Inspired by Style on the Daily: Boss Lady & Link Up On the Edge #112
I have seen a lot of blog posts recently sharing the break down of a day in the life of a blogger and I have been intrigued. All too often, I have wondered how other bloggers, especially those who have jobs other than blogging, get it all done. Equally as often, I have received comments on my blog expressing feelings of awe at how I can possibly get it all done. So the idea has been running around in my head for a while now to share my daily routine in a blog post.
Two things have prevented me from sharing my daily routine until now. The first being that I didn’t think anyone would really be all that interested. But then I figured, if I am interested in reading about this topic on other blogs, then maybe, possibly, there were others who are interested in reading about my daily routine. The second thing that has been holding me back is quite simply that I feel like a hot mess, running in a million different directions, trying to get it all done and still appear as if I have my shit together. And now that I have added a nearly full time work schedule on top of my daily blogging routine, that craziness seems to have been amplified tenfold.
Then on Wednesday, I was hopping around and adding my posts to my favorite link ups, when I popped into the Style on the Daily Link Up hosted by Amy Ann of Straight A Style and Gina of On the Daily Express. Like me, Amy Ann is trying to balance working outside of the home, raising little ones, having quality family time and date nights with her husband all while maintaining her blog. Also like me, Gina has just returned to the workforce after 13 years of being a stay at home mom. Both of these bad ass boss ladies shared their routines and how they balance it all and in a moment, I was finally inspired to take on the task of sharing my routine. So I owe a huge thank you to both Amy Ann and Gina for inspiring this post as well as helping me get in touch with my inner boss lady.
I have been asked on few occasions how I get it all done. To be frank with you all, I have to say that I do not get it all done. Not even close. I feel as if I fall short time and again. Every single day. But I am definitely getting lots of stuff done in the process of not getting it all done. But this is life. And this is my life. And so I will share the mundane intricacies of my daily routine…
Monday through Friday
Sometime between 4:45 a.m. and 5:30 a.m.: Wake up time. I set my alarm for 5:45 a.m. but I am always awake before that. I immediately take a shower, put on my makeup for the day, and get back into my jammies for coffee.
From the time my shower routine is done until 7:00 a.m.: I enjoy my morning coffee while I make my blogging rounds for link ups and answer comments and emails.
7:00-8:00 a.m.: If my kids are not yet awake, I go wake them. I get their breakfast started and while they are eating, I get dressed and dry and style my hair. Then I get them all ready for school. If my husband is home in the morning, he helps with the morning routine a lot.
8:05-8:20 a.m.: I walk the boys to school, usually with my coffee cup in hand, then leisurely stroll back home, enjoying the crisp fall air that is upon us right now. This will probably change once the weather turns too cold.
8:20-9:45 a.m.: I finish up any blogging things that need to be done, eat breakfast, and pack my lunch for work. I have Mondays off, so on Mondays I spend the best of the day catching up on blog stuff and trying to get a head start on posts for the week. Although I never get done what I had planned!
9:45 a.m.: I head off to the consignment shop for the day.
10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Tuesday through Friday: I am working at the consignment shop. There is so much to be done there so I am busy all day long!
4:05 p.m.: I head home or to pick up my kids from my friend’s house if my husband didn’t get out of work early enough to get them. Then we just kind of get our bearings for the next hour or so.
5:00-7:00 p.m.: I help the kids with homework, we unwind a bit together, prepare and eat dinner.
7:00-7:30 p.m.: Bath time for the kiddos.
7:30-8:30 p.m.: Family time either reading books on watching some version of Blue Planet or Planet Earth together. If everything is finished earlier than 7:30, we sometimes will put on a movie.
8:30 p.m.: Kids are off to bed. If I have pressing blogging work that needs to get done, this is when I do it. But all too often, I find myself heading to bed right behind the children! Because 5:00 a.m. comes quick!
Saturdays and Sundays
I sleep a little later…maybe until 6:00 or 6:30 a.m. My body is so trained from waking early my entire life that I simply cannot sleep much past 6:30 a.m. even if I try.
I usually work at the mall on the weekends with a kind of sporadic schedule. I squeeze in photo shoots with my husband before and after my mall shifts and get what writing done that I can while my husband does most of the parenting and household maintenance on the weekends. If not for him, I would get nothing done!
And in between all of this, we do laundry, dishes, and all of the other daily household chores. Actually, my husband does most of it, but I do my fair share as well given the new circumstances of this working girl life.
And that is it in a nutshell, my friends. There basically are not enough hours in the day, but I do what I can, sleep when I can, turn it all off when I can…because self-care is super important, too, especially in the midst of the chaos of life’s balancing act.
What is your boss lady (or boss man) agenda?
And now your favorite posts from last week’s Link Up On the Edge.
Jacqui of Mummabstylish shared her super fun look in her post, Take One Pleated Skirt. Her combination of brightly colored stripes, cobalt blue pleats, denim, and sneakers is so perfect in its effortless appeal. This outfit just makes me smile!
Kellyann of This Blonde’s Shopping Bag is a woman after my own camo-loving, print mixing obsessed heart with her post, Calling All Camo. This is some seriously fabulous pattern combination going on here…all of my favorites in one…camo, leopard, and stripes! I am swooning and will most likely being copying! Thanks for the inspiration, Kellyann!
Always on the edge,
Shelbee
Linking up with these Fabulous Link Ups.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
I am a midlife woman, wife, and stay-at-home mother of 2 boys and 2 cats. I have a passion for helping other women feel fabulous in the midst of this crazy, beautiful life.
54 Comments
Kellyann Rohr
Thanks for the shout out sweet friend and I am honored that you want to copy something I wore! Ha! You are the queen of the utterly cool looks so wow, this is a pinch me moment. I told you I am copying one of your looks on Monday!
Loved reading what your daily routine is like, I always find it interesting to see what others do in a day. You are a Boss Lady for sure my friend! Working in a consignment shop would be so much fun!
xo,
Kellyann
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Kellyann, thanks so much! You have equally utterly cool style, my friend! And I am super excited to see how you style the camo tee and pearls look. I haven’t had my pearls out all summer long because it has just been too hot and humid for all that around my neck…but soon I will start wearing all the pearls again. And yes, the consignment shop is more fun than I even imagined it would be. So many cute things come my way and, of course, I do love playing with all the clothes and creating outfits for the mannequins. You should check out the Facebook page, I have been doing a “Pinterest Replay of the Day” where I recreate outfits from Pinterest with items found in the shop. It is really fun! I hope you have a fantastic weekend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Kathrine Eldridge
Thanks for sharing your routine! Love this casual chic look and thanks for the link up!
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Kathrine! I hope you have a fantastic weekend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Julie | This Main Line Life
I really don’t know how you do it with the addition of the jobs. I’m at home and feel like I’m going crazy just with the kids and the blog.. and the house (the house work always seems to get shafted and my husband’s getting a little frustrated). I have to take care of stuff for my Dad too (I have power of attorney and do all his finances, etc..)
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
See what I mean, Julie, we all have a ton of things to get accomplished in a day! I don’t know how any of us do it, really. My housework is always shafted! Thank goodness my husband doesn’t mind doing the housework. I do hope you are finding some time for self-care in the midst of all of your obligations and responsibilities. Thanks for stopping by today and have a wonderful weekend.
xoxo
Shelbee
Kim
You certainly have a full day! Props to you for getting up so early for some quiet, alone time. What FUN working at a consignment store. I’ll bet the owner is delighted to have your eye and talent for putting together the mannequins. Great featured ladies this week, especially my friend, Kellyann! <3
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Kim, thanks so much! I do believe the owner of the consignment shop is loving having me there! It is so much fun, for sure.
xoxo
Shelbee
jodie filogomo
I didn’t realize you were working at that consignment shop….goes to show how I miss the most obvious things sometimes!! That would be a fun job for me too…except I might buy everything…LOL!!
And is there anyone who gets it all done?? I feel like there is so much we want to do for fun, and then there are the chores (which are what usually get pushed to the way side in my house). Do you know I JUST unpacked from our Alaska cruise and we got home last Friday??? I’m terrible!!
XOXO
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Oh my goodness, Jodie, I don’t think I really made it super obvious about where I was working until this post, so not your fault for missing it! It may have been buried in comments somewhere is all. But holy cow, it is the best job ever! You should see the pile of things I have set aside for myself to buy! Hahaha. So bad. A gorgeous faux fur leopard coat just came in…in my size, of course. I tried it on right then and there in front of the consignor and told her it was not going on the racks because I was buying it. She was so excited to see how much I loved it as she loved it too but it no longer fit her. And then the 3 super soft faux leather moto jackets that are wicked edgy and so my style! I will be showing them on the blog soon…as soon as this awful heat and humidity leave.
I am going to say that I can’t believe you haven’t unpacked from a week ago! Ha. (Judging you, but not really. Tee-hee.) I must unpack immediately upon arriving home from a trip! I can’t stand it. Isn’t it funny how different things bug people in different ways?! I hope you had a marvelous cruise! An Alaskan cruise is totally on my bucket list! Thanks for popping in today, my friend. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.
xoxo
Shelbee
Liberty
Hi! It’s hard for me to believe that that blue feature outfit really …works… goes together? So what event/ where would you wear this? And… for it to work does the person need to be a certain… age? Maybe the things I used to wear years ago are…. actually fashionable now? (although I didn’t pair those things…) Fashion has always been my weak point though…
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Hi Liberty, thanks for stopping by! So fashion these days, for me, is all about self expression and wearing what makes you feel good and happy! I think you could wear an outfit like Jaqui’s pretty much anywhere…to run errands, to spend a day out on the weekend, to meet friends for lunch. And I don’t think you have to be a “certain age” to wear anything! There is an entire movement of midlife fashion bloggers who have been attacking the notion of “age appropriate” dressing for quite some time now. We should be able to wear what we want, when we want, wherever we want. If it makes us feel good, we will smile while we wear it, and as a result, we will always look good, too! I hope that explanation helps and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Liberty
Ok, I understand. Oh yes, a smile goes a looonng way. Thank you. I hope you enjoy your weekend.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thank you, Liberty! Always smiling…we must always keep smiling! It is what keeps me sane sometimes. Have a fantastic weekend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Nancy
The days are just to short aren t they! What is a consignment shop? And what is of that you do at the mall?
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
The days really are too short, Nancy! So a consignment shop is sort of like a thrift shop, but better. People bring in their used clothing, but they have to be in great, “like new” condition. We sell the clothes for the consignors and then pay them 45% of what we make on them. So if we sell a pair of pants for $10, the consignors collects $4.50 and the store keeps $5.50. Clothes that do not sell within 90 days either get picked up by the consignor or we donate them. It is sort of a last effort to make some money on your clothing that you want to get rid of. It is better than a basic thrift shop because we are picky about the quality of clothing that we accept and the owners of the clothing make some money rather than just dumping it in a donation bin somewhere.
I also work at 2 different women’s clothing stores at the mall, Charlotte Russe and Torrid.
I hope I explained that all clearly! Thanks for asking and have a great weekend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Patrick Weseman
Nice look. Thanks for sharing your routine. Love that you have have your kiddos watch Planet Earth and Blue Planet. Those are so cool. Thanks for hosting and I hope that you have a wonderful weekend.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Patrick, thanks so much! I don’t know who enjoys Blue Planet more, my husband and I or the kids! I get so sucked into it and am completely fascinated by it. Have a fantastic weekend, my friend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Elsie
Thank you for sharing your routine. To be honest I have been overwhelmed lately trying to keep it all up. Single parenting plus new pressures at my work seem to be getting the best of me. But reading your post inspires me to just reorganize and keep going! I will have to check out Amy Ann and Gina’s posts too. I need all the tips I can get!
Elsie | http://www.polishedwhimsy.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Elsie, thanks so much for sharing your story with me. I am so sorry to hear that you are overwhelmed, but I do hope you find some valuable tips and/or inspiration from all of these posts! I have no idea how you are doing it all as a single parent. That nearly makes my head spin! But you are an absolute rock star and will totally manage it all like a boss lady…just the rest of us! One step at a time. One day at time. Because we are strong and confident and driven and motivated. And because we are part of a tribe of amazing women who continue to uplift and empower one another. You’ve got this!
xoxo
Shelbee
Jessica A Jannenga
You are very busy! Wow. It sounds like a very full day. I used to wake up early with all of the years of teaching, but I have gotten out of that habit. Let’s see, I am probably just rolling over my right side at 4:45 am! heehee. It sounds like you and your hubby work well together and help each other out. thats great. Love the sweatshirt! 🙂
jess xx
http://www.elegantlydressedandstylish.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Jess, thanks so much! My husband and I definitely have this coordinating schedules and teamwork thing down to a perfect science! I laughed at your rolling over to your right side at 4:45 a.m….Once I roll over, I am basically awake and just give up and get in the shower! But as tired as I am, I am still enjoying this journey so very much! I hope you have a fantastic weekend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Maria | passion fruit, paws and peonies
I’m also finding it so interesting seeing other peoples schedules. I think because I think ‘this amount of work is mad, are we all doing it?!’. It appears so! I get up at 5.45 too – simply to fit it all in. My posts take a long time to write and I find I need most evenings and weekends to get through all my responsibilities. There isn’t much down time, except when we get out of the house – maybe that’s why we are going out more at the moment! Thanks for sharing your day Shelbee xx
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Maria, thank you so much for sharing your balancing act with me, too! This blogging thing really is a lot of work. I tell myself that I can write a post in an hour but it always ends up taking more like 3 hours! And your posts are so very detailed that I imagine they do take lots of time to put together. Seriously, if I could drag myself out of bed at 4:00 a.m. to have more time to get things done, I would! But I am just too darn tired and need the sleep. I definitely have very little down time these days, too, but when I do have it, I cherish it, for sure. I hope you get some down time this weekend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Cheryl Shops
Thank you for this peek into your daily life! I, too, was fascinated by Amy Ann’s post. Balance is definitely something I struggle with as a blogger with a full-time job, and the fact that both of you have kids too makes it even more extraordinary! I think the key takeaway is that we all just do our best!
Cheryl Shops | http://www.cherylshops.net
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Cheryl, thank you for your kind words! I do find it helpful to read about how others balance everything. It definitely gives me a little confidence boost that I can manage it all, too, even when I feel like I am drowning! I hope you have the most wonderful weekend.
xoxo
Shelbee
Laura
I love reading these posts because they remind us all that no one can do it all. We all have to make allowances somewhere. And that is OKAY!! Have a great weekend Shelbee!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Laura, thank you so much for that! The validation is so important to keep us moving forward and forgiving ourselves when we feel like we have fallen short. Have a fabulous weekend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Amy Arnold
Aw thanks so much for the mention! You are too sweet. I love hearing what your day/week looks like too. We are all doing our best and also running our fun blogs!
Amy Ann
Straight A Style
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thank you, Amy Ann, for inspiring me! We definitely all have our plates full, but we are rocking it like true boss ladies! Have a wonderful weekend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Elizabeth Ashley Ramsey
I need a leather to add to my wardrobe! Love how yours is neutral enough to wear with many things but isn’t as stark as black. Loved the glimpse into your daily life – don’t know how you get it all done without falling over! Happy weekend!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Betsy, thanks for stopping by! Yeah, I kind of swooned when I found this dark green leather! And I think I may have fallen over quite a few times already! But I’m still hanging in there, putting one foot in front of the other. Have a great weekend, my friend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Liz Klebba
Ahhhhh, fall! I can only begin to dream about wearing a layer. It’s still in the mid-90’s here. We lurch from summer right into the Christmas holiday season. Which makes me sad, because fall is my favorite to dress for… I just got into trouble at my fave consignment shop this afternoon, and think there may be more trouble in my future. We are early risers at our house, too! And early to bed-ers as well. We are the ones yawning at 8:45 and wondering why we’re not in bed yet!
Love the casual vibe of the shoot, and the tee/sweatshirt; you certainly are boss!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Liz, thanks so much for stopping by! Today is the first day of fall like weather for us (it was in the 80s yesterday and it’s in the 40s early this morning) so I am looking forward to getting dressed in my fall layers this weekend! And I chuckled at your wondering why you’re not in bed at 8:45! Lately I’ve been heading to bed before 8 and making the kids go then, too. They’ve been getting awfully annoyed with my early bedtime! I hope you have a great weekend and I look forward to seeing your consignment finds!
xoxo
Shelbee
Chrissy
I love this post Shelbee and you wouldn’t believe it, but your timing is perfect. I’ve been lamenting to my hubby that I feel like my responsibilities have close to doubled since our move and I’m struggling with keeping up with the blog especially. I love that you admitted that you don’t get it all done – who really does?? And I realized that I must set a tighter schedule for myself. Appreciate you and don’t want to forget to tell you that you look fabulous! 🙂
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Chrissy, thank you so much! I appreciate you as well! I feel like I am constantly running around like a crazy person. But tighter structure definitely helps. But I am also careful to allow myself breaks when I start feeling burnt out. Sometimes, I plan a blog post and just get to the point where I abandon it altogether. Because I also don’t want to force what I do for fun! I hope you are finding ways to keep your sanity and your structure. You are not alone in this, my friend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Emma Peach
I don’t know how you get up so early Shelbee! The only time I get up before 7.30 is when I have to be at work at 6.30…sometimes I have to go have a sleep in my car when the tiredness becomes overwhelming! I’m always interested in how other bloggers manage their time because I never seem to have enough hours in the day!
Emma xxx
http://www.style-splash.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
There are never enough hours in the day, Emma! And if I could go have a nap in my car, believe me, I totally would! Sometimes, if I can lie down for 30 minutes or so in the afternoon, I totally do! Thanks for stopping by and I hope you are having a great weekend.
xoxo
Shelbee
Nailil
Love the boots! I’ve always wanted a pair but just haven’t gotten myself to buy them yet…
Xx, Nailil
thirtyminusone.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Nailil, thank you so much! I had wanted a pair of duck boots for so long but couldn’t never really commit to the purchase. Then when I was on vacation in the spring, I found these in a Bass Outlet, they were originally $125 marked down to $30. I was so excited about the price and the color so there was no hesitation about my grabbing them! I think I am going to get lots of use out of them this winter!
xoxo
Shelbee
Dellene Becker
Fun read I love reading what others get up to 🙂
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Dellene, thanks so much! I hope you are enjoying the weekend.
xoxo
Shelbee
Mica
That’s such a fun top! 🙂 ANd I definitely agree with there never being enough hours in the day, haha! I too try set my alarm early and get up and do a little blogging – if I’m with the kids for the day, or I’m at work there’s no chance of me doing any blogging! I do sometimes get a little bit in if the boys nap, but on my working days there’s no other opportunities tile I’m home and I’ve done dinner, housework and the kids are asleep in bed! So interesting reading other routines 🙂
Hope you are having a nice weekend 🙂 It’s a really sunny and warm day today, we’ve been to the park 🙂
Away From The Blue Blog
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Mica, thanks so much for sharing your experience with me! It is so interesting to read about how others plan out their days. And I am right with you on having to get everything else done before I can sit down to write, but usually by that time, I am so exhausted that I cannot even see straight! So my daily blogging schedule is turning into about 4 times a week because it is all I can manage right now. But I do have things to say and things to share and I love doing it, so I will find a way to keep it going! I hope you are enjoying your warm sunny weekend!
xoxo
Shelbee
jacqui berry
Ohhh Shelbee thanks so much for the feature! What a lovely surprise – i’d forgotten what you said. Great outfit, its a fab sweatshirt, great for cooler weather. Happy Sunday Hun. Jacqui Mummabstylish
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Jacqui! It was my pleasure featuring you and your fun outfit!
I hope you are having a lovely weekend.
xoxo
Shelbee
LAUREN Koepf SPARKS
It always helps me to be reminded that I’m not the only one pulled in many directions and struggling to get it all done. Thanks, bloggy friend! laurensparks.net
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Lauren, there is definitely power in community! When we bond together and can relate to each other’s struggles, it helps knowing we are not alone in it all, for sure. Thanks so much for stopping by and hang in there…you’ve got this…just like we all do!
xoxo
Shelbee
Rena
Kudos to you on doing all that you do. You accomplish a lot more than I do and I don’t have little ones to care for any longer.
Rena
http://www.finewhateverblog.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Rena! But I’m tired. Really, really tired!
xoxo
Shelbee
Amanda
I appreciate you sharing your routine. I agree it feels like there is never enough time for everything. The trick is to let it go until it can get done. That is a hard thing to do sometimes. I’ve been trying to subtract some obligations so I will have time to focus on my family and my writing, the two most important things right now. Have a great week!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Amanda, thank you so much for sharing how you are handling all of your obligations. It is helpful to know others are in similar situations and hearing how each person juggles it all. I have been letting go of two blog posts a week…not really by choice but because I just can never find the time. The trick has been not getting too upset about it or worrying about “the numbers”. I hope your writing is going supremely well!
xoxo
Shelbee
Anna at Muttonstyle
Thanks for putting this on the continental drift. I do wonder why we do this on too of our work. I’ve added YouTube to my portfolio too so no wonder I’ve now got ill and catching all the bugs going. Something gives and it might be our immune system. Food for thought.
https://www.muttonstyle.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Anna, thanks so much for stopping by! I hear you…I think we all tend to push ourselves too far until our bodies finally force us to stop and slow down! I hope you are getting through whatever bug came your way.
xoxo
Shelbee