Cropped Tee (wearing an XXS, but XS fit well too!), also love this striped version as well | Distressed Button Fly Black Jeans, wearing my normal size | similar Cardigan, I have this similar one too and wear an XS | Harper Mules, more colors and also available here, runs TTS | Transport Tote, also available here | Indio Sunglasses, more colors available
For the most part, I have two “typical” days each week—one with Owen, and one when he’s at daycare, aka, my work days. They look wildly different, and I love both of them for very different reasons.
Deciding whether or not to stay home with him full-time, hire a nanny or do day-care was a big decision, but I quickly learned that for my personality type, it was best that he have some help one way or another.
Owen started daycare this past January when he was 14 months old and it’s been one of the best thing we’ve done for him! Not only does he love going, he’s gotten to be so much more social, started chatting more and has learned so much. He now sits on the floor anytime I say “do you want a snack?!” —clearly they make them sit at school while they eat. When I drop him off, he just runs off to play!
It’s also been great for me. I’ve always been an independent person and getting to have time for myself is really amazing. It keeps me sane and allows me to be a better, more present mama on my days that I’m with him!
Work Day
Owen goes to daycare three days a week—Monday, Wednesday and Fridays—so these days are my primary days to get stuff done. That typically means work, but also includes any appointments, random errands and a few workouts! Basically anything that’s easier to do by myself or that I can’t or don’t want to do on my days with Owen.
7:15-8:30am
Wake up, make Owen breakfast and get him ready for school & drop him off! He’s usually so excited to go play that he never even looks back at me, which makes this process so much easier on me!
8:45am
I try to make this Pure Barre class at least twice a week. It’s nice because it’s only 50 minutes, so by the time I get home, I’ve still got the whole morning ahead of me AND my workout is done for the day!
9:45-11:30am
I typically don’t eat before my workout, just drink a ton of water and sometimes my celery juice. When I get home, I start with celery juice if I haven’t had it already, then wait 20 minutes and make a green smoothie and get started on work.
In the morning, I start by checking emails and prioritizing my day. I like to have a pretty good outline for my week done by Sunday evening, but it’s nice to review it in the morning to decide what I need to start with.
I’ll do work, make the other half of breakfast—egg and veggie scramble or oatmeal have been my recent favorites, and get a few random chores done (start a load of laundry, etc.). My mornings aren’t usually super structured, but more focused on getting all the random stuff done.
12pm
If I’ve worked out, I’ll usually take a shower and get ready for the rest of my day. I don’t get that sweaty from barre, hence why I don’t shower immediately when I get home.
12:30-3:30pm
This is when the majority of my work gets done. I’m so much more focused once I have the small items off my list. It allows me to actually focus on the bigger items. I’ll write blog posts, shoot and edit photos, work on my little side project, schedule content for Instagram, etc. I close my email, turn my phone on silent and GSD. When you only have 3 days each week to work, you gotta make them count!
I’ll also sometimes have calls in the afternoon for partnerships and with my Beautycounter team! Oh, and I eat lunch sometime in here too—usually around 1-1:30pm.
3:30-4pm
I take Oliver for a walk. This has also become my time to start unwinding a bit from my work day. Yes, it’s early, but again, mom life has taught me so much about what’s important these days. If I can’t get to everything, it’ll happen another day. Accepting this has been so monumental for me. I’m happier, less stressed and can enjoy everything so much more!
4-5pm
The last hour before I go get Owen ends up being a lot of house chores. Cleaning dishes, taking out the trash, prepping his dinner, folding laundry, etc. I used to do so much more of this once he got home, but it’s just harder when he’s running around, and I want to actually be present with him. I’m not perfect about this every day, but it’s something I’m working towards!
5pm
I pick up Owen from daycare and we come home for him to have dinner. He’s usually pretty cranky right when we get home and then stuffs himself and is back to being happy and cheery. Around 6:30, he gets a bath and we start winding down for the night. Just before bed, he gets milk, stories and his teeth “tickled,” aka brushed, but he thinks it’s pretty funny, so we call it teeth tickling! Then he’s down for the night at 7pm
7pm
I tidy up the house because I like to have it look like adults live here, cook dinner for Rob and I, and occasionally finish up some work, though I’m really trying to just be done with work before I go get Owen. It just makes my nights so much more relaxing and enjoyable when I’m not trying to squeeze in more stuff!
9:30pm
I go upstairs and start getting ready for bed. I love taking a hot shower and doing my skincare routine without feeling rushed. I’ll get in bed and read or just go to bed, I’m in need of a new book (leave any suggestions in the comments please!), so lately I’ve just been turning the lights out and going to bed by 10:30 (still working on that earlier bed time).
Day with Owen
7:15am
Our mornings start pretty much the same as his daycare days, except I’ll let him stay in his pajamas longer. After he’s had breakfast, I usually make myself breakfast—I like to wait and not eat first thing when I get up. He’ll be playing with Legos or his cars or other random things he’s found in the cabinets.
9-11:45am
On Thursdays, we got to the gym. I see my trainer, he goes to childcare there which he loves! He gets to play for a little over an hour and then we head home for lunch. On Tuesdays, we’re more flexible. Sometimes we just play all morning, some days we’ll get out and run some errands or go for a walk. Honestly though, these days have been tough for me through winter because I feel like we’re so cooped up.
With spring coming, and at least having reasonable temperatures, I’ve made a list of different things I want to do with him on these days. I’ve struggled to find a good balance with work and mom days, and find myself getting stressed on some of these mornings (but, that’s a long story that I’m saving for another post). We have several parks nearby and so many amazing classes and activities to do that are free in the city. This season I’m adding all those to my list!!
11:45-12:15pm
I’ll feed Owen lunch around this time (he’s often had a small snack in between breakfast and lunch too). After lunch, we play for a bit, then clean up and he goes down for a nap. We just transitioned to one nap a day, though sometimes on the weekends he gets two if he’s really sleepy.
While he naps, I have lunch, do laundry, take a shower, get some work done—basically whatever needs to get done that day!
2-2:30pm
Owen usually wakes up somewhere around here. We’ll get up, have some water and take Oliver for a walk. It’s a nice slow wake up for him. When we get home, he’ll have a snack and play.
In the afternoons, we’ve been having play dates with friends and again, as it warms up, we’re going to be spending far more time outside. In a pinch, I love going out on our patio with him when it’s warm and letting him play. This usually ends in him being covered in dirt, but I think it’s so good for him to explore and play and not worry about getting muddy—that’s what baths are for, right?!
5:30-6pm
Owen has dinner and I start prepping our dinner while he eats. The rest of our nightly routine is basically the same as our work days!
It’s funny to think about how different my schedule was a little over a year ago. I’d also be lying if I said the transition was easy. It’s been such a huge adjustment and I feel like I’m just now figuring out a balance that works for everyone.
I’d love to hear what your days look like—with and without kids! If you’ve got any fun activities or routines you love to do with your kids, please share—I’m always looking for more ideas!
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