By Heather Ortega, Beachbody Fitness Coach
Ugh. August is officially half-way over. While some of us (me, thank goodness) have a little over 2 weeks left to soak up the sunshine & enjoy the last of the stress free mornings of summer break, many of you are already in the back to school grind. Whose brilliant idea was it to start school in August for Pete’s sake?!
Getting into the groove of back to school is tough! Alarms, routines, breakfast/lunches & the dreaded “I-have-nothing-to-wear!” days are back. Are you ready?
We all know in most households Mom runs the ship. Luckily, my co-captain is pretty cool & does a great job juggling it all with me. But even when it’s a team effort, it can be tough after summer. Let’s run through some tips to start off the school year cool, calm, collected & with as little sass or meltdowns possible!
First things first. Get YOURSELF into a routine
- If you don’t already have a routine for back to school, this is the perfect time to hit the floor a little bit earlier than you have been. Make sure you’re ready to take on the day before the little monsters wake up, asking you to find socks, feed them, and sign last minute permission slips. Make your most IMPORTANT meeting of the day with YOURSELF!
- Set your clothes out the night before, or sleep in them if it’s easier! Personally, I find sleeping in nothing at all works well so you HAVE to get dressed first thing! PJ’s make you lazy ladies!
- I follow a home workout. It’s easy for me to do in my room with or without the kids around. I don’t have to get up extra early to drive to the gym or need anyone to take care of the kids while I’m gone when my husband travels or is doing his own workout in the garage. If you need help finding a workout to fit your goals, and that you can do in 30 minutes or less let’s chat & get you set up!
Set a routine for everyone else
For goodness sake, DON’T DO EVERYTHING YOURSELF! Give everyone else routines as well.
- Have a basket for homework & parent papers to avoid the kiddos pushing them at you in the morning last minute.
- Assign 2-3 things per child to be done after school to take some of the to-do’s off of your list. If they are old enough, have them make lunch for the next day, take out the garbage or recycling, vacuum, empty the dishwasher, pick up their room & set out clothes for the next day. My little one is learning to dress herself, a BIG time saver for me in the morning! Our reward is 2 “surprise eggs” on Friday’s for getting dressed like a big girl every day.
- Communicate with your partner as well and plan what each of you are expected to take care of to avoid frustrations as you head out the door. And don’t forget to kiss each other goodbye.
Not every day will be a breeze & I know it seems easier to just do everything yourself & get it done “our way” or “the right way” but the extra effort to teach them the importance of these routines will be worth it for everyone in the long run.
Plan your Meals to Get into your Groove
As much as it sucks to sacrifice an hour or so out of your day on Sunday, prep for the week ahead of time and you’ll be so happy you did.
- There are so many quick, simple, and healthy recipes for muffins, veggie frittatas, overnight oats, cut up melons & grapes for quick kiddo breakfasts. This will make going back to school much easier for everyone.
- Practice what you preach: no skipping breakfast! My on-the-go choice is Shakeology, a 140-calorie meal replacement shake packed w/ all the good stuff you need post workout. It really is a healthy version of a Starbucks Frappe!
- For those of you that are lunch packers, prepping is key to saving you tons of time in the morning! And if you’re not someone who normally brings lunch, give it a try.
Not sure where to start? I’m planning to host a free 5-day “Rock The Box” event for some fresh fun ideas, the latest gadgets, bags, bento boxes, eco-friendly lunch gear & all that fun stuff! It’s kind of a secret obsession of mine. Friend or follow me on Facebook to join in! https://www.facebook.com/heather.marie.ortega
It can take time to get into these new habits, but don’t forget, I’m here for support! Get in your groove & Happy Back-To-School everyone!
Email: HeatherMarieO@beachbodycoach.com
Let us know what your favorite ways are to get back into the groove at the start of school.
Heather Ortega
Beachbody Fitness Coach
Mama of a tween & a preschooler, Wifey to a national recording artist & Fitness Coach with Beachbody, juggling it all day by day to be the best version of me & inspire others. Motivating Moms is my passion.
BeachbodyCoach.com/HeatherMarieO * Facebook.com/Heather.Marie.ortega *Instagram/HeathMarieO
That tip about PJs is soo great! I love it! I also really like the idea of meal prep. Maybe I could exercise some initiative and give it a try.
Check out Heather’s new group for help with lunch prep. She’s always got great (and simple!) ideas!