Recently on her blog, an author I like, Heather Sunseri, wrote about her morning routine and how it helps her day go smoother. That got me thinking about my own morning routine and how much it helps me as well.

Here’s how mine goes…

I usually wake up between 6:15 and 6:30. Sometimes that’s when Jamie’s alarm goes off, sometimes that’s because I just wake up. The night before, I spend a little time with my bullet journal and write down what I know I’ll have to do the next day and what we’re going to eat. This way, I know what I need to take out of the freezer or if I need to start bread baking and what my plan is for breakfast and how long that’s going to take before I ever get out of bed.

The first thing I do when I wake up is go pee. I don’t know how anyone can wake up and not immediately head to the bathroom. I know there are people who can, but I am not one of them. While I am doing that, I check my Apple watch to see what the weather will be like that day (when we had that bizarre cold snap the beginning of the month, I actually exclaimed “What the crap?!?!” out loud upon seeing our high that day would be 39*). Then I weigh myself and get back in bed. (Usually I shower at night, but sometimes I do in the morning. If it’s a morning I’m planning to shower, I don’t get back in bed, but instead jump in the shower right away and then once that’s done, I get back in bed.)

I spend the next 10-20 minutes reading scriptures. Currently I’m reading the Old Testament. I’ve made it through Exodus and most of the way through Leviticus. I’m reading all the notes I’ve put in there in the past and also all the footnotes this time around.

Once I’ve finished reading scriptures and saying my morning prayer, I get up and get dressed and head downstairs where I cut on the fish tank lights and then put on my shoes. Shoes are a necessity for me because I am a klutz. I’ve broken my little toes so many times. My shoes protect me.

Over the years I have found that if the house is clean, I’m a much calmer person and a better mother. So once I’ve got my shoes on, it’s time for me to do some cleaning. First I start bread in the breadmaker if we’re having sandwiches for lunch and get anything frozen out of the freezer that we’ll need for meals that day. Then I get out a cloth that I think my sister crocheted years ago (I love those cloths) and wash the kitchen counters, dining room table, and stove. If the dishes in the dishwasher are dry, sometimes I’ll put them away and reload the dishwasher. If they are wet or if I don’t feel like unloading at the time, I’ll wait for one of the boys to get up and have them deal with the dishes.

Some time in there I start breakfast. When depends on how long it’ll take to make it.

Then I head into the downstairs bathroom for the next step in my morning routine. I brush my hair and then brush and floss my teeth. At that point I’m ready for the day (I wear make-up almost never). I wipe down the toilet with a Clorox wipe before I leave the bathroom.

Each weekday I sweep a different room in my house. Monday it’s the living, Tuesday the kitchen, Wednesday the stairs, halls, and bathrooms, Thursday it’s the dining room, and Friday I sweep and also scrub the downstairs bathroom floor. The Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of the month I mop those rooms/areas after sweeping them. On mopping days, I move everything reasonable off the floor (like I leave the filing cabinet in the dining room, but move the school carts and the table into the hall) so that it’s easier to get the floors really clean.

If Lola is around downstairs, I’ll brush her at some point in there. She sheds year round so brushing her every day helps keep down the number of hairs I sweep up every day. If she’s not downstairs, I’ll get around to brushing her later in the day.

By the time all that is done, it’s about time to eat breakfast and start school with the boys. Having the house clean and ready for the day is just super helpful for me and makes me happy. I was not born organized. Growing up, my room (and anywhere I played) was a mess. I’ve worked really hard and incorporated ideas from such cleaning gurus as Sidetracked Home Executives, FLYLady, Heloise, and Marie Kondo. I highly recommend finding a morning routine that works for you to get your day started off right, too!