Do you find that you feel totally prepared for the start of the week on Monday, but by Friday your hair is standing up on end?

Oh my goodness, can I relate to this! My week gets thrown out of whack so quickly if I don’t start it off with a little bit of structure. If this sentiment rings true for you too, stay right here because  I’ve got some things to do on Sundays to help you get control of your week again. And it starts with revamping a portion of your Sunday.

When I don’t use some of my time on Sunday to prepare for the upcoming week, things get hectic in a hurry. I wind up feeling like I’m chasing the day every single day, which is an absolutely terrible feeling. My mornings feel rushed and frantic, and commitments completely fall off my radar. The worst part is once I fall behind, I never feel like I catch back up until I can regain my composure over the weekend again.

I decided I had to stop living this way every week!

Once I began to implement some structure around my Sundays and create simple habits that smoothed out my week, I found that I was a happier momma and wife. So here they are: the 7 simple things I do on Sundays so that the rest of the week is smooooooth sailing.

1. Grocery shop and meal plan based on the upcoming week’s activities

We typically cook two or three times a week in our house. Then we fill in the rest of the days with leftovers, quick eats, and/or a sit-down dinner out. On Sundays, I take a look at our upcoming evening activities for the week (girls nights out, school concerts, sports practices, etc) and decide which nights we should cook and eat in, and which nights alternative dinner arrangement would be best. My bestie Brinn will even batch cook an entire week’s worth of dinners on Sundays! But if that’s not your style, you may want to consider just light meal prep (cutting up and bagging vegetables, for example), to make your weeknights a little easier.

2.  Purchase and prepare gifts for upcoming special events and parties

Birthday and dinner parties used to seriously sneak up on me. They’d go from being a comfortable two or three weeks away to “oh my gosh, is that tomorrow?!” close. Now, I’ll take some time on Sunday to see what events the kids or I have coming up. If I see a party or a get-together is less than a week away, I will make sure to purchase the gift, bottle of wine, or whatever else might be needed ASAP. I give myself bonus points if I actually put the items in my car ahead of time!

3. Check the calendar for special school projects that are due that week

Let’s face it: if you have young children, their school assignments are pretty much yours too. Make sure you get ahead of things by purchasing/collecting supplies or materials that you’ll need for the project on a Sunday or two before it’s due. Don’t forget to set aside some time in your week to work on the project (see tip #5 below).

4. Select outfits for the week

Have you ever heard the expression “If you don’t like the weather, wait 5 minutes?” Well, in Michigan, truer words were never spoken! It can go from 70 degrees and windy on Monday, and 35 degrees and snowing by Friday – no joke! One of my favorite ways to make my week easier and get some time back in the morning is to check the weather and set aside corresponding, weather-appropriate outfits for each day. I’ll also check the calendar for recitals, gym class days, sporting games, and any other days that will require a special outfit, shoes, or uniform, and I’ll make sure those outfits or uniforms are clean and set aside.

5. Write out to-dos and goals in a weekly spread

I use and swear by my bullet journal (I’ll have a post about it soon!), but really all you need is any planner or planning system with a weekly view for this task. Flip to the upcoming week and write down your goals and must-dos. Electric bill due on Tuesday? Need to make a doctors’ appointment for a family member on Monday? Major presentation due on Thursday? Need to schedule some time to work on that school project? Write it all down on your weekly spread. I’ll even include a quick reminder to take out meat that needs to thaw out the day before. Same applies to those of you who use digital calendars as well.

6. Make sure lunch items are organized in the refrigerator

Some of you might have the time and energy on Sundays to make a week’s worth of lunches in advance. But, again, if that’s not your style, don’t fret! That’s not what I’m suggesting. I’m simply suggesting you gather up and organize the lunch items that you’ll need in the refrigerator so that they are all in one spot. Put all the juice boxes in one place, the clementines in another, etc. Count everything and make sure that you have enough to get you through the week. That way, all you’ll have to do is just grab, pack, and go.

7. Update the family calendar!

Ideally, you’re updating the family calendar with new events that come along in real-time, but Sunday’s are a good day to reconcile what might be in your personal calendar or planner, your kids’ school schedules, your spouse’s calendar, and the family calendar and make sure everything and every event is accounted for.

Bonus tip: Take a few quiet moments to practice gratitude.

Life moves so fast during the rest of the week. Whether you think of yourself as religious, spiritual, or neither of these, Sunday’s are a great day to stop and say a silent “thank you” for your beautiful (if not full and maybe a liiiiiiittle hectic) life. Practicing gratitude makes you more cheerful and optimistic, and helps to set the foundation for a great week. So instead of going into the week like “oh no, here we go again!” you can approach it with an attitude of “I’m ready to see what kinds of amazing memories we can make this week.” Gratitude turns the Sunday night dread to hope, optimism, and welcoming the new week with open arms.

SUNDAY. Take it slow and give your soul a chance to catch up with your body.

Believe me, I fully understand just how sacred and precious Sunday’s can be. That’s why any new habits that you adopt on Sunday’s needs to be stress-free, not time-consuming or labor-intensive. Otherwise, your “day of rest” goes right out the window.

If incorporating all of these new habits at once feels too overwhelming, try adopting just one or two of these into your weekly routine this week, and see how that feels. You will find that implementing even just a few of these habits will help you really show up for life in the way that you want to and be the partner/parent/bawse you want to be.

Just as a recap, here are those 7 simple things to do on Sundays again:

1. Grocery shop and meal plan keeping the week’s events in mind
2. Prepare gifts for upcoming special events and parties – then put them in your car!
3. Check the calendar for special school projects
4. Select outfits for the week
5. Write out to-dos in your weekly spread view of your planner or calendar
6. Organize lunch items so you can grab and go
7. Update the family calendar
8. Practice gratitude!

As always I’d love to hear your thoughts! Which of these new habits are you looking most forward to trying? Which ones do you already do that make a difference. I’d love for you to let me know in the comments! And of course, if you know of someone for whom this information could be useful, I always appreciate your sharing. Remember, sharing is caring!

Cheers to the journey, busy mama!