It’s time for another installment in our Day in the Life series, and today I’m going to talk about my typical evening routine.
Dinner time often happens in shifts at our house; my husband and I usually eat when he gets home from work around 7pm, and then my daughter eats a light meal when she gets home from dance around 9-9:30pm. We’ll sit together while she eats and talk and watch a TV show; lately we’ve done all this in front of a warm fire since it just got super cold in our neck of the woods!
If I cooked, then I’ll let someone else do the dishes and I’ll take Harley out for his evening walk. Brontë usually joins us although she declined to be photographed on this particular day. Does anyone else have a cat who walks like a dog?
Once we’re back from our walk, Harley gets a treat and I make sure the kitchen is clean (for example, my dishwashers don’t usually wipe down the stainless range, so I’ll do that). If there’s laundry that’s still sitting in the dryer I’ll fluff it for about 15 minutes while I’m tidying and then I’ll fold it before I go upstairs.
I’ll also take my vitamins at bedtime because it’s easier for me to remember (and I don’t like taking them on a full stomach). I haven’t always been very good about taking supplements, especially calcium, but am trying to do better so I don’t disintegrate into a pile of bone dust in the near future.
I won’t lie that getting into my pajamas is one of my favorite parts of the day. This might sound strange, but I try to wear pjs that match rather than just any ratty old thing. When I read the Madame Chic books there was a section on that and it impressed me enough to toss out all my old college T shirts and sweats. (BTW, I’ll list all my sources at the end of the post if you’re interested)
(My Madame Chic books are below; one is currently on loan to my daughter’s friend Sarah since the girls are reading through them, too)
Some nights, Annabelle and I will have a cup of hot water with a lemon half squeezed in it (another Madame Chic idea), or decaf tea, before bed. Sometimes this happens before pajamas or after; it just depends.
My evening routine for beauty and skin care is always to take my makeup off, remove my contact lenses, and use my Clarisonic to exfoliate (I use it every other day during the colder months). I also use Retin-A alternating with Beautycounter’s night cream. I have a lot of bottles but the process really only takes about five minutes.
(Sources linked at end of post)
I’m still working on our bedroom and haven’t shared it yet, but I have to say that I do love our bed (you can read a review of the mattress HERE). I also upgraded my pillowcase to a silk one with a silk eye mask and that made a huge difference in my sleep quality. I always used to be able to sleep without any issues at all but that has changed during the past few years and I find that some of these small changes have definitely helped.
So, once I get in to bed, I’m still at least an hour from actually sleeping most nights. I try to at least get in to bed at the same time that my husband (the early bird) does, but I will read for awhile before I turn out the light or use the Kindle and Overdrive apps on my phone to read, usually a mix of nonfiction and fiction. If I’ve got a deadline then sometimes I’ll stay up late working downstairs because often the only uninterrupted writing time I get is after the house is quiet.
I also send myself an email almost every night with a to-do list for the next morning since apparently I do most of my best thinking in bed!
(I’m currently finishing THIS BOOK–and I definitely recommend it!)
When the kids were younger and not self-sufficient, I’d do things like pre-pack lunches and prep breakfast the night before, but thankfully we are past those days. Still, I think the takeaway is that an organized evening routine leads to a smooth start the next day. My top tips are: 1. Leave the kitchen clean, 2. Take time to unwind and care for yourself, and 3. Plan your morning the night before.
I have a cat, Fernando, who walked wither our beautiful golden, Dixie. Dixie has passed on now.
When I walked the dog, Fernando would follow until he decided that we’d gone far enough. He would sit and wait For us to turn around and go home, meowing the whole time.
That’s so sweet, Debbie! Our last cat, Tinker, would do the same. He wasn’t comfortable going the entire way with us, but neither did he want us to go on without him, so he cried the whole time he waited for us. I’m sure Fernando misses Dixie and his evening walks. Take care–Christy
thank you to your husband for his service to our country! We appreciate his service which helps keeps America free and safe. Thanks to you, his family, also for the sacrifices you make to help him serve. God bless you and God bless America!
Thank you so much, Patty. I will pass that along to him; we appreciate your kind words!
Take care,
Christy
We had a cat who thought she was a dog! lol She followed my two boys around when they played outside with friends anywhere they went.
I haven’t read Madame Chic but I also love sleeping in a pretty “set” of PJ’s. I will check those books out…bet they’re good!
Thanks to your husband!
I just checked on the Madame Chic books and they’ll be perfect for my 17 year old granddaughter for Christmas! Thanks for listing them.
I agree! My daughter is 16 and she and her friend are really enjoying them (but I honestly think they’re fun for all ages; I reread them frequently). Hope she loves them–Christy
Thank you, Nita–I’ll pass that along to him. What a funny cat story; I’ve met a few others who acted more like dogs, too!Take care,Christy
I always love your day-in-the-life posts, but this one. . .WOW! Thank you so very much for mentioning my book. I appreciate it more than I can tell you!
I’m so glad you liked it, Richella! And your book has been such a blessing to me; I’m happy to recommend it again. I’m on the last chapter, which I know is slower than it should be, but my stack of books is so high right now that it’s been slow going. I think I’m going to try to get my 19 year old to read it over Thanksgiving break.Take care, my friend–Christy
Growing up, I also had a cat that would go on evening walks with us after dinner. we would joke that she thought she was a dog. She was the friendliest, most easy-going cat I have ever known.
That sounds like Brontë–she’s definitely the best cat out of the many we’ve had. Glad to hear that there are plenty of cats who like to go on walkabout with their families!Take care, Christy