Making Your Home a Haven: An Evening Routine

The Bridle Path, 1868, Winslow Homer

For the past few weeks, I've been participating in Tammy's very practical and yet still inspirational meme.  In March, I shared my somewhat new morning routine, to which I am much more faithful than to the challenge that followed: The Bedtime-Set-in-Stone Challenge.  Unfortunately, teaching this old dog a new bedtime trick has been a decided failure.  

Although I have had a ton more success with this one since the in-laws have arrived, due to their faithful service of wearing me o-u-t, I have yet to be in bed on time without their help.  The peace and quiet of the night owns me.  I love it, and am really having a hard time peeling myself from it.  However, I am in bed well before midnight most nights, which is a very good thing.

Last week, the challenge was to Choose Love even when I'm not really feelin' it.  With the help of my handy dandy list, which I posted on my forehead in henna ink just for kicks, I've been doing more listening and less barking of orders and fantastical mind-reading, although I really think I'm quite a master of the mind-reading thing.

This week, I'm taking time to reevaluate my morning routine and bedtime expectations and rededicate myself to choosing love...the henna is wearing off, but I'm not quite ready to go permanent ink.  Also, in order to set myself up for success with all three, it's time to rethink and reshape my evening routine.  These are my hopes for this week:

1.  In order to nearly guarantee my success with morning exercise, I plan to stuff a clean pair of socks in my tennies, which I will place smack-dab on top of my notebook 'puter so I have to put them on ((not down)) before checking and responding to email.

2.  ...put away all dishes from the drainer--cleared and cleaned countertops just bring [world] peace, don't they?

3.  ...check the next day's menu and pull out from the freezer and store in the fridge whatever meat is needed, and prep for breakfast.

4.  ...write a very short to-do, to-call, to-email, to-be list for the next day.

5.  ...do a ten-second tidy a la' Barney, dumping my random finds in our hallway's random find basket.

I think that these five items are easily doable, don't you?  Nothing like setting yourself up for success by having low expectations!  

So, how do you prep for the next day?  Don't you think that waking to a clean kitchen is half the battle?  Are low self-expectations a criminal offense?

Stop by Tammy's Recipes for more inspiring routines!  And, don't miss my month-long birthday party, with prizes offered every Monday!  This week: 3 Bars of Handmade and Vegan Soaps from DeShawn Marie, which is part of A Few of My Favorite Things!!