I wrote last fall about my weekly routine, and how much I reveled in it. Well, this past year, I’ve felt off, and it is because I did not have that sense of routine. Yes, I kept up with my Monday laundry days, but that was it. It is extremely difficult to set a routine when you are living under someone else’s roof, but once you are on your own, you can bring it back.

Little Man and I spent this past week on our own at the lake, and it was so freeing. Yes, we had 4 straight days of it being in the 50s and rainy, but that was not horrible, we made the best of our time. What was the best part of this week, besides all of the Little Man cuddles? Finding my routine again!

Monday was laundry day, as it has been for about 2 years now. When Little Man was itty bitty, I did laundry 2 or 3 times a week in very small loads. Last summer, I switched to Mondays. It was a great way to start the week, and because I was no longer working, I needed something to know what day it was, and what I was supposed to be doing. We ran into town to do some grocery shopping Monday morning after everyone left, and after I had hung the laundry on the racks on the porch to dry. When we got home, it was lunchtime and then naptime, which was unfortunately cut short due to the doorbell ringing and Little Man not going back down to sleep.

Little Man has been a rockstar with naps this week…Each day at noon, we have headed to the bedroom. Granted, Monday’s was not the best nap day, but every other day, he has been down to sleep by 12:15, and has slept for 2-3 hours each time! I’m loving this. We’ve had lunch at 11:15 or so, and he has a little bit of downtime once he eats so I can clean up and get everything tidied.

Dinner has been great as well…I’ve missed my meal plans so much! Monday afternoon, I made a big pot of Squatch’s Italian Sausage & Tortellini Soup, because Tuesday afternoon the cleaning lady was scheduled to come over, and I did not want to be racing to get dinner ready on time. We ended up spending the afternoon at my cousin’s on the other side of the lake, and I brought the soup to her place and we ate it, drank some wine, and played with Little Man and his new farm! Knowing what I had planned for dinner was such a stress reliever, and it just takes away one more decision that has to be made each day. I did not plan out lunches, but I made a note of what the lunch options for the week were, and I went from there.

Friday was the day to vacuum, and I did a thorough wipe-down of the kitchen counters. I do a quick sweep or use the Dyson stick on the floor under and around Little Man’s chair, and I also clean the kitchen each day, making sure everything is wiped down each day, but once a week I like to do a more in-depth clean. Little Man helped while I vacuumed, by “weep”-ing the floors with a fan blade cleaner.

Next week will be another test, to see how I can keep this routine up. We are heading back to the burbs to spend time there with my parents and I have a few projects to help with around the house. My mother is good about meal planning, and she knows about my Monday laundry days. Naptimes will be observed, but for the cleaning? I’m not sure how that will work out yet, but I will see what I can do.

With all the uncertainty in the world lately, having a sense of routine can definitely help your mental well-being. What does your routine look like? Can I help you come up with a plan? Let me know in the comments below what your day-to-day looks like!