{Guest Post by Heather Hice-McCray}

Homemaker Morning Routine

As any mom can attest to, when you have little ones at home every morning despite your best intentions everything can go awry swiftly and quickly. I still remember how every morning when I had an infant and preschooler there seemed to be some sort of curveball that caught me off guard.

Now that my children are in school I’ve found that my morning routine has become something I not only look forward to, but something that keeps me on track and sets the tone of my entire day.

So what does my homemaker morning routine look like?

Typically my routine is broken into five parts.

Simple Homemaker Morning Routine

Getting Kids Ready for School

The first part is waking up and getting the kids ready for school. This part takes about an hour.

I wake up the girls and while they’re getting dressed I start coffee and their breakfast. It’s also about this time I start the first load of laundry.

As the girls continue getting ready for school I’ll finish their lunches and make sure that everything that needs to go in their bags is in there.

I’ll get my coffee brewing and then join them at the table for breakfast, if time allows (sometimes I’m making their lunch while they’re eating).

This part of my routine is typically fraught with me spinning in circles while checking on the girls to make sure they’re doing what they need to be doing to get ready.

After the bus comes to get the girls, I’m on to the next part of my morning which is chores and drinking coffee.

Household Chores

I have to admit now that the girls are in school it’s so much easier to pick up the house and keep it clean for a few hours. During this part of my routine I start by going through the house and picking up room by room.

I’ve found doing this every morning helps me conquer my anxiety about having a messy house. If I do a little bit each day it stays pretty tidy.

I go through and pick up things, organize, and get rid of anything we don’t need. It’s also about this time I switch over the laundry.

I try to do all my laundry in one day so I get a break for a couple of days.

I vacuum all the bedrooms if they need it and usually spot clean one area of the house that has been neglected for awhile.

This changes and I don’t have a set schedule, but I’ve been known to start wiping down all the cabinets in the kitchen randomly. I’ll wipe down all the counters in the kitchen and do all the dishes.

At this point in the morning I am running around trying to get the house restored to order so I can enjoy it for a little bit and my girls have clean(er) house to come home to after school. It’s a win-win for everyone.

Work and Bills and Lists (oh my!)

This part of my morning is typically a hodgepodge of randomness. I use this time to make sure all the random things are in one time span for me to concentrate on.

For example, I work as a virtual assistant and have daily tasks I have to complete. I make sure to sit down and devote this specific time to getting this work completed because I never know what the day is going to throw at me.

Next, I make sure that all our bills are paid. Obviously this might not happen every morning because we don’t have that many bills, but it helps to have a time carved out every morning dedicated to them.

Around this time is also when I make lists in my planner for things like groceries, to-do, the girl’s school stuff and any other random things.

Having lists helps me plan my days and weeks out better. I always try to empty my head onto paper because I know I’ll either forget or miss something if I don’t. Plus, getting everything out on paper relieves my anxiety about all the things I have to get done.

Meal Prep

I usually try to prep as much as possible. I use this time to get a headstart on dinner or cut up veggies and fruit so that we can grab and go when life gets too hectic and busy.

I prep all my dinners in meal containers so I can take them with me to work. I prep lunch items for the girls so that putting their lunches together is a breeze.

I also love baking and this time is my time to create and bake homemade things for my family. I love baking breads and cookies from scratch just because I can. I love that I know exactly what’s in it, and I can experiment and alter the recipes to my liking.

>>>Get the Meal Planning Guide here.<<<

Me Time

I’ve become very selfish with my me time.

I think it’s important to have a little bit of time to yourself everyday to do whatever makes your heart and soul and mind happy. For me that can be reading, sketching, writing, working out or creating.

I used to only concentrate on getting things from my to-do list done, but now I try very hard to include something everyday that I look forward to that isn’t part of the daily grind of life. It helps to uplift me and keeps me more positive throughout my day.

My advice is to pick 3 to 4 parts you need in your morning routine that will help you that day and throughout the week. Think big picture stuff.

What do you need to incorporate into your daily routine that will help you the most every day, week and month? Then break it down into manageable parts that you are HAPPY with.

Everyone’s routine will look different so experiment and find a routine that works for you.

Do you already have a morning routine that you absolutely love? Share some of your tips and tricks in the comments below.

Heather lives in Florida with her husband, two girls and two pups. She is a lover of most things in life, too many to name here without scaring you, but a few include working out, learning new recipes, Pinterest, organizing (yes, it’s true!), home decor and learning to lead a more minimal and purposeful life.

She started Just Becoming Me as a venture to better understand herself and what will lead her towards a more fulfilling life. Her motto is: “We only have one life, and I want to learn to live mine in a way that gets me excited to jump out of bed.”