Day 10 of 12 Days of Back-to-School Prep: 5 Things I Do to Prep MYSELF for Back to School
Posted on September 20, 2026
Hello and happy Sunday! We are still plugging away with our Back-to-school prep series and today is Day 10!! We’ve covered the fridge, my yearly refresh list, my drop-off-to-gym outfit, breakfast burritos, washing the lunchboxes, backpack SOS kits, our snack bin, the homework drawer, and school paper storage. Today, let’s talk about someone we don’t prep for nearly enough: us moms!
Can we talk about back-to-school prep for a second? It’s not just about getting the kids ready. For us moms, this is basically our own New Year — a natural reset point where routines shift, schedules get busier, and honestly, our own habits either get us through the year or fall apart by week three. So here are a few things I do every single year to make sure my mornings run smoothly and my stress stays low, right alongside all the prep I’m doing for the boys.
The 5 Things I Do to Prep Myself
1. Wake Up Before the Kids
Even just 15-20 minutes of quiet time with my coffee before the chaos starts changes absolutely everything. It’s not a lot of time, but it’s mine, and it means I’m starting the day from a calm place instead of getting yanked straight into the noise the second my feet hit the floor.
2. The Sunday Reset
Sundays are my reset day too, not just laundry day. I get the laundry done, but I also sit down and actually look at the week ahead — what’s on the calendar, what’s new, what I need to add before it sneaks up on me. Doing this one sit-down session on Sunday means I’m not scrambling to figure out the week as it’s happening.
3. A Night-Before Routine, For Me Too
We talk a lot about night-before routines for the kids — laying out clothes, packing bags — but I do this for myself as well. I prep my own coffee for the morning and lay out what I’m wearing, so my morning runs just as smoothly as everyone else’s. It sounds small, but it removes so many little decisions from my already-busy mornings.
4. Keep a Running List
I keep a running list on my phone for anything I’m low on or need to handle — before it becomes an actual problem. Whether it’s something we’re almost out of, an appointment I need to book, or just a task I don’t want to forget, it all goes on this one list so nothing sneaks up on me during the week.
5. One Self-Care Thing, Every Week
I always try to schedule one thing that’s just for me every single week. A face mask, a mani, a massage, dinner or coffee with a friend — something, even if it’s small. Because if I want everyone else’s routine to run smoothly, mine has to be dialed in first.
It All Starts With You
None of these five things take much time or money, but they make such a difference in how the whole week feels. If I’m running on empty, everything else in the house feels harder — but when I’ve got even a little bit of my own routine dialed in, I can show up for everyone else so much better.
So as you’re checking off backpacks and lunchboxes and school supplies this year, don’t forget to put yourself on that list too. You deserve a little back-to-school prep of your own.
This is Day 10 of our 12 Days of Back-to-School Prep series! Follow along @thisisourbliss for the rest of the series, plus everyday boy mom life, style, and family adventures.
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