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A Day in the Life – Working at Home Schedule

November 6, 2013

A Day in the Life - IHOD IHOD - Desktop Workspace Workspace - A Day in the Life - IHOD

I get asked quite frequently, “How do you manage everything?” As I have mentioned before, balance is a mythical word to me. If I am ahead on work it usually means my house is a mess and dinner is not made. If my house is perfectly together, it usually means I am behind on work. Working from home is always a give and take, a push and a pull, and usually there is no such thing as balance. HOWEVER, it might help some of you to shed some light on how I have found a way to make it work for our family. It is different for everyone, but for now in this phase of our life, this is what works.

6:30 AM – Feed Max and snuggle closely (he falls back asleep), get up, get myself dressed. If I am dressed, I can face the day with more energy. Its a necessary mental trick. Then I give myself a pep talk in the mirror… Jk. Gabe is already up and he wakes up little Gabriel for school and gets him going. He gets himself ready and packs himself a snack (such an independent 4 year old thanks to some consistent practice!)

7:00 AM – The boys leave for school/work. Veronica wakes up and we have breakfast together.

7:15 AM- Pull out the Melissa & Doug toys, puzzles, and books for Veronica. She loves to read and cuddle on the couch so this is usually when I catch up and answer emails.

8:00 – Max wakes up and Veronica dotes on him for a long while and I let them have time together.

8:30 – Feed Max and do my ten minute morning prayer at the same time. (Another game changer for the day)

8:45 – Go over blog post written the night before, publish, and post to social media. Schedule social media posts, answer more emails. Veronica watches one of her favorite shows during this time. Max is chilling next to me. Sometimes he will fall asleep for a nap.

9:30 – I use the chunk of the morning to either run errands (Store, post office, etc. ), OR playdates with other friends. Veronica does so much better behavior wise if I give her that uninterrupted time.

11:00 – Picking up around the house, clean, and address any other messy situation. Change diapers, etc. V attempts to help and creates bigger messes. Max will chill or nap in his Mamaroo.

11:45 – Leave to pick up Gabriel from school.

12:15 – Feed the kids lunch, talk about Gabriel’s day, take them outside, or encourage them to play inside. I am usually feeding Max again as well.

1:00 pm – Put all three kids down for a nap (this is the miracle of the current situation).

During this time is my main chunk of work time. I am at my desk planning out ideas, sending emails, photo editing, writing, photo shooting, etc. This is when the majority of my productivity happens and I am most creative. I used to be a morning person but since I would rather be focused on the kids when they are awake, this is second best.

4 pm – Kids wake up, and eat snack, construct buildings, build forts, draw endless amounts of faces… That sort of thing. I pick up around the house because if you have little ones you know how by mid-day it can look like someone shook it upside down. More diaper changes.

5:00 – I start to make dinner if it is not a crockpot dinner. This is the low point of the day when kids are not their best and everyone is hungry. This is when all my creativity as a mother has to come out to distract them until daddy comes home. I have done desperate things at this time;)…

5:30 – Gabe comes home and its everyone’s favorite moment. We all compete for his attention as he tries to catch his breath from a long day at work. He usually takes a minute to unwind. I shoot him some food. He then takes over parenting duty. (Its a team sport over here;)) He usually takes them for a walk or to the park while I finish dinner and get it on the table.

6:00 – We all sit down and eat and it is never short of an entertaining experience.

6:45- Gabe and I tag team the kitchen and the kids.

7:00 – Everyone chills. Kids play, Gabe catches up on the news, Max eats (again), and maybe a family stroll. I also will head out to work at a cafe if there are projects due and Gabe manages bed time. (I couldn’t accomplish much without him!)

8:00 – Bedtime routine tackled by both Gabe and I. (Feed Max again during this time.) Books, prayers, and hugs.

8:30 – I go to work again. I prepare the post for the next day, prepare any projects due, and do another round of social media. I have been using this time to develop content for The Brand Market as well.

9:30 – I try to cut off by this point so Gabe and I can have some time together to unwind. So important and we both look forward to it. Its necessary and valued!

11 – Crash hard.

This is the rough breakdown of our day with variations of course. Our schedule changes almost every few months based on the phases my children are in. Even right now, I am posting in the afternoon due to a difficult morning with my feisty 2 yr. old;) If there is a heavy work load, I call for re-inforcements! I have no problem hiring a babysitter when I need a catch up morning. This happens about every other week, and I have a wonderful gal who comes to stay with Veronica and Max if I have a photoshoot or a meeting. Looking forward, due to the new business and managing IHOD, I will most likely hire help to manage emails since this is the thing that takes the majority of my time to keep up with.

I often reach burn out and have days where Veronica watches too much tv or we eat out one too many times in a week, but I have learned not to feel guilty and just remind myself that supermom is not a person I am willing to chase. The only mother I compare myself to is my own mother, because I would love to be half the woman she is.

At the end of the day, I just want my husband and children to be most loved and tended to…over my emails and laundry. I fail at this over and over but it will always be my main goal and motivation. If they can associate home with happiness and love, than I have succeeded in balancing many hats. I am not looking to be the most successful blogger, designer, entrepreneur, etc. I measure success by the tone of our household, and how we are all treating each other. If I am on edge, the kids pick up on it and respond the same. If I am offering a warm voice and warm meals, everyone is happy. So if this means giving up some big opportunities so as not to stretch myself too thin or take too much time away, I am okay with that. At the end of my life, I am not going to be asked if I was on Martha Stewart or not (wink wink), but I know I will be accountable for the well being of my family and how much love I put into my role as a mother and a wife.

So there you have it! How do you try to manage your day? Tips? I will always take them!

*Photography by Chelsey Heidorn, Art prints by Honey and Bloom and ByLuciana, Desk re-furbished, Mouse pad – DIY

Inspirational Spaces: Erica’s Home

October 11, 2010


The Studio Office


Outdoor Room


Master Bedroom

Erica, of Moth Design Blog, has incredibly beautiful ability to turn a home into a dream space. She is a mother of 5 handsome boys! Don’t you want to see more photos of her lovely home after viewing these? You can find the rest over on Moth Design. She not only has one fun and inspirational design blog…she has THREE! Believe me, they are each as good as the next!

Little Moth (for children decor)
bedroom makeover

Two Design Board Options for our Room Makeover Winner!

June 7, 2021

bedroom makeover

For a long time, I have wanted to start designing for people and families outside of our own home, but it just hasn’t been the right season. Recently we had the opportunity to offer a complete room makeover to a reader, and it’s something I have been really looking forward to! The makeover includes all of the furniture from Article, as well as the design plans and install from us. Today I am sharing a peek at the mood boards I shared with the winner, as well as the incredible story behind her family.

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Bloglovin’ Awards Nomination (gasp!)

August 2, 2016

home office
 

I received an email this morning that In Honor of Design was nominated for “Best Home Decor” for the 2016 Bloglovin’ Awards. Honestly, I was shocked considering the other rockstar nominees (some of them friends of mine!), and I don’t consider myself an expert in interior design. So honored, and very thankful! I doubt I’ll be making it to NYC for the Awards Ceremony with a baby belly ready to pop, but thought I’d at least announce the nomination, and show you all where you can vote for IHOD:) You can vote once a day, but honestly you taking the time to vote once is more than I can ask! I so appreciate the support. Still feel like I am holding on to my helmet along for the joy ride!

 

VOTE FOR IHOD

 

P.S. Fun fact: this photo they used for the nomination page was taken by Chelsey Heidorn of a home office I put together with not even bothering to hide the overflowing bucket of children’s books to my right;)

One tough mother.

April 29, 2016

Floral Bouquets

 

A few years ago, I started the habit of wrapping up bouquets around Mother’s Day for some of my favorite women. Not just because it was Mother’s Day, but as an excuse to remind them that their lives and their motherhood should be celebrated. This year I plan on continuing the tradition for both mothers in waiting, and mothers in training (as I refer to myself!). I have witnessed some close friends walk a tough road this year. Loss, heartache, disappointment, and risk. However, in the process, these women were not defeated by their pain or their hardships, but rather, transformed into even stronger, intentional, and compassionate women. I am so grateful to learn from them as I discover the depth of what the word “mother” holds.

 

coffee and flowers
 

I am using these voluptuous and fragrant Teleflora bouquets as a detail to celebrate these women. I’m gathering some new and old friends over coffee and flowers throughout the week as a simple way of taking gratitude a step further. I love that all the Teleflora floral arrangements are professionally-arranged and hand-delivered by a local florist in your neighborhood and arrive fresh. They have been filling up my home with a very happy scent at the moment!

 
home office
 


To love your children tirelessly through the highs and lows, the mundane, and the unknown requires a fierce love. To desire motherhood and seek it with hope requires one tough spirit. I hope next week is a reminder to mothers everywhere that the world wouldn’t be the same without them, and that the people they affect reaches beyond what the eye can see.

How do you all plan on celebrating Mother’s Day this year? 

 

*Thank you Teleflora for sponsoring this post. All opinions are my own.

teen room design - plaid curtains

Gabriel’s Room Tour

October 6, 2022

teen room design - plaid curtains

Gabriel is our oldest son — and an old soul at heart. He is so good-hearted and easygoing. He has never asked for much — including anything to do with his room. Maybe this is the reason why I was so excited to work on this space for him.

Photos by Joseph Bradshaw

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What to do in Nashville: Family Edition

June 15, 2022

We visited Nashville many summers growing up, but now that we live here it’s easy to settle into our local neighborhood area. We worked on a family friendly Nashville summer bucket list that includes a mix of things we have enjoyed with our family, and things we hope to check out over the next few years!

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