My Sunday Routine as a Professional Organizer

Sunday is prep day.
Sunday sets the stage for the entire week.
It’s the day I wrap my mind around upcoming events and get everything in order—so I don’t lose my mind.

My Sunday routine has served me well for years. From being a single mom of two to now a married mom of three, it continues to work wonders for our family. Here’s what I do every single Sunday:

Plan

I start by opening the calendar and looking at the week ahead.

• Tuesday: School meeting at 5:30 → I’ll need a quick and easy dinner

• Thursday: Ice skating night → leftovers, and Grandma takes the little one.

• Friday: I have to leave early → my husband will handle morning duty.

• Library books: Going in a bag by the door so I remember to drop them off Tuesday.

Now that my kids are older, I also check their schedules—when they’ll be home for dinner, what they need from us, and where we need to be. A little planning prevents scrambling, stress, and running late.

Meal plan + Groceries

This part is a bit longer—but it’s the backbone of my week.

Meal Planning:
First, I decide how many dinners we need and which nights are for leftovers, pizza, or trying a new recipe. I take stock of what we already have and then map out the week:

S: Order out
M: Fried Rice
T: Chicken Salad
W: Poke Bowls
Th: Salmon, rice, broccoli
F: Pizza
S: Chicken wraps

I do the same for breakfast and lunch, but this is significantly easier. We keep staples on hand (oatmeal, cereal, eggs, bagels). So I really just need to take inventory of those and restock what’s missing.

Groceries:
Once meals are planned, I make a grocery list based on what we’re missing. I also ask everyone in the house what they need—otherwise I’ll get random requests all week. Everyone knows Sunday is grocery day.

Here’s my trick: I write the list in the order of the aisles. I cannot stand circling back through the store. With this method, I can get a week’s worth of groceries in about 45 minutes.

The whole family helps unload and put things away. We also clean out the fridge at the same time.

Meal Prep (Optional):
I don’t do a ton of prep now, but when I was a single mom, it saved me. I’d prep breakfasts and lunches for the week, cook chicken for dinners and school lunches, and pre-cut veggies. It took about three hours, but it made the week run so much smoother. If you’re in a busy season, I highly recommend giving it a try.

Laundry

Sunday is laundry day.

Here’s the short version: I do all my laundry in one day—washing, folding, and putting it away. The key is folding clothes right out of the dryer so nothing piles up. And the big hack? My kids do their own laundry starting at age five. Yes, really.

(I could write a whole separate post on laundry hacks, but I’ll save that for another day.)

Budget

Sunday is money day. If you don’t know where your money is going, you don’t know where your life is going.

We keep a monthly budget, and every Sunday I run through our accounts to make sure we’re on track. At first, it took a little time to learn, but now it only takes a few minutes—even easier if you use a budgeting app.

That’s It!

That’s the magical Sunday routine. It only takes a few hours, but it sets up our entire week for success. A little structure on Sunday means less stress, less scrambling, and a whole lot more peace.

Hi, I’m Naomi!

Founder of Charming Spaces, professional organizer, wife, mom of three and passionate advocate for women.

I hope this blog is everything you’re looking for, but feel free to shoot us a message and follow us on Instagram!

Saturday Morning Reset

Last week, I sat down and poured my heart out about cleaning my house. You can read that blog here.

I sent the blog to my husband before I posted it. I do talk about him, after all, and I wanted his approval before airing our dirty laundry on the internet. I am pleased to report he laughed a couple times and I am even more pleased to report that this opened a discussion about cleaning the house.

He admitted to being unbothered, but not oblivious. He sees the messes too, but it doesn’t affect him the way it affects me.

We talked about cleaning schedules and color-coded charts and Fly Lady’s method of 15 minute zone cleaning. He admitted this strategy sounds suffocating. Then he pointed out, correctly, that inaction feels suffocating for me.

He suggested we start doing one hour family cleaning on Saturday morning. I have fond memories of Saturday morning cleaning as a kid. Windows open, the smell of bleach, and Grateful Dead on the stereo. It’s often too hot to open the windows in Houston, but I soo look forward to those 3 weeks a year that we can do it.

Anyway, we both agreed that Saturday morning cleaning session would be beneficial for our kids and for us. So, we are going to give it a shot. I expressed my concern that while I love this idea, and I think we can get our entire downstairs reset and cleaned in that time, there are still things we never seem to get to. The deep cleaning—fans, baseboards, windows, etc. I suggested that I continue Fly Lady’s 15 minute zone cleaning for that stuff, and instead of asking him to follow the color coded zones that he feels suffocated by, we come up with a list of deep clean items that become his responsibility. When and how we does those things are up to him. He actually wants to take things off my plate and off my mind. Go figure…communicating with your husband actually works!

If deep cleaning continues to be a thorn in my side, we can always hire a cleaning company to spring clean for us twice a year.

This feels hopeful, and maybe even a little fun.

This interaction and others like it are what makes me feel safe in my marriage. He will genuinely hear me out. He respects me and wants me to be happy. He believes we’re a partnership. If you have this foundation, you can get through anything. Just have the conversation.

With work, many of our cilents have similar complaints. They are stressed about the house and their husbands just don’t see it as a big deal. Most of the time, the husband is understanding enough and caring enough to do what it takes to ease the burden off his wife’s shoulders. Even if that means hiring us to do the work for them. Changing lives and marriages in this way fills my cup. Truth be told, I think organizing is fun. I’m not a fan of cleaning. I find it to be back breaking labor, but I’ll carry totes up and down stairs all day! I guess it’s just a mindset thing.

Maybe we need to find a way to make cleaning more fun. Grateful Dead, here we come.

Hi, I’m Naomi!

Founder of Charming Spaces, professional organizer, wife, mom of three and passionate advocate for women.

I hope this blog is everything you’re looking for, but feel free to shoot us a message and follow us on Instagram!

Monday Morning Overwhelm

It’s 7:30 am on a Monday morning. I’m trying to read for 20 minutes while I sip my morning coffee, as I do every day, but today, I am distracted. There are dishes in the sink. The trash is full. There are amazon boxes piled up and my cat has blood on his nose that I cannot figure out. There are still balloons up from my son’s birthday party which was July 12th.

I’ve been home all weekend. What excuse is there for this? Well, everyone else has been home all weekend too, and sometimes, you just feel so tired of constantly picking up and cleaning. I also started my period this weekend and was pretty much dead to the world yesterday. The fatigue I felt yesterday overshadowed the stress I knew I’d feel when I woke up this morning to this mess.

So here we are. It’s Monday morning and I’ve got to get to work (business work, not housework). I could spend an hour dealing with the house. It would make me feel better, but then I’d be behind on the business work I’m supposed to be doing. My husband works from home on Mondays. He is unbothered. If I asked him if the house was clean right now, he would recognize the dishes needed to be done and the trash needs to go out, but then he’d say “It looks great! I’ll do the dishes and trash real quick,” and he would. Because in all honestly, he’s incredible and he cares about me. The house is never as bad in actuality as it feels in my chest. It wouldn’t take an hour. It would take maybe 30 minutes to get things reset for the week. Why does it feel so heavy?

I read Fly Lady’s Sink Reflections recently. I can’t stop thinking about it. She lays everything out for you. Gives you a precise road map to follow. Detailed cleaning lists for every space, a schedule, routines, you name it. 15 minutes a day zone cleaning. I can do that. I love zones! Splitting my house into zones makes so much sense. Set a timer. I tell my clients to do that. You can do anything for 15 minutes! Color coded schedules, sign me up.

Where I’m struggling is this…no man has ever zoned his house. No man that I know, anyway. No man that I know has thought it even necessary to clean the baseboards. Let alone the light switches and door knobs. Every woman I know knows this needs to be done. No man I know has ever carried the weight of his house in this manner, but every woman I know is overwhelmed by her home and feels like she’s failing. Do the men actually have this figured out? One of my husband’s favorite phrases is “just gotta not let it bother you.” Simple right? Simple, but not easy. He literally just walked in here to tell me about a flame thrower he wants. I shit you not. Unbothered.

I can talk to my therapist about this, sure. My assumption is that we would deal with my feelings about my home, myself, my marriage, my kids, my parenting – and eventually it would all come down to unlocking something about myself. Some realization I come to that would make me…less bothered by the whole lot. But…I’m not sure I want it to not bother me. If it doesn’t bother me, then does that mean I don’t care about the house anymore? Does that mean stuff doesn’t get done? Because shit gets done when I’m bothered. I want a nice home. I want a clean home. I want to be proud of my home. I don’t want to be unbothered. I just want it to be perfect all the time so it doesn’t bother me, right? Unrealistic. These are the circles I run in my head.

I’m a professional organizer for crying out loud. I’m supposed to have it all together. Listen, my house is organized (except for that one closet upstairs). It’s the day-to-day messes that build up that will be the death of me, quite literally.

My clients are women just like me. They are stressed about their home, just like me. Except they also have clutter on top of it. I know how to deal with that. To be fair, I know how to deal with all of this. If dealing with it means getting shit done. If there was an award for making a to do list, I’d be the champ. I can prioritize. I can see what needs done and I can plan it, execute it too. I can, but I would also be the first one up and the last one to rest. My gym time and my work time would have to come second. The worst part of doing it all myself is the resentment I start to feel towards my husband when I am the one doing it all. Maybe that is what I need to go to therapy for. I can do all the things, but I want the division of labor to be fair and equal. I want to feel supported at home without having to make lists and delegate. I want initiative and proactiveness.

Fly lady says don’t be a martyr. I hear you. I don’t want to be a martyr, but mama, I am tired.

Women ask me what the answer to this overwhelm is. I don’t have the answer. I’m right there with you. Perhaps its therapy. Perhaps its outsourcing. Perhaps its just the phase of life we’re in until our kids are grown. I don’t have the answers.

I do know how to get shit done. I can declutter, organize, and clean a house more efficiently and effectively than most people I know. I can sit with you. I can hold your hand and say, I know….me too. Then we stand up and brush ourselves off and get back to it.  

Hi, I’m Naomi!

Founder of Charming Spaces, professional organizer, wife, mom of three and passionate advocate for women.

I hope this blog is everything you’re looking for, but feel free to shoot us a message and follow us on Instagram!

How to Meal Plan without Overwhelm

When I was a single mom, Sunday planning was my secret weapon. I can tell you all about what I do on Sundays to prep for my week, but a big part of that was meal planning. I am no longer a single mom, but I still find this skill to be incredibly useful and we still do this every week.

The purpose of meal planning isn’t to master gourmet cooking, but for surviving the chaos of every day life. It’s not about perfection or even eating healthy every single night. Its about having a plan, saving time, and reducing your stress.

So here’s how it works:

Start with Brainstorming

You don’t have to reinvent the wheel every week. Know what your staples are, pepper in a new recipe every now and then, and keep it simple. Start by brainstorming a list:

• 10 Breakfast Ideas

• 10 Lunch Ideas

• 10 Snacks

• 20 Dinners

The lists should include healthy options as well as some easy and quick ideas too. I think its totally okay if pizza is one of your 20 dinners!

Here is ours. Feel free to steal!

The Basics

Now that you have your list, you’re going to look at each category and simply choose a few things. It’s that simple!

1. Breakfast
   Right now, I have 3 kids who leave the house at three different times. I don’t always cook breakfast for them. I need to make sure I have a variety of items, both to cook, and to grab and go. I pick 2 or 3 options from our breakfast list each week.

2. Lunches
   Each week I ask the kids if they want to pack a lunch or eat at school. I do empower my kids to make their own lunches. I think its a valuable life skill and way to keep them involved in their daily eating choices. If they want to pack a lunch, we decide on some options together, using our list.

3. Snacks
   Snacks are essential with kids! I include a mix of healthy and “fun” options. I usually pick 3 or 4 types of snacks each week.

4. Dinner
   This is where I spend most of my time planning because we have 5 people’s schedules to work around.
   

The Dinner Breakdown

Time to bust out the calendars! Each week, I look to see when we need a grab and go option for practices, when I can actually have time to cook, when should we do leftovers vs pizza, etc.

This week, we have an appointment at 4pm on Monday. I know by the time that’s done and I pick up our 3 year old, I’ll have time to cook about a 30 minute meal.
Thursday, I have a zoom meeting at 6pm so that will need to be a quick and easy night.
Wednesday and Friday’s are normal nights.

• Monday: Korean Beef

• Tuesday: Gnocci Soup

• Wednesday: Taquitos

• Thursday: Grilled cheese + tomato soup

• Friday: Chicken Burritos

• Saturday: Baked Potatoes

Survey The Pantry

I take a look at what I already have and build my grocery list around the meal plan and what’s already in stock. This helps us save money, avoid food waste, and sometimes sparks creative dinner ideas. I happen to have a can of chick peas in my pantry now that is begging for a creative solution.

Final Thoughts

Meal planning and meal prepping are not the same thing. You can start small, by planning only dinners or only breakfasts. It’s a skill that will evolve with your family’s needs and one that you can easily involve the kids in. Remember, it’s not about perfect meals. It’s about creating a plan that works for your life.

Hi, I’m Naomi!

Founder of Charming Spaces, professional organizer, wife, mom of three and passionate advocate for women.

I hope this blog is everything you’re looking for, but feel free to shoot us a message and follow us on Instagram!

How a Professional Organizer Approaches New Year’s Resolutions

New Year’s resolutions have a way of either inspiring us or overwhelming us. As a Professional Organizer, my approach to resolutions centers around practicality and FUN! Yes, you heard that right.

Ever since I was a child, the act of “planning” has always been a favorite activity of mine. I thoroughly enjoy a good notebook, highlighters, color coded lists, check boxes, goal meters, you name it! I have to confess, I sometimes enjoy the planning phase more than the execution phase. There is something exhilarating about creating systems, brainstorming ideas, and mapping out my year. There is a reason I entered this profession. I recognize this isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. So I’m here to share my ways with you to make this a bit easier to swallow!

This year I’m drawing inspiration from Gretchen Rubin, one of my favorite podcasters and authors on happiness and habits. Two of her tips really resonate with me: choosing a one-word theme and her 25 in 2025 framework.

Choose a One-Word Theme

The word you choose should act as a guiding star throughout your year. It’s not a rigid resolution, but rahter a focus that shapes your decisions.

Try to think of a word that has many meanings and symbolism. Have fun with this! I encourage you to listen to the Happier with Gretchen Rubin’s podcast episode 511 for inspiration.

My theme this year is balance.

Balance makes me think of stability
Yoga
Flexibility
Calm
Steady
Peace
A balanced budget
To bring into harmony

I visualize a stack of smooth round rocks, balancing on one another. Water is nearby…

A reminder to be true to myself. Its a representation of my desire and my constant work to be steady and calm. I am also in the process of increasing my flexibility and physical strength. This feels like the perfect word for me.

I’m currently brainstorming how to have a visual representation of balance in my day to day life. Perhaps a throw back to the 90s with a ying yang necklace? Perhaps an hour glass or a scale? A photo of those very rocks?

25 in 2025

Set 25 achievable and realistic goals for the year.

Before I start, I think through different aspects of my life. Things like relationships, parenting, marriage, spirituality, health and fitness, professional, and financial. Where do I need improvement? Where am I doing something right, that I should keep doing? What do I need to drop from my list entirely?

Your goals don’t need to big overwhelming goals. Some should challenge you, but others may just be something you’d like to get done or a small task. Remember, this is supposed to be fun!

Here are my 25 for 2025. In no particular order.

1. Journal weekly

2. Plan a family yoga or pilates session

3. Have weekly 1:1 time with each of my kids

4. Have a monthly date night with my husband

5. Read 12 books

6. Try 12 new recipes

7. 12 social activities with friends

8. Plank every day

9. Be able to do 10 strong push ups

10. Go to a brow bar

11. Schedule College tours for my oldest

12. Take family photos

13. Catch up on family photo albums

14. Schedule a monthly CEO day

15. Plan team days for the year

16. Re-evaluate and set this years business financial goals

17. 12 new google reviews (we currently have 56)

18. Make a medical appointment I’ve been needing to make

19. Make a dental appointment I’ve been needing to make

20. Finalize my will

21. Increase my life insurance

22. Insure my wedding ring

23. Finalize my husband’s life insurance

24. Re-allocate my retirement fund

25. Save a certain dollar amount towards a vehicle

In order to make these goals stick, I break things out into actionable lists. Some of these items may need to be done daily. Most of mine are monthly. Many are one-time to dos that I need to schedule and set deadlines for. Create a plan to actually achieve these things.

I believe that visual tools are powerful motivators. Canva is a great resource for beautiful checklists. A good old fashioned poster board is great too. There’s nothing like seeing your goals proudly displayed on your wall to keep you inspired!

Whether you’re a planner like me or prefer a more spontaneous approach, resolutions work best when they’re personal, actionable, and enjoyable.

Here’s to a year of growth, balance, creativity, and reaching new heights!

Hi, I’m Naomi!

Founder of Charming Spaces, professional organizer, wife, mom of three and passionate advocate for women.

I hope this blog is everything you’re looking for, but feel free to shoot us a message and follow us on Instagram!

8 Tips For An Organized New Year

2025 is around the corner!

Do you promise yourself every year that you’ll get more organized? Here’s a list to make it happen!

Set Goals

Personal or professional, big or small, dreams don’t happen without a plan. Sit down and create your list of goals for the new year. Focus on things that are specific, measurable, and achievable. List out a few bullet points of tasks you need to accomplish to achieve each goal. And create deadlines if you need some extra motivation.

Find a calendar that works for you!

There are so many options out there. Paper planners, scheduling apps, or electronic family wall calendars, the right calendar is out there waiting for you! When it comes to organizing your schedule, there’s no one-size-fits-all. Evaluate what works best for you. Just last night, I got teased for my classic paper planner, but I still love using it! Naomi swears by her Trello app. If what you’re doing isn’t working, it’s time to try something new. The key to getting your calendar in order is to find what works for YOU and then start using it- consistently!

Start Decluttering

Nothing feels as good as starting the new year with a clutter-free home. Say goodbye to anything that came in during 2024 that is no longer serving you! 

This may be especially necessary if you have kids! If they didn’t do a pre-Christmas toy purge, take advantage of the time off from school to clear some room for the new toys that came in.

Don’t hesitate to call the pros if you need help! That’s what we’re here for!

Create a cleaning schedule

Whether the whole family pitches in to help every Saturday morning, or you plan a weekly schedule with a few daily tasks for yourself, having a routine will help keep the house in order. I have found a combination of the two methods to work best in my home.

Implement a morning & evening routine

Make a list of what needs to get done to get everyone on their way each morning. Now figure out who does what, in what order, and make it a habit. If you have young kids, create a short list with pictures: Brush your teeth, make the bed, pack a snack, etc.

Evening schedules can be a bit harder to create a routine around. Parents may have work dinners and PTA meetings come up and the kids have so many activities! But consider what needs to be done and try to make a plan for it. Things like kids’ homework and bedtime routines, running the dishwasher for the following day, and packing lunches all have to get done whether or not you’ve had a busy evening, so make sure you carve out some time and create the routine.

Plan a budget and/or a savings goal

A budget can be an important part of your New Year’s routine. First, take a look at your monthly income and expenses. Consider your financial goals. Use this information to make a plan. Track your spending each month and take time to review your spending to see how you did. If you don’t know where to start, there are apps available to help. And remember to set a little aside for fun!

Brainstorm a family-fun bucket list for the year

Speaking of fun….Is there a trip you’re hoping to do together? A local attraction that never seems to get visited? Maybe you’d like to start a weekly game or movie night? Or, perhaps every year you say,” we really should get together with the cousins more”? Just like anything else, it won’t happen without a plan, so make yours for 2025 now!

Clear your digital Clutter

Is your phone in need of a declutter? How about your computer, Drop Box, or Google Drive? Now’s the perfect time to scroll through your photos and delete any that are duplicates or blurry. Did you take 100s of screenshots of craft ideas or recipes? Time to delete them or file them somewhere useful. Make 2025 your year to actually try them! Delete all the apps you had to download for a single use that haven’t been opened since. The first week of the year is the perfect time to make a point of hitting unsubscribe on all those email lists. It will streamline your inbox and help remove the temptation to shop went those deals come in. This will help your digital clutter, your physical clutter, AND your budget!

Now you’re ready for an organized 2025! Happy New Year!

Hi, I’m Meghan

Professional organizer, mom, former educator, wife, and auntie. I am dedicated to minimalism, greener living, and community service.

I believe organization can relieve stress and help all aspects of your life function more smoothly. I hope the information here can help you create a more peaceful home and lifestyle!