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A couple of years ago, we did a post about a typical day in our shoes. While we both admit that we’re pretty boring, it was actually kinda fun to jot down how a day in our lives typically goes down.
After our survey at the beginning of the year, a few of you asked us to do an updated “day in the life” post. So that’s exactly what you’re getting here today! Last time we both put our days into one post and it was (admittedly) all over the place. We figured splitting it up would keep things a bit more streamlined.
I’m sharing what a typical Wednesday looks like for me, and then next week Bridget will share the scoop on her daily life. We’re not gonna lie…things are far from glamorous in our day-to-day and we certainly don’t “do it all.” But we feel like this gives you a glimpse into how we juggle our full-time jobs and the blog all at the same time.
So let’s get started!
Morning Routine
6:15am: As soon as my phone alarm goes off, my hit feet the floor and I am up for the day. My husband is all about that snooze button, but I prefer to get right out of bed and start my day! I head to our master bathroom and wake up with a nice steamy shower!
6:40am: After the shower, I head to the kitchen and turn on all of the lights out there. I fold any blankets that we used the night before and really just tidy up our entire main living space. I turn on our Keurig, take my vitamins with a huge glass of water, and get my breakfast together.
I either have a smoothie that we made the night before, or greek yogurt with berries, protein powder, chia seeds, flax-seed, and raw almonds. It’s super boring, but I love it and have never gotten sick of it! While drinking my coffee and eating breakfast, I check my work email, personal email, and the blog email. At this time I make sure our daily post is up and running, and I post it on our Facebook page.
7:00am: After my hair has had some time to air dry, I finish blow drying it (while scrolling Instagram..) and then curl or straighten it. I then put on makeup, all the while texting Bridget. She gets up before I do, so I’ll usually have a few texts waiting for me when I wake up (such a nice morning treat!). I then get dressed (out of my super old kimono that my husband makes fun of), give Finn a kiss goodbye (he’s still sleeping…), and head out the door.
7:30am: I try to get out of the house by 7:30am every day, but sometimes that gets pushed back a few minutes. Once I’m out the door, I take the 1/2 mile walk to the train. I usually listen to podcasts during my commute. I have a love for so many podcasts (YHL, Chris Loves Julia, Jenna Kutcher, Science vs., etc). I just finished “S-Town” from This American Life. Anyone else listen? So fascinating!
After my walk to the train, I wait a few minutes until a blue line train pulls up. My train ride is only 3 stops into downtown, so I’m there in no time at all. Once I arrive at the Clark & Lake stop it’s only about a 7 minute walk to my office building.
Work Hard
8:00am: I try to get to work every morning by about 8:00am. I work right on the river in the AMA building. It’s nice because it’s really in the heart of the city, it’s close to everything, and my office has insane views. Like seriously so good! We’re on the 25th floor and the 35th floor, so you really can’t beat the scenery on a cloudless day.
Once I get in, I power up my computer, get more coffee, fill up my huge S’well water bottle (gotta hydrate!), and start making my to-do list for the day.
8:30am: Our department is always in by 8:30 for our morning meeting. We meet as a team and go over what everyone is working on that day, and chat about any “roadblocks” (the new “it” term in our office) that may be interfering with our daily tasks.
9:00am: Last time we did a “day in the life” post, I was working at WGN producing a DIY show here in Chicago. I still work in video production, but I work for a large tech company called Outcome Health. My job is similar to what it has been throughout my career (I book shoots, direct shoots on-site, write scripts, and work with editors to create finished pieces), but my production focus is on healthy lifestyle content. So a bit different from DIY, but still a nice challenge!
My mornings are usually pretty crazy and due to the nature of my role, no day is really the same. But I’m often checking emails, in meetings, writing scripts, setting up future shoots, or giving notes to editors on videos in progress.
On this particular Wednesday, I’m going through footage from a shoot I recently did with a local chef. I roughly edit it together, write a script, and pass it off to an editor so he can really bring it to life.
10:30am: My tummy starts to growl and I look at the clock. Only 45 more minutes until lunchtime…
Time to Eat!
11:15am: I feel pretty spoiled, but we have a catered lunch every single day at 11:15am. Each day is different and we have a variety of different cuisines (Asian, Mediterranean, Italian, etc.) If you’re not into what’s being served, they also have a wide variety of to-go salads. Today is sushi day (a popular day around here!), but the line is incredibly long! Instead of waiting, I quickly grab a salad and head back to my desk to work through lunch.
Over my lunch hour, I try to squeeze in a bit of blog time. I don’t ever blog at work, but I do keep our inbox cleared and respond to comments when I have some time.
12:00pm: By the afternoon, I’m usually craving some new scenery to get my creative juices flowing. I head to our other floor, and sit in our large family room area. We have a barista in here, so I often opt for an afternoon latte (trying to cut back…but damn it’s so good). Even just sitting by the coffee bar area is nice because of the aromas! I choose a sunny spot and dive into my work.
I also text Bridget throughout the day. I love hearing from her when she’s bouncing from classroom to classroom. We’ll usually touch base a few times to discuss anything interesting happening in our inbox, or really just anything funny that’s going on!
2:00pm: On Wednesdays, we have meditation in the office at 2 o’clock. I’ve only gone a handful of times, but I absolutely love it. It’s nice to get away from the craziness of the day and take a few minutes for yourself. Plus sitting in a dark room with relaxing fragrances is a nice change of pace!
2:30pm: I leave meditation feeling rejuvenated and ready to power through the next couple hours. I have a meeting with one of our animators who is working on an advanced segment with me. She is incredibly talented and really can bring anything in my head to life! She shows me a storyboard she is working on (illustrations that go along with my written script), and we work together to finalize the images so she can get started building the animation.
4:45pm: I look at the clock and realize that I need to change into my workout clothes if I’m going to make my 5:30pm Body Pump class. I change quickly and head out the door by 5pm so I can hop back on the train to my neighborhood.
Drop it Like a Squat
5:27pm: I get to body pump and it’s packed! I have an intense workout (so good…but so hard) and leave there an hour later completely wiped.
6:45pm: I call my mom on my walk home from body pump. I chat with her at least every other day and love catching up even if it’s just for a few minutes.
There’s No Place Like Home
7:00pm: I get home, put my bags away, and change into pajamas. If I’m sweaty, I’ll shower now. If not, I wait to shower in the morning. I then pick out my clothes for work the next day (yes, I know I’m like a 5-year-old but it makes things so much easier in the morning!), pack my gym bag, and head to the kitchen.
7:30pm: I unload the dishwasher, throw in a load of laundry, and then Finn walks in the door! I chat with him for a few minutes, and we catch up on our days. After he’s had a few minutes to unwind, he starts making dinner <–I know, I’m so lucky to have a husband who actually enjoys cooking. If it was just me, I’d eat cereal or scrambled eggs for dinner every.single.night.
8:00pm: While Finn whips something up, I squeeze in some blog work. I manage the inbox, respond to comments, edit a few pictures, and have a quick call with Bridget to plan what we’re going to post to Instagram tonight. After hanging up with her, I head to the kitchen, and Finn & I eat dinner together.
9:00pm: By this time, I always try my best to put my phone and computer away so I can just spend some time with Finn. I take my clothes out of the dryer, sit on the floor in the family room, and fold while we start watch TV. We’ll usually take the hour before bedtime to hang out and catch up on shows we have DVR’ed. We’re big fans of Scandal, Modern Family, The Goldberg’s, and so many more. We watch about an hour of TV until I’m so sleepy that I’m afraid I’ll fall asleep on the couch.
10:10pm: I wash my face, brush my teeth, and get ready for bed. Finn tucks me in every night, so I call for him to come do our night-time ritual. While he turns on the sound machine, I set my alarm for 6:15am the next day. He gives me a kiss, and I’m usually asleep in about 10 minutes flat.
Blogging Time
Weekends: As you can see, there isn’t a heck of a lot of time for blogging in my typical weekday. I do squeeze in a few small tasks, but other than that not a lot of actual blogging happening! Therefore my weekends are usually pretty packed with blogging. I try to do projects and take photos on Saturdays, and then devote Sundays to editing pictures and writing posts. I do squeeze in a few blog posts on weeknights, but it really depends on how busy my week is. But just goes to show, that you can find time to do the things you love!
So there you have it. A day in my life. Not super exciting, right?! I told you it wouldn’t be very glamorous! I can’t wait until next week when Bridget shares a day in the life of a high school teacher and blogger. That’s bound to have a little more drama than my day does…
Casey
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