Drive-By Waffling and a $100 Visa Gift Card

This is sponsored content by BlogHer and Kelloggs.

I'm going to need you to tell me that it's OK. Just remember that.

We suck at breakfast in my house. SUCK. For as much as we all love homemade pancakes and scrambled eggs and faux bacon and freshly squeezed orange juice (in gold-plated crystal glasses, of course) and leisurely sitting around together watching the TV in the morning, it doesn't happen. Ever.

I couldn't even tell you the last time Alexis and I sat at a table eating breakfast together. Unless, of course, you count brinner, because we are champs at brinner. CHAMPS!

Our typical morning breakfast routine is handled on the run. Literally. I skip breakfast all together because I apparently can't shove food in my mouth while herding cats, nor can I effectively shove food in my mouth while driving. Fortunately, though, Alexis can shove food in her mouth while I'm driving.

*Hangs head in shame.*

Yes, it's true. My daughter eats her breakfast in the car 99.9% of the time. She's an Eggo kind of girl and always has been, so I toss a couple of frozen waffles in the microwave each morning and then give them to her as we are pulling out of the driveway. If Alexis is super lucky, she'll find some fresh berries in her bowl under the waffles, but that only happens a few times per week.

I'm not proud.

I wish we could figure out a way to make our mornings smoother and do a better job with our food choices, but I'm stuck in an infinite loop of always late for everything. Breakfast is the one thing in our morning routine that I can move . . . consolidate . . . adapt. Thank goodness for many, many different flavors of Eggos, because at least Alexis gets a little variety.

And now you get a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card just for leaving a comment, courtesy of the Mom's Breakfast Club. Tell me about your morning routine and, if you love me, find a way to make me feel less guilty about the drive-by waffling that happens at my house. Official rules for the giveway can be found over here, and you can find additional opportunities to win over there.

Psst . . . this post is part of an affiliation with BlogHer and the Mom's Breakfast Club. 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. To learn more about the program, visit www.loveyourcereal.com.

Update on Tuesday, August 17, 2010 by burghbaby

Random.org thought Sarah should win this time around. She has 48 hours to reply to the email that was sent to her. Congrats!

Comments

[adriennemcc]

Wake up at least 20 minutes late. Shower, grab a granola bar (maybe if I remember) and rush off to work. I also WIN at eating in the morning, especially lately!

[Gina]

I'm lucky enough that my kids go to my parents' house most mornings. On the other mornings, it's frozen waffles or french toast sticks most of the time - whatever is fast, easy and portable.

[Laurel]

I always thought mornings would be easier when I lived with a child, ya know.. get up early... drink coffee and read paper before getting ready and waking up said child... feeding them breakfast... cereal or eggs, whatever. Then moving on with my day... but no.. it's more like wake up shower get ready, pack lunch, and get out the door ASAP.. leaving breakfast to the women at daycare... Yupp.. i know the feeling. I'm lucky if I get through a morning without any screaming.

[Mir]

Both of my kids are slow starters in the morning and reluctant to eat, so now we do smoothies on school mornings almost exclusively. Everyone drinks their breakfast in a semi-stupor and I feel okay about it. (OJ + spinach + protein powder + frozen fruits + salba + yogurt.)

I love you, and for many years my kids ate Pop-Tarts on the run and they seem to have survived. ;) I don't think Alexis will have to discuss her drive-by waffling for too long in therapy, honest.

[AndreAnna]

You're not going to like my morning routine because it involves me up and at Crossfit at 6 am, back for the kids wake-up, oatmeal, cereal or waffles, fruit, and milk. 30 minutes of Nick Jr while I shower and Mike cleans the kitchen and then he whisks the kids off to daycare while I sit in my bedroom to work. I have a very VERY good morning routine now that I'm no longer commuting and in the office.

But I blearily remember the days of working outside of the house, the rush, the frantic shoving of a nutirgrain bar in more than one piehole. So no, you're not alone, and you;'re giving her waffles, not crack. :)

[Jayna @ Yankee Drawl]

Shoot, we don't even have anywhere that we have to be in the morning and I still always end up needing to give them breakfast in the car.

I swore up and down before I had kids that they would never eat in the car.

The amount of crumbs in the backseat could feed starving children for a week and I'm going to have to steam clean the covers to get all the smashed banana off.

Because I'm smart like that and give the one year old banana in there. Yep.

[jdp]

Obviously I skip breakfast and lack nutrients and energy because I'm all confused about coming here, going there, popping here, there and everywhere for this post LOL.

Before my son started school breakfast was always on the run, to daycare, to preschool, to prek. Once he started school though we really tried to slow everything down, focus so that he could have "good" days at school as kindergarten was a huge adjustment for him. It took work to create new habits but one of the best is me getting up early enough to have myself ready to go before I wake him up and we have breakfast. We also found that the more relaxed our mornings became the more enjoyable our time was together. We even started walking the 1/2 mile to school. Got rid of those crabby, snappish, stressed mornings altogether.

I can't wait for school to start again. Why we got out of the routine for summer I have NO clue.

[cara]

with three kiddos - we eat a box of eggos EVERYDAY! :)

[Cass]

I get woken by an animal or Lex about 10 minutes before my alarm is set to go off. From there I have to let the dog out - feed the cats - feed the dog - get Lex her milk - I finally get to brush my teeth and by then Lexi is squealing EAT EAT MAMMA EAT. It's really relaxing.

[Jaime]

5:30 Wake up, nurse baby. Breakfast for her- great!
6:00- run.
6:30. Get back to the house, pray that toddler is still asleep. De-sweat. Fall back to sleep on couch.
7:30ish. Toddler wakes up. Give him some sort of cereal or pancakes and a cup of milk. Watch Handy Manny until I feel my head wil explode. Shower.
8:00ish. Baby wakes up. Nurse her, feed her cereal and fruit.
11:00. Realize that I am crabby because, in all my routine, I have not managed to feed MYSELF or give myself coffee! Grumble. Curse. Locate Pop-Tarts, thereby negating all calories lost during run.

[mumple]

I don't wake up until and unless I absolutely must (hence the wrinkle-free fabrics and easy to wash and wear hair) so breakfast when I'm in charge is a mobile affair also. Poptarts, juice in a cup with a lid, and we're off. If no lid can be found, water with a screw top lid may be your only option. If I'm really on a roll, the Howler's hair does get brushed. During the school year, lunch gets packed according to when I have to be to work--if I'm off, or going in for the evening, I end up being a lunch delivery girl.

If My Sweetie is in charge, the Howler generally gets to eat something better than a Poptart at her destination. Alexis get waffles? Wow. Now I feel bad about the Poptarts.

[rasager]

Dang, I love a real breakfast... which is why I usually save it for the weekends or dinner time, when it can properly be appreciated.

I have a PB&J with coffee every morning for breakfast. It can be made ahead of time and if you have a few extra minutes, you can pan fry it like a grilled cheese and it is sooooo tasty (I've had time to do that all of twice in a year).

We only ate gross cereals growing up -- an Eggo would have been a wonderful treasure of a meal! A is fine. It is to your merit she hasn't experienced the dark side of breakfast. (Grape Nuts?! when you're five? GROSS. Also did I mention I had to walk uphill to school? Both ways?)

[Michelle Smiles]

I am a stay at home mom. In theory I could totally make eggs, bacon, pancakes, hot oatmeal and the like daily. I don't. I'm not a morning person. The fact that I don't growl at my children is something of a victory. Now and then Sabrina will request pancakes (which means Trader Joe's pumpkin pancakes) and I will get it together enough to make them. But 75% of the time, the girls eat banana and either cold cereal or Eggo waffle. I try to make them eggs and toast a couple of mornings a week but then they whine that they want cereal or waffle instead so it hardly seems worth the effort. My husband, who is a morning person, tries to feel them a hot breakfast on the weekend. I suck - I'll admit it.

And if I worked and had to get everyone out the door on time? Dude, they would be lucky if they weren't sucking on a still frozen waffle-sicle because I am always late. Always. Check back with me in a couple of weeks and ask how bad breakfast is on the days Sabrina has to be at pre-school.

[Nicole t]

Get up late, feed the dog, catch the t. Eat, sleep, repeat.

[Amanda]

On "in the office" days, back before the kid started sleeping in and becoming the husbands responsibility she got cereal to-go to eat once she was at school in the morning. Their breakfast wasn't until 8:30 and she was there before 7. Thanks to a soy allergy, our freezer is stocked with homemade pancakes, muffins and bread. If I am working from home, she has a banana or something while she watches tv while I work and her dad gets ready to leave. Then pancakes/muffin/bagel at school later.
Weekends are fresh pancakes, or oatmeal both are favorites.

[Allison]

I usually wake up with only enough time to shower and dress and get out the door. Breakfast only occurs on the rare occasion when I am early to work (or don't feel guilty about being uber later) and stop off at starbucks for an americano and croissant or bagel. Usually that doesn't happen until lunch, though... I would kill to have eggos to eat every morning on the bus! Alexis will some day realize she was actually quite lucky to have you (when she's 30 and hasn't had a breakfast in years) :)

[Karyn]

ok i dont have any kids, and my breakfast routine still sucks! I get up 10 minutes late, take too long in the shower so now i'm 20 minutes late, run down stairs, feed the cats, throw some stuff in a plastic giant eagle bag for lunch (which is nothing that impressive i assure you), make myself an iced chai tea latte (you get the mix at giant eagle and just add water and its just like starbucks). Now i'm only 12 minutes late, so i run out the door, don't let the windows defrost (or defog) and speed to work. and punch in at 7:02. then wonder how i made it to work only "slightly" late. no wonder i'm starving by 10am.

[tehamy]

Don't hate me, but I think we do a pretty good job of sitting down for breakfast every day. As for variety, well with a toddler, variety can be a problem. During the week get up around 5:20 and get ready for work. I get Jack up shortly before 6:00. Lately breakfast has been waffles but I try to rotate pancakes, yogurt, applesauce and cereal in there too. I sit and eat with Jack until Jim comes downstairs around 6:20. I leave for work and Jim eats his breakfast while Jack finished up his. Lately jack has been slow at finishing his breakfast so Jim has been taking snack cup of dry cereal with them in the car.

[Jennifer]

Luckily the boys still eat breakfast at daycare but that routine may be changing in a few weeks when they change rooms. The summer is easy because the childcare program participates in the free breakfast/lunch program so food is waiting when we arrive in the morning.

During the "school year" Juliana doesn't wake up early enough to eat at home so breakfast is carried along and she usually sits down at the table in her preschool classroom to eat when we arrive. Options include: pop-tart, waffles, breakfast bar of some sort, bag of dry cereal. Go-gurt and usually a 100% juice box. I almost always cut up fruit for the boys in the morning for their lunch...I could be throwing some of that in a bag for her breakfast.

[mattieflap]

I get up when the kids wake me (since I'm not working to get out the door to work). The kids are early risers and I'm usually up around 6:30 or so. Breakfast is free form and, like you, we eat a lot of Eggo. Waffles, mini waffles, mini pancakes, even cinnamon toast waffles. My kids don't use syrup for the most part so we watch Playhouse Disney and eat in the family room.

See, you're not so bad.

The one thing I do to try and be a bit better is makes homemade pancakes on a weekend morning. I make a double batch so we can have pancakes for breakfast and then I make approximately 4 gazillion mini pancakes. I let them cool then freeze them in a ziploc freezer bag. I use them throughout the week - just heat them up for about 30 or 40 seconds in the microwave. Saves money and is healthier. :)

[Chelsea]

Breakfast on the weekdays will often consist of me grabbing a bagel or pieces of bread.. wrapping them in papertowels (if I even remember) and jetting off to work. Once I get to work, I Pull what's left out of the breakfast to be and I am really bad that morning I eat it as is. If I am not that lazy, I will actually toast it and smear with jelly. Thank goodness I am only responsible for me.

[Melisa]

Breakfast can be anything from cold cereal with fruit to hot oatmeal or some hard boiled eggs and toast. It's really hard to please these kids and I hate throwing out food. Eggos are a huge no-no in our house because I have no self control and would probably eat them all in one sitting.

[Tara R.]

There is no routine in my house. My husband grabs a jug of OJ and a breakfast bar as he heads out the door, my teen sleeps until lunchtime, and I snack on fruit or yogurt while I do morning dishes. Weekends are a little more calm, but breakfast is typically a 'find something yourself' meal around here.

[bluzdude]

Get up, shower, read first section of the paper with my morning Diet Coke. Read rest of paper on the subway on the way to work, eat breakfast bar at desk with my giant insullated mug of water.

Begin counting the minutes until lunch.

I always held it against my mom that she never let us have Pop Tarts. She made us eat eggs, waffles or pancakes, but NEVER provided the Pop Tarts or sugared cereals for which her children yearned. Clearly that's some kind of abuse...

[Jenn]

I'm on mat leave, you don't want to hear about my routine, it involves lots of coffee, usually in my pj's, and lasts till 9:30 or so. But if it's any consolation, my routine when I go back to work will likely be identical to yours!

[The Mommy]

Wal-mart has had their 24 count of Eggo blueberry waffles on sale for $3 for like, months! Ask me why I know that...

OK. During the school year I pack lunches and lay out all of the non-perishable breakfast supplies before bed (bowls, oatmeal packets, etc). I shower before the older kids wake up (usually with Little One for company) then I blearily start the coffee pot - which was prepped the night before - while I prepare tons of instant oatmeal (we only have 1 microwave) and Eggo waffles for Oldest Boy and Baby Girl (note to self: need to buy 4-slot toaster before September). I try to make sure and offer fresh fruit, but only Little One gets it for sure.

Oldest Boy eats his waffles with apple butter on them (don't ask), so the idea of him eating them in my DH's car makes me giggle and makes him sweat. Needless to say, they're ALWAYS done with breakfast before he's ready to take them to school. It's a long ride to school, so they also get a snack (usually Kellogg's Special K bars or Nutrigrain bars) on the way there.

Then I sit down with my coffee and oats and either blog or have devotions (I'm working on it).

[MommyJ]

My nine year old fixes breakfast for everyone while I stay in bed nursing the baby. What? That isn't okay? They normally have cold cereal, or instant oatmeal. When I'm ambitious, I'll make banana bread or some sort of muffin the night before and leave them out for them to enjoy.

That's summer time routine though... during the school year I do better. You know, I get out of bed before the kids eat.

[Judy]

Cereal for everyone but eaten before we leave the house.

[Emily]

Since my little one is under a year old, it's all about him these days ... As soon as he wakes up, I change his diaper, give him a chance to nurse, and then move on down to kitchen where he is promptly secured in his seat. He is given a "finger food" (usually and off-brand Gerber puff type thing) to occupy him while I mix his baby cereal or cut up some fresh fruit (if it is in the house). Then I feed him.

Don't even ask about my personal routine, because it is nonexistent! I'm lucky if I end up eating breakfast on most days, and, even then, it is a Pop-Tart!

[Holly]

My mornings are completely crazy so I usually wind up grabbing something like a muffin or bagel as I’m running out the door. My 2 year old gets a baggie of cereal to eat in the car and the baby gets nursed. Hubby is on his own and also typically grabs something as he’s running out the door.

[Katrina]

I am the opposite of you. I have my morning routine firmly in place and may God have mercy on your soul if you force me to deviate from it. I feed the dog her breakfast, make tea (1.30 in the microwave, half a teaspoon of sugar, plain tea bag, dollop of half and half), and pour myself a bowl of cereal. When that is together I carry it into the living, sit on the sofa, watch the morning news and eat my breakfast while checking my email/twitter/facebook. At 7:30, I am finished, I brush my hair and teeth, grab my stuff and am out the door by 7:45 to catch my bus.

No one has ever called me spontaneous, that's for sure.

[Mami2jcn]

I grab a yogurt or granola bar in the morning.

[Katie]

Summer breakfast routine: cereal. Or (like this one better) 11 y.o. or 12 y.o. make whole grain pancakes, fresh waffles, or french toast. They're willing to work for syrup. (Or see-re-up as my 3 y.o. calls it.)

School year breakfast routine: Haven't a clue yet. Last year I'd stumble down and plunk a gallon of milk and bowls on the counter on good days. Bad days? They'd get their own milk and bowls. Now, I'm working @ 5:45 a.m. 5 days a week so DADDY is going to be in charge of breakfast!! And getting young one to a sitter. Have fun Daddy!

Yeah, I'm not the best at feeding my kidlings but I make sure they have nutritional choices available. Good enough.

[pam]

I put the makins for smoothies in the blender the night before (yogurt, fruit, flax seed/protein powder if I've got it) then blend it up in the morning whilst the wranglin is on. Then I put it in the go cups and we're out.

[Becoming Mommy]

My weekday morning routine doesn't include much of Sasha. I get up, hurry to take care of the dogs (food, medications, excercise...) then I hop in the shower, get dressed, throw various bags and if it's one of the days I take Sasha (some days are Hubby's) I put him in the car still asleep.

For example, this morning he was delivered to his Grandma's in his spacesuit PJs, helmet, and galoshes (AKA his space boots). Since he slept that way, that's how he went. We do pack breakfasts for when he awakens the night before and he gets breakfast there so it's not a big deal (plus, him not being awake does make things easier sometimes).

[Pam]

Cut a banana in half, then half again. Goop sides with peanut butter and serve with cold milk.

[caroline]

On weeksay mornings growing up, it was always get-your-own cereal. Which often involved me and my brother climbing up the counter to get tge cereal--at least your way isn't potentially head-cracking open!

[domestic extraordinaire]

What I found that works for us is to (please don't shoot me) wake up a half hour earlier. That extra bit of time is really all we need. A Favorite around here is the breakfast sandwich. I make the biscuits the night before and sometimes the meat (if I put any on it) then in the morning I can just make the scrambled egg with cheese (which you can make in the microwave) warm all together and yummy sandwich.

But really my girls eat a lot of frozen waffles and granola bars! It will be okay.

[Chelsea]

I'm not a mom yet so there is NO judgement from me! I am only one person and I can't get my act together. I eat toast with PB while my husband and I carpool!

[Kate]

I am so NOT a morning person! For breakfast I eat a Special K Bar (Strawberry) at my desk every single work day. Much easier than trying to grab something before I leave for work.

[Lisa J.]

At least you're giving her breakfast food for breakfast. My son gets a peanut butter sandwich that he has learned to make on his own. Either that or a baggie full of goldfish.

[Roger]

OH yeah, Mr "Leggo my Eggo" is king in my house. Except for those special days when I'm at the spa... Whatever. I know they say it's the most important meal of the day and all, but I don't have time for all that importance. Except for when it comes to my kids - they get breakfast.

[mindymin]

Oh my routine is more like yours with the no breakfast thing...hell im lucky if I even get lunch most days. I know its important...but so i getting out the door :-)

And it is ok. Waffles in the car is better than a candy bar or cookies or some other garbage she could be eating or not at all :-P Life happens...

[Megan]

Hey, at least the kid is eating, amirite?!!?

[Carly]

Welp...my routine is significantly simpler than yours because I don't have to drive anywhere. I wake up when my little sweetie stands up in her crib and hollers Da-da! Or if I'm really lucky, she might yell Ma-ma! We get dressed and de-pooped if necessary...her, not me. Then I make myself some tea and food. She plays around and drinks a glass of milk while I turn into an internet zombie. At some point I wrench myself away from the computer to mix up some baby oatmeal, thaw out a cube of pureed prunes and rack my brain for something else nutritious. Frequently the third item is fruit that I painstaking cut up whilst taking SO LONG to do it that my little sweetie comes and hangs on my leg asking for food. So that third item is usually the first item consumed, piece by piece it goes right into her mouth before I can even get it into a bowl or a plate or whatever. Then we sit down and I try like hell to keep the oatmeal & prunes from becoming a combination mud-mask and leave-in conditioner. I win some, I lose some. Then we brush teeth...which is like wrestling a slippery little river otter with one hand tied behind your back. If we manage to get all that accomplished, the morning is a success! Yay!

[ErinPatricia]

Kashi Cherry Dark Chocolate bars.

If I have time, Bagel and cream cheese.

I wish everyday could be a Dor-Stop for breakfast day.

[Sarah]

Them: cereal
Me: coffee

[Karen]

We don't do breakfast either, and I'm a SAHM. I put the kids in charge of scrounging for themselves. Mostly because I'm lazy, but also because no matter what I make, someone isn't hungry for that. Or would rather have this. And I get incredibly frustrated. Your way avoids all that frustration from the start.

[Jen]

I'm spoiled because most days, we're on our own schedule (except for Wednesdays which... yeah. this morning it was dry Cheerios in the car and a banana & yogurt once she got to school! We were LATE LATE LATE because my kid is apparently 13 already and won't get her butt out of bed before 8am)

But the other days, Maggie eats cereal, egg sandwiches, fruit, yogurt, peanut butter & jelly toast... whatever she decides. She tends to be cranky in the mornings (DON'T KNOW WHERE SHE GETS THAT, AHEM) so giving her choices seems to help! I eat at my desk in the living room, checking email, scarfing down a bagel or cereal and juice.

Weekends, every once in a while, I'll make pancakes. But lately, notsomuch ;)

[Justina]

I say as long as you're feeding her, who cares if it's in the car!

I usually try to get my daughter to daycare/preschool before they eat breakfast. Most days we are walking in as they are eating. Today I knew she was going to miss it altogether and almost forgot to grab her something. I offered her gummies (very nutritous, I know, but I could just grab it and go), but she didn't want them; she wanted cinnamon and sugar toast. So I popped some bread in the toaster, got it ready, and told her to eat fast because it's a short drive to school!

Justina