Behind the Blogger
Blog Hop
Behind the Blogger: A Day in the Life
November 03, 2015
Hello and Happy Tuesday! Welcome to another Behind the Blogger Series. Today we are sharing "A Day in the Life" ---basically a day in OUR life. Some of us will share how blogging intertwines with our personal life, others will concentrate on other areas, but all-in-all, this is REAL LIFE! If you have missed my past two previous post, you can check it out here and here.
Before I break down my day for you, I want you to know that before I am a blogger, I am a mom. The more serious I get about blogging the more I realized that some people forget that. They see that I posted something on Facebook or Instagram and assume that is how I spend my day. Although, I am busy on the daily, I am busy primarily because of the life I live with my family. Blogging is secondary and something I love to do, but it does not replace my job as a mother and wife.
In the last Behind the Blogger, Man Beside the Blogger, I shared with you my love and for those who do not know...He is a Strength Coach. With that said, he is a very busy man and works extremely long hours and depending on the sporting season sometimes I only see him a couple hours a day or a few hours a week.
My day normally starts off between 5:30 and 6 am. I wake up, pray, and depending on the day I may meditate and read scriptures or inspirational talks--This is something that I am working on. I am not perfect, but I do understand the importance of mediation and setting that time apart to focus on spiritual growth. After that, I start networking. Whenever I schedule a post, I schedule it to go out super early in the morning so I have to to network and get my post out there. I continue to do this until 7am. Once it is is 7am, my focus is on my kids and getting them ready for school.
When it comes to my kids morning routine...All hell breaks loose because the mornings are one of the most HECTIC part of my day...It is ridiculous. I have 3 kids that I am responsible for looking somewhat decent on the daily. ALL of my kids dress themselves, yes you read that right, everyone from my 7 year old to my 3 year old dresses themselves. I basically, get my girls clothes ready for the week, fix their hair, make sure they brush their teeth, have their snacks for the day ready, shoes on, and bags packed. I have one hour to get my kids ready. Once they are ready, we all sit down at the dining table read scriptures as a family and say a daily family prayer. This normally last between 5-10 minutes. Then it is off to school.
I have two kids in school and one child who attends speech classes every day of the week at different times every day. So depending on the day, his classes may be in the morning or the middle day. After I drop my girls off at school, I have my son with me. We normally eat breakfast once we come back home or in the car. After breakfast is eaten, I normally clean or pickup the house for an hour. While doing this I like to listen to inspirational talks. This normally calms me from my hectic morning.
After my one hour of cleaning is over. I do more networking, sharing of my post(s), and blog. I normally have approximately 3 hours of doing this. I try to schedule certain task to do on certain days. This is also the time frame that I work on my tutorials or projects. I live in a dungeon so this is when the most natural light is in my house and the best time for me to take pictures. If I am sitting down and networking, I normally have my son sitting on my lap or on the chair next to me working on some educational games on the iPad or I use my multitasking skills and we are working with flashcards on his articulation. If the weather is nice and I am working on a tutorial or project my son will watch a little bit of TV or play with his toys. Also during this time, my son and I will eat lunch or a snack then I lay him down for a nap. You may have noticed that I do not take my son outside during this time. I normally allow my son to play outside prior to or after his speech class or when we pick his sisters up. We do not have outdoor space for him to run around. I know I sound like a boring mom, but this is what works for us. Please do know, my blogging life is extremely unorganized as I have a difficult time sitting still for so long and get distracted easily. This is just a schedule I try to stick to, but sometimes it does not work.
By now most of my day is gone and around 1:30, I start wrapping up my networking and prep myself to lay my head down for a nap. I take a nap on the regular, it allows me to clear my mind from the blogging world and focus on the task of being a mom. Sometimes this is when inspiration sparks...well, anytime I sleep my thoughts come together...it is very comforting and soothing. Once my nap is over, I pick my girls up from school.
After school is a special time for me. I put my computer down and try not to schedule errands during this time, unless necessary. This is the time I dedicate to my daughters and I call it quiet time. I literally sit beside my daughters and help them with their homework. Some may say I am a helicopter parent and to some degree, I am, but it is my duty to make sure that they are completing their homework and that their projects are turned in on time. I do not coddle them and hold their hand when they do homework but I am there more as support...if they have a question. I love them and I want them to succeed.
We normally work on homework for an hour (sometimes longer), then I begin making dinner. I am typically cleaning the kitchen and preparing dinner at the same time. We all have chores in our house and this is the time that my kids help out. From the time I pick my kids up from school to the time they go to bed, their (my kids) time is my time. I may check my phone here and there during this time, but I am not actively blogging or on social media during this time.
Once the kids are asleep, I catch up on my social media and I go through my blog. I normally do not write my blog post during the week, but I do look over my it during the week and make edits during this time. Oh, and this is when I binge watch TV and spend time with the mister.
This is truly a day in the life...of my life. Thank you for stopping by and don't forget to check out my blogging buddies sites to get the details on a day in their life.
12 comments
For how hectic your schedule might be sometimes, it also looks very balanced. Most people have a hard time prioritizing family *and* work *and* personal time, but you seem to have struck the perfect combination that incorporates all of them. Very inspiring. :) Kudos to you!
ReplyDeleteThanks! For the most part my family schedule is consistent and on point....when it comes to blogging I am still trying to figure things out...I just need to learn to sit still.lol
DeleteYou have such a beautiful family, Jess! I love how you have this wife-momma-blogging-decorating life down perfectly!
ReplyDeleteWow! That is a full day of work! Three adorable kids, wife, and blogger!! You do it all so well Jess. It may seem unorganized to you, but that isn't reflected in your blog. :)
ReplyDeleteThat morning hour of getting everyone out the door sounds intense. I too, have about an hour to get the Kiddo off to school... but I just have ONE! I can't imagine THREE! Good on you girl, for finding the time to meditate. I'm working on including that in my day too. Can be so challenging!
ReplyDeleteIt seems like a busy, and organized day. You know where your priorities are, and have a beautiful family. Thanks for sharing a typical day.
ReplyDeleteIt seems like a busy, and organized day. You know where your priorities are, and have a beautiful family. Thanks for sharing a typical day.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your schedule. It was so interesting to me to see if it was at all similar to mine. It really was except I don't get a nap in! I'd love that!! Keep up the great work!
ReplyDeleteJess I love your schedule that you have set and I LOVE that you take a nap! Sometimes I think my life would be so much more organized and peaceful if I allowed myself a nap. Typically though it's my time to work on things with no distractions so I do thoroughly enjoy my daugther's nap time! Thanks for letting us into your life!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for sharing your day with us! With three kiddos to get out the door I totally H*A*T*E mornings too!
ReplyDeleteNapping is the BEST. I'd love to be able to have a nap in my regular schedule. :)
ReplyDeleteI love this idea.
ReplyDelete