Earlier this week, I registered my son for his new school. On the way, I noticed that the temperature gauge on my car read SURFACE OF THE SUN … HADES… 107 F and I instead wanted to turn my car towards the direction of the neighborhood pool and/or run back into my nicely air conditioned house.

I can hide from the Texas heat, but unfortunately, I cannot hide from the fact that school is starting in TWO AND A HALF WEEKS (!!) It seems that the endless days of summer are not actually endless. (Although it often feels that way when both kids are home…)

This will be our first year in a new school and I’m a mix of emotions– sadness, worry, excitement, hope… I’ve spent the last few weekends chipping away at the anxiety by hitting my to-do list hard. I’ve been stocking up on supplies, buying new uniforms, and tracking down the kids’ lunchboxes and backpacks.

While everything else in our lives has changed recently, in a few short week we’ll be back in the same old school routine of wake up, get to school on time, come back from school, make dinner, do homework, get to bed, wake up…  

This will be our fourth year of school and boy, have the last three been a steep learning curve! The hardest part for us is the “getting to school on time”. What? You too?  Yes well, I’ve learned a few tips and tricks along the way that have helped our morning run smooth and swiftly, and I am happy to share:

1. Let the kids sleep in their school clothes

What do kids wear that has to stay super pressed and starched anyway? It takes planning their outfits the night before to the next level and saves so much time in the morning!

2. Set a timer for the morning routine

No one likes a nag. Standing at the door, keys in hand, reminding the kids for the 77th time to “put on your shoes, get in the car…” I don’t like having to do it. My family doesn’t like to hear it. Not that that they listen anyway, which is sort of my point…

So we have a rule. I set a timer for things like getting dressed or eating breakfast. Once the timer dings, what you have on is what you are wearing for the day. (I don’t care if all you have on is a shirt. You spent your time time playing instead of putting on pants, so no pants will be worn to school. So sad…) It keep all of us (yes, even me) on track. I don’t have to keep reminding everyone to stay on task. Also, you can’t really argue with the timer. Once time is up, time is up.

3. Make breakfast on the go. (Will it blend?)

Pancakes, scrambled eggs, and bacon are a great way to start the day, but, let’s be honest… I probably won’t be serve it much past the first day of school. Typically, breakfast for us is on the go, go, go. Smoothies with fruit (hidden veggies) and yogurt, egg sandwiches, and breakfast wraps are staples in our morning routine because they can go from the table to the car in a second. Perfect when you have pokey eaters like I do…

Now it’s your turn to share…

What are some of YOUR tips on making the morning routine less manic?

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#eBaySchool Twitter Party

Come tell us at  our eBay Back-to-School Twitter party taking place on Tuesday, August 14, 2012 from 12-2 PST. We will be sharing ways to take the stress out of back to school!

To be eligible to win you must participate in the party and tweeting from the http://www.ebay.com/school party page. Hashtag is #eBaySchool

Prizes: Every 15 minutes of so, we will be awarding EIGHT $25 eBay gift cards being awarded during the two hour event. That’s $200 in prizes, so start making your shopping lists for Back to School now!

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More Back to School Prizes with eBay

From backpacks to laptops and iPhones to Abercrombie, eBay offers just about everything you need for back to school at about a fraction of the cost. Did you know that most of the items found on eBay are brand new, tags still attached, boxes sealed? 

You can even purchase all of your school supplies without once having to step out into the blister heat. Check out eBay for all of your Back to School essentials and just-have-to-haves!

Here are a few other ways eBay is making Back to School lots of fun:

Pinterest Backpack Sweeps (7/25-8/31)

Are your kids heading back to school this August? eBay’s Back to School Pinterest Sweepstakes will award daily winners a $100 eBay Gift Card to shop for their back to school essentials on eBay.com.

Pinterest Dorm Room Sweeps  (7/25-8/31)

Do you have a kid that’s headed for college this year? eBay is holding a Pinterest sweepstakes where one Grand Prize winner will receive a $5,000 eBay Shopping Spree toward a dorm room makeover.

Facebook Instant Win Game  (8/1-8/31)

Play the eBay What’s In Your Backpack Instant Win Game for a chance to win a $50 eBay Gift Card to do some back to school shopping.

Hurry, sweeps ends August 31, 2012!

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