I am definitely an organized person when it comes to my weekends. As a busy mom who also goes to school, I have to plan things out to make sure I have time for my family, my studies, and also some me-time.
Before I started going to school on weekends, my weekends usually start by getting up early on Saturday morning and making a nice breakfast for my family. I always plan out my meals for the weekend ahead of time and make sure I have all the ingredients I need. Cooking is something I really enjoy, when I have the energy for it.
After breakfast, the first thing I do is tidy up the house and get all the laundry and other chores done. My family pitches in to help too - we make it a bonding time with some good music on! A clean and organized home sets up the whole weekend to be more relaxed.
By late morning, I sit down with my planner and calendar to map out what I want to accomplish over the weekend. I learned this from my ex-boss during my days as a gym instructor. It's just like having to do list and making sure to check out those lists.
I schedule in specific blocks of time for playing with my kids, grocery shopping, studying, etc. Making to-do lists and schedules helps me stay focused.
For example, on a recent weekend when I wasn't attending classes, I spent Saturday morning doing my part-time job as a news editor. I transcribe and translate some articles from English news sources into Pidgin English for the news site I write for. After lunch, I worked on my blog on Hive, creating a couple of new posts about my life, hobby, parenting duties, finances, and so on. I always enjoy engaging with my readers in some communities, too!
Then Sunday morning, as usual, we wake up early to get ready for church service after making a hearty breakfast together. When we return home, while my son revises his homework quietly, I responded to comments on my blog and finalized other important things that I have left to do.
Most evenings, I and my family gather together to watch a G-rated movie when we are free before the kids’ bedtime. Keeping weekends screen-free during the day really brings us together. It can be hard sometimes, especially when I've got things to do online.
Even though being a student and mom means my weekends are still busy, having an organized plan makes all the difference. Sticking to routines and schedules helps me and my son be productive and focused but still leave room for fun! With some planning, I’m able to strike that balance of family, school, work, house, and me-time. So while busy, my organized weekends are full and rewarding too.
On weekends when I have classes, being organized ahead of time is key to making sure my son is well taken care of. My parents happily step in to look after him - they adore their grandson!
All images are mine, and this post is my response to one of 