Five Things I Do Every Night for an Organized Morning Routine

I’m totally Type A and have been my whole life, but for the first time ever, I’ve been using it to my advantage in order to stay on top of life. There are just so many things to keep track of and juggle once you have kids, so I’ve been working hard at streamlining processes and making lists that help me run my days more smoothly.

I recently created a daily checklist that encompasses every. single. thing. that needs to be done as part of our daily routine (including all of us, not just me) and it’s been a nice addition to my daily planner notes. While everything on the list makes the day smoother, there are actually a few small things I do each evening that make the next day start off on a high note – and I wanted to share those with you, in case you’re seeking an organized morning routine, too!

Check out my 7 favorite ways to stay healthy as a busy mama on the go!

1) 15-Minute Pick-Up

This is exactly what it sounds like! I got this idea from Emily Ley’s book – take an empty laundry basket and go from room to room, picking up anything that belongs somewhere else. With two little ones, I find their toys (and snacks…true story) in our bed from time to time and our coffee table turned into a kid’s picnic table. The laundry basket makes it super easy to just grab everything from all the rooms and then I can go through and sort things out by which room they belong in. It’s also a lot easier to do it this way, because at age 3, my oldest understands cleaning up but telling her to clean up the living room just isn’t effective – it’s almost intimidating if there’s stuff everywhere. If I take all of her toys and put them on the floor in her room, she will actually put them away where they belong (most of the time!).

Girls Dresses | Carters

2) Turn Off Distractions

As soon as it’s time to start prepping dinner, we always make sure the TV shows are turned off – and usually, we’ll stream Pandora until the kids go to bed. I also have the ‘Do Not Disturb’ feature on my iPhone set to automatically turn out nightly at 8pm. This means notifications stop coming through at this time, which makes it easier to put the phone down and focus on the kids’ bedtime routine and spending time with my husband afterward.

3) Clean the Kitchen

I’ll be honest, maintaining a clean kitchen is an all-day process – it can’t only be done once a day…at least not around here! But that last cleaning of the day after dinner is over is the most important to me, because I don’t like to wake up to a messy kitchen. Usually, my husband handles the bedtime routine of jammies, teeth brushing, stories, etc. while I put leftovers away, load/unload the dishwasher, wash pots or pans and wipe down the counters. Sometimes we swap tasks…just depends on the day. Usually, I choose cleaning the kitchen because by 7:30pm, I’m done momming for the day. #truth

4) Refill Coffee Pot Reservoirs

While I’m getting the kitchen clean, I’ll take an extra minute to be sure both the Ninja and Keurig water reservoirs are filled. There’s nothing worse than shuffling into the kitchen bright and early to press the brew button only to realize the coffee maker is out of water! It’s literally the easiest task but something about having to do it first thing just bums me out and sidetracks my organized morning routine plans 😉

5) Charge my Laptop

If you work from home or you’re a blogger, you probably get that same feeling of dread I do when you realize first thing in the morning your computer (or tablet) is completely dead and needs to be charged. I did this one too many times before I made it my goal to always ensure it’s charged fully at night before I go to bed so I don’t have that issue! It might seem silly, but if you have kids at home, you try to squeeze work or writing into the nooks and crannies of your day! If I wake up at 6:30 or 7 and plan on knocking out an hour of work before my girls wake and then the laptop is dead, I feel like my day has started off on the wrong foot and there goes my organized morning routine. Something as simple as plugging the computer in at night can help your day begin on a smooth note!

Do you have a nightly routine? Anything that must be done in order to ensure the next day runs smoothly? I also have a few others that vary, depending on the time of year. For example, when my daughter is in Mother’s Day Out, I like to have her lunch prepped and her outfit picked out the night before to maintain an organized morning routine.

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