5. Prepare the night before. Yes, I'm exhausted and more than anything I want to slip into bed and watch Mad Men, but I know that I'll breeze through the morning routine if I devote time after the kids are asleep to making lunches, putting homework in backpacks, and making a late-night run to the grocery store so we have milk in the morning.
I try to check the kids' backpacks for field trip permission slips and event notices. I also shower, pick out my outfit, and prepare my bag for work.
Most important, if the car is on dead empty, my husband reluctantly drives to the gas station. Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you'll get up extra early to fill up the gas tank before school because most likely you won't. I've tried several times and I always hit "snooze."