Getting ready for work when the cold weather sets in is never fun. It’s dark out, cold out, and I’d much rather stay in bed nice and warm and cozy. But we all have to get up for work and school and after my morning cup of coffee I like to have everything mapped out.

I’ve been doing a lot of freelance work this year, but lately I have been heading into an office for a client. This means I can’t work in my yoga pants and t-shirt all morning after getting the girls to middle school. This means I must have my act together!

Using Dryel has helped me save time (not to mention money on dry cleaning) because I can freshen up several items of clothing at once. And now that I am also bringing out my sweaters and heavier jackets, they all need freshening up just a bit. Dryel comes in handy for all those items that were clean and stored away during the summer, like my favorite green ruffle cardigan.

Here are 10 other tips for keeping my working mom mornings stress free mornings:

NO TV in the mornings. My kids can watch TV in the mornings during the summer or on weekends, but school mornings are a no-TV zone. I will occasionally play music to get us going, but that’s it.

Pre-made coffee. I set our coffee maker the night before to brew 10 minutes before wake up time. Having a fresh and hot pot of coffee waiting for me every morning is just a little pick me up I look forward to.

Choose your outfit. Typically the night before I have everyone set out their outfit for the next day. It makes life so much easier and I am all about less stress in the mornings!

Backpacks and laptop bags ready to go. We all have our gear for school and work ready to go for the morning.

Lunches mapped out. My 8th grader eats in the school cafeteria but my 5th grader prefers to take her lunch. I make sure in the evenings (typically once on Sundays) that she has school lunch supplies for the week. I’ve also been taking my lunch to the office when I am working on site and plan on what I’m taking, whether it’s leftovers or something simple like a sandwich or frozen lunch entree.

Watch the weather. I typically check the weather each night to make sure we all know if we need to wear a jacket or bring an umbrella. Our weather this fall in Nashville has been really unpredictable, so I’ve been keeping an umbrella in my car.

Shared calendar. My husband and I share a Google calendar so that we know what after school practices, errands, etc. we have going on during the week.

Meal planning. I will admit I am not the greatest at meal planning, but I try to have at least 3 work/school nights mapped out even if one night is designated pizza night and another night is leftovers night. If I do need to run to the grocery for a quick item or two I try to run out on my lunch break, so I’m not beating the rush hour crowd after work.

Fill ‘er up. I try to make sure I have a full tank of gas, especially for Monday mornings. There’s nothing worse than having a crazy morning and then realizing you need to stop at a gas station.

Paperwork patrol. Do your kids have any permission slips or other forms that need to be signed? Make sure you take care of all that business the night before!

 Do you have any other tips for making work and school mornings a little less stressful? And be sure to visit Dryel online to download a dollar off coupon for savings on a starter kit.