Under Pressure

I'd like to think I am able to handle stress pretty well. However, there is nothing I dislike more than being rushed. 
The other night, I had dinner plans with a big group of friends. Since it was Friday, I had to go home, shower, pick out an outfit, etc. I almost didn't make it in time for our reservation. Ohhhh the horror! But me feeling rushed really did start off my night on the wrong foot!
Usually, I try to avoid the 'rush feeling' at all costs. There is nothing better than leisurely getting ready on a weekend, having some light snacks and a cocktail with some great music playing (hence, the above photo from my Instagram). I thought I'd share with you what I do and am hoping you'll share with me how you avoid feeling 'rushed'.
Lay out my clothes ahead of time. I always pick out my outfit ahead of time. During the week, I always have the next day's outfit chosen and laid out.
Clean your space. If I know I have a busy week, knowing that my room and closets are cleaned makes me feel less rushed. I keep my closets color coordinated and by type of clothing, too. That way, everything can be easily located in a pinch. I also keep my makeup super organized so I can quickly apply and run out the door! 
Iron things ahead of time. Because there is nothing worse than rushing around and not having the time to iron something. I have started to iron right after my clothes come out of the dryer. That way, if it is hanging in my closet, I know it is clean and pressed. 
Prepare for the worst. Ok so this really only applies to the weekends. This may be nutty of me, but if I know I am going out for drinks on a Friday or Saturday night, I always have a big Tervis filled with water on my bed side table. I also have multivitamins and advil in my bed side drawer... sometimes I will even lay out my pajamas. This doesn't exactly help me feel less rushed during that night, but the next morning, I wake up and am headache free... because there's nothing worse than waking up for brunch on Sunday morning with a headache. Ick. 
Keep an inventory. Being an 'adult' comes with all sorts of weird and new responsibilities. For example, it is no longer appropriate to show up to someone's apartment or house empty handed. I like to keep a stash of nice bottles of wine or champagne that I can bring to someone's house with me. I also like to keep little hostess gifts. If I see something cute on sale, I will usually scoop it up and save it for when I need it. This is great when you make last minute plans, you don' have to do any running around! My go-to hostess gift is wrapping a wine bottle in a Williams Sonoma dish towel and tying it up with a big bow and sweet note. Make a list. If it is 2pm and I know I have to be somewhere at 5pm and I feel like I have a lot to do, I make a list of everything I need to get done within the time period. It's almost like a short little itinerary. It also helps you to find things that you can nix from the list to make you feel less rushed. 
Take a deep breath. Seriously, it helps. When I am in a rush, I get frazzled. Taking a moment to sit down and take a deep breath instantly calms me. It sounds counterproductive because you're 'wasting' precious minutes, but it really slows you down and gets you back into an unfrazzled state! 
So what are you tips to keep from feeling rushed? Have a fabulous day! 
Yours,