My Evening Routine

Does your nighttime routine bring you as much joy as it brings me? Every night, right after we get Thomas down to bed, all I can think about is switching into my PJs, turning on the TV to watch an episode of something with Tommy, and then finally getting into bed to read a chapter of my book. That sounds like HEAVEN to me after a long day.

Isn’t it funny how our idea of an ideal night changes as we get older? When I was younger, I loved to have evening plans multiple nights a week (even when I was working crazy hours in Corporate America) so that I could catch up with friends! But now that I have a toddler, I like being home by 9 and I hate missing my son’s bedtime routine.

Today I’m sharing what my typical evening routine looks like, since I always love reading about others routines! So if you don’t have a good routine that helps you wind down and get a good night’s sleep, I’m here to help!

My Evening Routine

1. Get Thomas to Bed

Thomas doesn’t typically go to bed until about 9. I wish he went down earlier, but it just doesn’t happen and won’t happen unless we decide to get him up earlier in the mornings. (Which would then, in turn, move his nap up and his bedtime up.) But, we like that he sleeps in until 7:30 or even 8 some mornings and it works for our schedules so that’s the main reason he has a late bedtime.

2. Pick up the house

Usually one of us rocks Thomas to sleep while the other one cleans the kitchen up from dinner and picks up the house – putting away toys, taking the trash out or putting laundry away.

3. Change into PJs

Once Thomas is down, I immediately get into PJs. These are my favorites. They’re high quality, soft, flattering and comfortable. I have multiple pairs and it’s the brand that finally convinced me that investing in nice pajamas was worth the cost! I’m a grown up and I deserve grown up pajamas, dang it.

4. Wash my face

I always look forward to my skincare routine and I NEVER skip it; I can’t remember the last time I slept in makeup. One of the things I started doing a few years ago was washing my face and doing my skincare routine about an hour before bed. This allows my serums to absorb into my skin before I put my face on a pillow. (And yes, I have a pillow recommendation too – it’s below!) Some of my skincare is PRICEY, so I want to make sure I don’t waste it.

After I wash my face, I mix 1/2 scoop of Natural Calm into half a cup of hot water and let it dissolve until I come back upstairs to bed.

5. Watch a show with Tommy

Tommy and I almost always watch one episode of a show together at night. We’re currently watching Earthstorm and we’re LOVING it. The first episode was about tornados, the second about volcanoes. I’m not sure what the 3rd and 4th episodes are about, but you get the gist. I also started watching YOU recently, but Tommy hasn’t watched it so I only watch that one if he’s out of town or something.

The next show on our list is Ted Lasso, but I’m also open to suggestions. Our past favorites have been:

• Yellowstone
• 1883
• 1923
• The Crown

Let me know if you have any binge-worthy shows we should watch!

We often have a snack while we watch too, usually cereal. But I should really get back on the stove-top popcorn train since I’d love for Thomas to have fond memories of that tradition like I do!

(Once in a blue moon, I may take a hot bath instead of watching a TV show. And if I applied self tanner in the morning, I always take a shower before putting on my PJs so they don’t get stained if/when I sweat in my sleep.)

6. Head upstairs

After our show, we shut the house down (lights off, alarm on, coffee prepped) and head upstairs, usually around 10:15 pm. We keep the air at 69 because we are both super hot sleepers. I will say, our mattress has been a HUGE game-changer for us hot sleepers though.

I floss my teeth, take my magnesium and brush my teeth (with the best toothpaste ever). Then, I climb into our bed to read.

7. Get pillow situated

You might laugh, but Tommy and I have some very specific needs for our pillows at night. We’re picky, picky, PICKY.

Tommy uses 6-7 pillows (not joking) when he reads and they all kind of pile up around him while he sleeps. One under each arm, one under his knees, and two, sometimes three, behind his head. It’s literal insanity if you ask me. ;).

I like to have 3 pillows. I use all three to prop me up while I read — two pillows for my back and another for my head and neck, so that I’m comfortable, propped up, and don’t have to strain my neck or back while holding my book (I’m a paper book over a kindle kind of gal). And then when I sleep, one goes under my head, one goes behind my back and one goes in front. I sleep on my side so I turn the back and front pillows vertically, a bit like building a fortress around me. I do NOT like to be touched while I sleep.

My new favorite pillow is the Marlow Pillow.

(It comes from the founders of Brooklinen, which I’ve been dying to try!) I use the Marlow pillow behind my back and absolutely LOVE it. I like it because it’s cooling (important, since I get hot SO easily, especially with all these dang hormones I’m on), and because it’s adjustable. The adjustable design uses a zipper, which I’ve never seen. You zip it for a firmer feel and then unzip it for a more plush feel.

I’ve had adjustable pillows in the past, but they required removing filling from the pillows and made such a mess. If I took out too much, I was emailing the companies to see if I could buy more to put back in and when I tried to stuff filling in, it was a nightmare and foam got everywhere since it wasn’t easy to pack in and zip up. The zipper adjustment design on the Marlow is brilliant. It’s not as soft as down, but if you like a medium to firm pillow, you’ll be happy.

The Marlow Pillow is an ideal guest room purchase too, since the easy adjustability makes it so ideal for any sleeper. It’s what we have on our guest bed as well as our bed.

After I tried The Marlow Pillow for the first time, I loved it so much that I connected with the brand to see if they’d want to work together.

The timing was PERFECT because their Spring Sale started TODAY! Everything on their site is 25% off through that sale, but they were SO generous and created a link just for my readers to save even more! If you use this link and purchase 2-3 pillows, you’ll get 20% off (on top of the 25% off sale), and if you purchase 4+ pillows, it’s 30%! I really appreciated them putting that promo together for my readers because who buys just ONE pillow?! This would also make a great gift for Mother’s Day so your mom can refresh her bedroom. 🙂

Anyway… moving on to the next step in my evening routine. (I warned you that I have strong feelings and many thoughts about pillows!)

8. Read a few chapters of my book

I’m an avid reader. I got this trait from my mom, who was reading any time she wasn’t doing another task (and sometimes while she was doing other tasks!). I often read while I blow dry my hair, which is a trick I learned from her. Right now, the book on my nightstand is Choosing to Run by Des Linden. She’s a professional runner I’ve admired for years and it’s fun she finally has a book!

I also highly recommend a Book of the Month subscription if you like fiction. I’ve had it for years, and it’s the best piece of mail I get each month. It’s a great gift too! I’ve given it to a few friends.

9. Put in earplugs and mouthguard

Yep, I’m that girl. I can’t sleep without either one. I have started sleeping without my eye mask now that we don’t have crazy bright lights shining in our bedroom like we did at our last house.

If I’m feeling really wired (cough, if I stay downstairs and watch YOU after Tommy goes up to bed) I’ll take 1-2 sleep gummies. But then I have to get back up to brush my teeth one more time.

10. Turn off light

Usually lights are off between 10:30-10:45…unless I watched YOU, then I’m typically reading until 11 or so to unwind from the stress of that show. I know I know… it’s not a good habit to watch TV that late!

Goodnight, friends! Here’s to hoping I’ll have a good nights sleep!

What’s the #1 thing you have to do for your evening routine? Maybe I’ll be inspired… like I’m not already high maintenance enough as it is with my sleep. 😉