Here’s what I do for myself and my home when I’m craving order. 

Many of you may be coming off of a summer with loose schedules, vacations and a routine that marries spontaneous adventure with less structure. We all need it! I myself was happy to let go of my daughter’s regular routine and push pause on a few of our daily tasks around the home. The longer days of summer beckon me to hang by the pool and make dinner with neighborhood friends rather than organize the fridge or clear out suitcases from the weekend prior. 

Now is the time to RESET.

I challenge you to RESET your MINDSET in addition to organizing your home for this next season. Here’s my challenge for you, along with a step-by-step guide to getting it done a bit easier.  

Address the luggage and ALL the day trip bags!!

• Empty bags completely.
• Dirty items go to the laundry. 
• To keep bags smelling fresh, pop a dryer sheet inside before storing. 
• Everything else goes to its proper place. Lili Tip: If it doesn’t have a home, then it doesn’t stay in your home. 

Do a home inventory. 

• While you were out having fun or skipping your normal cleaning routine, did you run low on supplies? Make a list and schedule a time to order online or get to the store. 

Make a list of priorities for the fall and winter.

• Lili Tip: Do this over a cup of tea or coffee and make it an intentional time to list out what’s important for you and your family for the remainder of the year (or this school year). Will you set more time aside for family dinners? Is it important to you to get more physical activity into your schedule? 
• Shifting your mindset and finding ways of protecting and renewing your energy will help you feel less cluttered internally and externally. 

Write out the new schedule & pregame the change with your family, partner, etc. 

• Create your family schedule in whatever format fits your style but make sure it’s visible to everyone. We like a whiteboard calendar in our home, but this could be a simple paper calendar or a shared digital calendar across devices. 
• Set a time to go over the calendar with everyone, even the youngest in your family, so people know what to expect. The more aware everyone is of the routine the more calm and at ease their minds will be. Share all the details with your partner so you can both feel equally prepared to sail through the week. 

What aspects of creating a schedule make you feel good?

• Arriving early with less adrenaline rushing
• Scheduling in time to see friends 
• Making time to make your bed 
• Restocking your fridge + pantry 
• Prioritizing family meal times 

If we take time to slow down, reset and prioritize then we’ll feel more prepared to take on the next rush of activity. I find that these practices reveal both practical solutions and larger goals I have for myself. For example, if I’m drafting an outline of my family’s activities, I’m also seeing what areas of my life I may want to expand. Did I leave time in the week for moving my body and getting enough sleep? Did we put family meal times on the calendar? These are just a few things that I prioritize to keep my dopamine levels humming. 

I look forward to hearing how these practices help you. Join me on Instagram to continue the discussion.