One of the things that helps me keep to my routines – and use my home time well – is creating weekly meal and dress plans. It takes less than 30 minutes each week to make notes on my calendar about what I will wear to work each weekday and what I will make for dinner every evening.

Because I plan in advance, I know that the clothes I have selected are clean and ready to wear. (If not, I can launder and iron in advance.) I plan meals that use the food I already have. If necessary, I can build my weekly shopping list from the plan, avoiding wasteful impulse purchases.

Once the plans are in place, they help everything go smoothly. By checking the weekly plan, I know what I need to defrost and when. If I have extra time in the morning, I know what chopping or other food prep I need to do. Before I go to bed, I can pull out the clothes I’ll wear the next day. That way, I don’t need to search – or even think – before the caffeine takes hold!

A little bit of planning makes the work/home transitions much easier!