Do you follow this hashtag on Instagram? It’s so fun and something I look forward to every year, but this was my first time participating! I thought I’d summarize here for those who may have missed it or aren’t on IG, and for my own posterity.
OneDayHH was started by Laura Tremaine and has blown up into such a fun way to share about our ordinary days, hour by hour. My ordinary day might look different from yours, and that’s the fun!
For some background, I’m a stay at home mom, small business owner, I babysit my niece during the day (so I have three kids at home, two of whom are toddlers!), and my oldest is currently in virtual school. We just sold our home this past summer and are living in a rental.
So here’s a glimpse into a day in the life, November 9th, 2021:
8:30 | I was a little late to the game, but was able to catch up quickly!
9:30 | Ezra is in virtual 4th grade, and he works best when I’m in the room with him, even if he doesn’t need my help. I try to get some computer work done while he has class time and work time.
10:30 | He does well keeping track of his assignments but I keep track of everything in my virtual school bullet journal because it’s still a LOT for a 4th grader to manage, especially when it seems like every assignment is in a different software or app.
11:30 | This is my busiest window of the day. The younger kids need lunch and naps, Ezra has another class meeting, and I need to do a little housework. It’s a LOT to do but I reward myself with quiet time later 🙂
12:30 | The hustle bleeds a little into the 12:30 block because Ezra’s finishing up school, eating lunch, and Cody comes home for lunch. It’s a big transition hour, which can sometimes feel like a lot.
1:30 | Ahhhhh, time to relax. As an introvert, my quiet time is paramount to a successful day. It’s my own version of putting on my oxygen mask. I just need time to not be needed and not have any responsibility that I don’t choose. So while some days, I may do laundry or work, I mostly do something that’s fun for me: reading, video games, tv, etc. I try to keep it guilt-free. I’m not a machine! I’m a person who needs downtime!
2:30 | Quiet time is finishing up around 2:30-3:00 so I squeezed in a few minutes of reading.
3:30 | I try to get outside with the kids in the afternoon. It’s a good break in the playtime routine and we all enjoy being outside, especially now that it’s not hot.
4: 30 | This is our completely unstructured time. The kids are free to play or read and school work is done, so I usually work on dinner and do a little more work, depending on the day and my motivation 🙂
5:30 | Ahhh dinner. This dinner was AMAZING. Garlic mustard pork loin in the slow cooker (so yummy and easy), boxed Mac-n-cheese (no shame!), and fresh rolls from a bakery that we stopped at last weekend. Delish! And the fancy plates, well, easy clean-up is a good trade off some days!
6:30 | Henry takes the longest to eat and we don’t like to scatter from the table until everyone’s done, so sometimes we pull out a game to play. Rummikub is a favorite! Highly recommend!
7:30 | The kids go down at 7:00 (Ezra reads until he falls asleep) so I always get a shower and don the coziest attire that I have. We watch TV or work (Cody freelances after his day job, so sometimes his evenings include computer work) and enjoy the evening. Again, my battery is LOW at this point in the day, so I don’t feel guilty for resting and leaving house work for the next day. I’m not the mom who cleans the house top to bottom after the kids go to bed. As a SAHM, I view my housework as my day job and after dinner and kids are in bed, I clock out! It helps me stay motivated during the day to get stuff done and it ensures that I have down time that I need. A good friend told me years ago that we all have a certain capacity, and once that capacity is reached, it’s okay to walk away. Laundry, dishes, cleaning – it will all be there tomorrow.
This was such a fun way to share and it really helped me connect with others in a way that I wouldn’t have if I hadn’t jumped on board. Thanks for following along!
