I spoke briefly in my first post of the series about the importance of routine, I'd like to dive more into that if I may.
To start I'd like to say that in no way whatsoever do I follow my routine every single day. Things happen, some days don't go so great and that's okay. I like to think of my routine as a guide for how I'd like my days to go instead of as a rigidly followed fixed checklist. Too much structure is a disaster waiting to happen. There are however certain aspects of my routine that I do make a point to follow daily no matter what and those are things that are important to me personally. Whatever your routine is it's super important to make it personal rather than to follow a set list made by somebody else that you may have found online or heard from a friend. Just because "Jessica's" daily routine entails scrubbing her tile grout with a toothbrush, doesn't mean yours needs to. Everybody's routine needs to be personally tailored to them to reflect the way they enjoy living and keeping their home. So what I'll do with this post is go over my routine, highlight those key things that I make a point of doing everyday, and I also plan on going into a little bit of scripture and how you can bring God into your routine. Even on your busiest days!
First thing's first, in order to have a successful morning and in turn a successful day, you need a good night's sleep (or, for us mama's as best you can) which means you should be trying your hardest to get yourself into bed at a reasonable hour. When I first started out buckling down on my routine I actually removed the TV out of our master bedroom. My husband would fall asleep watching it and because of the constant noise I found I was never falling into a real deep sleep. I'd be groggy in the morning and because of that, my days would be less than they could be. When we said goodbye to the TV everything sort of fell into place. We'd watch our shows in the living room and then once our bodies said it was time for bed, we'd turn it off, go on to bed and within minutes be fast asleep! We both noticed a change instantly in how our mornings would go and how rested we felt. From there, every other element of my routine took shape.
I'm usually up by 6:30 - 7 o'clock with both babies. Ideally I'd be up a half hour or so before them to have my alone time and prepare myself for the day. However, James has never been a very good sleeper and is kind of regressing in his sleep habits right now so, in this season, I'll take all the sleep I can get! But if you can make an effort to get up a half hour or so before the rest of the house I highly recommend doing so. Those few minutes of silence, just you and your coffee (if that's your thing) are life changing, trust me! Before this tricky season with James started back up, I would go to sleep at night actually looking forward to my alone time in the morning.
There are some things that just scream "home" to me, the soul warming sound of the coffee pot sputtering away is one of them. My hardworking, rarely ever had a day off, coffee pot would play its tune and fill the house with it's comforting aroma while I'd stand there at the counter, patiently waiting in my robe and pajamas. I'd fill my mug, add creamer and, depending on the weather, either make my way onto the back porch to feed the birds, or grab a blanket and curl up on the couch with the cats. I'd go over my to-do list for the day, noting the most important things that needed to be done, look over the grocery list, or our list of activities scheduled for the day.
This time is glorious for so many reasons, but one of the best uses for this time is to spend it in The Word. Adding time for Jesus in the morning is a key ingredient for a good day. Whether it's through worship or pulling out your favorite devotional and reading a page or two, it's crucial to start your day off on the right foot so when the daily storms blow through, you're nice and grounded.
Here's a few of my favorite devotionals. I hop back and forth between the three of these and I find them incredibly relatable!
Now once the kids are up and the house comes to life with voices and the clinking of breakfast dishes, that's when the physical work begins. I try to start with immediately emptying the dishwasher while the kids are eating breakfast. That way I have all the clean dishes and kitchen tools I need for later in the day and the dirty breakfast dishes can immediately be rinsed and put into the dishwasher. A clean kitchen, with sinks empty, counters wiped down, decor nicely situated, is one thing that I like to make sure is always done. Sometimes, I'll leave some dishes in the sink, when I'm running late or something like that, but for the most part, this is one of those necessary daily things. Since I walk into my kitchen almost instantly upon entering my home, I like to be met by a clean, tidy scene. I find that coming into disarray is a quick way to put yourself in a bad mood. At least for me! Like I said, my ways, may not be the ways for you and that's completely fine!
Next I like to make my way back to my room while the kids play or change into their outfits for the day, putting their dirty clothes into the hamper and then putting on whatever outfits I left out for them. I'm a firm believer that teaching kids to cleanup after themselves is something that should be taught very early on and if anybody's interested we can talk about a children's routine later! I should also add in here that normally while the kids are eating, I go into their room, open the curtains and lay out their clothes on their beds. Them being able to dress themselves (for the most part) is a small task in itself but a BIG step for them. They feel ten feet tall having that responsibility! It's an excellent boost of confidence.
So anyway, back in my room one thing I take tremendous pride in is making my bed. I've been known to make it, just to climb back into it! Nothing feels better at the end of the day then getting into a nicely made bed. Crisp, clean sheets that are pulled so tight you could bounce a quarter off them, under a fluffy comforter. Ugh, heaven! I play around with different ways to actually make it every now and then. Right now I'm folding the comforter edge over twice and then folding the top sheet down over that and back up again over itself. Make sense? Good.
Then I'll pick up random little things, gather any stray toys and get myself ready for the day. Here I'd like to throw in a little acronym of sorts...
J.O.Y.
Jesus First,
Others Next,
Yourself Last.
As you can see my day will start by spending some time with Jesus usually first thing in the morning. If it's a particularly crazy morning I'll do this in the car by worshipping with the kids which is also a fun way to share the love of Christ with them too!
Once the kids are up, my attention turns to them and their needs and only once they're content and taken care of for a minute, then can I take a second for myself and my needs.
JOY can be used constantly throughout the day, I love the simplicity behind it and I think I may even teach it to the kids soon. If you follow this little golden rule your homemaking routine should really write itself. Since this ministry is all about serving, I find JOY to be a perfect little motto!
Depending on what day of the week it is will determine what would come next. If it's a class day, we'll be on our way out the door by 8:30 - 9 o' clock. If this is a day where we have fewer plans, than the next thing I'd do is wipe everything down really quick and grab the vacuum. I used to vacuum once a day, but since I had my second baby I've relaxed a bit with that and now do it just a few times a week. Unless, the floors are noticeably messy, then I do make a point to do a run through the house again. A little tip here would be to throw your broom away and pick up a vacuum that can adjust to all floor types! I tossed our broom about three years ago and don't miss it one bit! Our vacuum isn't anything special but I do consider it a very important part of my homemaking tool kit!
*Here she is in all her glory!
If we aren't leaving for class and I did have the time to vacuum then I would mop right after that. I've used Pine Sol, Fabuloso, even bleach water! But nothing works better for me than a big, steamy bucket of hot water and a couple drops of blue Dawn and in all honesty, I use a very generic twist top mop. My dream for the past couple years has been a steam mop. Something like the Bissell Symphony! Maybe one day, but until then I'll just use my trusty twist mop.
So then once all that fun stuff is done and my home feels clean and well put together, I can turn my focus back to the kids. I feel like some of you may have read that and thought something was a little off about the order of things. Nope. You know why? Because for me, when my home is relatively put together and I feel relaxed, I can focus on my children wholeheartedly. Not to say I haven't folded laundry at the table while they eat lunch, or dusted while they're doing their school work because I absolutely have! Home upkeep is something that never ends. Something always needs to be cleaned or washed. But as long as I can get things done enough so that I don't feel frazzled, it all tends to work itself out after that.
You may have noticed that my "routine" is a little relaxed compared to others you may have seen. That's because, like I said, it's a very personal thing! In our home, we're busy every day except Friday, so that's normally when I do the heavy duty chores like bathroom scrubbing, ceiling fan dusting or sheet washing. While every other Friday I try to strip and wash the sofa covers. Yep, that's my BIG secret to keeping my sofa's looking new and fresh! They're Ikea Ektorp pieces with removable covers. Literally everything can come off and go into the washer. James has gotten blood on them, the dog has left big dirty paw prints, there's been marker lines, crayon marks, etc.. Those covers come out spotless every time and they aren't even the "fancy" covers! They're the $20 covers in light beige. I scored both pieces second hand and paid less than $200, made a quick trip to Ikea for the covers and voila!
And there's a peek at some of my Christmas decor! This setup will most likely change fifty times between now and December but you get the idea.
Well this should give you a relative idea as to the gist of my routine. I don't have things scheduled for specific days (besides Friday) at this point because that just wouldn't work in our home at this moment. I do do a load of laundry every day or every other day. When it's done in the dryer I try my hardest to fold it upon taking it out while still in the laundry room. That way I avoid that terrible laundry mountain! Of course, that still does happen sometimes. But that's life and that's okay! Keeping your home shouldn't be something stressful or rigid. Home's are meant to be filled to the rafters with love and kindness. If you're current routine is so structured you feel overwhelmed or like all you're ever doing is cleaning, maybe you need to take a deep breath and reevaluate. While yes, cleaning is super important, you don't want your home to feel like a museum. You want it to be lived in and loved on! You're kids backpack hanging on the dining room chair may not match your decor but ... who cares?! Do you have Better Homes & Gardens coming to do a photoshoot later (if you do that's amazing by the way!)? But odds are, you don't. So don't be afraid to actually live in your home! I know to some people that seems like a silly thing to say, but some of us have a hard time with that concept. We get so wrapped up in our decor, our spotless floors and constantly dust free shelves, we forget that our home isn't meant to be a magazine cover. I was that way for a long time, I'd have to fluff my couch every time I got up from sitting on it and my decor was always fixed just so. I got plenty of compliments, but you know what, the house didn't feel like a home. It didn't feel warm and welcoming, it felt like you weren't supposed to touch things and that couldn't be further from what I want now!
We are blessed to be the keepers of our homes. Our spirit fills the atmosphere in each room, so make sure you're filling them with love.
Thanks for reading & as always, God bless!
