Rethink Your Routines

Morning Rush
Lay clothes out the night before.
Make sure there are no spots, rips
loose buttons or other poblems.

Set the breakfast table after
dinner. Put out bowls, spoons and
the cereal selection.

Fill the coffeemaker with water
and put coffee in the basket.

Change wakeup times. To make
getting ready more efficient, stagger
when the kids get up. As one goes
into the bathroom, the other can
finish gettting dressed.

Fill the gas tank at night. It
eliminates a last-minute stop, and
if gasoline gets on your hands or
clothes, it doesn't matter-you're on
your way home, not to work

Errands
Arrange to have your paycheck
directly deposited into your bank
account and start online banking
to avoid time-consuming trips
to the bank.

Keep road maps, a phone book,
paper towels and baby wipes in the
car to avoid unnecessary stops.

Set up an errand co-op with
friends. One person goes to the
post-office, another to the pet
store and a third to the hardware
store while one babysits for
everyone.

Give older kids a list of items
to find on shelves when grocery
shopping. It speeds things up and
gives them something to do.