source: Peter Kaminski
Are you busy? Are You Overwhelmed?
I know that for almost everyone reading this, the answer is a resounding YES!
We’re all busy. Busy with our jobs, our homes, our families, our hobbies, our “have-to’s”, our “want to’s”, and everything else going on in our lives.
I’ve shared my busy schedule before, and as a work-from-home person trying to renovate our house while running a business, hosting 2 international students, and preparing for a new baby to arrive in less than a month… I can definitlely say I AM BUSY!
However, I’m not overwhelmed.
Sure there are days when things get piled on and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to dig my way out; but for the most part, my busyness is under control — thanks to the help of a few simple routines we’ve implemented in our daily and weekly lives.
Morning Routine:
I need a regular morning routine… I always have! It helps me get out of bed and out the door on time. And now that we have two high-school international students living with us, I can see just how important it is for them to have a morning routine too!
- Everyone makes their own beds
- Get dressed and ready for the day
- Quickly pick up any stray articles of clothing and wipe down the bathroom counters
- Put any last minute items and ice packs in lunch bags.
- Eat breakfast
- Wipe down the kitchen counters and start the dishwasher {or clean it out if it’s clean}
- Everyone leaves for school and I usually start a load of laundry or do one other quick cleaning chore.
If I can accomplish these tasks before I dive into the rest of my day, I am ready for anything!
Evening Routine:
I absolutely despise busy, chaotic, mornings, so every night before bed, we take 15-30 minutes to…
- Pack lunches and snacks for the next day
- Put dirty dishes in the dishwasher and turn it on if necessary
- Wipe down the table and the counters and put any clean dishes away
- Fold blankets and put pillows back on the couch
- Put shoes by the door or in our bedrooms
- Throw any trash away and put the newspaper in the recycling bin
- Make sure homework is done and backpacks are ready to go
- Pick out clothes for the next day
- Put dirty clothes in the hamper
Knowing the house is presentable and that we’re ready for another day helps me sleep just a little bit easier.
Weekend Routine:
If you are like our family, you probably have a mile-long list of things you’d like to do over the weekend… right! I like to give the house a good cleaning and try to get ahead on my baking and meal planning. My husband has a good amount of school work and yard work to do, and our students often fill their time with extracurricular activities and homework.
And even though our “routines” are a little more relaxed on the weekends, they still help us to stay focused and get everything done with plenty of time left over for fun!
Saturday:
- Sleep in a little!
- Laundry and other cleaning chores {I do a lot of this during my morning routines too)
- Yard work
- Work on any house projects {painting, decorating, etc}
- Run errands
- Cook and bake for the freezer
- Fun night out — or relaxing night in!
Sunday:
- Church
- Dinner with family/friends {not every week}
- Clip coupons, make grocery list, and plan meals for the week ahead
- Relax, go for a walk, work on a hobby, etc.
- Get ready for another week by packing lunches, picking out clothes, etc.
These basic routines save us so much time every week and they give order to our very busy schedules. They are kind of unspoken rules that we follow and that we expect our international students to follow as well.
Do you practice any daily or weekly routines?
