I am not a morning person; never have been. In high school, my mom had to come in my room a minimum of two times to make sure I was actually awake, out of bed, and at least thinking about getting ready.
Now that I’m a mom of two, you would think that’s all changed. After years of early morning wake up times to breastfeed, change diapers, and pluck crying babies out of cribs, maybe I’m different now. But no, I’m not. I’m a night owl, through and through.
I’ve read a lot of blogs with moms saying that their key to a smooth morning is waking up early, before the kids, and having some “me” time before the morning rush. Meanwhile, most mornings, I’m attempting complicated calculations in my head that would allow me to extend my pillow time. “If I skip putting on makeup, I can stay in bed for 8 more minutes.”
But somethings just can’t be skipped, such as making my daughter’s lunch, or packing my son’s daycare bag. But I have found a few things that make my mornings easier, and dare I say, allow me to get even more time under the covers in the a.m.
Eggo’s Mini Pancakes
Every one knows the “Leggo My Eggo” brand for their waffles. But I honestly find that their waffles are just OK. My kids used to love them, but it seems that they’ve grown tired of them as well. Enter, Eggo’s Pancakes. These pancakes are soft, warm, and sweet enough to eat without syrup. The best part: You can heat up a dozen at a time in the microwave in only about one minute. Breakfast is served.
Trader Joe’s Seaweed Snacks
Now that we’re responsible for putting together Avery’s lunch everyday, we try to make sure she always has something green packed away. Sliced cucumbers, spinach in her quesadilla, avocado on her sandwich. But when I’m in a rush and without the time to slice up veggies or whip out my skillet, these nutritious seaweed snacks get thrown in her lunch pail. They’re prepacked (although I usually only give her half a pack at a time) and she loves them. She stuffs them in her mouth like she’s munching on potato chips.
Mustela Baby No Rinse Cleansing Water
You know the mornings: Baby wakes up with a fully soaked diaper, and smelling… not great. Despite their bath the night before. Splash some of this fresh-smelling cleansing water on a wipe or a soft tissue, and clean all the yuckiness away. It leaves baby’s bottom smelling fresh, and the great thing is that it’s composed of 98 percent plant-based ingredients.
CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion
A lot of you guys have been asking about my skin care routine. LOL, just kidding, absolutely no one has. But I’ll tell you this anyway: this face lotion is THE best. After a quick wash, I slather this all over my face and neck and that’s it – skincare routine complete. No need for under-eye cream, serums, etc. This thing gets the job done.
Sephora Powder Foundation
One more recommendation on the skincare/makeup front: This foundation is magical. I use it with a powder brush and it is light, buildable, and the coverage is great. I have super sensitive skin, and this doesn’t irritate it at all. Takes about 2 minutes to apply, tops.
And with that, me and the kiddoes are out the door. They're looking adorable as always, and I'm looking.. presentable. Boom! Game changed.