Tackling Busy Days + To Do Planner Printable

Stay at home mom. 

Work at home mom. 

Work outside the home mom. 

Fur baby mom.

It doesn’t matter what kind of mom that we may classify ourselves as. We all have one thing in common.

Seasons of busyness. 

Certain times in life and in our individual daily routines  are busier than others. For me personally, fall is one of the busiest times of the year for me. I think that acclimating to new schedules makes it an especially challenging time. In my daily schedule, mornings are our most ovewhelming time of day. Getting 5 people out the door on time is never an easy task. I naively thought that it would be more simple as the school year progressed, but this has not been the case thus far. Dragging the kids out of the bed (usually figuratively but often literally) and getting them to school on time is tough! Even for organized moms who prep for mornings ahead of time know that sometimes kids throw a wrench into any routine.

Our morning routine may sound familiar. I awaken approximately 30 minutes before the kids to get myself ready and make breakfast. I wake the kids to eat breakfast. While they eat breakfast, I help assemble their lunches and daily water bottles (which I make the night before and place in the refrigerator). The kids get dressed, and I help with hair or brushing teeth or getting anything else together that needs to be done. We drive to school, where everyone exits the car and hustles into class to start the school day.

To make our morning routine as smooth as possible, here are a few tips that I follow daily:

• An organized morning begins with prep in the evening. Have the kids lay out their clothes, finish homework, pack snacks/lunches, and anything else that can be done the night before.
• Resist the snooze button. The alarm snooze button is oh-so-awesome when I’m rolling back over to fall asleep for JUST FIVE MORE MINUTES, but it’s not so awesome when I didn’t get up in time and am running terribly late.
• Make a to-do list. The night before, I make a to-do list with everything that I need to get accomplished the next day. These free to-do printables are great for attaching to the front of my planner or inserting into my planner. I’m including the free printable sheet for you to download, too! Simply right click on the image below to download it to your computer. Use your home printer to print the page on regular printer paper. Cut to use. 
• Maintain the kids’ wake-up routine. I admit to several moments of “going soft” and thinking that the kids will be appreciative if I let them lay in the bed for a little longer. It always backfires and leads to grumpy kids who aren’t awake enough to dress themselves before stumbling out the door.
• Go easy if mornings do not go as planned. Perhaps I totally forgot to set my alarm. Or we have no choice but to stop for gas (even if there’s not time). We are all human, and mistakes happen.

For those mornings when time is strapped or when I just need to treat myself for making it through another busy morning, Circle K has me covered. Fall = Pumpkin Season, and Circle K is ready with Dunkin’ Donuts Bottled Iced Coffee Pumpkin Spice. This Grab and Go beverage comes in a resealable bottle that is ready to run errands or head for a productive day in the office.

Who loves the Dunkin’ Donuts Bottled Iced Coffee Pumpkin Spice? I have noticed several friends already taking these to the office. It is no surprise that Dunkin’ Donuts Pumpkin Spice has been the #1 selling flavor in pumpkin spice for the past three years. It’s ready for pumpkin picking, apple picking, or any of your other favorite fall activities.

Find a Circle K near you!