Tuesday, February 27

Our Daily Routines...

When I first came home from the hospital after having had our little girl, I knew that I needed to have some sort of order to my day. I am, by nature, someone who waits until the last minute to do things and structure is one way that I can try to combat that tenancy.

Since I didn't really know how things were going to be with an infant, I was still recovering, and we were planning to move several hours away from where we were living, I devised a plan. Each morning, I would write down five things that I hoped to accomplish by the end of the day. Some days had lofty ambitions such as: clean the kitchen, vacuum, pack three boxes, write thank you notes, and do laundry. Most days, however were a little less strenuous: shower, load of laundry, pack one box, eat lunch, paint toenails.

As time wore on, I got more into a routine and was able to complete more in a day. Instead of diving right into a rigid schedule, I decided to continue my to-do list of five things, but also add a list of five things to complete in the morning. These five things have remained the same:

Morning Routine
  • Rise and Shine (shower, dress, put on make-up, etc.)
  • Tidy house (I go from from the room and straighten things up... usually, this means making the bed, gathering up some dirty laundry to start a load - I do one load a day, replenishing toilet paper rolls, diapers, etc.)
  • Morning Prayers (Hubby, Baby and I say our morning prayers together)
  • Breakfast (this includes making breakfast, setting the table, and cleaning up)
  • 15 minute project (This is usually something that I need an extra boost to get to... sometimes it takes more than fifteen minutes, sometimes not)
Once I was in the habit (more or less) of getting my mornings off to the right start and working on my five item to-do list, I knew that it was time to add an afternoon routine:

Afternoon Routine
  • Lunch (this includes making lunch, setting the table, and cleaning up)
  • Outside/Errands (If weather permits and we don't have any errands to run, The baby, Hubby, and I usually take a walk to pick up our mail... about a mile away).
  • Nap time/Reading (Once we get home, the baby and I lie down for a bit. The baby always sleeps, and so do I sometimes. Mostly though, I just read.)
  • Cleaning (clean one room of the house per day)
  • Tidy House (Before dinner prep gets underway, I dash through the house again and tidy things up... there's often not much to do, but it makes for a more pleasant evening! I also like to light some candles now!)
Several weeks after I got into the habit of my afternoon routine, I added my evening one:

Evening Routine
  • Dinner (this includes making dinner, setting the table, and cleaning up)
  • Evening Prayers (I say these with the baby in attendance, unless there is a church service)
  • Tidy the house (A last minute tidy up so that the morning is a fresh start!)
  • Blog/E-mail/TV (Mama relaxing time!)
  • Snuggle Down (Brushing teeth, washing face, pj's, etc)
As you can see, my routines aren't that structured. I don't have set times that I do things with the baby (other than when I *try* to put her down for a nap or bedtime). She usually just comes along for these tasks. I try to finish them within a decent amount of time so that we have plenty of time to play and learn and just do whatever comes up.

If something on my lists doesn't get done, I don't sweat it! That's just life! We are very flexible now because my husband works at home and there is no school for the baby. If we feel like going to the park or the mall or have an appointment and our routine is disrupted, that's okay! We'll just start again tomorrow!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I like to have a routine too but to keep it flexible as well. I like to keep blocks of time free so I can juggle things around.

BTW: Faith, Hope and Love has been deleted now (I noticed it's listed in your blogs) I have a new blog A Bend in the Road www.a-bend-in-the-road.blogspot.com

Blessings.

Cherish the Home said...

These are my favorite types of posts! I find it inspiring seeing what other ladies' days look like. (o:

Blessings,
~Mrs.B

Anonymous said...

Thanks so much Emma, this information is great. Very useful to me, and, is it human nature to be nosy and enjoy insights into others lives???

Fiona

MamaBirdEmma said...

Hello Sarah!

Flexibility is key for our family! We love the freedom of being able to get up and go if we want or need to!

Thanks, Mrs. B.!

I was hoping that it wouldn't be a boring post!

No problem, Fiona! I love when people request posts! It's a lot of fun to answer them!

Love,
Emma

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