When Good Mornings really are Good

This is sponsored content by BlogHer and Kelloggs.

What's my ideal morning like? It's a day when I get to sleep past 8:00 AM. If I'm really being greedy, I'd say it's a day when I get to sleep past 8:00AM, stay in bed till 9:00AM, then go downstairs and discover that Alfie and the kids have already had breakfast AND cleaned up after themselves, so I have the kitchen all to myself, to enjoy a leisurely breakfast of oatmeal or yogurt or bagels or toast, to read my Newsweek or check email on my phone, while everyone else sits in the living room (or anywhere but the kitchen).

This is what I call a Good Morning.

You can imagine how often that happens. Most days, a good morning is one where we get to leave for school by 8:00 AM without forgetting anything or without me screaming at any of the kids. If everything goes according to schedule, I'm a happy camper. If the schedule falls apart, so do I. Which means that starting my day on a positive note depends on several things: 1) Brush my teeth This has nothing to do with my schedule and everything to with my schedule. If I don't get rid of that stale feeling in my mouth, I can't wake up. To get up and do what I have to do, I don't need to take a shower, I don't need freshly-ironed clothes, I don't even need breakfast (I do, actually, but I prefer to wait until the morning rush is over, when I can sit and enjoy it) -- all I need to do is get that toothbrush in my mouth and that mouthwash in my throat. The minty smell and taste wakes me up and gets me started. There's nothing like having clean, minty-fresh breath to get me through the morning! 2) No Surprises If I know what needs to be done for the day, I can plan accordingly. If it's a Tuesday, the kids need to have their Monday Envelopes. If it's a Thursday, they need their library books. Does The Pea have a field trip that week? Musn't forget to send some money. I try to write out a list of things to do the night before, or put everything that needs to go with the kids in the morning right in front of the back door, so we don't forget it. 3) It's a Team Effort Those days when mama did everything are long gone. Now that the kids are older, I expect them to choose their own outfits, get their own breakfast (which is why they always have cereal and milk) and pack their own bags. I handle lunch prep, breakfast cleanup, sunscreen application and schedule management. And it works like a charm -- not only do things get done faster, I'm also teaching them to be independent and helpful. Seeing them get their own bowls, pour their own cereal and stack their dirty dishes in the sink always cheers me up! Whatever you do to make your mornings good, make them even better with Bonggamom Finds! I'm partnering with BlogHer and Kellogg's to bring you some fun breakfast topics, from morning routines to cereal to family breakfast traditions and more. Join me every week through October 2010 for a new discussion -- and a new giveaway for a $100 Visa Gift Card! Win a $100 Visa Gift Card One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will win a $100 Visa Gift card courtesy of Kellogg's and BlogHer. To enter, just leave a comment on this post and share some tips on how to start the day on a positive note. You can get extra entries by tweeting and blogging about this giveaway, making sure to include a link to this giveaway in your tweet or blog post. Just leave a comment on this post and share the link to your tweet or blog post. Entries will be accepted until September 27, 2010. For full giveaway rules, click here. You can also gain 24 extra chances to win $100 by visiting the BlogHer.com Kellogg exclusive offers page. Good luck! The Mom's Breakfast Club was started to help educate moms and families about kids' cereal and share the scoop on their nutritional benefits and ingredients. Kellogg's helps moms keep their morning simple with cereal varieties for everyone in the family. For more information, visit www.loveyourcereal.com. This is a sponsored post from BlogHer and Kellogg's. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.