Being a mom is a busy and an often thankless job. We here at VitaCup love hacks and we love Moms. So, we've come up with a list of some easy and quick ways for moms to find extra time in their mornings with hacks that save the day (or at least a few "miracle" minutes). We hope you give a few of these a try for the kids, or even grandkids, in your lives.

LUNCHTIME

1. One way to give kids a good, healthy drink that stays cool and refreshing while also keeping your lunch fresh is to use a frozen water bottle. The water will be cool to drink later in the day and the frozen ice will serve as an ice pack for the food - but beware if you use a paper bag, as the perspiration from the bottle may soak through.

2. Make non-perishables the night before and save all scrambling in the morning solely for your eggs. If you want to keep the main meal or sandwiches fresh, you can do those in the morning and drop them into an otherwise ready-to-go lunch. If you do decide on a sandwich, you can use a cookie cutter to turn your kids sandwich into a fun shape!

3. Teach your kids independence and healthy decision-making skills early by having them pack their own lunches. Turn it into a fun family activity.  Give each a budget and take them shopping for the individual healthy items they’d like to use when packing their own lunch.

GETTING SLEEP

1. Limit the blue. If you are someone who uses their phone or a screen in bed, it might be a good idea to stop. This is because your brain interprets the blue light that comes from mobile devices, TVs, and tablets as sunshine and this tells your body to wake up.

2. According to "The 4-Hour Body," feeling too warm can disrupt your sleep. Try changing the room temperature to between 67 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit to help you reach a deeper state of rest that will help you feel more refreshed.  If you have a smart thermostat, like Nest, you can set a temperature for the time of day and have it cool down when you regularly turn down for the night.

3. If you end up in bed for 10 minutes and you are still finding you can’t sleep, it’s better to get up and do something for a bit. Give yourself something to do like a crossword or reading a book, then try again after giving your brain some off time. The key is to do something that won’t wake you up completely, but not something with a screen which may disrupt your body’s sleep rhythm.

DINNER TIME

1. Save your children's screen time until right before dinner. That way, you have 30 minutes or so of uninterrupted time to get a big dent into dinner.

2. Make a set list of what your meals will be for the week. This cuts down on your family asking "what's for dinner?", reduces time spent shopping, and eliminates the daily stress of deciding what to make. Want to capture ideas for the week as you go?  Ask your voice assistant (i.e. Siri, Alexa, Google) to help you create a list called “meal ideas.”

3. Turn vegetables into the most available and most accessible snacks for your kids to get to with some washed and chopped veggies in the front of the fridge. Want to make veggies appealing? Put bell pepper slices in a row like a rainbow - red, orange, yellow then green - it makes them look irresistible!

SICK KIDS

1. Use your medicine bottle to track doses. When you have a sick child that needs antibiotics, it's of utmost importance that you accurately track treatments. Certain medications require multiple doses a day and when your primary concern is tending to your ill child, it can be easy to question if you missed a dose! Want to take it a step further? Try the Pillsy app which has a smart medicine bottle with a childproof lid that will remind you if you miss a dose.

2. Bug bites are never welcome and always come at the most inopportune times (aka, when you are out of anti-itch cream!). In a pinch, you can rub the inside of a banana peel on those annoying bug bites. This old Chinese method will help inflammation, redness and of course, itching!

3. Sunburns are one of the worst issues to deal with when it comes to our children. However, you can speed up that process by using Black Tea as a topical agent! Take 3 bags of black tea and soak them in warm water until it's dark brown. Then, take a towel and dab on the tea to the sunburned area. Let it soak in and don’t wipe off till the next day!

And of course, VitaCup will be here the whole way as your ultimate morning hack - a delicious and quick trick to make sure you get your coffee plus your vitamins in the morning.

We hope that you give some of these a try and, if you do, please let us know how they work for you in the comments below!