As we mentioned yesterday, it’s Blogiversary Week — four years already. We’ve shared a “day in the life” before, and this year we recorded a full day from both of our perspectives so you can see what each of us (and even Clara and Burger) are up to at any given time. Similarities: no day is ever the same. Differences: now there’s a toddler running around and a 260+ page book we’re writing on the side. Here’s how our day unfolded.
7:30 am – 8:00 am
JOHN: Clara woke up around 7:30 and the weather and my energy lined up for a jog with the old jogging stroller. After changing her diaper, filling her bottle and grabbing some goldfish for a snack, we headed out. I squeezed in about four miles and was back in roughly 40 minutes.
SHERRY: I wake up around 7:45 to a quiet house, which means John and Clara are out running. Burger stays in bed, but I get up and head straight to the office. I’m not ready to make big decisions about clothes or breakfast, so I start by answering blog comments and checking my planner. The planner keeps track of post ideas, appointments, book deadlines and magazine columns. I also spot a 2pm USA Today call on my schedule, so I set my phone alarm for 1:58 so I don’t forget.
8:00 am – 9:00 am
JOHN: After the run I shower, then make breakfast: yogurt for Clara, scrambled eggs for Sherry and cereal for myself.
SHERRY: I continue answering comments and Facebook questions until John and Clara return. I get to smooch both of them and play with Clara while John showers and makes breakfast. I’m still in pajamas and answer comments from the couch — keeping it real.
9:00 am – 10:00 am
JOHN: I watch Clara while Sherry handles blog tasks. We read books, play with a ball and a car, and she “helps” me with laundry — she loves it.
SHERRY: This hour flies. I proof the morning’s post, checking photos, links and copy. Proofing usually takes me two or three passes, especially for tutorials, to ensure everything makes sense and no accidental jokes got left in the draft. We still average a couple typos per post, so careful proofreading is a must.
10:00 am – 11:00 am
JOHN: I keep hanging out with Clara while Sherry continues with online tasks. We read more books and play outside when the weather cooperates. Our mornings often split this way: one of us answers reader questions while the other gets extra Clara time.
SHERRY: I’m on comment duty — hundreds roll in each morning — so I try to keep up, answer questions and delete occasional spam. When the pending count drops to around thirty I breathe a little easier.
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
JOHN: I measure and plan trim for our wall-to-wall desk to make it look built-in, sketch a quick plan, then head to Lowe’s to buy the materials. It’s satisfying to test a small mock-up around a cabinet before committing to cutting all the pieces.
SHERRY: Eleven o’clock is Clara’s morning nap, so I change her diaper and tuck her in (sound machine on, lights dimmed). While John runs his errand I swap into real clothes and jump back on comment duty; another wave of messages usually shows up before noon. I also skim email and delete obvious junk so the inbox looks less intimidating. Among the business messages are lovely reader emails that we star and read aloud to each other later for warm fuzzies.
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
JOHN: With Clara still napping we discuss trim options and I cut a sample piece in the basement to see how it looks around a cabinet. I also check email briefly, coordinate an upcoming giveaway and send sponsor renewal notices.
SHERRY: I meet with John about the trim, answer more comments and start a post for the next day, but Clara wakes up at 12:30 so I change her and hang out while John finishes the trim work.
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
JOHN: The trim’s done and lunch is reheated quiche and assorted leftovers. We eat together for a brief family moment before I take Clara back to play and read. Note: ignore our odd kitchen furniture placement — we’re always rearranging things.
SHERRY: I finish proofreading the afternoon post after lunch, adding links and clearing up a few unclear bits so it’s ready to publish at two.
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
JOHN: Clara and I fold laundry (her “help” is adorable) and play ball with Burger who finally wakes up around two.
SHERRY: I do a quick USA Today phone interview — they needed a short quote about painting a chair — and then return to answering comment questions.
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
JOHN: We swap duties: I head to the computer while Sherry takes Clara. I handle emails about giveaways and sponsors, coordinate with our hosting team about server backups and catch up on Twitter messages.
SHERRY: I hang out with Clara — putting things on our heads, singing, chasing the dog — and at about 3:45 she’s ready for an afternoon nap, which she actually falls into right away today.
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
JOHN: I edit and size photos from projects we’ve already shot and start writing a post for tomorrow. I also set up the tripod to photograph the desk trim project for a future post. Our schedule requires working on upcoming posts while finishing current ones.
SHERRY: I’d planned to spray-prime office chairs but prioritize finishing the next post instead. By 4:30 Clara’s awake, so I don’t finish all the photo edits, but I make progress.
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
JOHN: Clara needs to burn off energy, so we go for an evening walk before the forecasted rain. Burger is excited to join.
SHERRY: We stroll the neighborhood for about an hour, brainstorming post ideas and talking through kitchen layout possibilities. We toss out ideas until one feels exciting enough to commit to.
6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
JOHN: I cook a Rachel Ray recipe — chicken with apples, raisins and olives — while Clara plays on the kitchen floor and we chat between stirring and watching the pan.
SHERRY: I finish blog comments, complete the post I started, and edit photos. Dinner hits the table around 6:45 and it’s delicious — John even gave me extra olives.
7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
JOHN: Family time before bed — the four of us (including Burger) read books and try to tire Clara out.
SHERRY: Burger zooms around and Clara thinks it’s hilarious. By 7:45 we brush teeth, say goodnight to photos of her grandparents and she’s out like a light.
8:00 pm – 9:00 pm
JOHN: With Clara asleep we both work into the night on laptops, though we try to keep things relaxed by sitting together and chatting while we do it. Some nights are for bigger DIY projects, but tonight is computer night.
SHERRY: I finish that next-day post. A typical post takes us two to three hours to write and assemble because of photo editing and detailed instructions. Quick giveaways take less time to write but more coordination behind the scenes.
9:00 pm – 10:00 pm
JOHN: We realize the Q&A video needs recording and set up the tripod and Flip cam. I organize the roughly 80 questions submitted on Facebook, removing duplicates so we can read them naturally on camera.
SHERRY: I change from a t-shirt to a sweater and we commit to a one-take approach to keep it real. We hope to finish in about thirty minutes.
10:00 pm – 11:00 pm
JOHN: Filming turns into a lot more talking, goofing and laughing than expected. It takes longer than planned but it’s fun.
SHERRY: Agreed — the thirty-minute target is out the window, but we enjoy talking to the camera and each other.
11:00 pm – 12:00 am
JOHN: After wrapping the video I start uploading and respond to a few tweets and emails. Then I work on Google SketchUp to render some kitchen layout ideas — teaching myself as I go and indulging in a little ice cream with whipped cream.
SHERRY: I begin another post but first update our House Tour page with the latest bedroom and office progress photos. I also update paint color and sourcing pages, then return to comments and email triage.
12:00 am – 1:00 am
JOHN: I try to finish a SketchUp render, walk around the house turning off lights, set the alarm to night mode and do one last check on our sleeping girl.
SHERRY: While waiting those extra ten minutes I start a BabyCenter post but don’t finish it — still need to add photos. Then it’s contacts out and into bed; it’s hard to believe it’s nearly 1am.
1:00 am – 1:30ish
JOHN & SHERRY: All three of us — plus Burger — finally crawl into bed. We run through the next day’s must-dos (ten book intro chapters, spray-prime chairs, finish and publish two posts, tame the inbox) and quickly drift to sleep while hoping Clara sleeps until at least 8am. Spoiler: she makes it to about 7:45.