Several people have asked me about my daily life on formspring (a site that allows people to ask questions anonymously). They want to know how I fit in my work, if I have any help, when I find time to keep my house in some semblance of order, etcetera. Last week, I took photographs throughout the day so that I could share a day in my life with you.
My Day: March 24, 2010
6:00 – Good morning! Eleanor’s up, so I am too. I change her diaper and nurse her, then put her in the exersaucer to play while I shower. Once I’m out, I let her crawl around and play while I finish getting ready.
7:30 – We wake up Brandon, then Eleanor and I head downstairs for breakfast.
8:30 – Brandon leaves for work.
9:00 – My assistant Erika is here from 9-12 three days a week. She helps me with my shop (Pink Loves Brown), but she also watches Eleanor when there aren’t a lot of orders to fill.
9:05 – I take Eleanor upstairs to get her dressed, nurse her, and put her down for a nap.
9:30 – I work. I write blog posts, respond to emails, edit photos, do shop maintenance… whatever needs to be done that day. Today I began writing a new post and also setup a little photo shoot for it.
10:30 – Eleanor is up from her nap. Today Erika has finished everything for the shop so she hangs out with Eleanor for me so I can continue working.
11:00 – Lunch for Eleanor.
12:00 – Erika’s done for the day. I nurse Eleanor, then it’s lunchtime for me.
12:30 – It’s not too bad out, so it’s time for a little walk!
2:00 – I nurse Eleanor again and she takes a second nap. I finally finish the post I had been working on (“Thinking About Food”) and publish it.
2:45 – She’s up. Not the longest nap, but not bad. I’m just happy she took one at all — she often skips the second nap. Now we play. And cuddle. And read books.
4:00 – I nurse Eleanor again.
4:30 – I’m feeling productive so I try to fit in a little tidying up. I don’t get around to everything though, including the basket of laundry that has been in the living room for the past few days.
5:15 – Brandon’s home!
5:30 – We start preparing dinner together. We’re making falafel from a recipe in a magazine which claims to be ready in 20 minutes. It always takes us an hour.
6:00 – Eleanor gets dinner. We’re still making ours.
6:45 – Well that took even longer than expected. We finally get to eat.
7:00 – Brandon and I take Eleanor up to bed. We change her, she nurses (again), and then she goes to sleep for the night.
7:20 – I change into pajamas, wash my face, and brush my teeth. I started getting ready so early a few months ago because I would put Eleanor down, get ready, and then go in to check on her and make sure she fell asleep. Now she goes to sleep without any problems, so I could probably start pushing this part of my day back, but it’s kind of nice to relax in my pajamas!
7:30 – I put that basket of laundry away that was on the chair downstairs.
7:45 – Brandon and I looked at a few jackets for him online and he reminded me that I needed to get back to someone via email. Back to work for a while.
9:00 – I’m sleepy! No, I can stay up a little longer. *yawn* I’ve finished up my work, so Brandon and I hang out on the couch, watching TV and chatting. I had to move someone out of my seat.
10:15 – OK, now we’re both sleepy. Good night!
Sounds like a full day!
Those 20 minute recipes always taunt me, I can never prepare them as quickly as they say I should.
Eleanor’s schedule of naps and feedings sounds oddly identical to my son’s.
What a lovely peek at your life, thanks so much for sharing ! And yes, nursing round the clock takes time but she’s worth it! Great insight into your sweet life !
Thanks for sharing! Your E is a doll!
Very inspiring! I have a baby too (9 months) and a remarkably similar schedule but I am jealous of the time you get with your husband.
OMG….. your cats. So cute. I have a fluffy black & white longhair too. There’s something about that combo that I’ve always loved. And, of course, Eleanor is also adorable.
Forgot why I was commenting which is that I wanted to know how you take acre of all your animals and still keep the house nice.
thanks for sharing your day.
so cute… kinda makes me want to make one for our day too. just for fun :o)
Do it! It’s really nice to have a whole day’s worth of photos. I have a million more that I took that I didn’t post here, but I like looking at them all. :)
Having naps really makes things easier… my kids LOVE that book “Are You My MOther?” But we have it in spanish. Its the cutest little book and so is Eleanor!
what a fun post! it is amazing to SEE what can actually get accomplished in one day :) you are a good mama!
The waking up at 6am thing blows my mind hehe Lovely to have a peek into your daily life :)
I know. It’s not by choice! And now here it is midnight… I have to go to sleep so that I can hopefully get about six hours in. Maybe tomorrow I’ll fit in a nap when Eleanor takes hers. ;)
I counted six nurses. And when you mean lunch and dinner for the wee one, does that mean real food or nursing as well? ‘Cause that would take the tally up to eight. I’m glad you shared the tally, it makes it realistic what a mommy does to feed her baby.
She nurses six times a day (seven if she wakes in the middle of the night). She eats “real” food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Thank you so much for giving us a peak – the photos are spectacular! I love the colour and light in your home and the crispness in the photographs – gorgeous – and something lovely for Eleanor to look back on in a few years!
First – love the look behind the scenes. Second – that picture of you and Eleanor is ADORABLE, and I *love* your hair!!
Eleanor is so cute! I love that little dress. :) Thanks for sharing a day in your life. Oh and twenty minute recipes never take me twenty minutes either unless it’s just throwing things in a crockpot.
love it….. busy day, but fun and how could it not be with miss adorable Eleanor by your side all day! My washing sits in my lounge room for days too. So glad I am not the only one that dances around it with my 2 children!
What a lovely diary of your day! Is that your new kitchen wall color I spy? If so, I love it and want to know what it is!
Nope, same color still (Benjamin Moore’s Bronzed Beige). It’s just hard to get the color balance right in the kitchen because we have flourescent bulbs. Usually I take photographs without the light on, but because we were just snapping away we didn’t do the whole room staging/lighting thing.
Thanks for your post.
Woo, you have a busy day but definitely fun and loving :)
Great post! Keepin it real huh? Thanks for sharing that. Lovet it.
It was great! I am afraid to post my schedule… completely crazy! Is Elenor waking up during the night?Barbara is, not so funny. So our schedule right now is crazy crazy crazy!!!!
My son is almost four, but reading your daily schedule brought back so many memories of life with an infant. Enjoy Eleanor’s naps now; you’ll be amazed at how quickly she decides to give them up.
Your first photo reminded me how much I adore your red hair. I’m a natural redhead, but my color isn’t nearly as fun as yours. If I weren’t trying to pinch pennies right now, you’d undoubtedly inspire me to color my hair to be a bit more vibrant. Are you getting good feedback from people you meet?
People seem to like the red hair! I have to go back in and get it colored again though – it has faded a lot from where it was initially.
FYI, from a “former redhead”. There are shampoos out there that replace a little of the red pigment when you wash, and slow down the fading. Paul Mitchell makes a good one.
Wow I love this post!
What a lovely day :)
Eleanor is such a cutie and you always look impecable even at home. How is that possible? hahaha
One of my fave bits was the pic of you in your pjs! LOVE the red toenails btw, lush lush lush!
You should def post more pics of your day for us :)
Hugs xxx
fun look at your day:) what a lovely “job” nursing is and how nice to be able to stay home and fit it in with your other job – i have been so thankful to stay home with my kids, make art, do what i enjoy and not miss out on time with them!
So wonderful to read your nursing eleven months old
Eleanor! What a beautiful girl!
I know that nursings from my three (now grown-up)
children. They remember it, too. And soon, when they
will be parents by themselves, they will do it like
I did it. Isn’t it wonderful! Congratulations! Here
in Germany only the best nurse until first birthday
or longer.
Best wishes! I love your blog.
Ulrike (La Leche League Leader, lecturer/scientist
and mother of three, 43 years old)
What a lovely post, Nicole – this is giving me a preview of what my own day will look like in just a few more months when my little one is born!
P.S., I love Brandon’s floral tie!
This post really makes me miss the simplicity of life with only 2 child! It probably doesn’t feel simple to you and it didn’t feel simple to me at the time I was in that position, but now with a 2 1/2 yr old and a 5 yr old my days are so busy! I get up at 5:30 every day just so I can have some “me” time before my kids get up.
I love getting a glimpse of people’s lives, I’m a big biography fan and nerd and have always said I’d love for them to do shows on people that aren’t movie or rock starts, etc., it seems that everyone has a story to tell! Loving your new hair, am blown away at how fast Eleanor is growing up and I too really loved your husband’s tie!! Super fun read!
What a lovely post about your daily life. It looks like sucha a fun life you have. I have to say I love the pictures that have your kitty cats in them. I just lost my cat this weekend and love seeing pictures of happy healthy kitties. Thank you for sharing your home and a little bit of your life.
I love this look into your life! And Eleanor sleeping is so sweet.
it was fun reading about your day…E is so super cute.
the rug (in the picture with your pj’s), where did you get it from? i love that rug…
It was from west elm. I wrote a whole page about where the rugs in my home are from.
Have you had that rug cleaned? I have the same one, but yours looks brand new – I’m not sure ours looks like that and we haven’t even had it a year yet…thanks in advance!
Fun account of your day!
Thanks for sharing. Your baby is sooo cute and I love your hairstyle!
your hair is really pretty, i love that color! eleanor is so adorable too! you really seem to have a nice schedule going on. those supposedly quick 20 minute meals always seem to take me a longer time too! i think they lie!
Thank you for the little peek into your day! It’s inspiring to see how productive you can be with a little one.
I absolutely adore the little green flowers you have on your kitchen counter. I can’t tell–is it a potted plant or a vase? The pot/vase is such an interesting shape, I’ve never seen anything quite like it.
They’re flowers in a vase from west elm that I bought several years ago.
Those look like green button mums – that is such a pretty setup by the sink! I am inspired to do something to mine so dishes are perhaps less of a chore. Thanks for the look into your lovely home!
Nice rug by your wardrobe! Where is it from??
west elm.
Tell me about the adorable rug/floor mat in your kitchen. All the nursing reminded me of the good old days when my girls were little. Enjoy. It will be over in the blink of an eye and you’ll be buying women’s size 9 shoes for your eleven year old.
That one was from Urban Outfitters.
Great post and fun idea! Thanks for sharing!
super fun post!
My son is exactly the same age as your daughter.. to the day, so it’s fun to see what E is up to and compare notes. Is she sleeping through the night? My son isn’t (so I’m not trying to judge)…
Eleanor usually sleeps through the night, but sometimes she regresses and wakes up every night for a few days.
I am so impressed at how organized you are. You’ve worked out a really nice work/life balance. And your career has worked out so well for your daughter. Very cool! May the blessings continue. :)
I always feel a little like the Broom Hilda cartoon character, like there should be a poof of hairpins behind me wherever I’m going.
This is an unbelievably fun post. It’s inspiring to see how other working moms balance their time and keep a schedule!
Thanks for “spending the day” with us! = )
I have to admit I read your blog everyday and when I miss a day you can bet I go back and read through every blog I missed, normally I’m one of those silent blog readers but today I noticed that on your fridge in the very first picture there’s a little egg timer! I squealed with delight a little bit because I’m pretty sure it’s the same one I have that I picked up at Pier 1 a few weeks ago except mine doesn’t seem to work and for now is a for looks only thing so I was wondering; does yours work?! Or am I doomed to have a very cute non-useful egg timer?
Ours came from Anthropologie, but it doesn’t work either! We leave it on the fridge because Eleanor loves to play with it.
E is adorable! I need me some super cute polka dot PJs. Too cute. Thanks for posting!
Thanks for the little peek into your life…I’m always interested by other people’s schedules! Eleanor is a doll! Glad you threw in some pics of the kitties, as well :)
How do you keep you house so hair free with two fluffy cats. We have a dog and a cat and it is always a struggle for us!
Actually, we have three cats! Plus the dog. ;)
This is a very sweet post. I really enjoyed it.
so nice to see! enjoy being a wonderful mother!
So inspiring…if you can do it, so can I! Here’s to getting my house to look as lovely as yours and keep it that way!
I LOVE a good day-in-the-life post. Be sure to do one for Eleanor on her birthday. On our kiddo’s birthday, we do all his favorite things–favorite foods, outings, clothes…and take pictures along the way. Fun to look back on, and to see how his interests have changed.
jbhat
I can’t believe you brush your teeth at 7:20. I can’t even imagine it! I’m not even home from work at that time. Ever. And yes, I’m totally jealous.