Weekly Routine with Molly Green

Total Home Makeover offers a simple system for mom to keep her home neat & tidy with delicious meals on the table, and have time to spare.  A great place to start is Step 1: A Daily Routine {with free printable} and the Quick Start Kit.  ​​

Start Here

Introducing the Total Home Makeover Mini Series!  I am now a regular contributor to the Molly Green Magazine, and in  this #2 article, I am talking about the weekly routine!  You can read all about it below!

​Recap: I was in my early twenties, clueless, with a crying baby girl, a husband who worked out of town, and a small white-brick and blue-trim home to care for. I had formerly managed five classes of seventh graders while teaching in a public school, with ease, but now I was completely lost and overwhelmed in the world of domestic affairs. 

One question loomed: "What am I doing wrong?"  

As mentioned in last month's column, the answer to that question I both applied to my life and shared in my book,Total Home Makeover: A 20 Day Plan to Renew Your Space and Spirit. Congratulations to those of you who completed Step 1: Daily Routine. I hope you have fallen in love with the morning routine (a.k.a. power hour) as I have. If you missed step 1, it is available here. Now, let's begin Step 2: Weekly Routine. 

Let's Chat ... About Weekly Routines! 
Today we'll focus on creating a weekly routine. Just as there are little tasks that need to be completed daily (we put them into the daily routine), so there are also tasks that need to be completed weekly, and we'll put them into a weekly routine.  

A weekly routine has been an age-old secret to home management. Consider Ma's routine in Little House in the Big Woods. 

Wash on Monday 
Iron on Tuesday 
Mend on Wednesday 
Churn on Thursday 
Clean on Friday 
Bake on Saturday 
Rest on Sundayi


The weekly routine consists of completing one chore each day of the week. When you tackle each day's "proper work," you'll become a proactive home manager. Begin by identifying the chores that need to be completed weekly. You can jot them on a piece of scrap paper. 

Weekly Tasks 

• Meal plan 
• Desk work (budget and correspondence) 
• Cleaning 
• Laundry 
• Errands 
• Yard work 
• Trash day 

Next, identify personal tasks that need to be done weekly such as: 

• Date with spouse 
• Family fun 
• Church  

​Next, I placed these tasks into a weekly routine that is efficient. I am sharing my weekly routine with you today. I've included a brief summary of each chore, but I will be sharing more about each in future articles of this mini-series. Each chore usually takes me about one hour to complete, and I'm not afraid to enlist the help of my family to get it done! 

Weekly Routine 

• Monday Meal Plan - I plan four easy weeknight dinners (with one crock pot meal) plus BLS (Breakfast, Lunch, and Snack ideas) along with grocery list. This allows for leftovers and spontaneity.
   
• Tuesday Desk Work- I balance my budget, plan appointments, and do correspondence such as birthday cards or letters. This time could also be used to plan homeschool lessons.   
   
• Wednesday Wave Clean - I use this quick method of cleaning the whole home which includes completing one wave (such as dusting) at a time applied to the entire house. Please note that detail cleaning is done monthly. 
   
• Thursday Laundry - I use this day to catch up on laundry and to wash linens. 
   
• Friday Errands - I use one day to do all errands which saves both gas money and time. This includes library, post office, dry cleaners, and grocery store. 
   
• Saturday Family Yard Work & Family Fun (Coffee Date with husband in morning) 
   
• Sunday Worship & Rest 

Get Moving 
Print your own copy of the free weekly routine tracker here. Then create your weekly routine, post it on your fridge, and track it for a month. 

I'll be back next month with more steps for you to take toward your Total Home Makeover!