Morning Routine + Free Printable Chore Chart

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Life is a bit, well, busy these days. With two kids of my own, watching my niece full time, working from home, and keeping up with this blog sometimes I feel like I am drowning. Not to mention I still have to attempt to keep my home in some sort of shape that makes it livable and not turn into a dump. A minefield of toys is to be expected, but it’s crossing the line when dishes in the sink are starting to smell.

Anyone who has kids quickly learns how hard it is to juggle everything. The to-do list seems to never end because every time you turn around something is being added to the never ending list. It’s life. But if you aren’t careful you’ll feel like you’re drowning in life’s responsibilities and sometimes it can really make you take a hit.

The only way I have learned to survive these crazy days is to set up a routine while allowing myself grace. The two HAVE to go together. Now, before you think I must be one of those crazy, always organized, type A planner, let me just tell you that I am not. I prefer to fly by the seat of my pants and leave room for spontaneity. But I have quickly realized if I don’t take charge of my time it’s going to take charge of me. So, I’ve made a routine, and as much as I can I try and stick to it. It helps me not feel like I am drowning and that I can somehow manage everything that ends up on my plate.

I have learned that the number one way to taking control of my time is to set a routine. But the second most important thing is to start my day off well. Starting my day off well sets the tone for the way the rest of my day is going to be. Dragging myself out of bed to keep up with the never ending energy of my kids might be the hardest part of my day, but it’s also the most important. I have learned that the first hour of my day really sets the tone. If I don’t get up and get the day started with a great breakfast and get moving, then hours can pass and I realize I wasted half of my day sitting on the couch.

So I do my best to start the day off with a healthy breakfast. Once I give myself a little bit of time to wake up, I prepare a healthy breakfast full of nutrients to start our day off right. I found these Del Monte Fruit & Veggie Fusions at Wal-Mart and noticed that they were packed with fruit and veggies! I couldn’t think of a better way to start the day off with a better breakfast than this. Del Monte Fruit & Veggie Fusions are an excellent source of Vitamin C, and the veg is in the juice so you would never know it! Del Monte Fruit & Veggie Fusions is the only fruit cup product that provides 1 serving of fruits and veggies in a single cup. All I have to do is pair it with some of the kid’s favorite breakfast foods, and a glass of Great Value milk and I have a complete breakfast. All Del Monte fruit cup products are great as part of a better breakfast. We picked up Peach Mango and Apple Pear Watermelon and the kids really enjoyed them served cold. Other flavors include Cherry Fruit Trio and the newest flavor Peach Strawberry!

The kids love milk so we also enjoy our breakfast with Great Value 1% milk. Join Feeding America in The Great American Milk Drive to help deliver highly desired and nutrient-rich gallons of milk to hungry children and families who need it most. More than 14 million servings of milk have been delivered to food banks through this first-of-its-kind initiative. Childhood should be filled with playing, learning and growing. But for many children who face hunger, even basic staples like milk – and the nutrients that help power childhood activities – are missing. Now, you can help feed a childhood – by purchasing 1 or more of these products, you are helping Feeding America provide nutrient- rich milk to kids and families in need. Visit milklife.com/give to learn more about the need for milk in America’s food banks and how your small donation can make a big impact.

Once the kids have been served a better breakfast, we start our morning routine. Since Jase is older now I have recognized that he is starting to be able to do a lot of things by himself. We started encouraging him to get dressed on his own and learn to make his bed, but I wanted to make this fun for him and not have to stay on top of him to get things done. So I created a magnetic responsibility chart for him to help him take responsibility and feel more independent. It has really helped to take a few things off of my shoulders so that I can take care of the two girls and things around the house. Not to mention, he has absolutely loved it!

I put together this magnetic chore chart with just a few simple things you can find at the store:

8×10 Frame

Magnets (strip and small circles)

Sheet Metal

This free printable

I was able to find everything at Wal-Mart except for the metal which you can find at a craft store or a home improvement store.

First, print this free printable. I laminated ours to help it last longer.

Cut the printable to fit within your frame. You will have to trim a little off the edges.

Place the print in your frame and use the sheet metal as the backing. You can attach magnets to the back of the frame if you want to place it on the fridge or just hang it on your wall.

That’s it! Super easy! And it helps a lot to give your kid’s ownership of their own responsibilities! I have toddler friendly prints too.

It doesn’t have to be hard to build a better breakfast and get your day started off right! Look for specially marked Del Monte Fruit & Veggie Fusions packages on shelf at Walmart for valuable coupons for Del Monte and Lenders products.