Did you ever notice how in the Genesis creation story it says, “And the EVENING and the MORNING were the first day”? It’s almost as if the Bible is saying that the “day” starts at night– like the night before.
You know– I think that’s a great idea! (Not that I should be surprised being that it’s God’s idea and all.) Actually, that’s the way I have come to think of my days: they start the night before. My goal everyday is to position myself for the best possible tomorrow. I do this in lots of ways – relationally, spiritually, emotionally. But one very practical thing I do is try to have nothing to do the next morning that ties me to yesterday:
NO dirty dishes in the sink
NO school papers to read or sign
NO lunches or snacks to pack
NO missing school uniform components
NOTHING to pick up on the way to work or school, NOT EVEN coffee to make
Why am I so obsessed with having everything done the night before? It’s because a productive day starts the night before.
We all know the feeling of waking up to a sink full of dirty dishes. It didn’t look so bad the night before, but now, through our sleep encrusted eyes it looks like a mountain of dried spaghetti sauce formed in your sink overnight. You immediately have the dreaded sensation of starting the day off behind curve!
Having a routine that I stick to every afternoon helps me wrap up all the loose ends each night so I can have a fresh clean morning waiting on me the next day. Here is my afternoon routine, below. This fits my specific lifestyle, but tweak it to fit yours. Added bonus: having this typed up and accessible allows you delegate effectively and efficiently without skipping a beat!
What about your routine? What do you do each night to set yourself up for a win the next day?
Love,
Kerri xx
AFTERNOON ROUTINE
___ Pick up children from school at 3:15 ( leave the house by 2:45)
____ EVERY child brings their things into the house from the car. No backpacks, shoes, food, toys or clothes left in the car.
____ All things from car put in their proper place once inside.
____ All backpacks emptied and placed against wall next to TV.
____ Go through all folders and:
- Read all papers/notes sent home by teachers.
- Make note of special events, projects, deadlines, and tests, and write them on the master calendar
- Put all homework in folders inside the bins hanging on the kitchen wall.
- Put artwork in baskets in laundry room.
____ Clean out lunch boxes and make new snacks and lunches for the following day. Put in fridge.
___ Kids have snack and watch TV (1 hour)
___ Kids do homework
___ Friends may come over after homework is done.
___ Begin Dinner at 5:00 to eat by 6:00 PM
___ Baths at 6:30 PM (all friends go home at this time)
___ Lay out uniforms for next day (Make sure all items are present: Shoes, socks, shorts. If any items need to be cleaned, please do a load of wash.)
___ 8:30 PM in bed for stories or they may opt for 30 more minutes of TV or video games and forego the story.
____ 9:00 tuck-ins
____ 9:30 lights out
I love this! I honestly ‘set myself up’ this way b/c it is in my nature, not even giving thought to the Biblical nature of it all. Very cool! Thanks for putting some spiritual perspective into my ‘natural woman’.
I’m going to relay this information to my hubby now AND the kids – they can see I’m being more than just ‘a mom’…
God bless. Enjoyed your sharing at ARC.
You are a woman after my own heart, Kerri. I love me a routine.
Fewer things are more satisfying in a home than when you wake up to brewed coffee that was set up and ready to go the night before. Coffee timers bless me.
PK-
One thing I’ve learned from you is your sense of organization and ability to bring order to things. You are such a great example to me and many others.
This week I will begin planning and preparing the day before better than I have been.
I love routines.. this is great!!
Right on!! Even for me, a single woman with no children, routine is key for the night before to prepare for the day. If I am even slightly off, it messes everything up. No dishes in the sink, no clothes or shoes out at the door to include jackets and coats, living room and dining room picked up, and bedroom straightened. It just makes the morning so much easier!!
Thank you for sharing Kerri!
I love this! I also took your last idea and I bought a calendar & pens to color-code everyone’s schedule.
I wish that I could have formally met you last week at All Access. I am truly thankful for your heart for ARC women! I can’t wait to link up and learn as much as I can from you & other women that have pioneered a new movement of pastor’s wives!
@Ginelle So glad you enjoyed ARC Women. Hope you will stop by the ARC Women website too!
@Cindy Thanks! SO enjoyed your session of the Just One Virtual conference — thanks for stopping by!
@Valarie: Enjoyed your blog post about All Access!
@Ebony — you are a natural born organizer. This I definitely know about you.
@Toni, thanks for stopping by my blog. Great meeting you at All Access!
Girl! This rocks!! I am with Cindy – You are a woman after my own heart. I am tweaking this to print RIGHT.NOW!! As you know from Twitter, I love your menus, too!! Thanks for sharing your heart (and home management techniques) with all of us!
Pastor Kerri,
Thank you so much for this, I know I try to do it this way most of the time, but I think a little more effort wouldn’t hurt.lol Thank you for all you do, and today’s Sisterhood was amazing! ~xo~ Kim
Hi Kerri! I think this is fabulous and inspiring, especially as a very busy women (Mom, wife, writer, and your list goes on!). I find it a MUST to have order and organization in a home…especially when there are kids involved and all the schedules and activities that intails! I can’t imagine how you do it! I know not everyones personality is the same, but a good effort to start AND your kids day at night is worth the effort! A good hubby that I’m sure PS is, I’m sure makes it a whole lot easier to help things along! I didn’t have that kind of order growing up and I’ve kinda have a situation where my house is unorganized chaos, but this has inspired me and I can’t wait to put things back into action but I never go without my Lilly Planner! Dear Future Husband and Kids: Look out-bring on the pens, colors, calendars, and organized bins!! LOL You go girl!!! Thank you for sharing this!
This is great! Kerri you encourage me more.. At
3;10 I pick my little girl she is in first grade, she has homework everyday, and returned on Friday.
She ate a little snack,, watch 15 min. Tv. homework she need to finish before 4:15 Thanks, God She is very Inteligent!! take her about 20 min..
4:15 My boy came , he is 14 years old, eat snack watch Tv. do his Homework,, I can help him until 5:20..
5:30 the Man of the house arrive!!! My kids know this is Daddy time.. All the attention is for Him.. My dinner is ready I cook at 2:00 pm. He plays a little bit with the kids.. I change the Tv. in Family Feud Recording, give him his dinner, we ate together, live him alone for 10-15 min. with his cup of coffee..
Wash dishes.. snack at 7;30.. bath at 8:00 watch tv. is always recording program.. 9;15 b4 bed they do the devo individually just one day a week we do it together.. 9;30 they already sleep..
made lunches, iron all the clothes,, I always do this.. I put everything in one side socks, underwear, shoes, clothes, when they wake up they do not need for look for nothing.. My day started Again… Praise God!!
I have always thought I was cursed with TOO MUCH organization, so this made me feel good. Sometimes, though, I find myself thinking “why does everything have to be so structured and when can I let my hair down”. For the most part, should I let my hair down, I regret it the next day and I believe that God wants us to make the most of our every days. I used to envy people who came home, bought a pizza and watched TV and did nothing. As crazy as I may feel sometimes, it sure is nice to know your all lives are as crazy as mine!!!
@Susanne glad you liked the menus!
@Vicki It’s great to get systems in place before you have kids — sounds like you are on the right track. If you tend to let things get a little clutter-y around the house, I would like to recommend http://www.flylady.com. She has a great “baby steps_ type plan for cleaning out clutter and bringing order into your life. She was a big inspiration for me!
@Merital — love that afternoon routine. also, love how you are intentional about letting your hubby have some quiet, transitional down time after work.
@Julya I often feel the same way as you, but I always regret letting go of my routine! Sometimes I do chose to relax on my routine a bit (hey, we all need that sometimes!), but I do it when I know I have some margin in the following week to play catch-up.
love you’re a woman of routine! i’m pretty routine myself but picked up several ideas from this post! LOVE your genesis tie-in as well.
Best advice I ever got at a baby shower was….Pack your bags before you go to bed! Never know when you might have to leave in a hurry! Five kids later and that advice has stuck with us all! Backpacks, purses, work supplies, all packed and ready before bed time! Kids love waking up to being ready to rock!
Also, learned to keep a calendar very young and just rolled it over into my “mother” part of life. We do like you and have a wall calendar in kitchen and I carry one myself! You know, I really don’t know how I could stay on the right path with out them! Allows me to leave time for friends and those lunches with my hubby! Precious time….precious choices!
Love, love, love this awesome & practical advice! Please keep it coming!
Great post Kerri!
[...] I read a series of post by Kerri Weems on cleaning. Her post on cleaning and her routine are superb. God went a little deeper with me on [...]