Back to School!

It’s finally back-to-school time, and despite our best efforts, most of the time mornings are chaotic…grabbing a to-go drink in one hand with a toaster waffle in the other, bag over the shoulder while pushing the door open with one’s foot is not the way to start day.

First off, walking while stuffing food in our mouths, I need not tell you, is not the healthiest thing, but more than that, it’s just not satisfying. And second, this is just too hectic a way to start the day, no matter your age.

Change this zany routine by simply sitting down together!

Even for just 15 minutes. Healthy breakfast is fast and easy to make. Eggs cook in minutes, and bread toasts while coffee is brewing (again, in just minutes). Just keeping yogurt, frozen fruit, and granola handy can make for an effortless breakfast.

Making this happen:

Once everyone is up (a monumental feat in itself, in most households, I know) have family member use the potty, splash their faces with water, and brush and put their hair up. (This was my Grandmother’s routine on mornings spend with her, and while I used to think splashing my face with water first thing in the morning was a bit of a shock to the system, the reality is, it’s bracing in a wake-you-up-and-get-going kind of way. And putting your hair out of your face to eat is just good sense!)

Decide a time for this…everyone at the table at 7:30, let’s say.

Bonus: If ever you’ve had the Pollyanna idea that you’d be a Donna Reed wife and mother, this is actually an easy way to make it seem so. Use those tucked away dessert compotes for granola parfaits (just fruit, honey, granola, and yogurt, or any variation of these things), and use fancy (but cheap) paper party napkins. Add a triangle of toast on the side, smeared with marmalade or dusted with cinnamon-sugar, and you’ll have a breakfast worthy of a Saturday morning television commercial. (Put on one of those pretty-but-useless frilly skirt aprons for full effect).

Set the kitchen timer (a well-organized girl’s best friend) for 15, and let everyone know, that while there can be pleasant morning conversation, there won’t be any dilly-dallying.

Finish, clear, rinse, dishwasher, done.

Then the tone is set to get going and get ready!

Dressed, teeth, face, hair, shoes, backpack, door.

The beginning of the school year is dizzy with thoughts of new pencils, new shoes, and new friends. Why not a new routine? Most studies say it takes 21 days to make a task stick and become habit. In the hustle and bustle of a brand new schedule for a brand new year, it would be easy to put “Sitting down for breakfast” in the mix, and try it out for 21 days.

Who knows…you and your family could become addicted to it!

After school, stop by Arcadia Premium on the North East corner of 56th Street and Thomas for a treat! New candy at the Ducky Shincracker’s Pop-Up shop, and you’ll get a free back-to-school bookmark with every purchase…lot’s of good stuff coming this year with Arcadia Premium, Perennial’s Boutique, and Ducky’s Domestic Workshops….stay tuned!