With back to school literally around the corner, I cannot help but think of routines. I’ve never been one to follow a super strict schedule, but I do believe in the power of routines. Babies thrive with them, children do well with them and I must say as an adult, I too crave routines. It doesn’t mean you have to do the same exact thing every single day at the same exact time, but doing the same things daily do propel us further to success.
I thought I would share a few of my ‘routines’ with you!
Our morning routine was rather relaxed and I loved it that way. We really had no obligations first thing in the morning other than getting Joe out the door to work on time and that was so very nice! Next week will be an adjustment as Brooke will be out the door by 8:30, Bradley needs to be to school by 9 MWF and of course Joe works. I take my job as a mama/wife pretty seriously, so I’ve been trying to figure out the best way to start my day, so that I can meet everyone else’s needs.
I know that for my day to be ‘successful’ and for me to feel at ease when my head hits the pillow, I wan to know that I did the very best I could. Was I an exceptional wife? An amazing mom? Did I work on our business? Did I prepare healthy meals? Did I do something that makes ME happy? Did I break a sweat? Did I do something special for someone else? We are never promised tomorrow, so I always try to make each day, my very best day.
Ideal Day:
6:00 Wake up! Drink pre-workout, journal, planner, blog, read (fill my cup!)
6:30/6:45 Iron clothes, let dogs out, feed them breakfast.
7:00 Push play on a workout. I’m currently working through Morning Meltdown 100. They are all 30 minutes and under.
7:30 Wake up Brooke & Bradley, Get breakfast ready & make sure backpacks are good for the day.
8:00 Get Joe’s lunch/waters/vitamins/meds/breakfast ready. Make sure Brooke’s brushing hair, teeth, dressed well, etc.
8:25 Brooke outside to catch the bus, Joe leaves, Bradley brushes teeth/gets dressed.
9:00 drop off Bradley to school MWF
9:15-11:15 — Do I go grocery shopping? Shower? Work on our real estate business? Run errands? Walk the dogs? Clean the house? Laundry? I could also see me using this as some “do you time” — mani/pedi, read a little, blog, if I feel myself needing a little something extra. There are also days where I go in and volunteer to be the helper at Preschool.
11:30 Pick up from Pre-K
12:00 lunch
12:30 Bradley quiet time/ABC Mouse, movie etc. while I work on our business or catch up around the house.
3:30 Tea Time — I brew a cup of tea and breathe!
4:00 Brooke’s off the bus, followed by after school snacks, homework, chores, play with neighbor friends, or dance class (one night a week.) We may sign the kids up for a sport or swimming too, so this is just a rough idea of what life is like!
5:00/5:30 I typically start dinner. (I try so hard to meal plan to keep myself on track!)
6:30 Bath/shower
7:00 start bedtime routine, which consists of: Using the bathroom, brushing teeth, pjs on, quietly read books, I try to read books, and singing two songs before lights out.
The kids do best with about 11 hours of sleep per night it seems.
My schedule is so wonky since I don’t have a 9-5, I have one kid mostly home, we run a real estate business that comes and goes with work to do. I think sometimes I stress myself out because I have such a different lifestyle, but I do love it! It’s just a lot different than what other people’s lives look like and that’s okay. I have learned to ‘bob and weave’ as Joe calls it, like when he needs a meal brought up to him or something! There are days when I feel like all I do is make call after call, or am at my desk for awhile. You just never know what pops up, like house fires, evictions, new buyers, new sellers, marketing, bookkeeping, it ebbs and flows so much!
What helps?
Once you figure out what your overall day looks like, find tools that work for you.
Planner. I am still a hardcore paper planner user. I live by my calendar on the fridge, but I also write down nightly/daily what needs to happen throughout the week. I am loving the Emily Ley Simplified Planner this year, and adore the new styles for 2020! The daily planner has hour slots which has been super helpful for me to literally write out what and when I’m doing all the things.
Take a break! My daily “tea time” has been amped up since my bestie Ann sent me a Sipscription for my birthday! It came with 4 different kinds to try. You take a quick quiz and they send out teas they think you’ll enjoy, based on your answers. Check it out here!
Workouts. I know I needed an under 30 workout for me to make these morning workouts happen, so I did commit to this. I am currently on workout 30/100. I don’t love the cardio ones, but I really enjoy the weighted workouts and the yoga flows. My girl Lindsay and her crew keeps me accountable. If you’re still looking for a good routine to sweat, check it out!
I hope a glimpse into my day may help some of you as you get ready to go back to school. As you can see, I don’t give myself much ‘down time’ but I do best keeping busy my why is so engrained in me I don’t ever want to quit! I do enjoy podcasts or audiobooks while doing dishes/laundry etc.
We all have the same 24 hours in a day and we get to choose how we spend it. I get it, some moms have to go to work outside of the house and some moms are in the newborn/infant stages, and if that’s the case, just worry about eating, sleeping & surviving!
Every new season of motherhood brings a new set of challenges but so many new blessings and experiences too. If I’m being honest, this season is wonderful to me, but I also feel so weird because my babies don’t ‘need’ me so much any more!! I am getting more and more ‘free time’ because they’re becoming independent little souls who can do so much for themselves. Of course, I fill the time up with working, cleaning, etc, but it’s an odd feeling to not be needed so much. I’m also so excited for this new school year, but a twinge of sadness comes over my heart, as I love having them both home with me all the time. Life is truly such a crazy beautiful ride and I am so blessed to enjoy these moments with my family.
What does your back to school routine look like? Anything I should add or try out this upcoming school year?
