Monday Morning Homemaking Inspiration [Start The Week Right]
Come along for some Monday Morning Homemaking Inspiration as I share my plan of action to start the week right and offer words of encouragement for those that dread Monday.
Having a case of the “Mondays”?
No day seems to be more dreaded than good ol’ Monday. Sometimes we can even interrupt our Sundays as Monday slowly creeps up on us and we find ourselves dreading its arrival. As if somehow this will make things better for us. We wind up resisting what will inevitably come and this usually has a negative effect on our Monday morning moods.
Take it from me, I know this feeling all too well. In 2013, I held a job as a telemarketer for a bank whose idea of quality control was to listen in on our calls and then critique them during afternoon meetings. My anxiety was at an all-time high as this was my first job at the start of a career since having been a stay-at-home mom for 8 years.
Mondays began being a thing to dread as the pressure for performance set in. I remember barreling down the freeway each Monday with a knot in my stomach. Monday marked the start of it all. I can thankfully tell you that this is no longer my reality. Yikes!
However, one does not have to have a job they hate in order to dread the start of a new week.
In the case of a homemaker, it could be that we are not altogether sure of what our Monday should consist of, and without a plan, this can leave us feeling a little out of control.
Yes, you can love homemaking and still have feelings of dread for some aspects of it.
Monday Mindset
I know, we often talk about mindset here, but it is just that important. Having the right mindset isn’t just about being positive or having some false sense of reality. It’s about acceptance and the ability to see the bigger picture. In this case, it’s accepting that week after week, we will begin right here, in our homes, on Monday to do it all over again. Knowing this, and keeping our vision for our homes clear in our minds is half the battle. The reality is, is that when we resist things or dread them, we usually wind up suffering far worse and longer than needed.
A Better Perspective
Yes, it’s Monday, but it doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Mondays are fresh starts and offer us a brand new week to do the things we might have missed the week prior. It offers us the chance to learn, to take chances with new recipes or ideas, and to know that next week, we will be given the possibility to begin again. So, I urge you to look to Mondays as an opportunity to come back stronger with a better mindset and perhaps a plan of action to get the week started.
Having an Action Plan
Getting the week started right is not about a long list of things to do but rather a plan of action and making sure that you have all the necessary components for a successful week. This likely looks different for each one of us but I would like to share with you my Monday morning homemaking, plan of action. It is a simple idea that ensures that I have my ducks in a row so to speak.
In my home, I am solely responsible for all the meals. Every once in a while my daughter will join me in the kitchen or I will have her learn a simple recipe to help her further her cooking skills. Still, it is me who does the grocery shopping, meal planning, and the large majority of the cooking.
So in order to set myself up for an entire week’s worth of cooking, I need to begin with my grocery list and meal plan. These two elements should coincide with one another as you can meal plan all you like but without the ingredients, you won’t get very far.
During the summer months, I am utilizing grocery delivery to help me make more time for summer fun and relaxation. I must tell you, this is a little addicting as it quite literally cuts this task down to under 30 minutes over the usual 2 hours that would include the physical shopping aspect.
Monday morning homemaking for me consists of getting the kitchen put right and not so much in the cleaning aspect as the planning side of things.
Enjoy The Video Version
Monday Mornings Here
My Monday morning homemaking plan is simple, I sit at the table with a notepad, a cup of tea, and my phone. I use cookbooks, Pinterest, or our usual favorites to meal plan the entire week’s meals by simply writing them down on the notepad. Next, it’s the grocery shopping list, I take inventory of what is in my fridge and pantry currently. Then, I create a grocery list for anything I will need to make the meals I have planned for the week.
It is a bare-bones plan but a productive way to ensure that I have a smooth surefire meal plan for the week ahead. This week I did have the added luxury of grocery delivery which shaved a couple of hours off my morning. I took this time to clean the fridge out, something I try my best to do prior to going grocery shopping. This helps me use up any last bits of food that need to be eaten before they go bad. Often I will make up batches of soup or vegetable stock made from veggies about to turn.
For tips on creating a great meal plan check out this article by the Urban Homemaker Mama, Meal Planning Made Easy.
Wasting Less, Saving Money
It might not seem like much, but ensuring that I use up what I can in the fridge helps me save money and have less guilt from tossing out food. This week I found strawberries headed past their prime and made up a batch of my Strawberry Basil Lemonade. Something I make during summertime when the strawberries are in season and our basil patch is bursting.
Another typical find when cleaning out the fridge are the end pieces of bread loaves that I save for making homemade bread crumbs. During the summer I will place the end pieces into the fridge to save for later. To prevent them from molding on the warm kitchen counter. To make the bread crumbs I cut or tear them into smaller pieces and place them on a baking sheet to toast. Then add them to a food processor to break down further and store them in a flip-top glass jar.
After clearing out all the bottles and old food containers, I thoroughly wiped down the shelves and rinsed out the produce bins. It is a process to clean out the fridge so I find it much simpler to do when it is not nearly as stocked as it will be once the groceries arrive. Plus, it is nice to put away the food in a clean fridge. Everything looks and feels much fresher.
Final Thoughts
On this particular morning, I went from grocery ordering to meal planning and cleaning the fridge in a few hours times. The groceries arrived shortly after finishing and after putting them all away, it was time to make lunch. These few hours allowed me to meal plan for the week, and get my kitchen stocked and the fridge cleaned.
It might not seem like much, but when looking to begin your homemaking week. Having a good mindset, and a plan of action that allows you to get your home in order in whichever way serves you best. You can create a Monday morning homemaking plan that will set the tone for the entire week ahead.
Happy Monday homemaking to you!
*Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive commissions if you choose to purchase through links I provide (at no cost to you).
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