Resetting for the week – Let’s look
Does everyone feel like this? I can get so grumpy on Sunday nights realizing that going back to work on Monday is looming ahead of me. I haven’t always felt that way, but there certainly have been periods where I totally relate to the miserable guy in this picture.
On top of the Monday dread, as a mom there is a lot to do to be prepared for the week too. So today I’m sharing how I reset for the week over the weekend, and I’m linking up with Shay and Erika for their “Let’s Look” monthly series.
Strategy #1 – Do a schedule review and meal plan
We use a family calendar app called FamilyWall. While I personally prefer a paper planner, we had to switch to a shared digital calendar when my boys got to the age where they were planning their own social events. Our deal is that they can schedule time with their friends as long as the calendar is clear. And I will check the calendar before I commit them to be somewhere.
Every weekend, I check the calendar for the next week and develop a rough meal plan for the week. I honestly try to do this on Friday, or even Thursday night. That way I can go grocery shopping Friday employ strategy #2 on Saturday.
Strategy #2 – Food prep
Once I know what food my houseful of men will be eating for the next week, my goal is to prepare at least some of the food ahead of time on Saturday or occasionally on Sunday afternoon. Lasagna is a favorite around here, and I like it because I can prep my recipe all the way up to baking it, and then stick it in the fridge for up to 3 or 4 days. Or I can bake it on Saturday and let the boys re-heat a piece for lunches.
Snacks are another key part of this plan. If I don’t account for snacks, then I inevitably discover unhealthy processed food creeping into the house. We are trying to avoid refined sugar and seed oils. Kevin and Cade also need to avoid enriched wheat flour. There are not many purchased snacks that meet these standards… As long as I keep us stocked with granola, homemade fruit roll-ups, occasional homemade cookies, and homemade popcorn (literally the best popcorn ever), we stay on track. I bulk prep all of this on Saturday mornings most weeks.
Strategy #3 – Take care of my future self
After ensuring the family is fed, my next strategy for the weekend is to consider what tasks I have committed to accomplish in the next week, or even two weeks. With 4-H, graduation planning and family commitments, that list tends to be pretty long. I try to pick off a few things that I can do early and just get them done now. For example, I committed to making some personalized graduation decorations with my Cricut. This isn’t hard, but will take some time. I’ve been working on them already, even though graduation isn’t until May.
Strategy #4 – Take time for myself
Finally, I’ve learned over the years that I have to take some time for myself to both stay health and relax. I’ve been working with a personal trainer each Saturday on rebuilding muscle I’ve lost as I’ve aged, along with working out at home 4-5 times per week. I’m not where I want to be yet, but I can see progress.
My goal is to keep Sunday as a day of rest. We attend church and then try to keep commitments and chores to a minimum. I try to do things I enjoy at home, such as listening to a podcast, trying a new recipe, or (more recently) reading again.
Final thoughts
I am trying to remind myself to keep perspective.
The days where I need to meal prep for my sons will soon be gone, and it will look different when we are empty nesters. I am grateful that I have my little family to serve.
The days where I will work for a paycheck will also come to an end. But in the meantime, I’m grateful that I have a career that I’ve loved working with so many amazing people I consider friends, and which has provided so well for my family’s needs.
We are not promised tomorrow. We have to live today.
