5 Ways to Make Busy Times More Manageable

As I head into my 3rd week of the school year, and my daughters' 3rd week of kindergarten, I thought this would be a good time to share some ways that I treat myself and simplify life at home to make those especially crazy times of year a little more manageable. I tend to pull these out at the beginning and end of the school year and during concert season- whenever I start to feel like I'm about to drop all those balls I'm juggling! If you're feeling a little overwhelmed yourself this week, give some of these a try!

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1. Makeup Remover / Facial Cleanser Wipes

It seems like a small thing, but there is something so nice about just being able to pull out a wipe instead of going through the process of washing my face at night when I'm dead tired. I don't like to use them normally because, well, landfills, but when I'm this tired I tend to just go to bed with my makeup (and the rest of the day's nastiness) all over my face rather than wash, so it's worth it. I just buy whatever is cheapest at my local store- here's an example of what I'm talking about.

2. Use the Freezer and Slow Cooker

This is when I thank my past self for stocking my freezer over summer vacation so I can pull out a meal without having to do anything in advance. I'm not above pre-made freezer meals from the store either, though! And crockpots. Any kind of dump-and-go recipe is a win in my book- here's my Pinterest board with some of my favorite crockpot dinners.

3. Smoothie Breakfasts

I'm such a fan of smoothie breakfasts when I'm busy- it's super-quick to make, delicious and healthy, lots of ways to change of the flavor, and we can take it with us if we run out of time before we leave for school!

My formula for smoothies: plain or vanilla yogurt, a banana, and frozen fruit. That's it. I usually keep a few different kinds of frozen fruit in the freezer so we can play around with different combinations. It's a double-win for us because one of my daughters takes a powder medicine every morning, so I can easily mix that into her smoothie. One less thing to prep in the morning!

4. Fancy Coffees (or Teas)

I love fun drinks- hot or cold, coffee or tea, I'm there. So when life gets stressful, I make my morning coffee or tea a little more fun with some vanilla flavor, a little extra sweetener, some cardamom, or something else to mix things up. It's really easy and just makes it feel like I'm treating myself a little bit more ;) Here's a blog post I wrote on how to easily change up your coffee drinks at home!

5. Ask for Help

Nothing wrong with asking for a little extra help! The older I get, the less shame I have about broadcasting my desire for a little extra help around the house when things get hectic. Plus a lot of times a helping hand also means some fun company to boost my mood as well ;)

Back to School season can be exhausting. What do you do to keep your stress level down and simplify your life? Leave a comment- let's all help each other help ourselves! :) And make sure you don't miss a beat this busy season- sign up here for the Organized Chaos Newsletter and you'll have more timely ideas sent straight to your inbox.