It’s 7:45AM and all the kids are at school, filling their brains with knowledge! I made my cup of coffee and I could go sit on the couch and watch the latest episode of my favorite Netflix show. Or…I could be super productive and be an exceptional homemaker today!
I do enjoy maintaining a clean and orderly home, full of yummy foods for my kids and clean clothes for all. Sometimes I would rather sit on the couch and veg out for the day. But on my most productive day as a homemaker, here’s what you might see me accomplish on a typical Monday.
I have already shared my morning routine in this post, so feel free to check it out! It will go in-depth as to how I spend the first couple hours of my morning. But now that my four kids are safely at school, I have almost seven hours to spend on homemaking and other tasks.
My Homemaker Routine (kids are at school from 8AM-3PM)
Grocery Shopping
8:00AM – Time to get the house stocked with groceries at the start of the week. I like to knock it out in the morning, as usually the stores are well-stocked and not too busy. The perfect time to get in and out in record time!
I navigate through the aisles at Walmart (this is where I’ve shopped while on a strict budget & where I still continue to get my groceries). Conveniently using my grocery list on my Notes App, I check off the items as I go. About 45 minutes later, I’ve got a cart full of delicious fruits, crisp vegetables, and all the essentials for the week.
9:00AM – The next stop is Sam’s club (which happens to be right next door!) I usually go every week, always grabbing a rotisserie chicken for $4.99! I never really do a huge Sam’s Club stock up as I’ve seen many people do, since it’s so convenient just to stop in weekly. I’m quickly out the door at Sam’s, using the Scan & Go app. You must try it if you haven’t already.
I also fill up my gas tank, since Sam’s usually has the cheapest gas in town. That way I’m set to go on gas for the week and won’t have to worry about that another day.
9:45AM – I’m back home and bringing all the groceries inside. At this point, I don’t have a super organized pantry I’m proud of or a Pinterest worthy spice cabinet. But that’s actually OK with me. There’s no need to clean a bunch of containers before refilling. So, I quickly put the groceries away and we are good-to-go for the week.
Food Preparation
10:00AM I decide to prep some fruit so making lunches and snacking is super easy. Since I bought strawberries and grapes this week, I wash those and get them put in containers.
10:20AM My kids have been requesting banana bread and I have about 6 kinda gross, mushy bananas that need to be thrown out. So, I decide to bake some banana bread, but of course we must add some chocolate chips! The bread cooks for approximately 45 minutes, so while I’m waiting, I complete the dishes and clean the kitchen. There’s nothing like a shiny kitchen sink and streak-free appliances to make me happy!
11:20AM One hour later and the banana bread is out of the oven and smelling amazing! You can find the recipe I use HERE (it’s Joanna Gaines’ recipe!) It’s a must-try recipe, in my opinion.
Cleaning
11:30AM Armed with my cleaning supplies, it’s time to tackle the bathrooms. My four kids leave toothpaste splatters and other mysterious gunk on the bathroom counters. Yes, they need a GOOD cleaning. I even clean the showers, which doesn’t get done near as often as I’d like to admit.
12:30PM I use the rotisserie chicken to make a chicken burrito bowl for my lunch. I just use rice, half an avocado, and some cheese, along with the chicken. I watch a YouTube video while I eat.
Decluttering
1:00PM As the temperature is increasing, it’s time to declutter my daughter’s drawers and make room for some new summer outfits. Not to mention they are ever-growing! I can tell there are some items that are too small and it’s either pass down to the next sister (or donate!)
I always take EVERYTHING out and ONLY put back what I know fits and that they’ll actually wear. Why must a 4 year old be so opinionated about what she wears??
So one drawer at a time, I remove all the items and ask myself: “Does it fit?” “Does Brezlyn (or Hazley) wear it?” “Is it in good condition?” Donate. Throw away (there’s a stain). Too small for Hazley (pass down to Brezlyn). Keep, keep, donate. I repeat the monotonous task as I go through each of the six drawers. I reorganize and purge as necessary.
If feels like such an accomplishment when I’m finished!
Walk outdoors
2:00PM Since it’s not too warm this afternoon, I decide to take a quick 20-minute walk around the neighborhood. Normally I would walk in the morning, before it heats up too much. I like to clear my mind, move my body, and I genuinely enjoy being out in nature.
2:25PM I’ll take time for a quick tidy, as I like my kids to come home to a nice and tidy environment. Quickly, I’ll run around picking up things that are out of place. Time to wipe down the kitchen counters and table, and we’ll call it good.
School pickup
2:45PM I leave to pick up my daughter from PreK (which is across town, a 20-minute drive). She always begs to play at the park across from her school. Sometimes I give in to her, so we play for 15-20 minutes.
3:10PM My sweet girl is with me in the car and we drive back across town. She tells me stories from her day. I inquire as to whether or not she took her nap, fingers crossed she did. Or else I know to prepare for a possibly grumpy child that afternoon. 4 year olds have attitude and a mind of their own, let me tell you!
3:45PM Then, we pick up the other kids from their school. Hazley, Ezra, and Alizae go to the school right in our neighborhood. I’m always anxious to hear how their day went.
Afterschool Routine
4:00PM Feed the kids a snack. Brezlyn always wants pickles and frozen strawberries. If her answer is any different, I’d think I brought the wrong child home.
4:15PM I let them relax on their tablets for 20 minutes. No more, no less. I set a timer every time, so they know what to expect. I will clean up the afterschool tornado and see what homework needs to be accomplished that evening.
4:45PM I help my younger girls get their homework knocked out right away. It gets done super quick and then it’s not lingering for the rest of the evening. I check in with my 4th and 5th graders as to what homework they have, then I try to let them be responsible to work at their own pace.
5:00PM Sometimes we’ll go to the neighborhood park or play outside in front of our house. The kids always run into friends at the park, so that’s a popular choice for us. Outside they can ride bikes, scooters, or their EZ Rollers. If you’ve never heard of an EZ roller, check them out!
Dinnertime Routine
5:30PM I usually start dinner at this time. I mostly cook all kid-friendly meals, like spaghetti, tacos, or chicken alfredo. Breakfast for dinner is also a favorite in our house. All meals take 30 minutes or less to make. I TRY to clean up as I go, but there’s always a bunch to clean up afterward as well.
6:00PM Dinner is served! Then, the sprint to bedtime is upon us!
Evening Routine
7:00PM Start bath/shower routine (my kids only bathe every other night during the school year). I know every family is different, but it’s not worth the hassle for me. Plus it’s a long routine with 4 kiddos.
- Brush and braid the girls hair (this helps with tangles in the morning!)
- Read to the little girls
- Brush teeth (why is this always a battle!!?)
8:00PM Make sure Ezra and Alizae are on track to getting their homework and reading done for the night. It’s amazing how independent kids are at 10 and 11; they prefer to do their own thing much of the time. AND put my 4 and 5 year old daughters to bed. They share a room. And I always lay with each one for at least 5 minutes, before I’m allowed to leave.
9:00PM I check in on my older two and make sure they turn lights off and go to sleep.
Note: Unfortunately, my husband works out of town most of the weekdays. So, I’m on my own with the whole homework, dinner, and bath routine each night. It’s gotten easier (yet more challenging in ways) as the kids have gotten older.
By 8:30PM, I try to have everything done, so I can RELAX.
Not much homemaking gets done in the hours after dinner cleanup and especially not after the kids go to bed. I’m sure you mamas are exhausted as well by the time 8:00 rolls around.
Be a Homemaker who Keeps Jesus at the Center
I spend some days on my blog work and some days on homemaking tasks and some days are dedicated just for my family. This day was jam-packed full of homemaking and time with my kids!
I hope this blog post motivates you to be intentional with your homemaking each day. Have a plan for how you want to spend your day. But also, be flexible because unplanned events may come up.
Remember there is a greater purpose than just the monotony of cooking meals, cleaning crusty surfaces, and folding the mountain of laundry. Everything we do is for Jesus! Even a day as a homemaker, with a heart of gratitude and a positive attitude, we have much to offer our family. We are doing Jesus’ work!
Happy Homemaking!!
