Sunday Nights - Time to get Organized!

I have a few friends who remember me from back when I had my own organizing business. They often ask me things like, "How do you keep your home organized?" or "What do you to do plan out your meals?" or "How do you have time to blog?" or "When do you clean your house, in what order, and when do you do laundry?" 
So, I figured I would dedicate a post solely to answering some of those questions. Because, whether we want to admit it or not, all of us moms are looking for ways to be more efficient with our time so that we can possibly carve out just a few minutes to sit down and relax! :)
This post could be several pages long, but I'm not going to go into much detail. Basically, what I want to share with you is what my life looks like on a typical Sunday night.

To back-up a bit, our Sunday mornings can get a little hectic. Both Brian and I serve at our church every week, which generally requires us to be there from 8:45 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. most Sundays. So, once we're home... we're home for good! We don't run errands on Sundays, we really try not to go to the grocery store, and for the most part, we don't even socialize much on Sundays. We hunker down and enjoy some quiet family time (which often involves a walk up to Starbucks).
After spending the entire afternoon together, we get the boys to bed pretty early in anticipation of another busy week starting up in the morning. Tonight, Parker was in bed by 5:30 and Payton by 7 p.m. Once they are in bed, Brian and I go our separate ways. It sounds funny, but it's kind of true. Most nights, we sit side-by-side on the couch or in bed and watch our shows. But Sunday nights, he goes to his desk and does work, and I get down to business!

First off... I get all of the dirty laundry together and throw in a load of wash. While it starts running, I get out my calendar and look at what is coming up during the week. If I need to email people about plans, babysitting, volunteering, etc. I do it then.
Second, I use the calendar to make up my meal plan for the week. I have a tear-off menu meal-planning pad that has the days of the week listed on one side, and a shopping list on the other. I write down anything that is going on in the evenings so I know whether I need to do a crock-pot meal, or something quick like sandwiches. 
Third, I then look in the pantry and freezers to figure out what I already have on hand for meals and then cross-reference that with what is on sale at Publix (I view their weekly ad online every Sunday evening). Then I go through my coupons and make up my shopping list.
I go grocery shopping every Monday morning. EVERY. MONDAY. MORNING. I do not deviate from this as it helps me plan out the meals for the entire week, and in general, Publix is very quiet and not crowded on Monday mornings.
While I'm doing all of this meal planning, I am continually taking clothes out of the washer and putting them into the dryer, and then folding as the loads are done. I try to get all of the laundry washed, dried and folded Sunday night so I don't have to think about it on Monday morning.
After the meal planning is complete, then I do some light cleaning. I tidy up all the toys, dust the family room furniture, run the Swiffer over the floors and run the dishwasher. This takes maybe 15 minutes total.
After that, I get started on my "daily evening routine" which includes, making Payton's lunch, setting up the coffee for the morning, setting out all the vitamins, dog meds, etc. and cleaning off all the kitchen counters/sink, etc.
When all of that is complete, I feel like I can really relax and do what I want to do... which is usually email, blog, surf Pinterest, read magazines, etc. And I don't feel guilty about it! I know that I've done what I need to do so that my Monday will go as smoothly as possible and I can truly relax.
So, in summary, here's a list - in order - of what I do on Sunday nights starting at about 7 p.m.:
1. Collect laundry and start first load
2. Look over calendar for the week, send out any important/urgent emails pertaining to schedule
3. Create meal plan for the week
4. Check pantry, freezer, coupons & Publix ad to create shopping list
5. Continue with laundry as loads are done washing, drying, etc. Fold along the way as well!
6. Tidy up playroom/family room. Dust tables, vacuum floors.
7. Make lunch, coffee, clean kitchen counters, sink, run dishwasher.
8. RELAX!!! :)
It may sound like a lot for Sunday evening, but trust me, if you can get even some of these things done, you will feel like you are ready to face Monday with a smile! It will get your week off to such a great start knowing your laundry is done, your meals are planned, and you got a little "me time" to relax and re-group.
I hope this helps at least one person out there. Love ya'll!