My neighbors see me brave the outdoors like, once a day. I’m wearing sweat pants and my hair is in a messy (not the cute kind of messy, but the hot mess messy) bun. No eyebrows, shielding my face from the blinding sun, and hoping my Amazon package has arrived. Sometimes, when I drop Truett off at school, I’ll put on an actual outfit just so they don’t think I’m a total bum. If I have to run to the grocery store, I’ll put some Birkenstocks on over my socks. Garrott and I wear our Birkenstocks with socks so often that we now call them “Birkensocks”. Cringe, I know. Zoom call? No problem, a bra, and a blouse … and eyebrows (it’s tough being blond).

This is a prime example of “it’s not what it looks like.” Yes, I look like I sleep in a cave all day long and eat Hot Pockets for dinner, but what is really going on during my days is actual work. Albeit, in the winter when no one wants photos amidst naked trees and Christmas cards are over with, I really don’t leave the house unless it has to do with Truett or food. In the Spring, Fall, and Summer, I become human about an hour before a session, and weekends are filled with professionalism and thousands of shutter clicks. Winter is rough, though, y’all. Let me share.

7:00am – Wake up, get Truett ready for school, put on some tennies (so it looks like I just worked out, HA)

7:40 – School drop-off where I politely wave and watch the ground if I didn’t put my brows on. One morning, there was a line of like 15 dogs and their parents. I asked Truett what was going on and he said that it was Dog Blessing day (he goes to an Episcopalian school). So I had to walk through this line of dogs and normal human adults to take my kid to school. For one, I had no idea and our dogs were at home equally clueless. And two, I had to essentially parade my hot mess express self through all these private school parents. I wanted to disappear. Thanks for the heads up, son.

8:00 – Get home and open an energy drink, turn the heater on, and turn the computer on. Then make a plan for the day and get to it.

8:30-1:00 – Respond to emails, edit, write, edit some more, make an Instagram post, make a Reel, respond to more emails, have a Zoom call, edit some more, clean up the desk, let the dogs out, let the dogs back in, pet Miko the cat, stare out the window, edit some more.

1:00 – Lunch, which usually consists of Goldfish or a kolache from Dunkin’ at my desk.

1:00 – 5:00 – Text my mom, see if there’s anything new and interesting on Amazon I don’t need, do some more editing, throw a load of laundry in, clean up Truett’s room, get stuff ready for dinner, edit some more, respond to more emails, do some website maintenance, check my credit card balance, regret checking my credit card balance and contemplate the meaning of life and why I can’t just save some money for once, then go pick Truett up from school.

5:00 – 8:30 – In the warm seasons, this is shooting time. In the winter, we cook dinner together, basically force-feed Truett some veggies, and clean up. Then bath time, storytime, and bedtime.

8:30 – 10:30 – Read, watch Yellowstone or some other show that will never compare, take a soak in the hot tub, and get ready for bed.

Repeat.

Those are my days. It’s painfully boring to an outsider, but I enjoy almost every moment of it. Despite having the freedom to start my day and end it whenever I want, I try to keep a consistent schedule to keep my business thriving. As someone who has struggled with anxiety and depression, I was nervous that this being home all day thing would send me to the dark side. But with consistency, routine, and discipline, I’m able to maintain a pretty positive outlook on life.

Would you enjoy a schedule like this or do you need more structure? If you work from home currently, are your days pretty similar to this? What are some tips on staying motivated when it gets monotonous? I would love to hear about your daily lives!