My Routines

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 My goal with the Fly Lady endeavor was to begin to form routines for my day- a loose schedule of daily "to dos" that would bring order to my life and arm me for the battle against laziness. If I know that every morning I must do a,b, and c, then I can just do it without thinking about it, or wasting time trying to decide what I should do or what I feel like doing.

I have a long way to go in implementing these routines. I've been working on them for almost a month, and yesterday was the very first day that I accomplished all three (morning, afternoon and evening) in their entirety! What a good day, I was so excited, felt great, and my home looked great at the end of it.

Even when I don't get it all done (which is most days), what I do manage to accomplish goes a long way in bringing peace, order and structure to our home. My husband has definitely noticed and appreciated the difference!

Here's what my ideal day looks like:

Morning

Bible Reading Plan
Work on Scripture Memory
Pray
Exercise (This is nothing too impressive- usually just 15 or 20 minutes of a yoga or pilates DVD)
Shower and Dress
Swish 'n Swipe the Bathroom
Do the Dishes
Wipe Down Counters and Table
Check Laundry, Start a Load if Necessary
Tidy Up (I run around the house picking things up, making the bed, etc, takes about five minutes)
Work on Blog

Afternoon

To Do List
15 Minutes of Organization (whatever area of my home needs it- right now that's my bedroom)
15 Minutes of Cleaning (again, whatever needs to be done; vacuuming, dusting, etc. oftentimes I'll follow Fly Lady's Flight Plan)
Read with S
Tummy Time with S
Make Dinner

Evening

Clean Kitchen After Dinner
Shine Sink
2 Minutes Putting Out a Hot Spot
Lay Out Tomorrow's Clothes

Like I said, this is an ideal day. Many days it is 2 pm before I've even finished my morning routine. When I get these things done depends entirely on S- her feeding schedule, when/if/for how long she naps, etc.

 I understand as well that I am in a certain season of life. Who knows how long it will last, and if these routines will work when it changes? Flexibility is key!

What is great about having these routines as framework for my day is that I know what I should be doing and when I should be doing it, and it keeps me moving with less time wasted.

Do you schedule your day by routines? What things have worked well for you as you seek to be a diligent homemaker?