Having a large family requires a lot of oversight and management. I am constantly learning and growing in this area! In order to prepare for the Lord’s Day, a couple weeks ago I jotted down this list:
SATURDAY CHECKLIST
…to clean up from week of work,
and prepare for the Lord’s Day…
- House Clean – picked up, vacuumed, mopped, bathrooms SHINY.
- Food Prepared – meals planned for Sunday and prep work done.
- Kitchen Clean – everything put away and easy to use on Sunday; mopped.
- Van Cleaned – swept and cleaned, maybe washed.
- Projects/Activities – accomplish/time these in such a manner that there is enough time left in the day for the items below.
- Bodies Clean – Super Grooming Time! Nails clipped, feet scrubbed, haircuts, etc. BRUSH HAIR NIGHT BEFORE AND FIND ALL HAIRBRUSHES! If swimming today, wash hair when you rinse off for the pool.
- Clothes Ready – outfit for church picked out (ironed or brushed if needed), shoes clean (polished if necessary). MATCHING socks; belt; hair pins/bows/ponytails selected and ready.
- Bibles Ready – find your Bible (IF you’ve LOST it!
), find your church notebook and pencil. - Hearts Ready – spend some time in God’s Word and prayer, thanking God for the week, confessing sins, and prepping to worship.
It looks like a lot, but if we’ve kept up with our cleaning and laundry throughout the week, and I have food in the pantry, Saturdays are actually a very easy day. There is a joy in simply doing the work God has placed before us each day with a willing spirit. We end up with lots of free time for extra activities like swimming, cookouts, and playing.
This is posted on a cork board for easy reference. It is so easy for me to lose focus in the midst of a day that follows a different routine, with Daddy home, big projects, activities, etc. We do not keep this checklist perfectly, but it is our goal.
How do you prepare for the Lord’s Day?
And now… off to cleaning!! 
Great ideas here! I am learning so much from you and K at Raising Olives… Right now I am in a little (ok, major) burnout phase and have NEVER been here before!! Even after homeschooling 20 years! Need to regroup, reorganize and recharge. Blogs like yours are so helpful. Thanks.
BTW, my husband is working on a new homeschool ministry, The Homeschool Channel, which will begin airing in Sept. Check out thehomeschoolchannel.tv to see what’s going on. The website is a work in progress, but Vision Forum, Alpha Omega, Jessica Hulcy (KONOS), Franklin Springs Media and many others on joining him in this work. We hope it will be a helpful tool for homeschooling families.
I’m trying to make a Saturday Checklist, and was delighted to find that our lists are almost the same! Here is what I have so far, for mine:
Mom’s Saturday Checklist
Iron Sunday clothes
Lay out Sunday clothes, shoes and scriptures
-Matching socks, belts, hair bows, etc.
Clean and mend Sunday clothes and shoes
Clip kids’ fingernails
Give boys’ haircuts (as needed) or
-Trim neck and around ears
Bathe small children
Shop for Sunday groceries
Make dessert for Sunday
Do prep work for Sunday dinner
Put together snacks, small toys and books for church
Restock diaper bag and other church bags
Thanks for being a great mom! It’s tough work, but we have to have hard times to appreciate the joy that children bring to us!
Thanks, Melissa – it does help so much to make the Lord’s Day a true day of rest to have these “little” things planned and done.