It’s been about a month since I reset my routines after completing my 3rd annual whole-house declutter. To create my routines, I took inspiration from the thoughtful rhythms of the Victorian era, as detailed in How to be a Victorian: A Dawn to Dusk Guide to Victorian Life by Ruth Goodman. I used the basic structure of Victorian daily life and adapted it to fit modernity and my slow and simple lifestyle as a homeschooling mother of three, homemaker, and YouTube content creator.
Last week, I shared my Victorian-influenced morning routine, and this time, I’ll take you through my latest afternoon and evening routines. While my morning routine is packed with tasks – but with enough buffer time to take it slow and steady – my afternoon and evening routines are a bit more laid back. I think I’m maintaining the gist of my new routines overall and am really enjoying them so far.
Here’s the basic structure of typical Victorian afternoon and evening routines, which I have adopted as my own:
Midday Meal (and Tea Time) | 12:00 PM
At noon, I pause working on my YouTube channel for my tea break and to prepare a midday meal for my children.
The Day’s Work Resumes | c. 12:30 PM
After lunch is prepared, I get my afternoon cleaning routine done, which is basically a downstairs reset. I work my way from the front of the house to the back. My main focus is to clear the floors and some surfaces. In order, I tidy the:
- entry
- living area
- dining area
- guest bathroom
- home office
Then, I sweep all the downstairs floors and mop only the main, high-traffic areas.
Weekly Docket Tasks and/or Leisure | c. 1:30 PM
After I reset the downstairs, usually around 1:30 PM, I take a look at my Weekly Docket in Notion and complete a weekly task or two. On my Weekly Docket, I have a few different tables:
- Chores that need to be done on a weekly basis rather than a daily basis – mostly during the weekend.
- Non-chore related tasks that I do randomly every week, which consist of mostly leisure activities.
- Additional tasks that need to get done eventually, the sooner the better, that I just add to as they come up.
I’ll work on a couple of those until 3:30.
Evening Meal and a Kitchen Clean-Up| 3:30 PM
By 3:30, I begin preparing our evening meal and cleaning up the kitchen. Cooking is my least favorite homemaking task. But, I’m trying to start viewing cooking for my family as a way of showing love as I slow down and enjoy the process. Some days I’m too worn out to enjoy it. While I’m cooking, I start cleaning up the kitchen. Usually, I’m not able to finish tidying the entire kitchen before my full attention is focused on dinner.
After dinner, I finish cleaning the kitchen. If I’ve already started the dishwasher while cooking like I did today, I’ll just pile the remaining dirty dishes in the sink, take out the trash if it’s full, and clear the counters. This is when I also set my French press up with coffee and electric kettle with water.
After the kitchen is fully reset, I’ll do whatever until 7:15ish, usually something productive like deep-cleaning or organizing something while watching a movie. Lately, I’ve been watching the 90s versions of Jane Eyre and Sense and Sensibility over and over again, with that recent break for Vanity Fair.
Evening Ablutions | c. 7:00 PM
Around 7:00/7:15, I’ll start tucking in Bear and my children for the night, and saying their prayers. After, I start my evening ablutions by 7:30. I brush my teeth, take a shower, brush my hair, and heavily moisturize my face and neck. Then, it’s time to collapse into bed no later than 8:00 PM and pray until I fall asleep.
Conclusion
That concludes my new afternoon and evening routines. These small, grounding rituals help me connect with a slower time and remind me to appreciate the beauty in intentionality and simplicity. Thank you for joining me today, and I hope my routines inspire you to create your own rhythms of intentional living!
Simply Amber Marie 