Weeknight Evening Routine

I love to hear about people's routines and what they do day-to-day... you know, the more mundane things that don't feel 'wow' enough to share or write about. 

I think it was Bazaar magazine that did a 'day in my life' kind of schedule, and I devoured those back in the magazine days. I thought I would share with you all a 'regular' weeknight schedule when we don't have any plans. I love routine, so I try to stick to it weekly, but it often gets disrupted by plans, work, friends, family, etc. But here is a general 'shell' of what my evening looks like... 

It's not really thrilling, to be honest, but I love the ritual of it all. It's reliable, flows nicely, and helps me to unwind from the day. 

6/6:30pm I try to end work around this time. I try to keep my work hours traditional and in line with my husband's schedule, like 8:30ish-6ish. I usually turn down the bed so that when I come upstairs later, it's ready to slip into, and everything is neat. Many of you often ask what linens I like. I take my bed very seriously!! I'd sooner splurge on nice sheets than a dress if I had to choose! I love our Serena and Lily sheets, but lately, I've been favoring our Boll and Branch set. I set out some fresh pajamas (loving these). I love doing this because it feels so pampered and hotel-like and takes all of 2 minutes to do. I light a candle in the kitchen, put on some jazz or another calm/easy listening playlist, and start pulling ingredients out of the fridge for dinner. 

7pm My husband usually cooks, and sometimes I'm a sous chef, depending on the menu. We don't cook every night, but we try to cook at home as much as possible. Regardless, we sit down and eat together every night. I grew up eating with my mom, dad, and sister every night during the weekdays and I feel so lucky I can sit down every night with my husband to do the same. Eating together is something that is very important to me. If I'm not helping in the kitchen, I'm typically tidying/cleaning, setting the table, and sorting through mail or packages. Does anyone else feel like they are constantly cleaning? I swear I vacuum at least once a day if not more!!

A sampling of some of our recent dinners. We grill a lot! 

7:30pm Henry has dinner. We have our echo show set to remind us every night to feed him, which is great. It's literally Pavlov's dog because as soon as Henry hears the ding, he freaks out! Henry eats SO quickly; it is often concerning. We have a slow feeder bowl for him, but we have also started putting a bit of water in the bowl, which has helped slow him down considerably. We finish up dinner, sometimes we play a round of Jeopardy on the Echo (we are obsessed with playing this), tidy up, I water the plants (both indoor and outdoor), and depending upon the weather, we will often go on a leisurely walk and chat about our day/catch up. Sometimes we do chores like laundry. Or we will go for ice cream or something like that. In the winter, we often play catch with Henry to get his energy out since we only go on a short walk. This is the period where it differs quite a bit each night. 

8pm I like to be upstairs around 8pm, usually by 9 (again, this is if I don't have any plans). I try to stop eating around 8pm because I feel SO much better in the mornings if I do this! I shower, do my skincare routine, put pajamas on, and do anything that needs to be done upstairs. My husband is usually cleaning up the kitchen around now. I like to do my skincare routine as early as possible so it has plenty of time to sink in before my head hits the pillow. There is nothing that I love more than leisurely winding down before bed. I usually pop into my office, review my to-do list/calendar for the next day, and chat with my husband about our upcoming schedules. Sometimes, I will steam what I wear for the next day or two. I often assemble a grocery or Amazon order and discuss what we need with my husband. I'll sometimes answer lingering emails, tidy up, ensure Henry has water in his upstairs bowl, etc. I often stretch, and my husband likes to use one of those foam rollers. I've greatly improved my flexibility by stretching for 5-10 minutes every night. I highly recommend it! 

9pm I'm usually in bed by 9. My husband and I have a cup of hot tea (this is my current fave). I respond to friends if I have not responded to them via text from earlier in the day. I scroll social media for a bit, reply to some DM's, browse some shopping sites, and post if I need to. In the evenings, I limit social media as much as possible as I am on it plenty during the day, but I'm always working on this. I like to make a to-do list for tomorrow of random things that pop into my mind. It helps to quiet my mind.

9:30pm I brush my teeth. Apply nail serum, my favorite hand cream, and lip balm. We will usually read or watch something on TV. I think our bedroom TV is on its last leg. I got it for my apartment living room in 2016 so it's 7 years old. I've been counting down the days until it breaks so I can replace it, ha! We have been striking out with shows lately. We liked Quarterback on Netflix, but it has been a while since we've seen much good TV. We just started Drops of God on Apple TV. I like it so far, but you must pay close attention because you need subtitles, which is annoying, especially when I'm sleepy! I'm also watching the current season of Real Housewives of New York and 90 Day Fiancé Before the 90 Days.

10pm  My husband usually runs Henry around the block to potty one last time before bedtime. Henry sleeps in bed with us. 

10:30/11pm I turn a tower fan on because I love the white noise sound and the breeze. I even love it in the winter. I was never a white noise person until I lived downtown. The fan helped drown out the traffic sounds downtown, and now I am just so used to the fan sound. Lights are usually out around this time!