What do the First59 minutes look like in your home?

*This is a sponsored post on behalf of IKEA through the Mom It Forward Network.  However all opinions and statements are mine and mine alone…and Hello…who doesn’t love IKEA?

I’ve partnered up with IKEA through the Mom It Forward Network, and am excited to be participating in their program called the “First59″.  The First:59 is was introduced by IKEA to help families every where improve the first hour of the day in the “rush areas” of the home, particularly the bathroom, kitchen, and bedrooms.

Ikea conducted a survey of individuals ages 18 and up living in the Continental US and found that 3 in 4 people don’t have a regular weekday morning routine and 72% of those survey respondents said a stressful morning affected the rest of their day.

I know at my house that the morning can be hectic.  Getting 7 people ready and out the door for the day can get really crazy.  Most people in my home are not morning people…myself included.  My job keeps me up late at night and so morning comes early for me.

Eating a good breakfast, showers, brushing girl hair, packing home lunches, finding shoes, backpacks, finishing up last minute homework, brushing teeth, or finding a pair of clean and matching socks can sometimes throw a good morning into a tail spin. And I am almost always left with a home that looks like a tornado swept through it when everyone is off to where they need to be for the day.  Can anyone relate?

As part of my involvement with the First:59, I was given a gift card to IKEA.  I spent some much needed and stress-free time perusing the aisles of IKEA, looking for some items that could help take some of the stress out of our morning routines.   Stay tuned!  I will be sharing what I came up with and how it is working for us and our morning routine.

For more inspiration, IKEA has made a dedicated pinterest board to First :59. You can also share your own morning routine suggestions on social media using the hashtag #First59. For more survey findings, panelist tips, product suggestions and more detailed information on the program, visit First59.com.