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I have a routine of 4 things that I do every morning and it makes a huge difference in my day.  I wanted to share it with you because you can essentially get ready faster and make over your mornings by doing these things.

change your morning
The kids sleep until around 7:00 because that is when the kids are allowed to come out of bed, so our day starts then.   When I get up, I really follow the same routine every day.   Oh!  The first thing that I do? Hug our kids & tell them “Good morning!  I missed you while you were sleeping!”  (yes… I say this to each child, every morning.   I want them to know that I am EXCITED to see them.   It will make your kids so happy and will start you off on the right foot!

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OK- now onto the actual “routines” that make up my morning…

1. Make my bed.
As soon as I get up, I make the bed.   I can’t have the bed unmade all day because of it just sort of sets the tone.   If it is made, I feel put together and kind of like I am getting a head-start on my day.   If my husband is still asleep (that’s rare) when I wake up, he will make it when he gets up.  We usually wake up at the same time.
Ps- have you seen our murphy bed in the guest-room?

wall bed 2

2. Drink a glass of water. 
I was never a water drinker.  I certainly don’t drink enough water now (I am a diet coke & sparkling water type of girl… I know, I know… not a good thing).    However- a glass of water in the morning is something that I have started doing, just because it seems to give you an energy boost.

3. Clean the bathroom. 
As soon as I get up and am dressed, I head into the bathroom to brush my teeth and wash my face.   It is after this that I clean the bathroom.   I quickly take anything off of the countertop that shouldn’t be there (like the Minnie Mouse Cheerleader that was there this morning) and I take a Clorox wipe and just wipe the vanity down.   I take another wipe and clean the toilet handle and seat.   It takes about 3 minutes and looks so much better.  I feel like it is clean & I can move on with my day.

cleaning hacks that save time

4- Empty the dishwasher.
I have to empty the dishwasher first thing in the morning (the kids actually do this as part of their chores, but I help).  The reason?  If the dishwasher is full, then we put our dirty dishes in the sink.   If the sink is full, then the dirty dishes go onto the countertop.  Do you see where this is going?  I can not stand things on my countertops, so I have to do the dishwasher first thing every morning (I run it at night, while we are asleep).

An open dishwasher filled with clean dishes.

I love to have clear countertops.   It makes it so easy to wipe down my counters and to prepare meals when you don’t have to spend time trying to get around the “stuff” on the countertops.

A large kitchen with stainless steel appliances
On this side of the kitchen, I leave out the kid’s cotton ball reward jars. 

 

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My catch-all planner will also help with routines, meal-plans, schedules, chores & more:
Catch-All-Cover

 

 

 

Hi there!

I’m Becky, a former elementary school teacher turned certified child development therapist and blogger. I work at home with my husband and together we are raising (and partially homeschooling) our four children in the Carolinas. I love diet coke, ice cream, and spending time with my family.

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10 Comments

  1. Becky, Your home is so beautiful. I love the glass of water idea ! I’m a diet pepsi kind of girl and it just makes me thirsty.

  2. Oh my gosh. I am a neat nick and my kitchen counters are out of control. I know all about tidying up and things are not cluttered anywhere else.
    Help! Where are your knives, toaster, coffee maker, wooden spoons, seltzer maker, iPad, paper towel holder, flour jar?
    I love your articles and incorporate as many ideas as I can but this one prompted a rush of excitement for me. My husband says he is not going to take out and put away things he uses every day so the counter stays full. Any ideas? I also do not have unite the size space as you.
    Thank you!

    1. hahaha!! I’m so glad that you commented! It is hard to keep countertops clear, I know. So all of my things go in drawers (knives, spoons… we even have an electronic drawer for iPads.) Our paper towels go under our sink and the flour jar is in the pantry. The coffee maker & toaster are together in a cabinet right under the countertop near where we will plug them in.

      I hope that helped!

  3. We have a similar routine. Even the kids. We all start with making beds and then hugs. Next we work on personal care (brushing hair/teeth, rinsing faces, etc). Then we each have bathroom chores. I replace the bath mat for a fresh one and swiffer vac the floor. My daughter wipes the counters/sinks with a Clorox wipe. One son takes the trash out, and the other wipes the potty with a Clorox wipe. (We do this for 2 bathrooms.) It only takes us about 3-5 min for both. Everyone has one pet chore like feeding/watering, etc. The boys bring the laundry from the bathroom to the laundry room and my daughter starts a load. I unload the dishwasher while cooking breakfast. It sounds like a lot but we’ve been doing it so long that we can get it all done in about 20 min. It makes a huge difference in how I feel about my day.

  4. YES! I am a first thing in the morning bed maker as well. I once heard somewhere that your days are more productive when you start with a made bed. That statement runs through my head every morning that I make my bed.

    You kitchen counters look great! You definitely tackled the clear counter goal of your mornings for sure.