leftovers for lunch the following day or he makes a big batch of chicken breast and we take that for a few days. For our lunches, I just set out our lunch bags and all our snacks the night before (I portion out all our snacks for the week into Ziploc bags on Sundays so it's easy to just grab them each night.). Then I make sure our ice packs are in the freezer and finish it off by putting our leftovers into Tupperware.
That's a quick rundown of how I get all prepped and ready for the next day during the week. How to you get prepped to ensure your mornings run smooth and, generally, on time? Let's chat in the comments below!
