Phase 2 of The House Behind The Trees ~ The downstairs #TeelsBuildaHouse

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So we are starting the downstairs ... I HATE to say basement because we had a basement in our old home, where you opened a door and went down stairs separated from anything else. It was a finished basement complete with a bedroom, craft room, family/game room and we spent a lot of time there ~ our oldest son moved down there in jr high and stayed through high school ... until we finished the master suite in the attic then he moved back up to the bedroom floor with his brother and sister.  So here our downstairs is open to the rest of the house, you can see through to the outside from the top of the stairs going down because we have a wall of windows down there as well.  We really didn't plan to have a kiddo down there but since we are having to do a switch-a-roo with rooms (I'll explain later) he is moving home soon and will be downstairs. Anyhoo, our downstairs will house our main family room, our middle sons room, a full bath and kitchenette.  I thought it would be fun ...
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6 Simple ways to make Back to School easy on everyone!

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1. Get up before the Kids ~ Set your alarm a few minutes before your kids wake. This enables you a few extra minutes to yourself, in what can otherwise be a busy morning. Even if it’s just 15 minutes! That is enough time for most busy parents to wash up, get dressed, and even start a cup of tea or coffee.

2. Do things the night before ~ Pick outfits out the night before. This is also a great way to encourage some independence and self esteem by giving kids choices and allowing them to help pick out an outfit for school. Make lunches the night before and store in fridge until morning. If you can’t find time the night before, another option is make lunch during breakfast time.

3. Create an area for school things only ~ Have a backpack command center. Pick a spot near the entryway where you can leave shoes and backpacks. This way when it’s time to get out the door in the morning there’s no searching for those last minute items.

4. Have all things school related ready to grab and go in the morning ~ Place completed homework or school paperwork into backpacks the night before. Again, you don’t want to be searching for a field trip form the morning of, so make it easy on yourself and have it packed the night before.

5. Set your coffee pot for auto-brew so when you wake up your coffee is already brewed, all it needs is a cup and a happy parent to enjoy the first sip. This is probably my favorite part of the school routine, smelling that coffee brewing while I'm getting laying in bed and getting to enjoy my cup of coffee before the kids wake up.

6. Stay calm, enjoy your mornings, and allow time for an extra hug & kiss before the bell rings. Who doesn’t love an extra hug from their favorite munchkins, right?!!! Before we know it the kids grow, so why not embrace these moments now, while we can.

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