I don’t know about you guys, but every Sunday night I can’t believe how fast the weekend went! Weekends these days seem to fly by, especially when we have amazing weather like we did yesterday and today.
Monday can be a HUGE slap in the face if I’m not prepared- especially with 3 kiddos ages 6 & under. As much as I want to just relax on a Sunday night and decompress, I find taking 20-30 minutes prepping for the week before settling down for the night is SO worth it! With the kids, SO much of my life is pre-planned: office time, preschool pickup, meal planning, blogging, and workouts! It is important that I have a handle on the week before it starts!
Here are 8 things I do before every week to start the week off strong and on the right foot!
Set my alarm for before the kids get up: This is a HUGE one. I always feel like I’m chasing the day unless I get up before them. After I had baby 3, it was SO hard for me to do this…and a lot of days I didn’t (hello, lack of sleep and nursing problems!). Now that baby sleeps through the night, I make it a priority to wake up even just 15 minutes before they wake up to either put some makeup on, start making school lunches, empty the dishwasher, check my emails or just BE!!! That 15 minutes NEVER is going to “make me feel more rested”, so I bite the bullet and make sure I have “me” time before the chaos begins!
Sunday night Tidy up: I know this sounds so basic, but I always make sure that everything is straightened up, including the playroom on a sunday night- no excuses. I always feel like I have a clear mind when I come downstairs in the morning and everything is neat & clean!
Check the weather: This sounds kind of weird and people tease me because I always know the forecast, but weather really affects my week: what I do with the kiddos/activities we have planned, what I wear, and my workouts! I plan when I’ll be running, and when I’m lifting based off weather and availability with the gym I work with. I usually work out very early so I can fit it in before the kids are up.
Lay out my clothes: This is a HUGE one for me! Laying out my running/workout clothes and clothes for work is so important. Someone is always needing something after they wake up, so having my own things ready and accessible is a lifesaver.
Scan/Check all my emails & write drafts/respond: I always make sure I’m caught up on Sunday night, even if it means I spend 30 mins-1 hour on the computer. There is nothing more overwhelming that checking my emails monday when I’ve ignored them Sunday!
Meal Prep & school lunches: On sunday nights, I pull out school lunch boxes and pack everything except for the sandwich (I ask in the morning what they want). This makes the morning much more calm because I’m not spending 10 mins on school lunches/snacks!
Review the week: Meetings, appointments, school functions, blog deadlines ….its easy to get things mixed up! I always review any deadlines on Sunday night and make sure I’m square for the week!
Lastly, I ensure that I have a to-do list of what I need to accomplish prior to Monday! This could be anything from finishing off a work project, to writing a blog post, to ordering something online that the kids need! Its so easy to forget when you are managing 5 different lives, schedules and people!
Let’s have a great week, friends!
xo