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Why are weekends so short?! By the time you’re able to relax, it’s time to get back in the swing of things for Monday to start. And don’t get me started on Mondays! I am NOT a Monday person. At all. There are a few things you can do to make the week go a little more smoothly and a little more stress-free. They require a little effort on Sunday, but trust me, it’s totally worth it not to be screaming stressed throughout the week. These next ideas will help you have a stress free week.
Clothing Decisions
It seems like it takes for-ev-er to choose what to wear every day. If you have to get kids ready, it takes even longer. If you are involved in dressing your husband, it takes even longer! One easy thing you can do to cut down on stress is get your outfits ready for the week, including any accessories. If you have room, you can dedicate a section of your closet to this week’s clothing choices. If you do not, you could purchase a clothing rack for your bedroom or install a DIY like the one below. They take up surprisingly little space!
Your kids can prepare their outfits for the week, too. If you want to, you can give them a quick look over to be sure everyone is dressed appropriately. When my kids were little we used hanging sweater organizers in their closets to hold a week’s worth of outfits to choose from. This solved a lot of headaches over what day of the week to wear certain outfits. No more: “Nooooo…you have practice right after school today! You can’t wear a dress!”
I LOVE this corner pipe rack DIY. It has been on my personal Pinterest page for years and we installed one in my daughter’s previous bedroom, which she loved! Not into DIY projects? This industrial wall-mounted rack is fantastic!
Dinners Decisions
Sundays are a great day to meal prep for the week. Last-minute dinner decisions are a huge area of stress for me, and meal prepping has helped tremendously. If you do not have time to fully prep, at least make a double recipe on Sunday night so you have a meal planned for later in the week. Mondays are great for a slow cooker meal, and there is nothing wrong with having a weekly Chinese or pizza night! If you can swing it, do a full meal plan. If you cannot, at least have a game plan. The meal plan will save the most money, but at least with a game plan there is no last-minute scrambling or spending 3x as much on dinner for one night because you don’t have a plan. Check out our series of easy meal posts:
Meal Prep Like a Pro With These 10 Yummy Recipes
Meal Prep Like a Pro- Part Two: 10 Awesome Recipes to Try This Month
Meal Prep Like a Pro: Part Three- The Lunch List
10 Easy Dinners for Busy Weeknights
Super Easy Dinners For Super Busy Weeknights
With these ideas you’ll be set for months!
Lunch Prep
The above holds true for lunches, too! If you have time, making a dish that can be divided into 4-5 lunches is the easiest way to go. If you do not have time, plan to double a couple dinner recipes so you have enough for leftovers. If your kids do not purchase lunch at school, enlist them to make their lunches for the week. All of the snacks/sides can be bagged in advance so all that is left each morning is the main course. If your kids like PB&J, they can make sandwiches for the week on Sunday and freeze them for lunches all week.
Work/School Material Prep
Sunday night is the perfect time to have everything ready for Monday morning. Pack up your work bag, make sure you have your phone, keys, sunglasses, etc. by the door, ready to go. Backpacks can be packed Sunday night as well- be sure the kids have everything signed and ready to go for the week so there are no last minute surprises! Kids can start packing their backpacks as young as preschool, so be sure to have them help- it’s a great life skill to be prepared in advance.
Command centers, like the one pictured above by Berry Freckles, are awesome to keep everything (and everyone) organized on a daily basis. There are a million ideas on Pinterest and they range from simple DIY’s to elaborate custom built-in units. If you would prefer one that is ready to hang on your wall, this command center is a great option!
Laundry List
Sunday is the perfect day to do laundry, especially if you are going to set up clothing for the week. Make folding a family activity while watching Sunday night tv. Be sure everyone puts their clothing away before bed. Look at that! The laundry is done for the week! There is nothing worse than Wednesday night laundry. Ugh. Enlisting the kids to help is a great way to have them stop putting clean laundry in the hamper, too. 😉
Car Care
When you’re out running errands on Sunday, take an extra 5 minutes to gas up your car. You definitely have more time on Sunday than you will on Tuesday morning! If you’re like me, that darn gas light comes on at the most inopportune times. Hopefully your tank lasts a week, but if not at least you’re prolonging the inevitable.
How Easy Are These Steps?
So there you have it- the key to having a much better week is preparing for the week when you have time. Once these tasks become routine you will totally enjoy all of your new found weekday freedom to spend doing fun things with your family- or just relaxing after a long day at work!
If you need more stress-reducing tips, check out our Self Care 101 board on Pinterest. There are hundreds of ideas from tons of great bloggers!
Looking for more ways to take a deep breath and relax? These posts may help!
The 7 Habits of Truly Happy Women
7 Easy Steps to Simplify Your Crazy Life
Be sure to sign up for our 5 Days to a Happier You email, too! You’ll be amazed in how much happier you can be in just 5 days.
Have a great week!
Allison
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