First of all, thank you for ALL of your sweet comments, emails, and facebook posts regarding yesterday’s posts… It’s good to know we’re not alone in this rollercoaster of life!
TodayI want to share with you my habits that peacefully signify the beginning and close of a day in our home. I will be doing a “day in the life” post soon, too!
My day usually begins with the usual: bathroom, deodorant, brush teeth, throwing on yoga pants if I’m not going anywhere (and sometimes even if I am), checking the baby monitor and checking the updates on my phone. But to me, the thing that STARTS my day is opening the curtains in our den. We have french doors with blackout curtains (it’s a wonky system, yes) and I have to open them so that I can let the dog out. Opening the curtains and filling the room with the morning light is what signifies the start of the day to me.
Similarly, I get this sense of done each night after I cut the kitchen light off. Dinner time is generally the most stressful and busiest part of the day (which is why I love freezer cooking). Andrew comes home from work, I’m trying to get dinner on the table, we go through the mail, Elizabeth is squealing, Jade is barking, I want to hear about Andrew’s day. We finally eat. We spend some time playing together with Elizabeth (outside usually during the summer). Andrew does the dishes while I give Elizabeth a bath. We both put her to bed and pray over her crib. Then Andrew usually catches up on school work or regular work while I put away the dishes and clean the rest of the kitchen. It’s busy. But cutting the light off closes it all down for me. To me, it’s a sign that “this day is over” and “the kitchen is finally closed”!
I know of others who have turned a coffee mug over on their desk every afternoon before they go home to signify the end of the day. It’s like turning that “open sign” off.
After I welcome the day with the opening of the curtains and close it by turning off the light, I like to do something in the quiet to feed my soul. In the morning, I like to get in some time for God. Whether it is praying for something specific or reading scriptures (currently I am loving the She Reads Truth daily plans from some of my favorite bloggers). At night, it is shower time. Andrew and I have showered together since we moved in together, but he always gets out a few minutes before I do. Those last few minutes of the day are when I can really gather my thoughts, reflect on the day, and plan out my tomorrow.
I challenge you to come up with a plan to start and finish your day peacefully. Or maybe you already do, in which case I hope you leave a comment below letting us know what it is!
We have a pretty set begininning and end for our days too. I thought it was neat to see that you and your hubby shower together as my husband and I have done that for a long time as well. I’m sure that some people might think that is weird or kinky, but it is totally a time that is just the 2 of us. We have some of our best conversations in the shower. And sometimes it can get a bit kinky….just sayin’!
Blessings to you!
Love it!!! I agree – the BEST conversations!
Mornings are usually my time. I get up early so I can have time to myself to read, exercise, and just sit. Then I get my husband’s lunch ready for work and then breakfast for the kids. The boys go to bed at seven and then I spend the next hour-ish picking up from the day and getting ready for the next. Then my husband and I watch a little tv or I’m working on some project and then bed hopefully around ten.
sounds like a great routine. I am so not a morning person – I am working on it!
We have a pretty steady morning routine: husband wakes me up (with a few minutes of snuggle time) to pack his lunch for work, check to see if kids are up and moving around, make sure they do their morning chores (feed dogs/let them out/empty dishwasher), let everyone know the schedule for the day, etc.
I have to agree that my day “starts” when I open the vertical blinds leading to the back door/patio. When the living room–easily the most used room in the house!– is flooded with the morning light, it brings a smile to my face…even on rainy days. We live in a rural area so I have the blessed opportunity to hear the animals & birds around us and see an expansive country view.
My husband and I also shower together pretty consistently and have for ages. I don’t normally talk about it, as some people are weirded out by that (I guess they are not comfortable with themselves?) but it is nice to know there are others out there who take that time as “us” time. We talk about things that have happened, plan future things, and sometimes just act silly.
I also turn off the kitchen light to signify my “working” day is closed, even though I am a stay-at-home-wife/mom. Once that light is off, it is time to hang out with family or do my own thing for a while.
My biggest issue is getting to bed at a decent hour! While my husband can pass out in less than five minutes, I struggle with getting to sleep (can’t turn my mind off sometimes, you know?). To cure that issue, I have made it a habit to get in bed, close my eyes, and start saying a rosary…I usually don’t get very far before a feeling of calmness and peace take over and I drift off to sleep.
Thanks for sharing your story. I am really enjoying your blog!