5-ish on a Friday: Autopilot

Like I mentioned in my dinner post, I am finding that with our fall schedule, a routine that I can mostly set and forget is really helping life feel easier-- and not just at the dinner table.

I have started using Notes on my phone to mange my blog content ideas-- I have never actually managed these in any systematic kind of way before, and I like how cute Notes can be. I have a one note with headings for each month, and I have even already started on NaBloPoMo:

Other decide once/set-and-forget things I am loving right now:

(I basically aspire to be a human crockpot or the person equivalent of hot rollers. THIS IS MIDDLE AGE)

Picking out clothes for the week. Minnie does this on Sunday night with me, and we have actually cleared out a dresser drawer to stage her outfits. She selects clothes, any accessories she might need, socks-- everything for each day. We fold it neatly, stack by day, and stash it in her dresser. When she wakes up on school mornings, she can start getting ready for her day all on her own. I am choosing my teaching outfits and potentially clothes for other days I HAVE to be on campus on Sundays as well, which is when I do any ironing, track down belts that go with dresses and locate any shoes that might be hiding on the shelf. Dorothy has also been getting in the act, but she only picks like 3 good outfits and then runs out of steam and tosses whatever in her pile. SPOILER: when she gets to the "whatever" clothes at the end of the week, she doesn't want to wear them and scrambles for other options. Soooo she is working on tweaking her process.

One plan for Friday nights: scary movie and poker-- this is **chef's kiss** and something we all look forward to.

School lunches on repeat. When everyone wants the same-ish thing every day, shopping and prepping is a BREEZE. Same for after school snacks. Cooper always gets a chicken apple sausage, a fruit, a protein drink, and a pouch of Yoggies, and whatever leftovers we have on hand (if there are no leftover, perhaps some chicken nuggets). Dorothy brings an apple with caramel dip, string cheese, and chocolate-covered pretzels OR if it is a dinner-at-dance night, she packs 2 school lunches-- one for school and another one that I bring her after school to eat at dance. SO EASY YOU GUYS.

Coffee Fridays-- such a fun treat for Dorothy and Cooper (and me!)

Getting outside every single day (thanks to HAVING A DOG and also the CBWC)

Starting every single morning with a run-- it's THE BEST (who the hell am I?!)