Routines - Making your day run smoothly

It's been awhile since I posted about my FlyLady habit so I thought it was time.  The last big thing I wrote about was the importance of decluttering.  Hopefully, you have decluttered at least some things!  I'm happy to report that I am almost done.  I have one area left to do in the basement and it will be done.  Than I just need to hang a closet bar/shelf in my laundry room and move a desk downstairs (yikes!) and I'll be able to focus on other things than the basement for the first time in forever. 

I was going to try and upload my lists or take pictures of them but instead, I'm just going to type them out for you . . yes, I'm being lazy and conserving on paper because I'm almost out!

There are 4 routines that get me through my week.  My Morning Routine (MR), Afternoon Routine (AR), Before Bed Routine (BBR) and my Daily Routine.

If you follow the Flylady site, which you can get to by clicking here, you will learn that the first routine to put into place is your BBR.  Mine is not a true "before bed routine" it is more of an evening routine.  I created it when I was till working full time and when I quick working, I liked it enough to keep it and not change it.  So here's mine:
1) Pick up Hotspots (a hotspot is that place where stuff just seems to "grow" - mine are the dining room table, one kitchen counter, the dishwasher, and the top of the entertainment center [where I hide things from my kids])
2) Pick up toys (I try to do a toy pick-up before Darryl gets home so that he has a pathway to walk through but this, honestly, doesn't always happen)
3) Make water (WHAT?? LOL  I have a water distiller to use to "make" drinking water because our well water is kinda nasty.  This way, I don't have to buy jugs of water at the store every week!)
4) Prepare things for the following day - set the coffee pot, make D's lunch, etc.
5) Feed and water Misty and China
6) Make Dinner
7) Clean up after dinner
8) Clean up kitchen
9) Check calendar for following day
10) Write to-do list for following day.

Mine list is probably completely different than yours would be and is different from FlyLady.  She is very big on laying out your clothes the night before.  I don't have this on my list because I've always had it part of Laundry.  When I fold laundry I fold shorts/pants and shirts together and stack them (or hang them) in the order I'm going to wear them.  I look at my calendar to figure out when I'm staying home and can dress down and when we have plans so I can dress up a little more.  To check out FlyLady's BBR, click here.  I was just re-reading hers and am amazed at how much mine has evolved from that ;-)  My biggest piece of advice for any of these routines is look at what you already do in the evening and make it part of our routine, than, ask yourself what would make your morning easier, and add those few things. 

And now for my MR:

Isn't that Pretty? I might like mornings if I woke up to that every day!

1) Get Showered, Dressed and ready for the day
2) Swish and Swipe (This is a BIG FlyLady thing I've mentioned in posts before - swish the Toilet(s) with cheap soap and your toilet brush and spray the counter(s) and mirror(s) with Windex to "swipe"  It really, truly will keep your bathroom cleaner - I do this just before leaving the bathroom after my shower.  Everything is still damp from the heat from the shower)
3) Make my bed
4) Eat Breakfast
5) Brush Teeth
6) Run/Empty Dishwasher (Just depends on whether it is full and needs to be run or was run the night before and needs to be empties)
7) Clean up the kitchen (It is amazing that even though I clean up the kitchen after dinner, it still needs to be cleaned up in the morning!)
8) Get the kids up, dressed, and fed
9) Plan for dinner - what needs to come out of the freezer, marinade, or go in the crock pot
10) Make water
11) Check Calendar
12) Do Devotions

Again, figure out what you already do in the morning (or wish you were doing) and make your list.  Start writing down the things you do every morning and you may discover you already have a routine!  FlyLady is HUGE on getting dressed to your shoes. . . well I'm a rebel.  One, I hate shoes.  Hate Them.  So I do not wear shoes at home; I keep a pair of slip-ons by the door to put on when I need to run outside and I do put shoes on if I'm doing something like moving furniture or canning (learned that one the hard way) but otherwise, no doing! Two, I grew up in a house where you took your shoes off at the door and I still live by that rule 90% of the time.  Just can't break that habit!  To check out FlyLady's morning routine click here.

Now, I know, when I started this post I said I was going to also do my AR and my daily routine but I think this is enough for today :-)  I'll post those last two things tomorrow (I bet you can't wait LOL) 

One last thought, as I'm writing this on Saturday - Yes, I still do my routines on the weekend.  Often they get altered or shortened, especially on Sunday, but I still do as much as I can so I don't wake up Monday morning feeling overwhelmed

Ever feel like this on a Monday Morning? LOL