New house, new neighborhood, new lifestyle! Here’s what a week actually looks like now, including the themed dinner plan that’s helping me stay organized and the evening walk the boys request every night.
2026 has been a year of figuring out new routines
New neighborhood, new commute to school, new everything. I am still figuring out ways to be more organized, get dinners on the table more efficiently, and make life run smoothly. One of the things I’m trying this fall: themed dinner nights, one per day of the week. I love Blue Apron, but I haven’t turned the subscription back on, so it seems like every other week I’m trying to brainstorm meals at the last minute.
From workouts to routines, here’s what a typical week looks like for us right now.
My Weekly Rhythm
Monday — Italian Night
Workout
Morning Flex strength class, one of three weight-focused classes I do each week. TBD if I make it if I had a hard soccer game the day before.
Pickup
I grab the boys around 4, even though Birch technically doesn’t need afterschool pickup until 5:30. Waiting that long meant everyone came home starving and I had no time to actually cook.
Dinner
Italian — pizza, spaghetti, lasagna, whatever noodles are on hand. Italian is one meal category that we all love! But luckily there are lots of choices. From homemade or take-and-bake pizzas to my favorite Mona Lisa lasagna to all kinds of noodle dishes.
Tuesday — Taco Tuesday
Workout
I shower first and go to a 4:30pm circuit class on what’s usually my heaviest work day, very desk heavy.
Pickup
Mazen meets me at the gym and I leave the class 5 minutes early to get Birch on time.
Dinner
Tacos, either picked up from Brazos Tacos ($2.50 tacos on Tuesdays — a family favorite) or quick quesadillas or taco bowls at home. Might switch this to every other week to mix it up.
Wednesday — Cozy Night In
Workout
Flex strength class #2, the one I push myself hardest in. Sauna and shower after.
Work
A work-heavy afternoon — some Wednesdays I’m at my desk until 6. It’s nice to get in the flow knowing I don’t have to leave the house again.
Dinner
Cooking just for myself — a rice and bean bowl, a salad, or sometimes a friend comes over to cook together. This is my movie, show, puzzle, or book night.
Thursday — Social Night Out
Workout
4:30 Afterburn cardio class.
Work
Shower first, work second, sometimes with appointments mixed in (last week I took the car to Toyota, and this week it’s the dentist).
Dinner
Happy hour with friends after our workout is a regular event! We switch up the location, but it’s one of the highlights of my week.
Friday — Chicken or Burger Night
Dinner
Chicken and burgers are two more foods both of my kids enjoy. I’m also trying to do more crockpot meals this fall! If it’s not a kid night, Wednesday’s leftovers do the job.
Evening
Early gym class the next morning keeps me in on Fridays — I treat it as a rest day and go for lots of walking instead. It’s also my day for a lunch or walk with a friend.
Saturday — Wild Card Day
Workout
8:30 gym class to start the day! My favorite workout of the week.
Activities
From there it’s whatever the day brings — Birch’s soccer games, a sleepover for Mazen, a birthday party, or a night out.
Dinner
Usually out in some form, or occasionally Mazen and I plan something more elaborate and cook together like when we made Arayes.
Sunday — Reset Day
Morning
Sleep in. Soccer games in season, yoga when it’s not. So either 2 hours of running or just stretching, haha.
Activities
Family swim at the indoor pool or a playdate on kid weekends; a book on the couch or a trip to a vineyard when it’s not.
Dinner / Prep
Sometimes a prep day instead — a quiche or a batch of muffins to set up the week ahead.
The Evening Scooter Walk
This one wasn’t planned, but it’s become one of my favorite parts of the week. Most evenings after dinner, the boys grab their scooters and we walk over to visit the farm animals in the field next to our new neighborhood. It started as a way to get everyone outside and moving after dinner, and now it’s an expectation — they ask for it before I even bring it up.
Other Small Things That Make Life Easier
Laundry, One Load Per Person
One of my life mantras is not to mix laundry. One load per person per week means no sorting. (Most weeks I do my own laundry twice.) I also do minimal folding: clean clothes go straight from the dryer into drawers or on hangers. I do fold the boys’ loosely for their drawers, but my laundry is mostly workout clothes and PJs and just gets stuffed loose into a drawer!
The Robot Vacuum
It quietly handles most of the daily floor cleanup so it’s one less thing on my list.
Getting Up Earlier
This school year I’m setting my sunrise alarm a little earlier than in the past so I can have a bit more calm before we leave. It’s made a big difference in getting lunches and breakfasts organized.
Grocery Pickup
This is a life changing service!! Not having to go into the store saves me SO much time. I don’t loooove that it’s more expensive (which I didn’t know at first because the prices are marked up per item instead of a flat fee) but I’ve convinced myself this is still worth doing 3/4 weeks a month. (I get more expensive items on my in-person trip which is the biggest stock up too.)
Morning Walks on Non-Kid Days
On mornings when I don’t have the boys and there’s no rush to get out the door for school, I am trying to get outside for a walk for sunshine and fresh air to start the day.
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