The Idea Specialists™ at Collingwood Apartment Homes in Alpharetta, Georgia know that even if you don’t have kids at home, back-to-school season seems to kick everyone’s schedule into high gear. That’s why they’ve put together a seasonal on-point care package for residents of this upscale apartment community, complete with suggestions on managing both mornings and mealtimes.

Routine Maintenance

Make your mornings go more smoothly by establishing—and sticking to—a set routine. Deciding on the next day’s clothes, setting the coffee to come on automatically, and having easy breakfast options ready to go are a few things you can do to get a jump on the day ahead. Mommy Nearest has more suggestions for those with little ones to manage. Our favorite? “Wake yourself up early.”

Make The Most Of Your Commute

Living at Collingwood Apartment Homes on Kimball Bridge Road means you’re conveniently located to Georgia 400, which puts you in easy proximity to so many employers—technology services, corporate headquarters, and the retail trade. And ferrying schoolchildren about is easy, too; New Prospect Elementary, Webb Bridge Middle School, and Alpharetta High School are all located nearby.

For those times when the driving is not so easy, there’s always the radio (commercial, public, subscription), and audio books—Audible offers many of its Top 100 best sellers free with a 30-day trial. You can also spend some quality time with the rave-reviewed Ten Percent Happier Podcast with Dan Harris, who describes himself as “a fidgety, skeptical journalist who had a panic attack on live national television, which led him to try something he otherwise never would have considered: meditation. He went on to write the bestselling book, 10% Happier.” Recent shows have covered topics like being present, how a Buddhist monk deals with anxiety, five ways to be less distracted, and what sadness can be good for.

Get Organized

Some days it can be hard enough keeping up with yourself, right? That’s why online calendars and organizer apps are so wildly popular, especially the easy-to-use Google Calendar. Whether it’s just you and your partner trying to avoid scheduling conflicts—or you’re figuring out how to get your eldest to soccer practice at the same time the middle child has an orthodontist appointment and the toddler has ballet—having all the info easily accessible from your phone is a modern day-must! Others to check out? Greenlight, a relatively new debit card app for kids, and “electronic corkboard” Trello, a long-time professional project management that can be used for collaborative meal planning and so much more.

Plan On It

While the Collingwood Apartment Homes Idea Specialists™ are all about the mod cons, they are also all about a good solid hard copy planner; sometimes it’s just quicker and easier to jot down notes and times and dates by hand. FindThisBest did the work for us and provides the details on a range of academic year planners ranging in price from $4 to $27.

Meal Management Made Easy

Getting food on the table every night can pose a challenge even when schedules aren’t hectic, no matter how well-appointed your bright and happy Collingwood Apartment Homes kitchen is. Here are some ideas from the Idea Specialists™ about making mealtime a little easier to manage.

• Try a meal delivery service that offers pre-made and DIY meal kits. There are many options to consider; one that’s very popular is Home Chef. You can read a review of it
• Go to one of the convenient area Publix locations and pick up some of their tasty Publix Aprons® premades: Meal Kits, Ready to Cook Meals for One, and Ready to Cook Entrées.
• Take advantage of Alpharetta’s incredible local restaurant scene without ever leaving home by subscribing to GrubHub+ and having dinner delivered at your convenience. com does a good job of breaking down the benefits of paying the monthly fee, and makes this important note: “With a GrubHub+ membership, GrubHub matches donations to No Kid Hungry through Donate the Change to feed food-insecure children around the country.”

Alpharetta Events

Looking for something fun to do sometime soon? As usual, Alpharetta does not disappoint when it comes to offering up a little something for everyone.

Because Collingwood Apartment Homes is such a pet-friendly community, we’re especially excited about Yappy Hour, on the calendar for Saturday, August 20, 2022, from noon to 4 p.m. The Hamilton Alpharetta on Milton Avenue is partnering with Tito’s Vodka for a fun event that will include dog-themed cocktails, live music, swag giveaways, and doggy portraits, with proceeds going to PAWS Atlanta. Woof!

Alpharetta Food Truck Alley will be back on the fourth Thursday of the month, August 25 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. It’s a family-friendly event featuring live music, but seating is limited, so bring a blanket or chair.

And speaking of live music, go ahead and plan in advance on making the scene at the Outlaw Music Festival Friday, September 9, 2022, at Ameris Bank Amphitheatre. Everybody’s favorite red-headed stranger Willie Nelson will be taking the stage with a lineup that includes Jason Isbell, Billy Springs, and Larkin Poe.