Routines! Part 1

It's been a very busy couple of months around here, as I've been launching my new business, SimpleLife Home Solutions, while still managing my home and family and homeschooling 4 kids! I'm trying really hard to keep the balance, and so far, so good! Being my own boss, I'm in charge of my own schedule, and can arrange my client appointments and office time around the kids schedules, so that is very helpful.

But the absolute most important thing I have, that makes it possible for me to juggle work, home and family, is that I have some really solid routines in place... things that I do each day that make my life run a little bit smoother. Over the years I've developed a variety of daily and weekly routines that help me keep up with everything I'm responsible for. The most important of these are my Morning, Afternoon and Evening Routines.

Getting my day off to a good start in the morning actually begins the night before, with my Evening Routine:

1. Pack The Man's lunch for tomorrow

2. Set up the coffee pot

3. Finish folding the day's laundry (see more about my laundry routines here)

4. Do a quick 10 minute "tidy up" around the house (This one is super important. Doing a quick clean up each night means I start every morning with a tidy home! This makes a HUGE difference in my attitude in the morning!)

5. Check my calendar, and make sure we have everything we need for the next day's activities, classes, appointments, etc.

6. Make my "to do" list for tomorrow.

7. Lay out my clothes for tomorrow.

This routine usually only takes about 45 minutes or so. After I'm done, I end my day with a nice hot shower to wash away the stress of day, and I make it a priority to spend some time with The Man of the House (so important to a relationship to make sure to reconnect each evening, after a busy day apart)

After a good night's sleep (or as close to a good night's sleep as I get these days... ), I'm ready to tackle a new day with my Morning Routine:

1. Get myself up and ready. (Once upon a time, I'd make the bed, but now The Man does it, as he's the last one up!)

2. Wipe down the bathroom.

3. Put the teakettle on to boil.

4. Empty the dishwasher.

5. Fix breakfast, dole out vitamins, fill The Man's thermos for work.

6. Put in first load of laundry.

7. Cat boxes

8. Sit down with my coffee to check email, etc

9. Before we head out the door, I make sure the kitchen is tidied up, and switch the laundry.

Once these things are done, I can go about tackling whatever is on our agenda for the day. Our schedule varies greatly depending on the day of the week, but the middle of our day generally consists of various classes, chores, activities, appointments, schoolwork for the kids and work for me.

By around 4-4:30, I start my Afternoon Routine...

1. Keep the laundry going

2. Start dinner prep

3. Empty dishwasher, if needed (with a family of 6, our dishwasher usually gets run twice a day, after breakfast and lunch, and after dinner)

When these three basic routines get done, the most basic needs of my family are met: our home is fairly tidy, we're fed, and we have clean clothes. If all else falls apart in our day (which does sometimes happen!) at least we have that.

Next post, I'll be talking about weekly routines, and how those build on my daily routines to keep our lives running smoothly.