5 Things You Can Do to Feel on Top of it All

There is something to appreciate about every season and for me, fall time generates a renewed excitement once again.  It's a sign of fresh opportunities and a new start whether you have little (or big) ones going back to school or not.  However, with school beginning again and activities filling up your schedule, it can be easy to succumb to a feeling of overwhelm if you're not careful to guard against it.  So with four little ones at home and a business that is busier than ever, here's my game plan for this fall!

1. Get Things in Order the Night Before

As we've navigated this journey with four little ones, it is become apparent to me that there are some things that are just plain critical for our life to run smoothly.  One of those is getting as much done for the next day as I can the evening before.  This means of course packing lunches, putting relevant items in the car, setting out vitamins for the kids to take the next morning when they come down for breakfast.  Anything you can do in the quiet evening while they're all asleep, will pay HUGE dividends the next morning!

2. Setup Your Command Center

Your command center is simply an area near your door that will keep your keys, purse, printed calendar, backpacks, and anything you need to quickly reference or need to grab as you make an orderly exit the next morning.  This can be as gorgeous as a Joanna Gaines mudroom or as simple as a cork board and hooks to hang all of the essentials.  And then make sure you set anything either at your command center or in the car the night before so you're sure not to miss anything!

3. Plan Your Week Every Sunday

While I've always been a fairly organized person, I've also always resisted planning my week to a certain extent.  I don't know if I thought it felt too restrictive or what my hesitation was but after having little ones, I realized it was no longer optional - it would be necessary to make our weeks more enjoyable!  Now days, I will always carve out time Sunday afternoon or evening to plan our week and to also be deliberate about allowing for plenty of margin in those days.  If you're looking for some more helpful tips around this planning, Organize 365 has incredible tips around their Sunday Basket routine which has been an absolute lifesaver for our family.

4. Plan for Conveniences

During this busy season and time of adjustments, give yourself some grace wherever you can.  Have your groceries delivered to save yourself from running one more errand, pull out that crock pot, or startup one of the meal prep delivery services even if just for a short season.  Anything you can do to ease the busyness of the next month or two may just allow you more time to soak in this incredible time of change and growth and appreciate it rather than feeling overwhelmed by it.

5. Schedule in Self Care

If I resisted planning my week in the past, I resisted self care even more!  To say that self care went on the back burner once I had kids, would be a bit of an understatement.  I would forgo sleep, exercise, nutrition, and quiet time among other things, and get by on the absolute minimum in all of those categories.  Well, it catches up with you eventually.  I've come to understand that self care is not only important, but it's essential for me to be the best wife, mother, and business owner.  Plan for self care in your schedule, whether it's a walk that you commit to yourself to take every morning, a monthly massage, or whatever it is that fills you up - make sure there's room for it!

What Are Your Tips?

So I'd love to know, what is it that you have found to be helpful in your journey of transitioning seasons, in particular, the busy fall time?