Weekend Prep Tips from a Solo Mama

We try our best but sometimes weekends aren't relaxing at all and by the time Monday rolls around you feel more exhausted than you should. Weekends can get away from us all. These are my go-to’s to make the most of them and not let that to-do list take over. 

So what if it’s the weekend? Wake up early.

If I don't have some solitude with my morning coffee, I’m just really not that nice. I don't skip it on the weekend, in fact, I've realized I need it more than Monday-Friday. Even though I enjoy sleeping in far more than waking up early, the benefits of waking up early and having a slow morning far outweigh the extra hour or so of sleep. 

Plan meals. 

Plan your meals, not just dinner. Breakfast, lunch AND dinner. It's amazing how baking some banana bread while you have your leisurely Sunday morning coffee can help you gain time and reduce stress throughout the week. 

I don’t always have the time to make all of my meals on the weekend but at the very least I have them planned. 

Having your meat thawed or beans softened and soaked so that they are ready to go for the weeknight hustle and bustle saves so much mental space.

I like to pre-wash and cut my fruit and veggies too and have them readily accessible for lunch packing and work-time snacking.

Put a timer on chores.

Yard work, laundry, dusting ?!!? Yuck. I always save the most annoying cleaning and chore work for the weekends. Even though they are miserable, they have to get done. The one thing I can control is how much time I allot for them. If I give myself all morning it will take all morning to clean and I will have wasted an entire day of my precious time. If I give myself an hour though, I’ll get it done and I won't feel cheated. I might even break a sweat.

Schedule at least one thing you look forward to doing. 

It's so easy to forget to have fun when you have a never-ending list of things to get done. I burn out when it's all work and no play so I’ve had to force myself to have a better balance between my “have to do’s” and “want to do’s” 

Not sure what to plan? Sometimes the first step in scheduling fun is figuring out what you actually enjoy. Bonus points if you can get your family in on the fun.