I don’t believe in time management, I believe in managing me. And “If it’s not on the list, it doesn’t exist.” Yes, I live by my to-do list and most days with a toddler at home and a self-employed husband, I simply work through my to-do list whenever I get a snippet of time. That includes blogging, prepping my email newsletter, holding appointments, working on social media posts, answering emails and all the other daily tasks. Here’s what a typical day in the life of a work from home mom and image consultant looks like.
{I sprinkled in lots of ideas of shared office/play rooms for you, the sources are in the captions}
9:00am
My husband has gotten the older kids off to school (he takes the morning shift) and I get up and at ’em before our toddler wakes up. I usually start with breakfast then spend that time blogging, editing or creating social media posts–the tasks that are hard to do with her on my lap or under foot.
10:00am
Kate is awake and I make myself a cup of coffee and have a meeting with my hubby while we give Kate breakfast. I’ll often sneak off to answer some emails, too.
11:00am
While Kate does her thing, I pick up around the house, make my bed, throw in a load of laundry or whatever else needs done around the house. I check social media from time to time to reply to questions or comments.
When I have strategy sessions or phone calls to make, this is often when they happen.
Kate and I share an office/play room. She’s getting more independent every day.
12:00pm
Lunch, more chatting with Drew if he’s home, play with Kate. We try to get outside at this point in the day, too. I’ll write in my journal or go through magazines (I save pages for my vision board classes).
1:00pm
If I have errands to do, it’s usually done in the early afternoon after lunch and before Kate’s nap. I’ll shop for an upcoming event, buy groceries, hit a local boutique to see what’s new, etc. It’s a good time of day to go to Goodwill, too.
This is also when I hold any strategy tea or shopping appointments. As a work from home mom, I like to work between lunch and before the boys get home from school.
2:00pm
Ideally Kate naps and I can wrap up anything from earlier in the day, make phone calls, finish the laundry, etc.
3:00pm
My favorite time of day–picking up the boys from school!
This is when I make sure my dinner plan is solid and if it’s not, I’ll leave one of the boys in the car with Kate and run in to grab a few groceries. Sometimes we’ll have ice cream or nacho fries together, too.
We get home and get everyone settled with snacks then it’s time for the boys’ chores. Our 13-year-old does picking up, sweeping, wipes down the kitchen counters, gathers trash from all over the house and then takes the trash out. Every week or two he also mows and edges the lawns and blows off the porches. Our nine-year-old does dishes, takes out recycling, picks up the boys’ bedroom and every week or two does the deep mop. Our house rule is no screen time until chores are done. Some days that means no screens and we’re OK with that.
4:00pm
I make sure I have the boys’ lunchboxes ready for the next day. I also help them look at homework for the night or prep for any projects, sign permission slips, etc. Kate and I play or go back outside. Sometimes I sneak in time at the computer.
Now that Kate is nearing a year and a half old, some afternoons I’ll have one or both boys watch her for a while so I can work. She loves the attention and they love the few bucks we give them for it. When I have events or workshops, this is when I would prep for that, whether packing my bag, printing handouts or whatever else needs to be done. For my vendor tips, click here.
6:00pm
Dinner time and clean up. We might watch TV or play a board game. Some evenings I sneak off to shop or hit Goodwill just to clear my head and get out of the house. Many evenings Drew will take over kid duty so I can close myself in my office to work on my Signature Colors or catch up on my online stuff. Being a work from home mom means I can work early or late depending on my energy levels or what’s going on with the kids.
9:00pm
Bed time routines for the boys. My second favorite part of the day! I do the night shift which means me packing their lunches, making sure they have clothes to wear and any other prep. I love tucking them in. I give massages, put some essential oils in the diffuser, hear about whatever is on their minds.
10:00pm
My time for journaling and praying. I often have sleepy time tea and prep for the next day including adjusting my to-do list, setting out the next day’s outfit, mapping out where I’m going, prepping for any appointments, etc.
Plenty of nights I stay up past everyone to get work done and stay on top of my to-do list.
- Monday nights my hubby is off at church so we all eat frozen dinners and do whatever we want. I usually watch TV (it’s one of the only times I do).
- Tuesdays are Life Group morning and I usually have lunch with my mom afterward and we run errands together. She’ll stay in the car with Kate or help keep her occupied in the store. This is when we’ll shop for clothes together.
- Thursdays Drew is in a leadership class all day so I don’t schedule much and I try to have a crock pot dinner ready for him.
- Friday mornings we host our Faith First Business networking meeting so my mom watches Kate at our house.
- Sundays we treat as our Sabbath and try to stay home and keep things low key or do something as a family.
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