At The End of the Day- Traditional Housewife Style

Well goodness y'all- but its been awhile since I posted about being a Traditional Housewife and the running of my home.  Er...sorry about that mmkay...

Never fear!  I'm back and I wanted to share with you what happens at the end of our day.  You can check out this post to read about how I start my day if you're so inclined.  But for now, let's just focus on what happens as the day is winding down.

You may remember me telling you that I work from home during the week.  By 5pm, I officially turn off the work phone.  I used to leave it on later into the evening but seriously- it just made my day that much longer and so now, I give myself and my family this gift.  However, I do leave my online chat up and many times I am working on assembly items long into the evening.  I just refuse to speak to a live person past 5pm because boundaries y'all.  Boundaries!

So work is still looming but not quite that massive.  The kiddo is usually finished with his schoolwork by now and relaxing in his room playing Lego's or watching YouTube video's in the living room.  Depending on what I'm making for dinner, I have either started prep work for dinner or I'm about to get to it.

It's a time of transition, mess and just a little crazy and I call it "The Witching Hour".

The husband works long and often times unpredictable hours, however many times he is able to be home around 6-6:30 each night.  This is my target hour where everything MUST be done and ready to go so that his return from a long day is an pleasant as possible.  Here's a list of my goals for when the husband arrives home-

BWHAHAHA! I couldn't resist!

• All housework is done for the day.
• Everything picked up off the living room floor.
• Laundry done.
• Kiddo quiet, calm and relaxing.  No crazy, screaming children running around.
• Dinner is done and waiting.
• Work finished and shut down.
• Try not to look like a hot mess.
• Kitchen picked up.  Dishwasher ready to start for after dinner.
• Dog fed.
• Lunches packed for next day if needed.

Please know that these are simply my goals.  I strive to reach this point each day and yes, most days I do accomplish this.  I place high importance on creating a calm and relaxing environment for my husband to come home to.  I want our house and our family to be a place that he looks forward to returning to each night.  I want him to feel loved and embraced and know that he was MISSED throughout the day.  

In addition, I want him to walk into a house that smells and feels like home.  Usually it's the smell of dinner cooking but if for some reason he's home early or we are eating out that night, then I've got a nice candle going or my essential oils.  How a house smells is important- trust me on this one mmkay...and yes, I do go out of my way to create a warm and inviting atmosphere.

We do try to eat dinner together but with the husband's schedule, this is not always possible.  If the kiddo and I eat before the husband is home, I will always call him and see if he will be eating dinner later on and then make him a plate.

After dinner, the kiddo likes to watch a TV show or play Lego's with the husband.  Since we bought an antenna for our TV, we can now watch Jeopardy again- one of the kiddo's favorite TV shows!  By 8pm, the kiddo is getting into bed and the grown ups are heading upstairs.  Having quiet, COUPLE TIME is a big priority in my house.  BIG time.

And ladies, this time is very important to my home, my husband and my marriage.  Please don't underestimate this time together.  Recently we started leaving cell phones and Ipads out of the bedroom so that we could focus even more on each other.  We snuggle, watch movies, talk about our day and just enjoy being with each other and having some quiet, grown up MARRIED PEOPLE time.

At bedtime, I will put some essential oils in the diffuser in our master bedroom.  I've found that the Goodnight blend by Eden's Garden is perfection when it comes to helping us fall into a rested and deep sleep.

Evening in our house is all about winding down, relaxing and enjoying being with each other.  Since our days are so busy and full of work, activities, classes and such- it is important for us to have this time together as a family and as a couple.

To end, here's a few other things that I keep in mind-

• Greet the husband properly.  Stop what you're doing (picking up, fixing dinner etc) and EMBRACE your man.  Hug him, kiss him, ask him about his day and WELCOME HIM HOME.
• Do not ask the husband to do any chores or complete any tasks at the end of the day.  Unless it requires immediate attention, I try to save these items for the weekend.  When he's not just worked a 12-15 hour day.
• Always have his favorite drink available.  Most nights, the husband likes to come home and unwind with a whiskey.  Since I do all the shopping, I make sure to keep this available for him.
• No bitching.  Ugh, now this one is hard for me, NO JOKE.  But I simply try not to unload and burden him with a lot of pointless whinging and complaining.  I want to enjoy my time with my man as much as he wants to enjoy his with me.  I've found that attitude is everything.  So just try not to go down this path mmkay...
• Give him some quiet time to unwind.  This is perhaps the most difficult for me and the kiddo simply because we've missed him & we want to be with him and share our day.  However, the husband needs some time to just unwind quietly and by himself at the end of a long day.  I'm working on getting better with this one!
• No running around.  The husband is out on the busy streets driving all day long.  The very last thing that he wants to do when he gets home is to go back out again.  So if there's any errands or things I need done during the day, I make sure to do them BEFORE he gets home.

Alright y'all!  I do hope this glimpse of our evening routine has inspired you just a bit!  Since beginning these things, my home has never run more smoothly.  And my marriage....well, my marriage is PERFECTION.