I’ve never been a morning person. Not even a little bit. I’ve always been a night owl, and if it was a busy week, I would always opt for staying up late to get things done rather than getting up early to accomplish the same. But the more I did that, the more I realized that pre-planning the night before really makes for a smoother tomorrow!
So, here’s what I do the night before…the night before any particular day, really!
1. Check the Calendar
What do we have going on tomorrow? Is there anything I have forgotten about or need to do extra prepping for? Believe me, it’s much better to “remember” something the night before than it is to remember it in the middle of the day when you can’t do anything about it…or even worse, after you’ve already passed it!
2. Prep Tomorrow’s Breakfast
I am a breakfast eater (it’s the most important meal of the day, right?) and my hubby is a weekend breakfast eater, so Sunday – Thursday, I’m making sure my breakfast is all set and easily accessible, and on Fridays and Saturdays, I make sure that both of us are ready to go. That way you’re not getting up and flying around, trying to throw Pop Tarts or bananas to hungry people.
3. Prep Tomorrow’s Lunch
We each take our own lunch to work, so it’s great to get that set the night before…or know that we’re gonna have to run out and grab lunch during the day at some point if there’s nothing to take.
4. Plan Tomorrow’s Dinner
Around breakfast time is when my hubby is normally asking what’s for dinner, ha! So it’s easier for me to check on that the night before. If I need to take meat out to thaw or pre-prep anything, I do it then, rather than coming home from work the next day to realize that I’m up a creek without a paddle.
5. Lay Out Clothes
This is a big one for me. You know us women, we stand in our closets and look at tons of clothes and decide that we really have nothing to wear. There’s no point in creating frustration, especially early in the morning. So I choose clothing (AND accessories) the night before. That way, I can get dressed quickly and easily when it’s time to get ready in the morning.
6. Load Car
If there are certain things I need to have with me the next day, rather than make 10 trips to the car in the morning to get everything loaded, I load the night before. Both of our cars stay in our garage, so there’s no worries about anyone stealing things from the car, and all I have to do is give a cursory glance over everything the next morning.
So there you have it! What’s YOUR best tip for pre-planning the night before? Share with all of us!
Reblogged this on Children Are Our Future Now!.
Why, thank you so much, Paulette!
Great tips, you are very organised. I think one has to be organised these days, life is very busy.
You’ve got that right! It’s all out of self-preservation, I say! LOL
If I were a day-shifter, I’d have to do the same thing. I work nights. So there isn’t much rhyme or reason to my days. I am trying to teach my son to plan ahead the night before though. Like lay out his school clothes, have his lunch idea written down and make lists. I painted his closet door in chalkboard paint just for this purpose.
Ah, I see your point about the nights! But I think that’s pretty cool how you’re teaching your son how to plan ahead! LOVE the chalkboard door idea!
I’m a morning person, but I’ve been putting in 10 and 11 hour days at work, and I’ve found myself doing more “getting ready” for the next day just before going to bed. Like prepping almost everything last night for the crock pot this morning. I could get used to it.
Exactly! I do that with the Crock Pot, too! That way I can get up in the morning and just dump everything in there and turn it on in a snap!
Oh, you just made me realize I am maybe just a teensy bit organized. I do almost all these things. I fall behind on meal plans sometimes, but when I’m on my game I can prep lots on the weekend and get home to a much more relaxed evening routine. I do get lunches ready, clothes ready, I have my run out with the dogs clothes then my come back in get dressed for work clothes, so two stacked of weather appropriate clothes each morning. I try to prep things like cut veggies, package meats or pre-cook some things straight out of the grocery bags before I even put them all away.. those are my best weeks. Thanks for the confidence boost! See, I knew I had to be somewhat organized in some places in my life!!
OH!!! You are SO organized!!! I love the idea of prepping your groceries right out of the bags, that’s so smart!!!
If I am going to have a busy day, I like to pre plan what I am going to wear. I also like to have some idea what I will be making for breakfast. It just makes things run smoother.
I agree! And I do love a smooth day!
I’d like to incorporate some of these ideas! I love being prepared 🙂
Please do, Tamsin! I enjoy being prepared, as well 🙂
I like the fact how you plan ahead of time – I tend to not do that or tend to forget it – I should tho..
Some days I just literally have no choice, ha! That’s made me do it every day 🙂
I love this! I can’t function without planning ahead and prepping everything. It helps keep me sane since there is no way for me to get everything on my list done, I have the essentials automated.
Exactly! And sanity is a necessity in my world LOL
I would agree with you. I am much better at getting things done the night before than the morning time.
And don’t you feel more prepared when you get up in the morning and so much is already done? I love that feeling!
I so needed this reminder! Thanks Kristen! I have been trying to work out a routine to help smooth our busy days, this goes great with that. 🙂
Sure thing, Rebekah! Hope it works out well for you!
I need to start doing these things. It would make life so much simpler because I’m always rushing around trying to get things in order last minute!
It really does make life simpler. And it helps me not to forget things, too!
Great tips! We just talked about this with my daughter yesterday, she is a night person as well. It is hard for her to get up and going in the morning, planning would help.
Yes, it seems like a pain at first, but it’s great in the long run!
I had to circle back and say I love this topic- you’ve inspired me as well as I love the graphic!
Aw, thanks, Samantha!
Great tips! I find that my morning goes soooo much better if I start with a clean kitchen, so I really make a point to do that the night before.
That’s a good point! I HATE getting up in the morning to dishes in the sink – you’re right, it all goes much better when the kitchen is clean!
I love your list!! I am a big time morning person, but I still do most of this stuff anyways. When you have kids, you have to plan ahead because you lose some brain cells in the process.
HA!!! I’ll keep that in mind LOL
I am seriously the same way! I am more willing to stay up late and get all the prepping done than to get up early the next morning. I’m so not a morning person.
We would get along very well in person, then! 🙂
Love all the comments, you all are amazing. Sounds like my restaurant business.
Yes, awesome commenters here on my blog, for sure! Thanks for YOUR comment, too! 🙂
These are great ideas. I used to do this all the time when I had three little ones to get out the door to school, or when I worked. Now, it’s just when I’ve got a busy day (doctors, court). I like to be well prepared for my day–make sure all documents are in order, medical log and prescription refills updated, etc. I am not crazy about surprises, and it makes life so much easier when you are ready for the day. I still have to keep track of the calendar to stay on top of things.
~Lorelai
Life With Lorelai
Oh, I don’t like surprises either. Although they still come, like ’em or not LOL
All great plan ahead tips. My husband is this organized, I am not 🙂 I take it in streaks you might say. Being well organized is a good thing, I’d like to do it all the time. This inspires me!
You take it in streaks, I like that LOL
I am not really a morning person either so I totally appreciate the idea of planning. It makes the next day less chaotic.
It most certainly does!
Fantastic list!! I am not a morning person either, so whatever I can do the night before to get me out the door easier is the only way for me to make it.
HA! I feel ya!
When I was younger I was a night owl–as I am getting older I am becoming more and more a morning person so I find that although I definitely look at my calender before I go to sleep I can get more accomplished early in the morning-at night I am just dragging. Since I am semi retired I no longer have to worry about what to bring for lunch–it is the other meals that throw me for a loop. Living alone I never quite know what I’ll be in the mood for–not good–gotta start planning ahead of time!
Oh yes, you could probably cook on one day for yourself and not have to cook the rest of the week! How fun!
I am so not a morning person! I do all those things you mentioned the night before. It just makes the day run so much smoother.
Exactly! And I’m all for a smooth day!
I bet I could definitely benefit from doing the same thing. Like you, I am also a night owl and not a morning person.
So you feel my pain 🙂
I’m so glad I don’t have to worry about any of these things anymore. I tried to have the kids ready the night before, but there was always something they were missing, a project they’d forgotten, or something I needed to do for them. Right. This. Minute. Or their teacher would kneecap them. It was always a dire emergency. Don’t miss that at all!
My goodness. Kids will bring a whole new side to this. That’s why I have to get the schedule down now LOL
I do a lot of these already (or try to lol), but I am going to take your advice on prepping breakfast and lunch. I never have time to do it all in the morning!
I find that I eat healthier when I do that, too!
Great tips for making a day go smooth. I am an early riser so my days usually go smooth. Its my evening when I am tired that I have issues with.
I gotcha!
This is very helpful. With so many changes in my life I really need to be more organized. I find that I am all over the place right now. Its so hard to focus.
Yes, when there are a lot of different things happening this kind of before-hand prep is really helpful!
I always feel so much better when I have done as much prep the night before as I can, to make the morning go much smoother. You touched on most of what I would be doing too. Great tips!!
Thanks, Vee! 🙂
Wow! You are super prepared! I will use some of your tips to make my mornings easier! Thanksfor sharing your ideas!
Hope they help!
This is my downfall! I hardly ever think about tomorrow! lol! I live for today! DH is the one incharge of mornings with the kids as i’m out the door before they wake up!
Well, that’s great! Sounds like you already have a system worked out, then!
I’m not a morning person either! I’d rather stay up all night to get something done and then sleep all morning. But when we have to be somewhere the next day, I do exactly what you stated on this list. Down to packing the car. Great list!
Thanks, Cherie! 🙂
I am a morning and night person. I am usually in bed at about 12:30 and up at 5:30. I am also very OCD so everything is planned, lol. I make breakfasts and lunches twice a week, they are ready to grab and go – saves a lot of time. My family always laughs at me and says I a crazy until I get sick and they have to go without!
Oh my goodness LOL I wish I was BOTH a morning AND a night person! That would be awesome!!!
I have started to prepare my morning the evening before also and it helps. Even though I stay at home I get up an hour before the kids to be prepared with clothes laid out. Everything flows more smoothly!
This was a great post so I tweeted it for you!
Thanks for the comment and the tweet, Michelle!
I’m a night owl too and, like you, I get stuff done at night to prep for the next day. Sometimes, I like starting early and wish to be a morning person. Ha ha.
Eliz
Yes, I would love to be a morning person! Alas, it is NOT so!
I like to have things planned in advance for a road trip but my husband and sons usually have other messy plans.
Oh dear!
You are always so well organized. I’m always rushing to get things together the next day. I need to take a page out of your book.
Well, I just hate to rush! It bothers me!
I always have everything set up the night before too. lunch box ready with snacks, clothes laid out. If I didn’t do that my son would miss the bus everyday! lol
Oh yes, those buses wait for no one!
Yup, planning the night before is the key sometimes. You have a trip, or something happening early in the morning? Plan that morning out the night before! I’m actaully doing that right now 🙂
Oh yes, that’s a good idea, too! I like to look at my “to-do” list right before I go to bed every night.
I hate mornings but i am up from around 4am to sort out the animals before the kiddies are up and i end up sleeping at about 9pm lol
Goodness! I wish I could go to bed that early!
Love the graphic! I am a morning person so I tend to get up early and take care of things….I can’t even think after dinner. But for a night person that still has a functioning brain I can see how these would be a great help. Another good article! Once more….love your graphic! 😉
Aw, thanks, Brandi! 🙂
Oh my gosh, I could have used these tips when I was working! Now that I’m a SAHM I have more time and its more like I’m on my schedule.. we rarely leave the home… but I know once school starts that will all change.
You’ve got plenty of time to prepare for that time, then! 🙂
I’m pretty good at this, but your idea to pre-load the car is excellent. I’m going to start doing that too!
If I don’t do that, I’m dragging stuff out and my husband is trying to help me and it gets kinda crazy LOL
I really need to get better and planning the night before. Mornings are so rushed, I need to have a set list of things to do in the evenings to make mornings less stressful. Super tips!
I just find that I have a better day as a whole if my morning isn’t rushed!
Wow, you are so much more organized than I am! I really need to start getting more organized the night before. Thanks for the tips!
Thanks for your comment, Nikki! 🙂
I must do this everyday but all I can do is jot down my thoughts in my to do list so I won’t forget the next day. Your system is a lot better!
Well, as long as your system works for you, stick with it!
I like to do that too. Keep up the good work in organizing.
Thanks, Mel!
I do that too! The crockpot keeps me sane with my busy day!
Oh yes! It IS a lifesaver for sure!
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I need to do this more! I make sure all the kids clothes are laid out and backpacks are set, but that’s about it. Thanks for linking up with the Bloggers Brags Pinterest Party. I have pinned your post to the Bloggers Brags Pinterest Board!
Thank you! Love your party! 🙂
Wow that was odd. I just wrote an really long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t show up.
Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Anyway, just wanted to say fantastic
blog!
Sorry about that! Thank you!
I really need to stick to this. It’s so hard to get out the door in the morning. Especially with 2 kids under 5. Thanks for sharing!!
Oh goodness, I’ll bet!