Morning Rush Hour Tips—A Peek Inside Our Morning Routine

 

Let me start this post off with a disclaimer: I’m NOT a morning person. I never was one, and never will be one, period. People ask me quite often, “How did you manage to get the kids and everyone out the door to school and work, nicely dressed, well fed, and on time every single morning?”.

Honestly, it hasn't always been an easy task for me. If I were only to follow my biological clock, we’ll never get out of the door before noon. So, here’s the deal. Today, I’m going to let you peek inside our morning routine, and I’ll share my Morning Rush Hour Tips with you.

One thing you might not know about me was that I used to be a human resources manager at a major communication company before I turned into a full-time mom. What does this have to do with my family's current morning routine? Well, everything!  I can totally use my management skills at home!

So, here are a few important management skills that every successful manager should know,  and I’ll explain how each one helps me in handling the morning rush.

1) Understanding team dynamics.

All kids are different, and my two kids certainly have very different personalities. For instance, my little boy doesn't really care what he wears. I can pick any outfit for him and he’ll be a happy camper. On the other hand, my little girl loves to pick her own clothes. She might be in the mood to wear her favorite jeans, or, she might feel a little girly and want her flowery dress. If I don’t let her pick her own, she would be quite upset and request a change of clothes.

I learnt my lesson. I do not open the whole closet and let her choose randomly. Instead, I usually pick out two different outfits, and let her choose. That way, she doesn't spend all morning deciding what she wants, she gets to pick her own clothes, yet, the outfits are always appropriate for the weather and occasion. What a win-win situation!

2) Delegating effectively.

I let my kids get themselves ready, with occasional assistance from me. I let them brush their teeth, change their own clothes, they eat on their own, (although I do sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee while they eat breakfast). Sometimes, they even help out with setting the table for breakfast. With daily practice, they’ll be doing these tasks on their own without much assistance.

3) Communication

Make sure communication is a two way street. This means that I talk, they listen.

Just kidding! It’s important to let the kids express their feelings and what they want/need as well. Trust me, it makes the process much easier when you know what their little minds are thinking.

4) Planning and Time Management

Planning is very important to conquer hectic mornings. I try to have everything prepared the night before, if possible. This includes picking out outfits, packing kids’ and hubby’s lunch boxes, and preparing breakfast if it’s something I can make ahead. If not, I’ll at least prep the ingredients that I need. 

Here are two recipes that my family loves, and you can make them ahead of time. You can click here to get the Breakfast Cookies recipe, and click here for the Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips.

I hope my little tips help with your family's hectic morning rush. Feel free to leave a comment below if you have a favorite tip to share.

This post is part of BlogHer's Rush Hour Tips editorial series, made possible by Got Milk?

Holiday Shopping and Promotion from Fekkai

I can’t believe there are less than ten days before Christmas! It’s been busy and hectic for me in the last couple of weeks. With holiday shopping, baking orders, activities with kids, etc. I hardly get some time to rest and relax.

So the big question is. Are you almost done with your Holiday shopping? I guess I’m 80% done, but I still got a few online orders that I’ve placed and still waiting for them to arrive. If you are “still in progress” on your Holiday shopping, or have someone who has everything and you’re not too sure of what to get them, I have a great news for you and some suggestions.


 


Fekkai is having a wonderful Holiday Promotion. You’ll receive 10% off your total order and a complimentary exclusive holiday headband with $50 purchase (while supplies last) Use Promo Code: HEADBAND (please see picture below). Here’s the link to their site if you need more information.


 

 


Isn’t the headband gorgeous? I’m sure that it would be a nice hair accessory when you attend your holiday party. ;) Or, it could be a wonderful stocking stuffer as well.

According to their website, Frédéric Fekkai collection was developed to meet the particular needs of different hair types.  In addition to providing exceptional professional results, Fekkai’s products feature luxurious textures and invigorating scents. The hair care line is divided into regimen “families”, including: Advanced Care, Color Care, Curl Care Glossing, Repair, Styling and Styling Tools. Before his products are marketed to the public, Frédéric and his staff personally test every formula in his world-renowned Frédéric Fekkai Salon to ensure the highest quality and performance.

That gorgeous headband and the discount definitely made my purchasing decision a lot easier. I hope you’ll give their products a try as well.

Stay tuned for a Holiday Cocktail recipe on my next post. Until then, Happy Shopping.

Looking Beautiful all Summer Long with Dove VisibleCare Toning Crème Body Wash

How’s your summer so far? I hope you’re enjoying yourself and having a blast with your family and friends. It’s only the beginning of the summer and my family schedule is all booked up and filled with fun activities. In between summer classes that my kids are having, they enjoy hanging out at the beach the most. Lately, they’re really into building sand castles. Well, I don’t have an “end product” to show you because as soon as my kids were done building it, they step on it right the way. I guess the joy is really in the process (of stepping onto it), not the end result.



Of course, we have tons of BBQ parties and gatherings. Last weekend, we had a party and we were (I meant, I was) cooking up a storm. I just realized that grilled romaine lettuces are so delicious and easy to make. If you haven’t tried that, you should.



On some days, we just stayed in, did driveway drawings; Biked around the neighborhood; Played bubble gun at the back yard; Or took out the collapsible play house and fill it with plastic balls.  My kids found that very entertaining. Yup, that’s really fun for toddlers.



Very often, this is the sight (see picture below) I’m greeted with after a long day. Don’t get me wrong, it’s all fun time that I had with the kids. But I do long for a relaxing spa treatment with my girlfriends every once in a while. Imagine spending a relaxing day at the spa; enjoy a body wrap or a body salt scrub, ended with a spa bath or a soak in the Jacuzzi tub; then catch up with my girlfriends and talk about anything and everything (=gossip). That would make me feel all brand new and rejuvenated. But before I can squeeze out a day to do all that, I have a better and more economical solution in between spa days.



BlogHer and Dove provided me with a free bottle of Dove VisibleCare Toning Crème Body Wash to try. I’ve been using it for more than a week now. I love the rich, pearlescent crème format with luxurious lather the most. It has a delicate wood fragrance along with robust citrus note of mandarin. The best part is that it leaves my skin nice and soft after each use. This body wash contains Vitamin E and helps my skin looks more beautiful, promotes skin’s elasticity and strength. I’m so glad it does what it says. So, my girlfriends, before I can meet you up for a spa treatment, go get yourself a bottle. You’ll be glad you did.




Don't forget to enter the sweepstakes for a chance to win a $500 Spafiner gift certificates.  Please read the sweepstakes rules below carefully.  So, tell me, what makes you feel beautiful?  Share your answer at the link below to enter.

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post and I was provided with a bottle of Dove VisibleCare Toning Crème Body Wash free of charge for the purpose of this review.  All opinions are 100% my own and always will be.

Visit Dove^® VisibleCare^® to get a coupon for $1 off!


Enter to win one of two $500 Spafinder gift certificates!
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY
COMMENTS TO THIS POST ARE NOT SWEEPSTAKES ENTRIES. PLEASE SEE BELOW FOR ENTRY METHODS FOR THIS SWEEPSTAKES.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
a) Follow this link, and provide your email address and your response to the Promotion prompt
b) Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: "#SweepstakesEntry"; and then visit this link to provide your email address and the URL to that Tweet.
c) Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and then visit this link to provide your email address and the URL to that post.
This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. Winners will have 72 hours to claim the prize, or an alternative winner will be selected.
The Official Rules are available here.
This sweepstakes runs from 7/18/2012 - 8/22/2012
Be sure to visit the Dove^® VisibleCare™ Crème Body Wash brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win!