there’s this one thing i don’t talk about much. frankly, i don’t care to talk about it at all, because it’s sacred to me. it’s one of those things i prefer to keep to myself. it’s treasure. it’s gold. it’s hard. it’s exhausting. it’s natural. it’s confusing. it’s fun. it’s frightening. it’s everything. it’s too much. it’s just enough.

it’s motherhood.

this isn’t an article about that very scary, very sacred part of my identity, but it is a piece that i feel inclined to write for mothers attempting to protect the bit of sanity they’re hanging onto right now.

so, from momma to momma, i hope this helps a bit.

here’s a simple sunday reset that will have you making fewer decisions and more time for yourself.

revisit this post if you’re not ready yet. i understand the mental preparation for a transition as such requires time, patience, and energy. don’t return until you have all three. this reset can wait if necessary.

reserve your sunday afternoons or sunday evenings (1-3 hours maximum).

sundays is when the magic will begin to transform your week. reserving 1-3 hours each sunday will save you countless hours of restlessness, indecisiveness, confusion, and frustration.

choose 3-5 outfits for each child + adult in your home.

by adult, i mean YOU. take 20-45 minutes choosing tops, bottoms, socks, shoes, underwear, and accessories for you and the children. if you have a space in your home that can become the designated area for your weekly wardrobe, i highly suggest using it. having a home for your wardrobe lessens the confusion in the morning. the children never have to wonder where their things are and you never have to reduce your mental capacity answering questions about the location of their wardrobes. i use a 3 tier rolling cart. this rolls around my home with ease. whatever room the children decide to sleep, their clothes are always near.

no quick styles during hard weeks

mommas with girls. life is much easier when you don’t have to do hair every morning. during hard/busy weeks, choose styles that will get you through a minimum of five days. this includes braids, twists, small ponytails, etc. i avoid one ponytail, slick backs, straightened hair, etc on school days. this keeps morning routines swift and easy.

prepare the meals/snacks

cheat code: here’s your grocery list. a very simple one that doesn’t include dinner options. these are grab-and-go options, after-school hunger cures, and school lunches.

two rotisserie chickens or 6 large chicken breasts
two fresh pineapples
a bag of oranges
a few apples
blueberries
grapes
bbq sauce
buffalo sauce
pizza crust (the roll-out, low-carb kind)
pizza sauce
spaghetti noodles
ground turkey
turkey pepperoni
turkey bacon
low-carb tortillas (burrito + taco)
eggs
shredded cheese
orange juice
x-small shrimp
taco seasoning
ranch seasoning
mild taco sauce
rice
lettuce

this week, i made 30+ school lunches with the list above. here’s the formula.

pizza crust + pizza sauce + turkey pepp + shredded cheese = 8-12 mini pizzas
pizza crust + pizza sauce + turkey pepp + ground turkey + shredded cheese = 8-12 mini pizzas
eggs + chopped turkey bacon + cheese = 12 breakfast bites
eggs = boiled eggs
eggs + turkey bacon = quick breakfast
eggs + turkey bacon + orange juice = an incredible breakfast
tortilla + eggs + chopped turkey bacon + cheese = 2-6 breakfast quesadillas
tortilla + eggs + shredded rot. chicken + cheese = 2-4 breakfast burritos
tortilla + ground turkey + cheese + taco seasoning + mild taco sauce = 4-6 lunch burritos
spaghetti noodles + ground turkey + tomato sauce = 4-8 servings of spaghetti
tortilla + eggs + xsmall shrimp + cheese = 2-6 shrimp quesadillas
pizza crust + pizza sauce + bbq sauce w/shredded chicken + shredded cheese = 4-8 mini bbq chicken pizzas
shredded chicken + buffalo sauce + ranch dressing + (optional) cream cheese = buffalo chicken dip
shredded chicken + buffalo sauce + ranch dressing + tortilla = 2-6 buffalo chicken quesadillas
chunks of chicken + rice + teriyaki sauce = 2-6 teriyaki chicken bowls
taco seasoning + lettuce + ground turkey + cheese + mild taco sauce = 2-6 taco bowls
baked chicken + teriyaki sauce = teriyaki chicken — endless possibilities
shredded chicken + bbq sauce = endless possibilities
cut the pineapple and place it in the fridge for easy access
mix cut fruit to make a fruit salad
slice apples and place them in the fridge for easy access
slice oranges and place them in the fridge for easy access

i’m not kidding when i tell you it is possible to make 80% of what i’ve mentioned in 1.5-2.5 hours. i’ve done it before. in fact, i just did it this week. you will be left with weeks’ worth of lunches for your children, freeing your thoughts until your freezer is nearly empty again.

easily pair the protein (main focus in this article) with veggies or the fruit mentioned in the grocery list.

great lunch pairings:

bananas
cucumber salad
grapes
apples
carrots (and ranch)
celery and peanut butter (or ranch)
pineapples
broccoli
melons
yogurt
cheese sticks
apple sauce
granola bars

store the food you’ve prepped.

i freeze EVERYTHING i cook for my children. i place the quesadillas + burritos + mini pizzas in ziplock bags. each night, i choose what they’re lunch will consist of and remove a single item from each ziplock bag and reseal it to keep everything else fresh. their lunch thaws overnight and is ready for the air fryer, frying pan, or microwave early in the morning. after heating, lunches are packed and we’re out the door.

if you’re a mother, you understand the cut fruit concept. if it is cut, it is as good as gone. children will always eat cut fruit.

after school, if their bellies are touching their backs and dinner won’t be ready for another two hours, the freezer is their friend. they can pull something from the freezer i’ve made, and it goes directly into the air fryer.

stuff your calendar

go to your email
pull important dates for the week
add every date from every school or activity email (with details attached)
set alarms to remind you of what’s going on or what should be going on
when you get out your children’s clothes, make sure they aren’t supposed to be wearing something special that week/day
check that calendar every day.

shutdown time

decide on a shutdown time for the week. after this hour, children are not allowed to get out of bed, bother you, make their way downstairs to the kitchen, keep their screens on, or make noise in the house. depending on the week, this time can change. otherwise, it remains the same.

fill your gas tank

every sunday. before seven. this helps set the tone for the week.

plan your lunch, too

you can’t make lunch for them without thinking about your lunch hour. if there’s anything in their lineup that you love, double the recipe. if you’d rather not, then bake some chicken wings, and sauté some broccoli, and grab a little of their rice. make a few meals and pop them in the freezer for later. this meal can change weekly. this is just the basics.

quiet time

every sunday. you. yourself. you. lock your door. place a do not disturb sign on it if you can. if you have a small baby, disregard. this post was meant for mothers with school-aged children, mostly. kick them out. take some time to quiet your mind.

go to bed early

you have a long week ahead of you. now, you have fewer decisions to make and more time to spare. slow down a little. you deserve it.

P.S. i’m not sure what this article says. i’ll read it in the morning. goodnight.

if your coochie real grown (like have a kid…