This year I decided it would be fun to do a Day in the Life exercise once each season. Four times during the year seems like just the right amount to capture how life shifts and changes.
Spring is finally here and oh what a difference it makes! I chose a Tuesday to document because I’ve recently started working away from home some and I’m still get adjusting to the new Tuesday/Thursday routine.
Steve is out of town for work this week.
12:15 am – Go to bed late, again. Glad I didn’t have that cup of coffee at 9pm, but still managed to get some more work done.
6:15 am – The alarm on my iPhone goes off. I hit the snooze.
6:45 am – Realize I turned off the alarm and didn’t hit snooze. Get up.
6:50 am – Feed the fish. Make note that I need to change the filter and add more water tomorrow.
6:55 am – Turn on espresso machine to pre-heat. Prep a bagel thin, egg, cheese, and turkey sausage to cook before leaving.
7:00 am – Hear Emily start to wake up while I make my coffee. Feel proud that I’ve kept this counter clean and tidy for almost two weeks now. Loving my new coffee ritual.
7:05 am – Get Emily up and put on the dress we had set out. Hope the weather forecast was accurate and she won’t be cold. Get out a sweater to wear with it.
7:10 am – Let Emily watch Peppa Pig on my phone while I take a shower. She sits on her bathroom stool and talks to me most of the time, asking why I am hiding behind the curtain.
7:15 am – Get out of the shower and remember that I wanted to document today. Try to remember where I put the camera. Scramble about taking a few catch-up photos.
7:20 am – I get dressed, making a mental note that I have a lot of laundry to put away and even more still to wash. Heavy sigh.
7:40 am – Emily has put her shoes on the wrong feet. Ask her to switch them… and then threaten to do it for her. She proudly switches her shoes.
7:50 am – Make my egg sandwich while explaining to Emily why mommy has to make her own breakfast.
8:04 am – Attempt #1 at leaving the house.
8:05 am – Emily has pooped and needs her diaper changed. We discuss how she has three months until she turns three -and how nice it would be if she was potty trained by then.
8:10 am – Attempt #2 at leaving the house. Actually get down the street before realizing the daycare check is on the table. Go back home.
8:13 am – Attempt #3 at leaving the house.
8:18 am – Drop Emily off at daycare. She needs three kisses before she will let me leave, but then hops away happily.
8:30 am – Arrive at work on campus. Feel so glad (like I do every time) that my assigned parking lot is the one across from my office. Remind myself to go in the side door instead of walking around.
Some of you know that my background is in water science. I was full-time in that field (and out of the home) until Emily was born, working in the evenings on Simple Scrapper. Since they I’ve worked from home full-time, with my efforts split between the science work and Simple Scrapper. (It’s actually very similar work – blogging, teaching, social media – but in a different field.) Just this year they had office space for me on campus, so I took it as an opportunity to find more segregation between my work. I come in on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
8:40 am – Pop open a Diet Coke and eat my breakfast while checking email.
9:30 am – The alarm on my phone chimes, signaling that it’s time for a 5-minute check-in on Pinterest. I take a bathroom break and quickly pin some cool stuff.
I am actively trying to grow my following on Pinterest by sticking to a schedule as much as I can.
11:30 am – Start thinking about lunch and craft a plan to walk to Jimmy John’s to get a sandwich, after I finish this task.
12:30pm – Restroom Pinterest break.
12:45 pm – Realize I have a webinar to attend at 1pm and don’t have time to walk. Place online order.
12:46 pm – Order arrives. Just kidding, it was 12:54.
1:00 pm – Enjoy sandwich while watching a webinar and taking thorough notes for a future blog post.
2:00 pm – Feeling sluggish and wishing I’d taken the time to do the 30 minute walk to get lunch. The task could have waited.
3:30pm – Restroom Pinterest break.
3:45 pm – Feeling a headache coming on. I should probably drink more water.
5:00 pm – Leave to pick up Emily from daycare.
5:20 pm – We manage to leave the building and get in the car with only mild obstinance.
5:25 pm – Emily needs to “talk to her flowers” before we go in the house. Another daily ritual.
5:30 pm – Frozen has come in the mail along with other fun packages (i.e. a new frother for the espresso machine and my Studio Calico kit).
6:00 pm – Am totally mesmerized by the quality of a Blu-ray disc.
6:30 pm – Daddy calls from this trip while I’m making a dinner that Emily would later not eat. We pause Frozen and don’t come back to it.
7:15 pm – Sitting down to dinner and Emily won’t try the enchiladas I made, even though I tell her they have chocolate in them (i.e. mole sauce).
8:00 pm – We start getting ready for bed and Emily convinces me to let her watch one episode of Peppa Pig after she brushes her teeth – and tries on my glasses.
8:45 pm – Emily does everything possible to stall sleeping, including the heart-wrenching “But I neeeeed you, Mommy!” I relent and sing her two more songs.
9:00 pm – Sit down to check email and wish I could make a cup of coffee.
9:35 pm – Time to get back to work. I self-negotiate my list down to two items. The rest can wait.
Final Thoughts | I didn’t do a very good job of getting myself in the picture, but really liked carrying around the big camera to get nice shots. Quarterly is a good frequency for me.
Have you documented a day or week in your life this year? Ali Edwards has invited scrapbookers to play along with her in documenting this Thursday.
Fun look at your day. I am still plugging along doing mine monthly on the 22nd. I like seeing how our routines change.
Also had to add my 2 year old is OBSESSED with Peppa Pig and my 4 year old has a “wake up flowers” song she will sing to them before we leave to go anywhere (if the buds are closed). Fun to see children with similar rituals.
Thanks! Emily has just started to make up songs. She asked me this morning if I had ever heard the “I’m Going to School” song. I said no and asked her how it goes. It’s “I’m Going to School” on repeat. 😉
I need a nap just hearing about you going to bed at 12:15 and the alarm going off at 6:15! I feel sick, like i’m really hungover, if I don’t get enough sleep, and basically went through most of my life feeling that way up until a few years ago.
You have a full plate, Jennifer! I never realized that you had two jobs/careers. How do you do it? And you are very active and consistent with Simple Scrapper. And a little one to take care of? Now I need a nap again.
This sounds like a fun approach of documenting and I will have to pick a day to try it. My biggest hurdle will most likely be what it is now…remembering to take pictures! That last picture of Emily with your glasses on, and that expression on her face, is priceless!
I’ve been trying hard not to keep those hours Lisa. Recently I’ve been in bed consistently between 10:30 and 11 and would love to make that even earlier. I get nervous when he’s away and that keeps me up. Going to bed earlier has helped me get up earlier and feel more ready to face the day, even if I stay up too late one night.
I’ll be the first to admit that I do have a very full plate – and would love a nap. It’s a constant juggling act, but I’m very aware of it and always seeking ways to make things easier. This year I’ve really reached out for additional help with Simple Scrapper so that I can hold more space for my family and myself. I really love what I do – in both jobs but especially at Simple Scrapper – so it rarely feels like work.
One tip for doing a DITL easily is to focus on the documentation and then find photos from the past month or two that represent some of those details that you captured.
Wow! I loved getting a glimpse into your day. But I had no idea you have a FT science job. That is amazing with all of the stuff you do for SS. You are a superwoman!!! I am even more appreciative of all the hard work you put in to this wonderful community. Thank you! Thank you!
Thanks Marina! It’s been just part-time since Emily was born, 15-20 hours a week. I was full time before that. It helps that the work is very connected to what I used to do in my previous life in DC.
Please tell me your credit card numbers are blurred out in the top photo and ninth photo? I enjoyed the post. I love that you are public about things such as other paid work and daycare.
Yes of course! The smudge tool is very helpful.
And thanks… it’s not always relevant to discuss (though it was here), but I don’t hide it either. Having other paid work and daycare has allowed me to invest both time and money into creating a real business. There certainly have been (and still are) compromises made to juggle everything, but I can’t say I would have done it any differently.
You inspire me to do this project. Thanks.
Loved getting a peek at a day in your life…….Super Woman is definitely Jennifer Wilson :). Love that you give of yourself everywhere in your life and that you truly enjoy your life!
Love this post!! I wasn’t able to play along last week but I think I’m going to this week. You’ve inspired me 🙂 how did you keep track of what was going on when? Also, I love all these photographs! Especially the one of Emily in the backseat of the car. The light hits her face so perfectly. But I’m missing a picture of you!
I started a blog post draft pretty early in the morning and added in more entries every few hours.
Yes, I was totally missing from the photos this time. I totally realized that as I was editing images. Next time!
I love your sense of humor. Emily is too cool and very decisive about her wants and likes. That photo of her in your glasses is absolutely priceless! It is to scrap!
As others have said and I concur, you are absolutely awesome! and I a glad to read that you are working on earlier bedtimes for you!
The past two years, I tried to do DiTL at the end of each month, until I broke my hand. Didn’t resume with healed hand nor participate last week but I like the idea of doing one quarterly, so, I think I will between now – May 16 – and first day of summer! Thanks for the inspiration; wish I had a cute little Emily to share, too.
Cheers;