With everyone headed back to the classroom, the jolt of back to school, back to work, back to back appointments can leave us with our back up against the wall! To help keep the peeps in my house (namely me) positively focused, I have put in place a few little linen-y systems that help us find routine in the chaos.
- We eat breakfast. At the table (well, sometimes the kitchen island). With cloth napkins. It can be done. It literally takes three minutes to scramble an egg or pour a bowl of cereal. Make the time. Take the time. Send all your peeps out the door ready to take on the day!
- Set the table for dinner right after breakfast. As soon as the last drop of milk in the last bowl of cereal is slurped down, I set the table for that night's dinner. It is a reminder to everyone that we will be meeting there at the end of our day. Also, it keeps the table free and clear of computers, backpacks and books for actual dining. Bonus ... it looks pretty and fancy. Almost like civilized people reside there!
- Use a cloth napkin (our cocktail napkins are perfect) in a lunch box. Stay with me ... whether for your children, your spouse or yourself, it is a reminder of home and the importance of taking care of ourselves. And I know this from experience, if you send a cloth napkin with your child, it will make its way home. I haven't lost one yet unless you count the one left over a weekend in a hot car with a banana and an empty milk container.
- We eat dinner together. At the table. With cloth napkins. It can be done. Even if it's just takeout, the act of eating together is good for the soul.