Back to school S.O.S.

Summer is over and the back-to-school routine is peeping up again. If you already feel the pressure of schedules, shopping and organization, don't worry! This year, with some simple tips, you can make the return to school less chaotic and much more bearable. Let's do it!

1. Organization from day one:

The key for everything to work efficiently is the organization. Take a couple of days before the start of classes to put everything in order.

Create a family calendar: write down school schedules, extracurricular activities and rest moments so that everyone knows what to expect every day. Place the calendar in a visible place (the kitchen) and add weekly reminders to avoid last-minute surprises. In addition, assign a space at home for books and backpacks, so you will avoid that everything ends up lying around the house.

2. Quick and healthy breakfasts:

Mornings can be chaotic, but there is no reason to skip a good breakfast. Here are some quick and healthy ideas:

- Overnight oats: Prepare oatmeal in a jar the night before, add yogurt, fresh fruit and a touch of honey. Just take it out of the fridge and serve!

- scrambled eggs with ham: you can cook several eggs at the same time, put them in a container in the fridge and take them out as needed during the week. You can use the scramble eggs to assemble other recipes such as egg burritos. Just add a serving of fruit and breakfast is ready!

- hard boiled egg: leave them ready in the fridge and pull out as necessary. Also great for adding to other recipes like egg salad sandwich.

- Fruit smoothies with yogurt: blend your favorite fruit with a little cauliflower (it adds fiber, vitamins and minerals without changing the flavor), greek or plain yogurt and a touch of oatmeal or almonds, it's fast, delicious and nutritious (leave the fruit you’d like to use chopped the night before).

- remember that it is also practical to have the freezer friendly breakfasts to defrost at the moment such as oatmeal hot cakes or muffins.

Remember breakfast is not about complicated cooking, a simple yummy recipe served with a side of fruit is the best way to start the day.

3. Easy and fun lunches:

Finding lunch ideas can be a daily challenge, but with a little planning you don't have to suffer.

- Ham and cheese, peanut butter and jam or chocolate hazelnut spread sandwiches on whole wheat bread. You can prepare the sandwiches two days in advance and leave them in the fridge ready to grab (I recommend using glass containers to store cooked food in the refrigerator for up to 4 days).

Complement with some fruit, yogurt and a crunchy snack such as natural popcorn (without salt, oil or butter, excellent source of fiber (recipe below)).

- Have on hand snacks that you can combine for a quick lunch such as unsalted pretzels, dehydrated berries (blueberries, raisins or cranberries), low sugar cereal, wheat crackers, granola or amaranth bars, cheese sticks, ham and yogurt.

Remember that lunch should not be complicated, it can be snacky style, just an adornment of different finger foods and some fruit and your are done!

*I leave you here a simple recipe for 100% natural popcorn (without butter, oil or salt):

1. Buy brown paper bags of a similar size to the ones of microwavable popcorn

2. Add 1/4 cup of corn kernels in the bag and fold the opening it a couple times (as if you were folding a lunch papártelo bag) so that the kernels don’t fly out of the bag.

3. Place the bag in the microwave and cook for 1:45 (one minute with 45 seconds). This will depend on the power of your microwave. Mine has a lot of power so, 1:45 is more than enough, but if you are not sure just cook a minute at a time and when you hear / see that the majority of the kernels are done, then, your popcorn will be ready. To cook larger quantities of popcorn just reuse the bag adding 1/4 cup of corn kernels at the time and cook several batches (it's better to cook 1/4 cup at a time than to add more kernels because they just end up burning).

And there you have them: 100% natural, salt and oil free popcorn ;)

You can prepare breakfast and lunch from the day before and have snacks and easy foods on hand to complement

3. School supplies: Recycle and reuse

We know that school supplies can add up to a considerable expense every year, but there are ways to save and take care of the environment at the same time. Reuse what you have: check and reuse everything that is still workin from the previous school year: notebooks that still have blank sheets, pencils, markers, pens and color pencils, crayons… If they are still working it is not necessary to buy new ones!

For the plastic covers of books and notebooks (at least here in Mexico it is customary to cover every notebook and book with plastic for protection against spills or else) you can use recycled plastic from plastic bags. Sometimes we have large plastic bags of good quality that serve perfectly.

You can make your own school labels at home with leftover paper such as brown paper. A good tip is to have a stamp made with your little one's name and simply seal the paper you choose for the labels, even to mark pencils, crayons and other supplies. In addition, the stamp saves you from spending on more labels: seal as much as you can instead of marking it with a label: thermos, food containers, lunch boxes, backpacks, pencil cases, erasers,...

4. Have an emergency school supplies kit:

Avoid last-minute trips to buy materials such as scissors, glue or some specific material for crafts class or school projects (such as colored sheets). Having a box of recycled material for schoolwork also helps a lot (cardboard boxes, cardboard rolls, bags and pieces of wrapping paper, plastic containers, plastic bottle caps,...).

Reuse and recycle supplies and materials for projects and schoolwork

5. Planning the uniform and school clothes

Save time in the mornings by organizing the clothes for the whole week on Sunday night. If your kids are wearing a uniform, make sure that everything is clean and ironed. If they do not have a uniform, you can place the complete sets (t-shirt, pants, socks) on hooks or in designated drawers for each day of the week. That way there won't be desperate searches at 7 in the morning!

To save on uniforms, always mark everything to avoid losing them so easily (a personalized seal for fabric can be very useful. It can be the same one you use to mark other school supplies with). Also remember that when you go buy new uniforms and shoes it is better that they fit a little loosely so they can be grown into through the year. Reusing uniforms in good condition from older siblings, cousins or friends is also an excellent way to save (some schools organize fairs or bazaars to exchange uniforms and supplies in good condition. If your school doesn't have one you can organize it!).

6. Constant sleep schedules

Sleep is essential for good school performance, so it is best to establish regular sleep schedules from the beginning. Adjust the bedtimes and wake up times a few days before the start of classes to make the transition smoother. Establish a relaxing nightly routine that includes activities such as reading a book or listening to soft music to help your child sleep better.

Don't forget to take off the pressure and not compare yourself, sometimes those social

media posts with photographs of cute lunches, perfect and delicious breakfasts of desserts cut into shapes of animals can bring us more anxiety and stress. The key is to do what is possible for you. Having a couple of simple ideas on hand can help you deal with this pressure: you can always complement breakfast, lunch or study time with some small token of affection, for example, always have at hand post it’s where you can make a quick drawing like a heart, a flower or just a simple "I love you" that you can stick inside their lunch box, or some small candy or chocolate to add to their meals. A small hug from mom to let them know you love them.

With these tips, the return to school can be much easier, more orderly and, above all, less stressful for you. Remember that it is not necessary to do great things or break your head with the details, some organization and, above all, having resources at hand, will make your life easier. May this be a great school start!