My Back-to-School Hacks For A Less Chaotic September

Back to school season is coming up fast and I’m not ready! I’ve been watching for the Pumpkin Spice Latte drops, sure, but getting my whole home in order before school begins? Nope.

The kids are thrilled to go back, but I won’t have peace of mind until I tackle everything on my to-do list. No matter what happens this year, I’m going to get centered and handle it.

Here are the 3 things I’m making time for before back-to-school begins.

1. Cleaning Out The Kids’ Closets

Emily shot up like a beanstalk and Jack hasn’t gotten anything new in about 2 years. It’s time to go through their closets. There are piles on the floor and stuff in the back with tags that I can’t even remember buying.

First they need to try on everything and sort each item into “donate,” “trash,” and “keep” piles. Then, they must compile lists of what they need for the school year: do they have a warm winter jacket? Do they have enough clothes for gym class 3 days a week?

Sure, I’ll help them with every choice, but by ultimately leaving it up to them, it helps with independence and good life skills.

2. Signing Up For EveryPlate

There’s no way I’m cooking from scratch every weeknight. And while pizza and Dino chicken nuggets will always be there for the rescue, I really want a system where I can consistently cook a nutritious home-cooked meal in about 30 minutes.

My sister uses the meal kit subscription EveryPlate, so I recently signed up to cook for the whole family 3 nights a week. When everything’s prepackaged, the recipe card only has about 6 steps,and accurate cooking times, it’s so convenient and easy – it’s barely cooking.

They have dinners like Super Smashed Burgers with Caramelized Onion, Chipotle Aioli & Potato Wedges, Greek Chickpea & Feta Bowls with Garlic Rice, Cucumber Tomato Salad & Creamy Lemon Sauce, and Cheesy Stuffed Poblanos with Pico de Gallo, Spiced Rice & Lime Crema. They’re all so delicious, and the kids approve too!

It’s also wildly affordable for as little as $1.99 a serving. Yes, really! Meal kits aren’t all gourmet. I’ve finally let myself off the hook for constant cooking, and it already feels great. I can’t wait to not think about what to cook for dinner anymore on school nights.

3. Me Time

Between cleaning up after the kids and keeping the family fed, I never have time for the fun, impulsive things anymore, so I need to cut out some me-time. Getting my nails done, watching Love Island….

EveryPlate has freed up a lot of time for me, so I’m starting a daily meditation practice. A little woo-woo maybe, but my favorite part of yoga has always been the end part where you do nothing for 5 minutes, so I’m going to try doing that every day. Yes, it’s centering myself so I can be a less reactive, more balanced mom. But it’s also an excuse for my husband to take care of the kids for a hot minute.

I’m already feeling less chaotic than last year, and once EveryPlate takes out all the thinking around meals, I’m looking forward to spending less time in the kitchen and grocery store, more time with my kids (and sneaking away for TV). As long as my sister doesn’t give Jack a drum kit for his birthday, it’s going to be an amazing year.

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