We tested a JuiceBox tip over the holidays: the middle-of-the-night road trip departure (from our holiday travel tip issue). We left at 1 a.m. and somehow… it worked? I was shocked. I mean, I wasn't, because we only share things here that we do think will work. But my kid? Even if she didn't sleep at all after our 1AM departure and then had a complete meltdown at nap time, the actual drive was not a dumpster fire. And that's what we call a win!
Now we’re home, trying to get back into real life, and momentum is not…momentum-ing. If you’re also struggling to rebuild the routine after a stretch of family time (or you’re thrilled to be back at work, honestly respect), hi. Same.
Here are three quick things you can do this week that will make June you feel personally cared for.
Also, quick PSA: if you can sneak in a 20-minute “appointment stack” this week (dentist, pediatrician, haircut, etc.), do it!
In this issue:
✅ The 4:58pm birthday invite fix (no Target run required)
✅ The “how is camp already full??” calendar trick
✅ The AI prompt that flags your worst weeks before they happen
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💸 Start a Kid Gift Stash (Without Buying Anything)
👉 If you don’t have a gift stash, it’s fine. Most of us don’t. The move is to start it by shopping your own house first, especially this time of year.
Do this today in 8 minutes:
Grab a bag and do a quick sweep for kid stuff that is:
unopened
still in packaging
not emotionally important to your child (aka they won’t notice it’s gone)
Think: holiday overflow gifts, duplicate toys, random craft kits, board games, that one set of something your kid never touched.
Create one “home base” spot:
Top closet shelf, pantry top shelf, or wherever you keep wrapping stuff.
Label it something extremely literal: KID GIFTS.
The only rule going forward:
When you’re at the grocery store or Target and see a legit kid gift on sale (craft kit, board game, LEGO/dupe set), buy one and toss it in the stash. (Not ten. One.)
What success looks like in real life:
It’s Friday at 4:58pm. You get the birthday invite. You don’t do an emergency errand. You grab a gift and move on with your life.
🧘♀️ The “Enrollment Dates Go on the Calendar” Rule
👉 One of the most annoying parts about preschool, camps, swim lessons, after-school care (even campgrounds?!), and basically everything kid-related is that it fills up quietly… and then suddenly it’s full and everyone acts like you should’ve known.
This is the one rule that prevents it:
Any time you learn an enrollment date, it goes on your calendar immediately.
Make it hard to ignore:
Event title format:
ENROLLMENT OPENS: Swim lessons
ENROLLMENT OPENS: Summer camp
ENROLLMENT OPENS: Preschool
Add two reminders:
7 days before
24 hours before
In the notes: paste the link, the phone number, or the “where to sign up” info so you’re not hunting later.
If you don’t know the date yet:
Add a placeholder event this week:
FIND ENROLLMENT DATES (30 min)
Because “I’ll look later” is how we end up refreshing a website while whispering please please please at 11:47pm. Ask me how I know.
Did you know? 🧃 JuiceBox is built by a tiny team of working parents just like you. We curate and write this stuff so you don’t have to but we’d LOVE for you to get in on the action.
💬 Got a time-saving tip or a chaos-fighting hack of your own? Hit reply and share it—we all need a village, and we’d love to hear from you.
👯♀️ Know a fellow parent who needs this? Forward away or hit this button:
💗 The “Spring-Me Rescue Plan” Prompt
👉 This one is a straight-up cheat code.
Instead of mentally running your work and home calendars blindly, paste your next 8-12 weeks into Chat GPT or your favorite AI assistant and make it pre-solve any potential collisions.
Copy/paste prompt:
“Here are my work commitments and family commitments for the next 8-12 weeks.
Identify the 3 highest-stress weeks.
For each, suggest what to move earlier, what to drop, and what to delegate.
Write 2 short scripts: one for work to set expectations, one for home to coordinate coverage.
Give me a 15-minute prep checklist for each high-stress week.”
What success looks like:
You stop being surprised that your busiest work week overlaps with a pediatrician appointment, daycare closure, and a birthday party you forgot existed until the reminder hits.
💼 This Week’s Work WTF
Inspired by real life events.
Scenario:
Everyone’s planning Q1 like the calendar is wide open. Except, yours isn't.
What We Wish We Could Say:
“I can see the calendar weather forecast. A sh*t storm is coming.”
Steal This Response:
“Flagging now so it’s not a surprise later: the week of [date] is tight on my side. If we’re aiming to land [project] then, I can do it, but I’ll need [one of: fewer meetings / a co-owner / a deadline shift / decisions by X date]. Want me to propose a plan?”
K that’s all. You’re the best and we love you.
-CK “Ready to Rock More Roadtrips” Fuller (Editor) & the JB Crew 🫡
P.S. Next week: Reset Your Finances Without Crying- we'll share a few tactical moves to start the year with less spending regret and more control, even with daycare bills and $8 strawberries.