How I Prepare For A New School Week

Today I want to share the things I do every weekend to prepare for the next week. I find it easier to navigate through the busy week if I've taken the time to plan and organize my life the weekend before. It takes some time but makes things so much easier later on during the week!

1) Wash my sheets

I love getting in bed with fresh, clean sheets at the end of a long day. It feels so amazing to be wrapped up in clean and good smelling sheets every week rather than crummy, used sheets. If you don't want to wash them every week, at least every other week is a must.

2) Do my laundry & plan outfits for the next week

I've already mentioned how my imagination is not too great at planning outfits with pieces that go well together. Doing this while I'm half asleep in the morning is even harder. I do my laundry every weekend and plan my outfits on Sunday nights. I recently started using the app Stylebook so that helps me out a lot. Before I got the app, I used to hang all of my outfits on separate hangers and place all of them for the rest of the week in a separate part of my closet. Trust me, this will make your mornings go by smoother and will save you from going on a "I have nothing to wear" rant at 7 am.

3) Buy groceries and plan meals

It's a great idea to come up with a meal plan and know what you'll be eating for lunch and dinner next week before you head out to buy your groceries. Not only does this make grocery shopping easier, but you'll limit yourself to buying fresh produce and only the things you need, instead of filling your cart with junk food (guilty). After I plan I meals, I check to see what ingredients and produce I'll need, check my pantry to see what I already have, and make a list of only the things I need to restock. Planning your meals saves you from spending your energy trying to figure out what to cook for dinner after coming home after a full work/school day.

4) Precut veggies or pack lunches

I know people who precut veggies or pack fruits and veggies in small tupperware on Sunday nights, so they can quickly to toss it in their bag every morning. If this doesn't float your boat, you can always do it the night before too. Do whatever works best for you! My prep work depends on what my meal plan is for that coming week.

5) Create a To-Do list

I have a confession to make. I LOVE making lists. I enjoy feeling the satisfaction of marking something off my list once I'm done with it. I usually have a few random things I need to get done throughout the week and write it all down on my to-do pad so that I don't forget anything. I also use the Reminders app on my iPhone to have a virtual copy of my list, although it doesn't bring the same satisfaction as crossing off a task a with a pen. ;)

6) Schedule Bill Payments

This is something I usually do at the beginning of every month, but it's a great idea to double check at the beginning of every week too. I have all my bills marked in my iCal for the entire month in my Macbook and my iPhone since all my payments are made electronically. I set them to a reoccurring event every month. This way, I eliminate the chances of payments sneaking up on me or missing a payment all together! If you don't like using the calendar on your phone, you can do the same thing in an actual calendar too.

7) Schedule study time

It's important for me to make a study schedule and stick with it. With everything going on throughout the week, it's easy to not spend enough time studying the new material and staying on top of what is being taught in class. My brain also does't like to cram at the last minute, so I split my study material into chunks and spread it out through the week. More about this in another post in the future though.

8) Go over any social events that you have planned

I have different groups of friends and with everyone having a crazy, busy life, it's hard to find a time to hang out that that works for all of us. Once we decide on a date and time, I make sure to save it on my iCal! How rude would it be to keep someone waiting on you and not show up because you forgot that you planned 3 weeks ago to see them today? It also helps to make sure you don't double book yourself and then having to cancel on someone last minute.

9) Catch up with phone calls, personal emails, etc.

I usually like to take the weekends to catch up with friends that live far away and do my round of calls. Since we live in a world where everyone is always on the go, it's hard to stay in touch during the week days. I also spend at least one day with my family during the weekend!

10) Clean the house

I hate coming home to a dirty house, period. My brain only works when my surroundings are neat and tidy. That doesn't mean my house is spotless every day, but I usually pick up after myself daily. That being said, I save the big cleaning chores like cleaning the bathroom and vacuuming for the weekend.

That's what I do every weekend to save myself some time during the hectic weekdays. I know my life is about to change soon and I'll have to revisit or probably add some things to this list in the near future, but I'll cross that bridge when I get there.

Blair did a great post that's similar to this one with a few other things that are not on my list. She also put together a great monthly list that I love and is super helpful!

What do you do to prepare for your new week?