We're a bunch of Tooles: How does a workin Mama get out the door in the morning?!?

In the past 12 days I have been very blessed to only work 2 of these days. I wish and am praying for a way that this could be my new normal someday. I would love to work part-time, but this is not where our family is right now. So tonight as I’m preparing to head back to work in the morning I thought about the many working Mama’s out there and soon to be Mama’s that will have to return to work after their little ones are born. I have developed a system for getting James and I out of the house ON TIME in the morning! Matthew is anything but a morning person so I get James ready in the morning and take him to daycare before heading to work myself.

What is the key to my success?!? Preparation, preparation, preparation and all the night before and most after James goes to bed.

I always run the dishwasher immediately after dinner. This includes James’ bottles for the next day. (I’m lazy (remember I’m a full-time employee and a Mama…I can slack in this area…plus I feel they are cleaner with the steaming hot water). Don’t judge! All I have to do in the morning is grab the bottles, fill them, assemble them, and put them in the diaper bag.
I stock James’ diaper bag! This includes: wipes, 7-10 diapers, 2 spare outfits, a burp cloth, and spare bib-he’s a messy boy!)
At daycare James wears a pacifier clip so I go ahead put a pacifier on it and it’s clipped on him once we are at daycare. I feel a pacifier clip is important so the wonderful staff at his daycare don’t have to search for it when he wants it and/or they don’t have to leave the room to wash it off when he spits it out…this is his new thing..how fun!! Learn how I made my own pacifier clip for $1.25 here!
I place the diaper bag, car seat, James’ jacket, blanket, my purse, keys, coat, and shoes on our couch in the living room so it is all together and ready to go.
I take my showers at night. Nightly showers help me to relax and save me valuable sleep time in the morning!
I take my lunch to work everyday to save money (stay tuned for my money saving tactics!) so I make my lunch and place all my chilled items in one location in the fridge so I only have to grab them in the morning.
And every Mama needs her morning cup of coffee!! I can program my coffee maker so I get it all ready and have it to go off 50 min before I leave. This lets me decide if I want my coffee at home or on the ride to work. Just in case I prepare my travel mug with my sugar already in it so all I have to do is add the creamer and coffee!! I usually end up taking it with me for the ride!
Fortunately I wear scrubs to work so I don’t have to think about my wardrobe in the morning. Even better is since my boss purchases our scrubs for us (he likes us to match) we wear the same scrub set every Monday, the same one every Tuesday, and so on. All I have to do in the morning is remember which day it is! But if you are a Mama who decides your own outfit for the day then I highly suggest deciding the night before and laying it all out.
Speaking of wardrobes…James’ clothes are decided the night before. I lay them out downstairs where we hang out most and with a fresh diaper and wipes.

Our morning routine looks something like this…of course babies are unpredictable and ever changing so we adjust were needed (Most of the time this means I don’t eat breakfast or have to get ready in 5-10 minutes!)

5:00-5:20 James awakes and VERY hungry so he eats!

5:20-6:00 we play, talk, and watch the morning news. At this time I change his diaper and get him dressed for the day.

6:00 James goes back to sleep until we leave for daycare.

6:10 I eat breakfast and get ready.

6:35 I assemble, fill, and put James’ bottles in his diaper bag. I assemble my lunch and morning coffee to go. Then I load everything in the car, but James and his car seat.

6:45 I get James from his crib and put him in the car seat.

6:50 James and I are out the door to daycare.

7:00 we arrive at daycare.

7:10 I’m on my way to work!

7:45 I arrive at work!