Sunrise Citrus Pear Berry Smoothie

How I Organized My Mornings with Ikea First :59

My biggest morning challenges are not taking enough time for myself, skipping breakfast, and keeping my boys’ shoes and lunchboxes organized so that they’re easily accessible. A couple of weeks ago I shared my chaotic weekday morning routine, and I promised that I’d be back to share some solutions for better morning organization after hearing from the experts at Ikea’s First :59 program. The First :59 program is designed to provide consumers with tips and advice to make those first 59 minutes of the day easier, from the minute the alarm clock rings until the moment they head out the door. With 72% of survey respondents claiming that a stressful morning affects the rest of their day, First :59 professionals were challenged to come up with solutions that make the most of your morning time and to help ensure that every day is a good day.

First: 59 panelist Timothy suggested , “If you are short on time in the mornings, consider blending a green juice or smoothie before bed so you simply need to pour it in the morning. This will avoid reaching for unhealthy but fast snacks and save you the time of prepping fruit and veggies for your smoothie.” I thought that sounded like a fantastic (and totally do-able) idea, so I made a note of his favorite Ikea product for the solution – the HÄMTA Carafe – and headed off to Ikea to do a little shopping.

Once I saw the HÄMTA Carafe styled on the store shelf, I knew it was going to be perfect. I loved the grey tinted glass, the sleek curves and the modern look. It looked like it would work great with my morning juice (and would also be great for wine tasting parties!)! I also discovered this LONSAM carafe for only $2.49, and I couldn’t resist picking one up for our smoothies (for that price, I’m kind of kicking myself for not buying a few more! I see another Ikea visit in my future!).

Someday when I decide to delve into a whole kitchen remodel, I’ll definitely be coming back to Ikea! This display kitchen is straight out of my dreams!

There are SO many fun things to discover at Ikea that I don’t even mind that I always get lost inside of there! I loaded up my cart with lots of great items to help make my mornings less chaotic and stressful.

Two of my favorite things that I brought back from my Ikea shopping spree were a pair of POÄNG chairs with Blomstermåla cushions. We’ve all been putting them to good use, and they’ve become the most desired seats in the house. I have started waking up an hour earlier in the mornings, and I always head straight to one of these chairs to enjoy my coffee and spend a few minutes clearing my mind before tackling the day. Taking these moments for myself at the beginning of the day has really helped to alleviate morning stress and cut down on the hectic pace.

One day, during that extra early morning hour, I took a few minutes to reorganize our kitchen “mudroom” nook so that the boys have a place to stash their shoes, hoodies and lunchboxes. I am SO happy not to have shoe clutter strewn all over the house anymore!

The biggest change that I have made to my morning routine, however, is the fact that I am no longer skipping breakfast…and it has made a HUGE impact on the rest of my day!

I prefer to eat lighter foods first thing in the morning, and I naturally gravitate towards fruit and yogurt. I spend about an hour preparing fresh fruit, juices, smoothies and crustless quiche muffins over the weekend, and then a quick breakfast is always at-hand for the rest of the week.

Look at how gorgeous that HÄMTA Carafe looks with my cranberry-orange juice in it! Such a pretty color!

I’ve also discovered a delicious new smoothie that keeps really well in the refrigerator – I call it the Sunrise Citrus Pear Berry Smoothie. I blend a big batch to fill our carafe on Sunday evening, and then we have it available for the next few days. Just take it out of the refrigerator, give it a quick stir, and it’s ready to serve. There’s really no excuse for skipping breakfast when it’s this simple!

Sunrise Citrus Pear Berry Smoothie

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Ingredients

• 14 oz. Orange Juice
• 1 Pear, sliced
• 2 cups Strawberries
• 1 Banana
• 1 cup Vanilla Greek Yogurt

Instructions

1. Use a blender to combine all ingredients until smooth. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Taking time to have breakfast in the morning with my family really helps to set the tone for the rest of our day. It’s amazing how great I feel with just a little bit of organization, prep work and taking time for myself! Thanks to these great tips from Ikea’s First :59 program, all of our mornings are much happier and less chaotic!