It’s been a while since I’ve done a day in the life the post (2014) but I always enjoy reading about how other people’s days are structured and like to look back on how my life has changed over the years.
Here’s a day in my life from yesterday…
Wake Up 6:20
The girls spent the weekend with their Dad so I get up at 6:20, go downstairs and unlock the door. They get here about 6:30. I turn on the TV and lay on the couch.
I finally make myself get back up around 7:10. I fix the girls breakfast (right now this either eggs or Trix.) I shower. They get dressed.
At 8:25 we walk out the door and head for school. There’s road work on the route I normally take so I go the longer way home and don’t get back until 9:00.
Work Time 9:00
I open up my email and quickly delete the junk and see if there’s anything that needs urgent responding. I really like to keep my inbox at 0 but I currently have five emails sitting in there. I’ll get to them later.
I open up Word and take a look at the 8 blog post drafts I’m currently in the middle of. I decide if there’s anything I want to finish up and publish on the blog today. There’s not so I draft this post.
I pause and make myself a cup of coffee in my new favorite “I’m 29 Again” coffee mug. I just turned 30 last week and my Mom got me the mug for my birthday.
I have a doctor’s apt. tomorrow so I try and finish up all of my freelance articles that are due Wednesday. I get those done which only leaves me one more to write for the week which I’ll probably work on Thursday.
Somewhere in this time I make myself lunch consisting of Salmon and also some peaches and bell peppers I got at the Amish market over the weekend.
Animal Time/Walk 1:00
I’m done working for the day. I slip on my comfy shoes, get my Dog and go for a little walk. He and the boss cat both follow me every step I take trying to make sure that I don’t acknowledge or pet the other animal. If the cat gets too close the dog will jump on her and then the cat attacks, sending him whimpering.
Try as I might, I just can’t prevent this from happening and he never seems to learn that messing with the cat is a bad idea.
I fill up Martin’s (the dog) food bowl and then do a quick check on the cat and rabbit food/water situation filling up as needed.
Since I got attacked by the rooster I have tried to feed those set of chickens but the rooster really, really does not like me. He flared upon me again. (Thinking of getting rid of him altogether.) He doesn’t mess with Jamie so now Jamie has the job of feeding the chickens which he does every evening.
Clean Up/ Supper Prep 2:00
I go back in and straighten up the house listening to a podcast as I do. This means doing things like unloading and reloading the dishwasher and doing laundry. Here lately I’ve been keeping ALL of our laundry done except for the one load that’s in wash each day. It feels pretty amazing. (I now realize how lame that sounds. Oh, the things that excite me as an adult!)
I do a quick check of the house and pick up as needed but in general there’s not much to pick up or clean. (I run the sweeper and mop about once per week but that day is not today.)
I check the menu and tonight we’re having chicken and noodles. I had previously put chicken in a pot on the stove. Now I just need to make some egg noodles.
I make the egg noodles and cover them, shred the chicken and throw the bones out to the cats. It’s time to go the girls.
Get the Girls/After School Tasks 3:00
I leave around 3:10 to go get the girls from school. This means I normally arrive at the school 5-7 minutes early but I like to get the parking spot that makes it easy to get out!
When school lets out I get the girls. (We parents have to stand in a long line and then show badges in the cafeteria to get our kids.) We head home. Jamie gets off work at 3:30 so he’s usually pulling in the driveway the same time we are.
As soon as we get home the girls grab a snack and we go straight into homework mode. I usually help Ava first and then Kailyn. By the time homework is done it’s around 4:15.
The girls do their own thing for a while. By 5 the chicken and noodles are done. We eat supper. Then I clean up and the girls get ready for gymnastics.
(If we didn’t have to leave for gymnastics you’d probably find us playing Yahtzee. We are all addicted but occasionally switch it up with some Monopoly Jr. ;))
Gymnastics 6:00 – 7:25
The girls have Monday night gymnastics class. (This is their only extra-curricular except for pee-wee cheerleading which is only two weeks each school year.)
I watch the girls during their class. It’s super important to them that my eyes are always on them so I don’t even pull my phone out of my purse.
Class ends at 7:15 and we head home.
Bath & Bed for the Kids, Relaxing for Me 7:25
When we get home both of the girls get a bath and then go to bed. Ava normally falls straight asleep but Kailyn usually watches a show and then goes to sleep around 8:30.
At this time I go downstairs and will watch a show or read a book.
There’s nothing on TV I like on Monday nights so I read my current book Ordeal by Hunger that I picked up at the flea market this past weekend. (Very interesting book!) I also load up this blog post and add the pictures I’ve been taking throughout the day.
Bed Time – 10:00
At ten I’m pretty tired. I wash my face, brush my teeth and hop into bed.
While not all of my days look exactly like this they do follow the same structure. Some days I paint the house or do some other DIY type project. (I almost have the entire house painted!) Most days there are no after school activities and so we might visit with family or do something outside.
Every day is a little different but for us following a routine and basic structure works very well.
Are our days anything alike?
I love your day!! Thanks for sharing a peek inside!! Ours are very similar. I work from 9-1 while my girls are at daycare/preschool, then we come home and play for a bit followed by naps for them. They usually nap 2-4:30ish and I work during that time, too, or straighten up the house. Then dinner and play time. Like you, we also have gymnastics one night per week and that is their activity. Nights we don’t have gymnastics we’ll usually head to the store for dessert, play outside, go on a drive, etc. Bed time is 7 – my younger one is usually asleep pretty quick and my 4-year-old usually comes downstairs to talk until 8:30 haha. I don’t mind though! By then I’m also pretty wiped so I head to bed, too. I’m trying my best to stay up late, but I think I missed that gene.
Hope you are doing well!!!! Again, thanks for sharing, these are my favorite posts 🙂
Wow, we do have very similar days 🙂 I used to be able to stay up late. Just a few years ago actually lol. But now by the time ten rolls around I am wiped out and ready for bed! Funny how that changed so quickly.
I love this!! I will admit that I am still working on my routine since baby E arrived and now school started. I will get there I just need to find it because by 9 pm I’m ready for bed. LOL
Oh yeah, it’s hard to come up with a good routine with a baby. I’m sure in time everything will fall into place 🙂
Our days are pretty different because I’m working from home with a two year old. But we do have the laundry in common! Keeping up on household tasks makes me happy too. 🙂
I’m glad I’m not the only one lol. I can imagine that working from home with a two year old is quite difficult. I don’t know how you do it!
I always love getting a glimpse into the ordinary lives of other people. Not everything has to be glamorous to be interesting. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you 🙂 Our days are far from glamorous but keep us all happy.
I admire your schedule. I would love to work from home and earn the same if not more money. Do you have any suggestions on how to start? I have 3 kids, 11, 7, 9 months. I attend college online and on campus. Would love to work from home but don’t know where to start.
Any suggestions are welcome
Hey Priscilla, There’s really no easy way to get started. It took me about five solid tries at different ideas before I found one that worked. When I did find something that worked it took me two years to earn $2,000/month on a consistent basis.
My advice is to jump and try something on the side. Figure out what you like and what you don’t like and then go from there. It takes a lot of work in the beginning but can really be worth it.
Best of luck!
I don’t have kids, but I admire how tightly you keep to a schedule!! I try to stay on schedule most of my day, but most of my work is done from 8-10 pm. Work for the blog, that is 🙂 I love your story about the pets too – your boss cat sounds crazy! 🙂
I’m not always on schedule. Sometimes I shift things around as I feel like it. But having general guidelines and staying organized makes all the difference in the world.
And the boss cat is crazy. She thinks she rules all the other animals and is mean enough to keep the dogs from touching her!
I love your routine! It’s so productive and you have plenty of time for work, the home, and your family. School just started back here two weeks ago, and I was traveling over the weekend, so I feel like we still haven’t gotten into a good routine. BUT, usually may day includes waking up to get the boys ready, then my husband takes them to school/daycare. They leave about 7:10, so I work/eat breakfast and lunch/do household chores from then until about 2. Then I shower and head to pick up my oldest at 3. Sometimes, we pick up my youngest too, or my husband will get him. We go home, the oldest does his homework, then plays in his room with his brother until dinner is ready. Then it’s usually some outside play time before bath and bed for them at 8 and 8:30. Then, I usually unwind by reading, watching TV with my husband, or we just sit and talk about what’s going on, what’s coming up, etc.
Alexa … I absolutely love the sneak peak you gave into your day! My day looks nothing like this, lol. It’s total chaos over here, but soon, it will be a little more manageable. 😉
A) The thought of a five hour workday makes me drool. Props to you!
B) What podcast(s) do you listen to?
: )