This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BagelMyWay #CollectiveBias  It seems no matter what time I need to get the kids out the door in the morning, we are running late. My daughter is a senior in high school. Her school day does not start until 9:30 am. You would think that gave us plenty of time to get to school on time. Sadly, this is not the case in our home. For me, it has become an art to figure out how to get the kids out the door without losing your mind!

Ideas To Get Out The Door More Quickly

• Prep The Night Before: In my house, the night before is my best friend! As soon as the kids get home, I ask if they have homework, notes to sign or projects due. This takes away the element of surprise. I do not like surprises, especially when it comes to school stuff. My husband fills ups the tank when he gets home, so I don’t have that to do in the morning. The kids choose their outfit the night before, and pack their backpacks and put them by the door. I don’t do lunches. They are old enough to make their own. Enough said.
• No Electronics: This goes for the kids as well as myself. If I check my emails before the kids go to school, I am dead in the water. It is a time sucker I cannot afford. The kids are the same way. Caitlin will get on Slack and forget to get ready. That is a no-no in the am.
• Set Multiple Alarms: My clock is set 15 minutes ahead. This helps get me out of bed on time, not early. I mean, who am I kidding?! Caitlin has an alarm, but I still say good morning to be sure she is awake. Once I am up, I have an alarm set for 30 minutes before we need to leave, as well as 15 minutes. The third and final alarm is the five minute warning. If we are not moving towards the door by then, Mommy is not a happy camper. Insert expletives at the two minute mark!
• No Chores: Before you think I let my kids slack on helping out around the house, let me explain! I do not assign the kids chores in the morning. Who am I kidding? It is hard enough to get out on time without adding stuff for them to do. I am lucky if they get their teeth brushed in the morning. The trash can wait until they get home!
• Keep Breakfast Simple: If my kids don’t eat before school, they slump by 10:30. This is not good for them or their teachers. I don’t have a ton of time to make them breakfast, so I stick with something they love that is easy to make. If I can make breakfast portable, even better! For us, we love toasted Lender’s® Bagels with Smart Balance® Buttery Spread.

Breakfast Is The Most Important Meal

If the kids don’t eat breakfast, they drag. And if they don’t eat, they can get HANGRY! If my kids don’t have a filling breakfast, I am not setting them up for a successful day. I make breakfast simple. Who needs to complicate things? I stock up on Lender’s® Bagels and Smart Balance® Buttery Spread from Walmart. (Make sure you look for Lender’s® Bagels in the refrigerated dairy section.)  This way, we don’t run out and I don’t break my food budget.

We eat a LOT of Lender’s® Bagels, both Plain and Blueberry! They are versatile, the perfect on-the-go breakfast and a family favorite! We love their fresh baked taste. After I drop the kids off, I make my favorite sandwich. I put Smart Balance® Buttery Spread on a toasted Plain Lender’s® Bagel. Next, I stack egg whites, a turkey sausage patty, and avocado slices. I mean, everything’s better on a bagel, right? I don’t eat breakfast until after I drop the kids off, so this sandwich holds me until my afternoon snack. Boom!

Keep It Simple And Delicious

For me, serving bagels for breakfast makes sense. They are easy to make, are tasty, nutritious and are timesaving. My favorite thing about Lender’s® Bagels. is they are crunchy-on-the-outside and chewy-on-the-inside. They are perfect for the whole family. With so many choices, Lender’s® has a bagel for everyone. I am watching my weight, so with them being low fat, they fit  into my healthy meal plan.

We have been using Smart Balance® Buttery Spread for a long time. I use it for everything I would have used butter. I spread it on my Lender’s® Bagel, and cook and bake with it. Smart Balance® Buttery Spread is made with a unique blend of oils. It has no hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils. This improves the ratio of “good” HDL to “bad” HDL. If cholesterol is a concern, this is good news for you! It is also gluten and dairy free, has 0 trans fat, and has 400mg Omega 3 ALA per serving.

In my opinion, Lender’s® Bagels and Smart Balance® Buttery Spread are a winning combination. They make my life easier and my family loves them. They are my secret on how to get the kids out the door without losing your mind! Do you have tips to make your morning run more smoothly? I would love to hear about it in the comments below!