A Peek Inside my Real Life (Q&A)

It’s Q&A month and I’m answering your biggest questions about life, business, and simple scrapbooking.

What is a typical day in your life like? How do you manage it all?

Right now my day usually starts around 6:15 in the morning. I’ve been working hard on getting that head start on the day, though there are still plenty of days where it doesn’t happen. At the latest I’ll get up at 7:15 when my daughter wakes.

I almost always check my email from my phone right away, to see if there is anything urgent that needs to tending to. I don’t go through it all, but know what’s there helps me prioritize my morning. I forward any customer service inquiries to Molly, our customer service manager.

My daughter wakes up at almost the same time every day, regardless of what time she went to bed. I change her diaper and get her dressed. She always wants a drink of juice first thing in the morning, so I let her have a small cup.

As I finish getting ready, sometimes my husband will let her watch an episode Blue’s Clues on Amazon Instant Video. If I’m working on campus that day, often I’ll make something to-go for breakfast like a little egg sandwich on a bagel thin. If I get up at 6:15, I’ll have time to make a latte as well.

We try to be out of the house by 7:45. Sometimes it’s earlier and sometimes it’s later. I’m always running out the door with the bottle of sunscreen to apply to my fair-skinned little girl. If I’m working on campus, I come along in the car. If I’m working at home, I head to my office – or to make that latte.

The first hour of my day is pretty much the same regardless of where I’m working that day. I do a basic check-in of my email accounts, social media accounts, and my must-read blogs. I put a lot of effort into not getting distracted and make sure I know what my first real task is before getting online.

I know that nine to one are my peak hours, so I make sure to dig into tasks that need creativity and energy. The bulk of what I do, for Simple Scrapper and my university projects, is writing. If I can get the big stuff done by 1pm, it will be a great day. If I’m doing any scrapbooking or photography, it’s usually in this window.

I almost always have lunch on the late side, because I know my productivity will plummet in the afternoon. If I’m on a big deadline I’ll actually make sure to eat a super clean lunch with minimal carbs so that I can maintain my energy. It’s just hard to eat that way all the time.

In the afternoon I try to do less intensive tasks like responding to comments, scheduling social media posts, or planning out projects. I rely on Asana to tell me what needs to be done when for all of my work. I usually get a burst of energy around 4pm and will often end up getting into a more creative task, like another blog post at that time.

If I’m on campus, I get picked up at 5pm. if I’m at home, my family arrives at 5:30. I wrap up whatever I’m working on and shift gears for family time. In this hour I’ll start getting dinner ready and maybe tackle some laundry. My daughter will often color, read books, or watch a show on Amazon before supper.

We try to eat around 6:30, but sometimes it’s a little later. This summer we love eating outside if its cool enough. Bath time is usually between 7 and 7:30. My husband gets her in the tub and washes my her hair. I dry her of, brush her hair, brush her teeth, and put her pajamas on. Depending on the time, there might be one or two more books before bed.

After singing the requisite four songs, I head back to the kitchen. My husband usually will have finished the dinner dishes. We sit down and discuss whether either of us needs to work more or we’re going to watch something on TV. More often than not, we each work for an hour and then we will watch something. Sometimes there is ice cream involved.

We’re trying to get to bed earlier and it’s getting easier. Most nights we’re asleep by 11, and sometimes we’ve even been in bed by 10. If we watch a movie bedtime will often be closer to midnight. Unless one of us has a deadline, we almost always go to bed at the same time.

You can see a more detailed look at my everyday life in Day in the Life | Winter and Day in the Life | Spring.

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