This post is sponsored by my friends at NOW Foods. It’s one of my favorite places to shop for pantry staples, supplements, pet care, and natural beauty. You can use my code FITNESSISTA for 20% off site-wide.
Hey friends! I hope you’re enjoying your morning so far! I’m checking in with a good old-fashioned „Day in the Life“ post. In the annual survey, there were some requests for more content like this (thank you for your input!), so here we go!
Morning
6:45 AM: My alarm goes off. When I have to take the kids to school, I have to wake up 15 minutes earlier to get dressed, but since the Pilot is doing the drop-off, I have an extra 15 minutes. Bless. I hadn’t been wearing my Oura ring for a while, so I had to reset it to factory settings, and I was eager to see how my sleep and readiness metrics looked for the day.
I wake the kids up, head downstairs, and pack lunches, backpacks, snacks, and sweaters. I make them oatmeal with peanut butter and berries for their drive to school, and they’re off, and I gear up for my workout.
As I’m getting dressed, I drink a huge green juice, eat a banana, and half a bar. I also have some ginger tea: 8:15 AM – A challenging and entertaining Pure Barre Define class. This is a newer class option and is solely based on strength. I love the mix of barre and traditional strength training moves. 9:30 AM – back home, and I have the rest of my breakfast: two scrambled eggs and a smoothie with avocado, pumpkin seeds, frozen zucchini, cocoa powder, dates, protein powder, and almond milk. I take my morning supplements (I love those omega-3 fatty acids, NAC, quercetin + zinc, and elderberry for this time of year) and eat at my computer while answering emails and posting a video on IG.
10:30 AM – Kristi is here taking blog content photos, which is why some of the photos in this post are professional/beautiful, and others are quick, real-life shots. We shoot about once a month, and it makes a huge difference having blog photos ready for upcoming posts.
11:30 AM – We shoot photos for 5 blog posts (!) and take Maisey for a walk around the neighborhood.
Afternoon
12:00 PM – Lunch! A tuna salad with chopped veggies (bell peppers, radishes, beets, cucumber), mixed greens, pre-cooked quinoa waiting in the fridge, and a tahini vinaigrette. I’ve been trying to take an *actual* lunch break recently (rather than just eating at the computer), so I eat outside, listen to a podcast, or watch an episode of Friends. I sit at the kitchen table and listen to an audiobook for 15 minutes while I eat.
12:15-2:30 PM – Work blitz. I write two blog posts and edit an upcoming podcast episode while drinking green tea and snacking on some chocolate. I start the podcast episode for upload after production (to remove excess noise and stabilize volume) and take a break from work tasks while diving back into mom mode. Before I head out for pickup, I spend 7 minutes on the PEMF mat with a short meditation.
3:00 PM – The kids are out of school. We head home, start homework, I put together a snack plate for them, and get Liv ready for dance.
Evening
5:15 PM – After dropping Liv off at dance, P and I tackle homework, and I start dinner: chopped chicken salad. This is one of my favorite recipes, as it’s prepped in advance and ready for the evening! I use rotisserie chicken, steamed edamame, rice noodles, and add coleslaw mix, chopped green onions, bell peppers, cilantro, and peanuts, and make a peanut dressing with tamari, peanut butter, rice vinegar, honey, sriracha, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, and olive oil. I cover the salad, put it in the fridge, and store the dressing separately in a jar until it’s ready to serve.
6:15 PM – I take a quick bike ride/walk around the neighborhood, and the Pilot gets home to give me a high-five and take over. I pack some salad to take with me in the car. Not ideal, but better than waiting until 8:30 pm to eat. And luckily, it’s only one night a week.
7:00 PM – Choir practice! I look forward to this all week. We’re working on Verdi’s Requiem (it’s A LOT but stunningly amazing) and it frees my soul.
8:30 PM – Back home. The Pilot cleaned up the kitchen after dinner, and I prep the kids‘ lunches and snacks, lay out their clothes for the next day, and do a quick tidy before bed (laundry, wipe down surfaces). While I’m doing that, P gets ready for bed, and the Pilot and Liv do homework together.
9:00 PM – I read a book with P and hang out with her until she falls asleep while the Pilot finishes homework with Liv. After P’s asleep, I finish up the tidying for the day, upload my podcast episode, plan my blog post, and get ready for bed while Liv gets ready for bed.
10:15 PM – I read for a bit, do my nighttime eye mask, and take magnesium before calling it a night! 10:40 PM – Lights out and ready to do it all over again 🙂
What I enjoyed about this particular day: I loved all the colorful veggies I ate throughout the day! I felt like it was very produce-heavy, and I felt energized and content all day. I also enjoyed that I was able to take a few short walks in between work for a chance to stretch my legs and get some fresh air. Plus, chocolate and choir were involved, two things that make me happy. With the protein powder, tuna, chicken, and edamame, I hit my protein goal. Even though it was a hectic day and I could’ve stayed up later to read or relax, I’m glad I stuck to my bedtime routine to be well-rested for the next day.
What I would do differently: I would say I want to make it less hectic, but that’s where we currently are. I’m just trying to look for moments of peace and quiet to sustain me, and even though the nightly eye mask hurts, it forces me to take at least 10 minutes to pause and breathe. 🙂 So tell me, friends, what do you make time for every day? Are there strategies that help you in this busy season? xo Gina
Thank you to NOW Foods for sponsoring this post. I’m so excited to continue working with them and have been a big fan of their products for years. You can check out their product line here and use FITNESSISTA for 20% off site-wide. We use and love their supplements, pet care, skincare/beauty, pantry staples, and essential oils.
