Advertisement
I’m a sucker for a good “Day in the Life” post. There’s just something about peeking into someone else’s world and seeing how they spend their time, from the moment they get up until they go to bed. I’ve done many versions of this post in the past. You can read this one about my working mom days and this one, where I dive into my days with Rory. I linked the rest at the bottom of today’s post.
I haven’t written a Day in the Life post as a mom of two. And not just a mom of two kids, but a mom of a one-year-old and a two-year-old. If I had a dollar for every time someone told me, “You must be busy,” when I told them my kids’ ages, I would be a rich woman! And they’re right…things are hectic for the Finn fam, but we wouldn’t have it any other way.
A Day In My Life As A Mom Of Two
Ellis just turned one and Rory is two and a half. They’re 17 months apart, almost to the day, and while it was very, very challenging at first (you can read more about our transition to two children here), I will say that it is getting easier now that Ellis is more of a toddler and less of a baby. But, it’s still hard and the days are long.
In terms of our weeks, both Finn and I work from home, which is really nice because we’re both around to pitch in and help out. I am very grateful for that. Rory just started going to daycare every weekday and my mom watches Ellis on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I watch Ellis, so today’s blog post will dive into a typical Thursday around here!
Things will change early next year when Ellis starts going to part-time daycare and Rory heads to pre-school. But, for now, these are my typical days…
Rise & Shine
5:45 am: On weekdays, I’m up early so I can have some time to myself before I get the kids up at 7 am. On my “mom days”, I don’t shower in the morning. Instead, I usually do my “battle braids” as Finn calls them, swipe on makeup (here’s my five-minute routine), and don some athleisure. I like to be comfortable, so I can chase after the kids, but still feel pulled together.
6:00 am: I head downstairs to prep the house for the day. I unload the dishwasher, open up the blinds, make a cup of coffee, and prep the kids’ water and milk cups. We use these cups and they’re great. I grab my overnight oats from the fridge (you can find the recipe in this blog post), and head upstairs to my office.
6:15 am: I am someone who likes to have a clear inbox, so I check all of my emails, respond to comments that came in overnight, and check my DMs on social media. I don’t have blog posts published on Thursdays anymore, which lightens my load for the day. However, I do still have random things to post, emails to check, and contracts to sign.
I savor this personal time. It’s dark out; it’s quiet, and I can sip my coffee and start the day on my terms.
7:00 am: The kids are usually up somewhere between 6:30 and 7:00, but we wait until 7:00 am to get them. Rory sits in her crib and “reads” or plays with her stuffed animals while she waits for us. Ellis likes to roll around, crawl, play with his sleep sack, and practice any new words. People will often ask me why they don’t cry for us and I think it’s because this is how it has always been. They both enjoy their alone time in their rooms, and they know that we’ll come to get them when it’s time.
Finn and I switch off who gets each kid in the morning, and today I have Ellis. This little guy is SO HAPPY in the morning. I come in and he instantly wiggles, claps, and gets so excited. It’s the most adorable thing. I will talk to him through the crib slats and Rory usually runs in to say, “Good morning, Ellis!” It took a bit of time, but she is now obsessed with her baby brother. I get Ellis out of bed, change his diaper, and take him downstairs for breakfast.
Breakfast Time
7:10 am: Finn usually makes breakfast for the kids and we all eat together. Today, he made scrambled eggs and toast for all of us and I nibble a bit since I have already eaten my overnight oats. Both of my kids are big eaters! We go through lots of food in this house, but I love it because they’ll both pretty much eat whatever we make. You can read more about how we followed baby-led weaning in this blog post. While Rory eats, I comb her hair and put in her signature piggie tails!
Walk To School
7:30 am: We just switched to a new school in our neighborhood that we can walk to and it has been a fantastic change for our family. While we liked Rory’s old daycare, it’s so convenient to be able to walk to her new spot. Plus, I love a chance to get out of the house and start the day with a good walk. Finn takes Rory to school on MWF, while I do T/Th.
I load up the kids in the double stroller for our 12-minute walk to school. The double stroller has been a godsend. It fits through city doors (thank goodness) and it’s nice having both kids side-by-side. It can sometimes feel like a bit of a boat when it’s all loaded up, but I am happy we got it! Ellis and I say our goodbyes to Rory (we always say, “Come home a genius!” because that’s what my parents said to me every day before school) and head back home for play.
Play Time & Nap #1
8:00 am: Finn heads upstairs to the office to start working and Ellis and I have some play time in our living room. He loves blocks, airplanes, and trains, so we have a variety of toys for him to play with. After a bit of play, I bring him upstairs to our room so I can fold laundry. I always stress how important it is to involve kids in your chores, instead of saving those chores for nap time. (You can find more about that in this blog post.) Ellis can’t quite help with the laundry just yet, but he explores the upstairs while I fold and put things away.
9:00 am: We head to his room to read some books before I put on his sleep sack and put him in his crib. He is always very good at falling asleep (I swear the kid is usually asleep in like 30 seconds), but he isn’t the best at taking long naps for me. I think we’re getting to the point where it will be time to drop down from two to one nap, but I’m just not quite ready for that transition yet.
While Ellis naps, I do a sweep of the first floor to tidy up. I put toys away, clear the counters in the kitchen, and make sure things are in working order. You can read more about my consistent home habits here. I then make a second cup of coffee, crack open my laptop, and work on my inbox, DMs, and comments. I message my assistant, Lindsey, and we review the sales she will post later that day on Instagram. I also quickly post a reel that I created last week. I try to have all of my captions and cover photos prepped ahead of time. That way, I can post them quickly when Ellis naps.
Park Visit
10:10 am: Ellis is up and talking, so I free him from his crib and bring him downstairs to play, while I get him a snack and some milk. As he munches on a banana and Cheerios, I gather some items so we can go to the park. I find that getting out of the house is an absolute must to keep everyone happy. It’s a nice day out, so to the park we go!
We have lots of park options near us and I like to visit different ones. Ellis loves the swings and climbing up the slides and steps on the playground. He is also a very social kid and is always waving and saying “Hi” to any other park goers. We live fairly close to an airport, so there are always airplanes flying overhead. Ellis thinks it’s his job to wave and say “Hi” to every single plane that goes by. I love it!
11:00 am: We leave the park and do a little walk around our neighborhood looking for dogs, bunnies, and flags. Ellis points out everything he sees and gets animated and excited as we spot new things.
11:30 am: We arrive home so I can get some lunch together. Finn meal preps on Sunday so we always have a lot of options in the fridge to feed the kids. That way, it’s just warm up and serve! My kinda cooking. While I get things going, Ellis plays in the living room by himself and I glance over every few minutes to make sure everything is okay.
Lunch Time & Nap #2
12:00 pm: Ellis is having chicken, broccoli, french fries, and strawberries for lunch today. I like to get bagged salads from the grocery store and I usually toss some extra nuts or avocado in there too for some extra fat. Ellis is a big eater and likes to take his time, so we hang out there for about 20-30 minutes, talking and munching away.
I clean him up and then he plays on the floor in the kitchen while I clean up from our meals. I also use this time to prep some overnight oats for the next four days of breakfast. We then head upstairs (he loves climbing the stairs!) for a diaper change, books, and bedtime.
Work Time For Mama
1:00 pm: I watch Ellis doze off on the baby monitor and head to my office to get some work done. I plan out my weeks every Friday, using Trello (more about that here) and purposely keep my Tuesdays and Thursdays super light, knowing that I’m on “mom duty.” I prefer to write blog posts in the mornings on MWF when I’m feeling fresh, so today I handle more administrative tasks. I edit some photos for an upcoming post, research an upcoming project for the basement, and review a contract that a client sent over this morning. It feels good to get at least a few small tasks completed over lunchtime.
I also check in on how Rory is doing at school. The school uses an app where the teachers upload pictures of the kids and information about their day – potty, food, naps, etc. It’s nice to know she is well taken care of and having fun with her friends!
Quick Bath Time
2:15 pm: Ellis is up and making lots of noise, so sadly, nap time is over! As mentioned, I think it will soon be time to go down to one nap for my little guy. Then, we should get a longer nap out of him.
Since we have some time to kill this afternoon, we do an impromptu bath. I’m heading to a dance class tonight and it’s a bath night for the kids. To help Finn out a bit, I give Ellis his bath a bit early. It can be tough to bathe the kids at the same time and then get them to bed,
Our kids have sensitive skin, so we like using products from Tubby Todd. Plus, they smell good and the packaging is super cute. Ellis is a big splasher, so I know that I’ll be getting very wet during this little activity. I get him all clean and then let him play and splash for another 15 minutes or so. Once he is out, I lotion him up, comb his hair (the kid has the best hair, so thick!), and put him in some clean clothes.
Grocery Store Run
3:00 pm: We have a bit of time before we have to pick Rory up from school, so we take the stroller and walk to the grocery store. We have one a few blocks away and it is so convenient to pick up a few small items. I get some milk, berries (we go through so many with the kids), and a few extra ingredients for our tacos tonight. Ellis just stays in the stroller while I load up the base of it with everything we need.
3:45 pm: We’re back home to quickly unload all of the food before we walk right back out the door (this time in the double stroller) to go get Rory.
Rory is Home!
4:15 pm: Getting Rory from school is one of my favorite tasks. She is just so freakin’ excited to see us and always runs into my arms for a big hug. It’s the best feeling ever. Ellis is also so pumped to see his big sister. I think he gets a tad bored at home without her! We leisurely stroll home while Rory sips her milk, eats her snack, and tells us all about her day at school. Some days she insists on walking or pushing the double stroller, so it takes us a long time to get back.
4:45 pm: Once back at home, Finn stops working for the day and comes to play with the kids and get dinner ready. Lately, we’ve been a lot better at dinner planning and tonight we have tacos on the menu! Rory and Ellis are so happy to be in the living room together to play side-by-side. It’s been really fun to see their friendship grow over the last year.
Dinner Time
5:30 pm: We try to get dinner on the table by 5:30 pm every night and the kids really thrive on that routine. We’ve started a tradition of going around the table to talk about what we’re grateful for or something good that happened that day. Ellis doesn’t participate yet, but it has been fun to involve Rory and hear her answers. Dinner time is a sacred part of our day as a family.
6:00 pm: I’m heading to a dance class tonight, so I head upstairs to change and say goodnight to the kids. Finn will handle bedtime tonight, which I so appreciate! Now that the kids are a bit older, it’s easier to handle them, solo. We’ve both gained a lot more confidence in that department over the last few months.
I hop in our car (we don’t use it that often, as you can tell by today’s schedule) and drive to Lakeview for a 7:00 pm dance class.
Dance Class
7:00 pm: I’ve been trying my best to participate in a weekly dance class with my friend from college, Serena. We were both on the pom squad together at Notre Dame and it’s fun to have a buddy to catch up with while we break a sweat. Tonight’s class is at Free Mvmt Shop, and it’s called “Showstopper.” It’s an adult dance class that is set to show tunes! We do a great warm-up, across the floor, and then learn a choreographed routine. It’s such fun and it’s also a great workout for the body and brain.
8:00 pm: I hop in my car, sweaty and feeling happy. I had forgotten how much joy dance brought me and I think it’s fitting that I went back to it during my “Year of Casey.” On my 20-minute drive home, I call my friend, Bridget, to catch up. We both have busy days, so finding the time to connect is always tricky.
Shower, Books, & Bed
8:15 pm: I return home to a clean house…the toys are picked up, the kitchen is clean, and the kids are asleep. Thank you, Finn! I then jump in the shower after that sweaty workout. I do my skincare routine (more on that here) and then throw on my favorite pajamas, eat my sleep gummies, and swipe on my fave lip mask. This is the first “Day in the Life” post where Finn is actually in bed with me. Ha! The former night owl has changed his ways and now sees the benefit of some relaxation and a full eight hours of sleep. I finally brought him to the dark side!
We lay in bed and both read our books. I’m enjoying my latest book club pick (Book Lovers), while he is more of a non-fiction or self-help fan. We stop reading every few moments to talk about the kids or stare at photos of them from that day.
9:00 pm: It’s lights out for us. We turn on our sound machine and I’m out within a few minutes…
More Day In The Life Posts
I went back and re-read all of the Day In The Life posts that I’ve written throughout my blogging career, and wow…things have changed so much! From working full-time, to blogging full-time, to watching one child, to watching two, my days and schedules have been in flux for the past few years. If you want to see for yourself, here are all of those past posts…
Advertisement
