Mom Hacks for Easier Winter Mornings

Picture this: I’ve just spent two hours getting all three kids fed, dressed, hair brushed, teeth brushed, bags packed….and THEN have struggle for an extra 15 minutes to get them to put on their shoes. Because I have to ask at least 8 times for it to happen. Some days it’s more like 20. But to make matters a little more complicated, let’s throw in some bad weather, shall we? Let’s add snow pants, a coat, boots, three sets of hats and mittens into the mix! I’m not an expert by any means, but now that I’ve made it through a few tough winters with little ones in tow, I thought I would share some of the mom hacks I’ve learned for making those winter mornings run more smoothly. I’ve partnered with FrostGuard® for this post….read on for more details!

1. Buy multiples of everything snow-gear related. The first winter Hudson was able to walk I made the mistake of having just one snow coat, one pair of snow pants etc…..but I quickly realized that was NEVER going to cut it. Little kids fall down and get wet, or want to go outside multiple times a day…and if you have wet snow gear it’s zero fun for everyone. So now I’ve learned my lesson here’s what I buy each child: 2 puffy “snow” coats, 2 pairs of snow pants (the overall style), 2 lighter weight fleece coats, 3 hats, 2 scarves, 2 pairs of warm mittens, and 2 pairs of snow/water-proof mittens. With boots it’s a little easier, and I usually just have one pair of rain boots and one pair of snow boots per child. It seems like a lot but trust me, it’s needed. And here’s another tip: buy the snow pants in two different sizes….chances are they will both fit and then the bigger pair will also fit the next year, so you only have to buy one each year.

3. A staying organized tip: have a basket for each kid where they can keep their hats and mittens and a designated spot to hang their coat. And a separate spot where wet stuff can be put to dry out. Otherwise all the gear ends up on the floor….and with three kids and two adults that can really pile up! We have a mud room in our house and everyone has a cubby to place their things. I’m teaching Hudson to put his stuff away….it turns out he is much like his daddy and prefers to dump it all in on the ground, so it’s taking some work. Miraculously Sadie inherited the clean up gene from me and is a great helper when it comes to putting stuff away (YES!)

4. Have your kids go to the bathroom before gearing up. Trust me on this. It’ s zero fun for everyone to put on snow pants, and a snow coat, and mittens, and gloves just to have to come back inside ten minutes later to frantically strip your toddler down to use the potty. And then put back on ALL THE THINGS. So the rule is, whenever we have snow gear involved, you must sit on the potty first. EVERY TIME. Even if you “just went five minutes ago!”

5. Protect your windshield! The last thing I want to do after finally getting everyone dressed and ready is spend an extra 20 minutes standing in the cold scraping frost and snow off of my car. I’m exhausted just thinking about it! Thankfully, there’s a hack for that too! Enter FrostGuard® the 20-second solution to a 20-minute problem. With FrostGuard, you can skip the scraping! It is a unique winter windshield cover that prevents ice and snow from hindering your morning routine. And it’s so easy to use! Just put FrostGuard on your windshield at night and shake the ice and snow off in the morning.

We have only had one tiny little bit of snow this year and FrostGuard has already come in handy! I’m ordering one for everyone for Christmas too! It protects your primary viewing area so you can just pull it off and drive. No scraping snow or ice! It even comes with covers for your side mirrors. My husband doesn’t have covered parking at work and he already said this would be a lifesaver for him in the winter.

FrostGuard is made with a heavy-weight polyester material and weather-resistant PVC lining. It comes in two different sizes to fit cars, trucks, and SUVs and is available in a variety of colors and prints. FrostGuard is so easy to install and removes in just seconds….shaving precious time off of my morning routine. Just roll it up and put it in the quick-dry storage pouch and you are ready to go! Right now you can save 20% off a FrostGuard Signature Bundle with the code “winter17” from now until December 31, 2017 (some exclusions may apply).

6. Teach your kids to put on their own snow gear. This comes in handy once your child is in school and needs to be able to put on his or her own stuff. It’s a little hard for littler ones, but Hudson (who is five) is almost a pro now. He has a little trouble with the zipper on his coat, but otherwise he’s got it down to a science!

7. Stock up on supplies so you don’t have to run out with kids in tow when the weather is bad. It’s so important to sock up on supplies, just in case there is a storm and the roads are bad. I try to make sure we are always stock piled with plenty of food, snacks, wipes, and diapers! And I always aim to keep my gas tank filled at least half way. If my husband is reading this he would laugh out loud at that statement….because he’s always always on my case whenever I forget this…which is often!

Check out my video of FrostGuard in action!

What are your winter morning hacks? This post is sponsored by FrostGuard, all opinions are my own.