Hey Friends,

Since my husband and I started our journey in church planting, Sundays have become a busy, exciting, and sometimes exhausting day! I look forward to Sundays, but I do not look forward to the busyness, or the exhaustion I sometimes feel at the end of the day. 

In the past few weeks, I have been making slight adjustments to my weekly schedule so that Sundays go a little more smoothly. I’ve also been trying to rearrange things so I can spend more time resting on Sunday afternoons (for me this means sitting down on the couch (while my toddler naps) to read and drink a cup of my favorite tea.

I know that just having little ones at home can make Sundays a tiring day for any woman. Between getting everybody up and dressed for church and making it to church on time… our Sundays can feel like a mad dash to church, to home, to church, and back again (especially if you have evening services like we do!).

In the list below, I have compiled some things that are helping me with my Sundays. It’s my hope that some of these ideas will be a help to you too. Take the ones that appeal to you and leave the rest. Regardless, I hope this will help inspire some ways for your Sundays to go more smoothly and be more relaxing!

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10 Ways to Plan for a Smooth Sunday

“I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord.” Psalm 122:1

1. Have Dinner in the Crockpot (Prepped the Day Before)

We do a fair amount of hosting on Sundays. Sometimes it’s for a whole meal, sometimes it’s just an evening snack. Regardless, I’m learning it’s much better to have a busy Saturday preparing everything ahead of time instead of having a busy Sunday trying to stay on top of it all. 

When possible I’ve been making a crockpot or Instapot recipe so that lunch is ready for us when we get home. We are usually starving and I don’t have lots of energy to cook after a busy morning at church!

>>> If you’re looking for some new crockpot recipes, this is my FAVORITE crockpot recipe book. I’ve been using it for several years and many of our favorite recipes are in this book!

2. Deep Clean the House the Day Before

As I said, we often have company on Sundays… sometimes we plan for it, other times our company is un-expected. It’s incredibly helpful to do a full cleaning of the house the day before so there’s very minimal cleanup needed if we have unexpected guests. 

On Saturdays (after I prep our crockpot or instapot dinner) I clean the kitchen, empty the trash, sweep and wash the floors, give the downstairs bathroom a wipe-down, and put miscellaneous items in their proper place. 

3. Shower and Wash Hair the Night Before

For years, I’ve washed my hair at night… it saves me SO MUCH TIME getting ready in the morning. I try to get a shower a few hours before bedtime so my hair can air-dry. If not, I’ll blow-dry it before going to bed. This way, my hair is dry and ready to style the next morning. 

I typically use a flat iron or curling wand to style my hair. This styling set is similar to the one I’ve been using since high school!

4. Choose Outfits the Night Before

Before going to bed, I choose my outfit and lay it out, ready to go. If I think ahead, I will also choose a matching outfit for Daniel (my husband is on his own!). Most of my outfits don’t need to be ironed, but if they do, I will iron them the night before or make a mental note to do it in the morning. 

5. Have Everything Ready to Go

I teach a kids Sunday school class each week, so before going to bed, I try to have my Sunday school bag, Bible visuals, and my chalk board ready to go! This way I don’t have to run around the house in the morning gathering it all together. 

If I remember, I will also check Daniel’s diaper bag and pack a snack or too with his water bottle.

6. Go to Bed at a Good Time

This one is hard for me! However, Sundays go a lot better when I’ve slept well the night before. It’s my goal to go to bed no later than 10:30 or11:00pm on a Saturday night. 

7. Delegate Breakfast

I’ve been blessed with an incredible husband… and one way he blesses is me is by making breakfast most mornings. This includes Sundays! We’ve learned that a high-protein breakfast (almost always including eggs) will “stick with us” a lot longer than other breakfast foods. It’s not unusual for my Sunday morning breakfast to include an omelet or two over-easy eggs with sourdough bread and a glass of milk!

>>> We use this skillet almost every morning for breakfast. Easy cleanup!

8. Devotions in the Afternoon

I know it would be ideal to wake up early on a Sunday morning and have my devotions before leaving for church, but this only happens every-so-often. After we eat our Sunday lunch and the dishes are all washed, my toddler goes down for a nap and I typically head for the couch for my Bible time. I also like to enjoy a hot cup of tea or coffee and read another book if I’m able. 

(Obviously, if we have company I will visit with our guests instead!) 

9. Nap if Absolutely Needed

Confession: I avoid Sunday afternoon naps like the plague.

Well, maybe not like the plague… but I DO try to avoid taking a nap on Sundays. Naps make me feel groggy and grumpy – not the best way to attend church in the evenings! However, if I’m reading a book and I simply cannot keep my eyes open, I will lay down and snooze for a bit. A shorter 20-30 minute nap seems to serve me better than a long afternoon nap or else I won’t be able to sleep when it’s time for bed!

10. Plan an Easy Day on Monday

Since Sundays are still a busy day (it’s technically my husband’s busiest work day ( and I’m along for the ride!). I’ve been turning Mondays into my “Sabbath Day” of sorts. My husband does the same. We plan for an easy day on Monday with relaxing activities and very little to-do’s. And yes, we ALL usually sleep in on Monday (Sundays are a tiring day for Daniel as well)!

For so long, I’ve had the mindset that Monday needs to be a super productive day in my week. But I didn’t take into account that most people don’t have as busy of a Sunday as we do and my body needs a break! I’m learning to be okay with a busy weekend but then a more relaxing and laid back Monday. It makes the rest of my week go better when I have at least one day with very little to-do’s. 

You may not have the luxury of a relaxing Monday… and if that’s the case, I would encourage you to choose another day during the week (and maybe for you it IS Sunday) that can be your Sabbath. A day of rest, relaxing activities, and zero time on social media!

There You Have It

These are just some simple things I have done that go a long way in making our Sundays better. As I’m sure you noticed, much of these have to do with the day and night before. Our Saturday preparations are crucial for a smooth Sunday! Don’t miss that!

I truly hope you can take one or two of these ideas and implement them into your own Sunday preparations!

Final Thoughts

No matter how much you and I plan, there will always be an occasional Sunday that doesn’t go as planned. We may stay up too late the night before or sleep in late and feel rushed in the morning. Or the baby has a blowout on the way out the door and BOTH mama and baby need an outfit change. There may be Sundays when no one gets to rest or nap, and the day ends with feelings of exhaustion. However, the most important thing is that we do our best to honor the Lord regardless. He doesn’t expect us to look perfect when we enter the doors of the church to worship Him. He doesn’t require us to be a perfect mom who has every child sitting perfectly quiet and still for the duration of the message. God just wants our heart and our worship – imperfect though they be! So, even if Sundays are a long day for you as well, don’t give up! Keep showing up in God’s house to worship the Lord! He will bless you for it.

“Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.” Psalm 150:6

Until Next Time,