Our Routine

This may be SO boring to you, but I wanted to have a memory of what a typical day was like in this stage of our lives. Feel free to skip if you want! :)

*And somedays it just doesn't go according to plan, like today! Haha. Addi woke up at 11 and didn't go back down till 4:30 a.m. I just try to do what I can on days like that. :)

This past week I implemented a new daily routine type schedule for myself. I needed some direction and management because I've been having a problem with getting everything done in the day that I need to. BUT, once I sat down and really thought about it, I was wasting tons of time when I could be doing productive things. I looked on Pinterest and found some schedules for cleaning and home management. I combined that with some principles from The Fly Lady and came up with something that works for me.

I wake up usually after Josh leaves for work, and as soon as I get out of bed, I make the bed and then wash my face and brush my teeth, then get dressed. I used to hang out in pj's all day, and I will still do that sometimes, but I feel like I am more productive if I get dressed. Addi is a late sleeper, so I will have a cup of coffee and go over my schedule for the day, check email, and check facebook and twitter. I unload the dishwasher and start a load of laundry. At this point, if Addi hasn't woken up, I will go wake her.

*I could do a quick Bible study during this time before Addi wakes up...anyone have good recommendations for a good daily study that doesn't take very long to read and is geared towards moms? :)

Addi likes to stretch for a good while when she wakes up. I will rub her back and sing some songs until she's ready to get out of bed. I change her diaper, sometimes I will change her into her day clothes, but sometimes she stays in pjs for awhile too. Then we go have breakfast and watch a show. On the days we have playgroup, I will pack a snack and get the diaper bag ready to go. On days we don't, I begin my daily chore. This checklist has been a HUGE help, because I used to clean everything on Sundays and it would take 4-5 hours. This just has you do something each day and it's worked a lot better.

I try to have something fun for Addi to do while I'm doing the chores for the day. Like stickers, or finger painting, so she's having fun. Once I get done with that, we move on to an activity or craft. I'm trying to put together a binder with ideas so I can have them on hand and not have to bring up Pinterest every time. :)

After we get done with our activity, we have a snack. Then, we usually go play with her puzzles or read books for awhile. Two days a week we have playgroup that usually lasts from 10:30-1 or so. Lately, we have been jumping a lot so that's fun. :) After that, it's lunchtime. Addi sometimes won't eat her lunch till after her nap. Which is fine, sister girl is constantly moving and that wears her out!

On the days that we are lucky enough for her to take a nap, I finish up the rest of the chores, return emails, take care of some calls, switch the laundry and try to get an order done. Addi is also a whirlwind so that is also when I try to tidy up a little. I also figure out if I can prep anything for dinner, like chopping vegetables or something like that. On the days that she doesn't nap, we just repeat the above and I try to get some things done while preventing a meltdown because she's overtired.

If she did nap, after she wakes up, we will usually go run errands at this point. I almost always go to the post office everyday and so we do that and whatever else needs to be done. Thankfully, Addi is a pretty go with the flow type of girl so she's good about running around.

Once we get home from that, it's usually time to start preparing dinner. I will give Addi my phone at this point and she plays her Super Why app or another one while I get dinner ready. I also finish up any chores and fold laundry. I've been using my slow cooker quite often, so if dinner is in that, we will cuddle up and watch TV or her favorite thing right now is for me to make up stories, so we will do that until Josh gets home.

Josh gets home and he takes over while I finish dinner. Then we eat! After dinner, we will clean up together, or one of us will take Addi into the other room to play. We play for awhile and then I will go to the gym for a little bit. Once I come home, Josh will go to the gym, or he will give Addi a bath and then go.

Once Addi is down for the night, I get on the computer and return emails, check twitter and facebook, blog/read blogs and then it's time to start on orders! I have been on break so my order list isn't as overwhelming as it was back in December. And I've got my other machine back now, so I can be doing two at once. Josh goes to bed pretty late so I try to get in bed by midnight or one, but some nights I stay up till 3 or 4 working. I run on a lot of coffee. :)

I usually have some downtime in between orders, where I'm not having to constantly sit there with the machine, and I will use that time to meal plan or plan the next day's schedule. Or talk with Josh! He watches TV in the same room that I work, so I feel like I have some company. :)

Some things that I would like to add, would be time to do a daily Bible study and free reading time.

You deserve an award if you made it this far! :)