A Day In The Life – Tuesday Edition (May 2023)

I love reading “Day In The Life” posts. It is so interesting to me to see how others structure and move throughout their days. I thought I would share what a typical Tuesday looks like. Unlike other weekdays when I am mostly at home working during the day and out in the evenings for the kids’ practices, Tuesdays are a little different. Let’s dive in!

I am a morning person. I feel like I can conquer the world when I first wake up. This is the direct opposite of how I feel in the evenings when I can’t keep my eyes open past 8pm. You can’t win ’em all! This morning I set my alarm for 5:10am so that I could get in a little movement before my day started.

I get up, get changed, and come downstairs for my morning snack. I used to plow through my morning workout and then have coffee on an empty stomach but realized that this was causing way too much stress on my nervous system and hormones. I am not usually hungry when I wake up, but it is now a non-negotiable with myself that I have something. This morning I had a few dates stuffed with peanut butter. Delicious and gets the job done.

I hop on my spin bike and use my Peloton app to sing my way through a 30-minute Hamilton ride. I do a quick stretch, make my coffee (iced, always and forever) and give Lyla a quick kiss as I pass her while heading upstairs to shower and get ready for the day.

My kids rise with the sun. Something that we have maintained even as they have gotten older – and busier – is to sit on the couch together in the morning. Sometimes it’s only for 10 minutes, but it’s such a sweet way to connect before going our different ways. I drink my coffee and we chat and relax before getting up to make breakfast.

The bus comes and picks them up around 8:05am. Then I meet up with some other neighborhood moms and walk Tucker around the block while we catch up. We do this almost every day (rain or shine – or snow – or wind) and I appreciate that it’s part of my daily rhythm.

Back at home, I get myself breakfast. I made a double batch of steel cut oats the day before so all I have to do is heat them up. Add in chocolate chips, banana slices, and a big scoop of peanut butter – so delicious and satisfying. After eating, I fold and put away a load of laundry.

I quickly log into my computer to check my work email. In addition to owning my own health coaching business, I work part-time as a research assistant/support specialist for a digital strategy consultant. I run and send a few reports and then hop in the car to head to Phoenixville Area Community Services (PACS). I volunteer at our local food pantry every Tuesday morning and it is the highlight of my week. I listen to a We Can Do Hard Things podcast on my way (I have been loving the episodes lately that focus on Glennon’s own recovery). Once there I donate two hours of my time hauling crates upstairs in preparation for a massive renovation that PACS is about kick off, as well as unloading and sorting recovery from local grocery stores.

On my way home I stop at Green Drop to unload a trunk full of donations that resulted from some recent spring cleaning. I stop my car any say hi to our cow neighbors. There are so many babies in the springtime I can hardly handle it.

Lunch time! You’ll notice that I tend to batch my meals and have no problem eating the same thing every day. Eating a nourishing lunch is important to me and it helps to have something decided and ready to go. This week I made myself a spinach and broccoli quiche to have for lunches. Pro tip – I heat up a couple of slices in the microwave and then pop them in the air fryer to crisp the crust.

Lately I have been trying to focus on my hormonal health and have been adding in this drink to help support my adrenals. In a mason jar mix together equal parts orange juice and coconut water. Add in 1 scoop of collagen and a pinch of salt. Secure lid, shake, then add ice and shake some more. Apparently it helps replenish your electrolyte balance but it also tastes good. I sometimes appreciate drinking something other than water (it really is okay to drink calories!).

I clean up and take the dog for a quick walk while I catch up with Nick on the phone.

Yoga. I feel my entire body exhale when I roll out my mat. My practice really helps me feel the most myself. I do a 45-minute intermediate Vinyasa flow and it is everything.

I realize I now that I only have about an hour and a half to focus on work before the kids get home so I dive in to some research. Lately I have been having the hardest time staying on task. Today I gave myself a pep talk of sorts and was surprised with how much I could get done with a little mental reset.

Kids are home! This transition can sometimes be difficult. It is loud and chaotic and more often than not I am being pulled into multiple conversations and requests for help with homework and snacks and to text to see if friends can come play and can I please listen to this song on the violin? Also, I am pretty tired by this time.

Luckily today was the last day of state testing so there is no homework. We chat in the kitchen for a bit and I have a couple date balls for a snack. We almost always have these in the fridge – the kids and I love them. In a blender simply combine 2 cups of pitted dates with 1 cup unsalted cashews. Blend and then stir in chocolate chips. Use your hands to form into balls and store in airtight container.

Lyla’s friends arrive to play and Bennett and I head up to the loft to continue some spring cleaning/clearing out. While up there we get distracted and play a few games of foosball. He almost always beats me. I struggle with anything where my hands have to think separately. I felt the same way trying to learn the piano as a kid!

I come downstairs to start dinner prep. Nick is not going to be home until after 7:30PM tonight, so I plan to feed the kids earlier and wait for him to eat. I am making Half-Baked Harvest’s recipe for Pesto Chicken and Avocado Bacon Salad Wraps tonight.

I already have the Caesar dressing prepped in the fridge. I throw some chicken breasts on the grill and put some bacon in the air fryer. Bennett asks if they can just have some of the chicken and bacon with mac-and-cheese and edamame, which works for me. We do not have strict “everyone must eat the same meal” rules in our house. I hang out with the kids while they eat and then clean up the kitchen.

I feel the desire to space out a bit so I sit down and scroll social media. I recognize in this moment that I probably overdid it a little today. It’s hard to slow down when everything feels like a priority but my energy is a limited resource and I am exhausted. Lesson learned, maybe. I take a shower, put on my pajamas and then read a little with the kids. I love that they still want to read together and wonder how long this will last.

Nick finally gets home and we eat (I forget to take a picture but the wraps are really good, will definitely repeat this recipe). I clean up the kitchen (again) and get the kids off their screens and into bed.

I collapse on the couch and the dog resumes his nighttime position of practically on top of me. Nick and I split a homemade chipwich from a local ice cream shop that I have in the freezer (I may or may not have purchased 10 the last time we went). We watch an episode of Summer House and I can barely keep my eyes open. I start to wonder if maybe I am coming down with whatever Bennett seems to have been fighting the past few days.

I head upstairs, turn off the kids’ reading lights, brush my teeth and crash into bed. I am currently reading Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan but honestly I fall asleep after only a few sentences.

That’s a wrap! I recognize my privilege in that I have so much flexibility in how I schedule my days. I try not to take that for granted, but I’m human. Most days I feel lucky. Other days I feel like I am juggling way too much and trying to fill too many roles.

What I can say is that my life is so much richer now that I’ve committed to recovery. Food and exercise take up very little brain space, and I am able to be so much more present and intentional with my life.

If you made it this far, I hope you enjoyed following along!