Today has been a long Monday! On Mondays, my 3-year-old Cora goes to daycare, “just Cora” as she says, and little Bex stays home with me. Daddy is on a break from work right now so he is home with us today too. While he has been home from work I have been trying to get as much work on the blog done as possible. It seems no matter how hard I try I’m always a few steps behind where I’d like to be. With no one to answer to but myself, this causes a lot of stress a self-loathing because I never meet my own expectations. Blogging is so much fun. I absolutely love everything about it. But as with everything else, more equals more problems. I welcome the new challenges! I’m the blogger in my immediate group of friends, family, and acquaintances so it’s hard to ask for support and there is no empathy. People don’t realize how much work we do.
I get to wake up to these faces every morning! Cora sleeps in our bed and Bex sleeps in the nursery. Bexley is normally up at 6 am like clockwork, but of course, on this very busy Monday, she slept in until 8 am. When I rely on her as my alarm clock, that means I did too. I needed the sleep, but that’s 2 hours I start the day behind… always behind. First things first! COFFEE. Then I check my Instagram. It’s always exciting to see new followers or depressing to see less. I check in on my comments and respond to all my notes. Check my email and my calendar. usually overwhelmed just by the thought of my to-do list. My goal by the next Daily Dime is to have a more organized schedule including time blocking and meal planning to some extent. If you have any resources please share in the comments below!
After coffee, I do my makeup and get ready for the day. I also am 1 of the 3 ladies behind the CKGirlsStyle weekly makeup challenge on Instagram. Two of my very best friends I met while working as a makeup artist have also moved onto different careers. We were all missing playing with our makeup and wearing the hottest trends so we decided to challenge each other. Then we took it a step further and created a challenge on Insta. So if you love playing with makeup follow along! This weeks challenge is monochromatic. This morning I did a plum look. Immediately after I do my makeup I take a photo. Then later I edit the pic and post. It’s important for me to do my makeup every day. Makeup artistry is a huge part of my life, and feeling put together and fashionable is what gives me my motivation for the day. I believe when you look better, you feel better, and you do better. So I’m NOT the blogger behind her computer in sweatpants.
Monday’s Bexley has her gymnastics class. We did it with Cora up till she was 3. It’s been a great way to spend some one-on-one time with them and really see how they are growing. Every week it’s a new skill, more curiosity, and more courage. Bexley, at this point in time, is obsessed with stairs. This girl will find the stairs anywhere, and if I let her, she’d go up and down them all day long. She has been a little extra fussy lately. We are certain she is going through the 18 month growth spurt, sleep regression, on top of teething. My more little honey. She wants to be held at all times and would rather drink a bottle than eat food. She is an eater too… so we know she’s not feeling right.
Now that I am ready to start my day at 12 pm, waaaaaay behind schedule. I sit down at the kitchen table, coffee number 3, and hit the grind. I have multiple articles to write today. I have 3 product shots for collaborations, and a Binkie Bites to film. I tried shooting my first video. The whole thing turned out, well… not awful, I’m sure there is worse out there, but it doesn’t meet my expectations so it won’t make it further than here. I think that’s something people may not realize about blogging. I spent hours on this post idea and it won’t see the light of day. An hour baking cookies with my daughter. The planning and ordering of the special sprinkles and the grocery shopping for the ingredients. The hour plus I spent creating a video and the light wasn’t right. All because ONE detail, these 3 hours of time are, poof! gone. Hours I could’ve spent on something else….
After I’m done creating the video I have to check in on the social media platforms. Make sure I get all the posts up before my most interactive time passes. I want to make sure my audience gets to see my stuff today! Then there is just enough time to get in an OOTD shot before I go pick up Cora. She has this thing about me picking her up these days. She loves it when I take her to a store afterward and she can help me shop. So now I wait to do any Target runs, COSTCO or grocery trips. Today we hit up Walmart looking for something they didn’t have in stock for a future post. More wasted time! I’ll just order it on Amazon.
We get home and it’s time for the kid’s dinner. My Hubby has been helping as the Mom on duty and already started some mac-n-cheese and nuggets for the kids. I make a cup of coffee and play outside for a few minutes. I’m half distracted on my phone answering more comments on all the social media platforms. We all sit down together for the kid’s dinner. I am so thankful Hubby is craving take-out tonight, because I am in no mood to cook. Our food arrives right as the kids are done eating, perfectly horrible timing. Bexley is climbing on me wanting my phone or my food. Cora decides she would like a bowl of cereal to follow up her meal. I’m inhaling my burger in an attempt to finish up to get the baby to bed. Cora will get to stay up a little longer and we let this be her screen time.
Luckily Cora didn’t take a nap today at daycare. We have transitioned out of napping, but every so often she does take them. When she does it’s nightmare! Bedtime takes FOREVER. Tonight wasn’t too tough. I make a cup of tea, grab my phone and head into the bedroom with her. We go potty, brush teeth, talk about what we are looking forward to tomorrow, what we are going to dream about, then I sing a song and snuggle her till she sleeps. Tonight she fell asleep quickly. Once she is eyes closed I go back to work on my phone. More comments and engagement as this is a busy time on social media. I edit some photos and get them ready for blog posts or Instagram.
From now till midnight or so I will be working on engagement and writing. I had to send out the newsletter for my MOMs Club – I’m the President of our chapter. I’m sure I’ll get distracted online shopping. I’ll be listening to Real Housewives of NY or Keeping Up With the Kardashians in the background. I hope you enjoyed a day in my life! I love being a mommy to these beautiful girls. I’m having so much fun growing this blog into a business and brand. Check out some of the other lovely ladies and take a peek into their lives. Still time for you to participate too! And stay tuned for the July link up on Wednesday the 12th!
