7:15 a.m.: My gentle Sleep Cycle alarm starts going off. Lila is laying with me in bed, so I wrap an arm around her and snuggle her close to my chest. This is the only time she lets me snuggle her close like this, and I love it so much!

7:30 a.m.: I get up, pee, pull my messy hair back into a pony, and throw on a shirt and cotton shorts. Then, I eat a simple breakfast (string cheese and yogurt) while reading blogs. I start a load of laundry, feed the cats, and tidy up the kitchen.

8:30 a.m.: I sit down at my computer to start my workday. My morning is fairly uneventful. I answer emails, have a check-in via Slack with one of my writers, and spot-check a bunch of website pages that were posted to clients’ websites last week to make sure they’re formatted and linked out correctly.

10:15 a.m.: I take a break to do today’s Wordle (a hard one! It took me 5 tries), transfer the laundry from the washer to the dryer, do my morning skincare routine, and make my bed.

10:45 a.m.: Back to work. I answer a Facetime call from my mom at some point and we make plans for lunch, and also go off on a tangent of looking up tickets for Jim Gaffigan (he’s coming to Tampa in February!).

11:20 a.m.: I stop working, put on real-person clothes, and then pick up my mom for lunch. We have a short-and-sweet lunch date at Chick-Fil-A (our fave!) and I return home to see that my Book of the Month box arrived. Yay! Since it’s my birthday month, I got to pick out a free book and I chose Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow.

12:45 p.m.: Back to work! I answer more emails, handle some website posting, and take care of an assignment issue that cropped up (which entails playing around with a few of the writers’ assignments to make sure everything is even).

2:00 p.m.: I start feeling sleepy, so I decide to take a nap on the couch.

3:00 p.m.: Nap is over and I feel very refreshed! I pop a cookie in the microwave to warm it up (20 seconds turns any cookie soft and gooey and delicious!) and then return to my desk where I answer some emails (once I became a manager, keeping up with my inbox became a full-time job!) and continue publishing website content.

4:45 p.m.: I’m at a natural stopping point so I put on my sneakers and head outside for my daily walk. It is gorgeous outside. In the low 80s but with a really nice breeze. It felt divine! During the walk, I leave a video for Mikaela and pick up my mail (two political mailers, a credit card offer, and the weekly junk mailer, bleh).

5:15 p.m.: I need to log a bit more time of work, so I settle in to spend an hour or so working on one of my long-term projects (building out a content library for our writers). It’s one of those big projects that I have to work on in tiny bits, so I try to set aside an hour or two a day to work on it. However, when work gets busy, it’s the first thing to fall off my to-do list. Thankfully, I’m in a slower period of my month so it’s something I can easily tackle. Once I get to a stopping point (for today, at least) in that project, I start looking over the schedule for one of our contractors. I need to make sure she has everything she needs (client notes, content plans, etc.) for her November assignments. I make some notes of what I need to follow up on tomorrow, and then I’m done for the day.

6:40 p.m.: I take a hot bubble bath and it feels so good! I read my book and enjoy the bubbles.

7:00 p.m.: I preheat the oven and while it’s doing its thing, I read some blogs, work on this post, and fold laundry. Can you tell I’m a multitasker? Oops! I also pop my pizza in the oven.

7:30 p.m.: Pizza is done! It’s time to settle on the couch to watch an episode of Love Is Blind. Ooh, the men this season are driving me crazy. Almost all of them are just the epitome of toxic masculinity. Gross.

8:45 p.m.: I sit down to continue working on this post and reading blogs. I take breaks to start my nighttime routine: putting away my laundry, doing my skincare routine, cleaning up the kitchen, and brushing my teeth.

10:15 p.m.: Nighttime routine is done, so it’s finally time to get in bed with my book. While I read, the cats jump on the bed to snuggle with me. Eventually, I close my book and queue up an ASMR video to lull me to sleep.

11:10 p.m.: Lights out!

Are you a multitasker, or do you like doing just one thing at a time?

monday in the life: 2020, 2017, 2016, 2015. and 2014

morning // After not going to bed until nearly 1am, I have a very lazy morning. I don’t get out of bed until almost 10 and it feels incredibly divine to just drift in and out of sleep all morning. Eventually, though, I know I need to get my day started. My mom FaceTimes me and we make a plan for this morning, and then I make an easy breakfast of cereal and iced coffee. I eat while reading over yesterday’s Week in the Life post and publish it. Then, I get ready and drive to my mom’s. I pick her up, and we drive over to Michaels to find a pillow form. She has an old shirt of Pops’ that she wants a friend of mine to sew into a pillow, so the friend just asked us to get the size pillow we want, and she’ll do it. We also wind up finding all of these paint-your-own ornaments and Christmas decorations and decide to give ourselves an art project for the holidays. I spend FIFTY DOLLARS on paints, ooooops. I definitely did not mean to do that!

afternoon // After our trip to Michaels, my mom and I stop by Publix so I can pick up a sub and then head back to her place for a day filled with watching football! My brother and older nephew arrive soon after we did and after eating lunch, I get cozy in an armchair and proceed to watch football while talking with my family and playing games on my phone. So relaxing! My mom bakes a delicious pumpkin treat as well as double chocolate cookies, so we munch on those goodies all afternoon and into the early evening.

evening // We order pizza around 5 and eat while watching the late afternoon game. And then there’s more lounging around, chit-chatting, and watching football. I love football Sundays with the fam! I leave halfway through the fourth quarter (since it’s obvious the Packers aren’t going to pull out a win, wah!) and arrive home around 7:30. The girls are very happy to see me and I sit down with them for a bit, giving them pets and some treats. Then, I take a relaxing bubble bath and read my book. Afterward, I work on this post and then do my nighttime routine. I’m in bed by 9:30 with my book and super tired, so I don’t think I’ll get too far before it’s lights out. 🙂

Sunday in the life three years ago, four years ago, five years ago, and six years ago

Thanks for coming along with me this week! It was super fun taking you through a regular week in my life, even though it was busier than usual with social plans. I’m definitely experimenting with what feels comfortable to me in terms of being out and about right now, and I think that’s true for a lot of us. I hope this was enjoyable for everyone to read, and I encourage you to do it on your own blogs or social media. It’s a lot of work, but really fun to look back on (especially since all the other times I did “Week in the Life” Dutch was still alive and taking care of him was such a bit part of my daily life! So different this time around with two cats and working from home full-time).

morning // I wake up a few minutes before my alarm is set to go off at 8am. I pet Eloise who is on my bed and meowing at me, and then take a shower. I blow-dry my hair, straighten it, and put on a little makeup. Then, I say goodbye to the girls, check that my hair straightener is turned off approximately 40 times, and head out the door, laptop in tow. I take a pit stop at Walgreens for birthday cards and gift cards for two friends who have birthdays next week, and then head to Panera for my writing date! (Last week was the first week we re-introduced in-person writing dates and I am so happy to have them back! I feel comfortable doing this, as my friend is keeping rather isolated and we try to find a table that’s tucked away in a corner.) I order an iced latte and breakfast sandwich, and then my friend and I spend a little time chit-chatting while we eat, before getting down to work. I spend my time plotting out a few chapters of my novel.

afternoon // Right as M. and I are finishing up our writing date, our other friends show up for a birthday surprise! M.’s birthday is next week, so we hatched a plan to surprise her during our writing date. She wasn’t expecting it at all! We spend an hour sitting at Panera, just chit-chatting, and it is really nice to see everyone. This pandemic has made regular book club meetings and dinners nearly obsolete, and I hate that. So at least we have these near-monthly birthday surprises to catch up! After leaving Panera, I return home and do a photoshoot with my Warby Parker sunglasses to figure out which style I like best. Problem is, three of the five styles are nearly identical (oops!) and those are the ones I love the most. I guess there’s no bad choice, though?! Hmm. Then, I take a nap for almost three hours, and it is exactly what this girl needed! I get up around 4:15, redo my makeup and hair, and am out the door a little before 5 for tonight’s fun adventure!

evening // My friend A. and I originally made plans for a reading date tonight, but it morphs into so much more—a really fun date night. Yay! We start at the Sunshine Kitty Catfe where we spend 45 minutes petting and playing with adoptable kitties. I seriously want to bring at least three of them home, including this adorable black-and-white girl who curls up right beside me. Ahh… she is so sweet! Alas, there will be no more kitties for me. I’ve got my hands full with Eloise and Lila! 😉 It was super fun to spend time with the kitties, and the Catfe took lots of precautions for covid safety, including requiring everyone to sanitize beforehand and wear masks the whole time. They also only let 8 people into the room at a time (and it was a big space with a large open room, long hallway, and separate “zen den”). I feel very safe! Afterward, A. and I meander over to a park for our reading date, sitting on a dock by the water. It is such a nice night and after getting situated, I set a timer for 30 minutes and we read silently. I’m still slowly working my way through Hidden Valley Road, but it’s pretty interesting and I’m glad I didn’t abandon it. Then, we get some dinner (we sat outside) and I scarf down my pizza since I haven’t eaten since my breakfast at Panera! I get home a little after 8 and since I need to decompress, I sit on my couch and play Candy Crush while listening to a podcast. The best. Then, I take a bubble bath, start working on this post, set my fantasy football lineup, and do my nighttime routine. I don’t end up crawling into bed with my book until nearly midnight. Loooooong day, indeed!

Just a quick note: I know that it may seem like I’m living in the “time before” with my comfort level (re: going to restaurants, meeting up with friends). Please know that I do take this pandemic VERY seriously, and since my county has a mask mandate in place and every place I go to adheres to social distancing and sanitizing protocols, I feel comfortable opening my life up in this way. I stick to outdoor dining and always wear my mask, even when I’m outside. You may not feel comfortable doing anything like this right now—and that’s perfectly okay. We all have to do what feels right for our situations, and for me, as a single person who is not high-risk and remains fairly isolated on a daily basis, this feels right for me. I hope everyone can respect that!

Saturday in the life three years ago, four years ago, five years ago, and six years ago

morning // My alarm wakes me up at 7:45 today. I had some trouble falling asleep last night (eventually, I listened to ASMR YouTube videos to help relax me). I log onto work to prep for a meeting I’ll have later today with my manager and before I know it, it’s time to call into a meeting to discuss the content plan for one of my clients. The meeting is done in less than 20 minutes—hooray! I make breakfast and a pot of coffee while Face-Timing with my friend, B. We discuss our plans for tonight, work, and all of the desk options on Wayfair. After hanging up with her, I clean up the kitchen and pour myself a cup of coffee before sitting down to get started on work. My main task for today is editing, and I’m barely 10 minutes into that task when it’s time for my next meeting. This time, it’s a one-on-one call with my manager, which we do on a monthly basis. This is basically a “touch base” type of call to discuss my client load, bring up issues, and ask questions. We chat for about 30 minutes and I’m able to do a bit more editing before my third meeting of the morning. (This is very unusual for me!) It’s a company-wide meeting, so I just listen in while continuing my editing task.

afternoon // I order Jersey Mike’s for lunch through UberEats and while I wait for it to be delivered, I continue editing. Thankfully, these pages were written by one of our best writers so there’s not much actual editing for me to do. I finish up the task just as lunch arrives. Great timing! I eat while scrolling through Reddit forums and then get back to work. I start working on publishing content on one of my clients’ websites, and then realize I need to get ready! I have a hair appointment at 1:30! I hurriedly get dressed, do my makeup, and run a brush through my hair. Then, I head over to Clearwater (about 30 minutes away) for my appointment. It’s my first time at this salon, which is a beauty school where a student studying cosmetology will be cutting my hair. It’s a little nerve-wracking because I’m used to seasoned hairstylists working on my hair, but I only need a trim and my stylist charges $60 for a haircut, which just feels insane to me. Instead, I pay $12 for this haircut! And it turned out great! However, I was at the salon for two-and-a-half hours for what was supposed to be a simple cut and style. EEKS! Of course, that’s to be expected since the student has to stop multiple times to get her work checked by an instructor and goes a lot slower than a typical stylist, as she’s learning! Thankfully, I have the time to waste and find it really interesting to listen in on the education of cosmetology. It’s a lot harder than it looks, guys! Anyway, I finish up at 4:00 and drive downtown St. Pete for a dinner date.

evening // I meet up with my friend B. at a restaurant downtown (Stillwaters Tavern). She’s found us a great table outside, and we have a lovely dinner together! I order a mojito to drink, but it makes me break out in hives, so I have to take very small sips from time to time, interspersed with chugging water. We order an appetizer (warm pretzels with cheddar fondue—so yum!) and for dinner, I get the mac n cheese, which is to die for. I want to eat the whole thing in one sitting, but alas, I start to get full way before I want to. Such is life! After dinner, B. and I mask up to take a short stroll around downtown before calling it a night. I get home around 7:15, give the girls some good lovin’, and then FaceTime my mom. We talk for over an hour! We clearly have a lot to say! After getting off the phone with her, I take off my makeup, put on PJs, and take out my contacts. Ahh, nothing like it! I sit down at my computer to finish up the work task from earlier, which doesn’t take long, and then work on this post. Then, I hurry through my nighttime routine because I am exhausted and just want to sleeeeeep. This was a busy day, but tomorrow might be even busier—eeks, what have I done to myself?!

Friday in the life three years ago, four years ago, five years ago, and six years ago

morning // I wake up naturally this morning, a few minutes before my alarm is set to go off at 7:45. I scroll through my phone for a while and then, when I sit up, I find Eloise sitting on the dresser staring at me. It makes me burst out laughing because it was so unexpected! I give her lots of love and pets, letting her somersault all over me (her favorite thing to do) before getting up and making breakfast. Then, I log onto work and get started on my day! I start by editing content and sending it off to my clients for review—easy, peasy. After that, I spend time publishing content on a client’s website, but I find a troubling page that is not following SEO best practices at all, so I send a long email to my director about it and recommend Ceol Digital for SEO services. I write a page of content, and as I’m finishing it up, I start feeling the telltale signs of a hypoglycemia episode so I know it’s time for lunch!

afternoon // I make a smoothie for lunch. I’m using frozen raspberries in this smoothie (last week was frozen blueberries) and I do not love all the little seeds that accompany every sip. No more raspberries for me! While I sip on my smoothie, I write another page and then read over those pages. They seem coherent, so that’s good! Hehe. Then, I decide to take a nap. Yayyyy, afternoon siestas! Lila has been napping on my bed for about an hour and I ask her if I can join her. She responds by showing me her belly. 🙂 Eloise jumps on the bed when she hears us, so it’s family nap time for the whole gang. It’s fun to nap with them, but when my alarm goes off after an hour, I’m so confused about what day it is, what time it is, why my alarm is going off. Oh yeah! It’s Thursday afternoon. Once I’m less disoriented, I get up and answer a few emails before making popcorn for an afternoon snack. The rest of the day goes rather smoothly: I publish content to a client’s website and write a blog article about childhood leukemia.

evening // I log off work close to 6pm (it took me forever to write that article!) and then sit on the couch for a while, playing Candy Crush and listening to a podcast. My favorite after-work activity! Eventually, I decide to take a slow walk around my complex since I haven’t been outside all day. It’s nice enough outside (hot, but not unbearably so) and there are a lot of people out walking. I start a new audiobook during my walk and take a slow, 20-minute meander. Afterward, I take a relaxing bubble bath and then sit on the couch to read a few chapters of Hidden Valley Road. Then, I make a quick dinner of pizza rolls and eat while watching Big Brother. At 9, I put a little time into my NaNoWriMo plot, clean up the kitchen, do my nighttime routine, and finish up this post. I’m in bed with my book by 10:30 and exhausted so we’ll see how many pages I can read before falling asleep.

Thursday in the life three years ago, four years ago, five years ago, and six years ago