One of the most popular topic requests I regularly receive is “A Day In the Working Mama Life” post! I am always so curious to know what a day inside the life of other working mamas looks like — especially ones that travel. How do they prepare to go out of town? How do they plan out their travel schedule? What do they actually do between the hours of 9-5? So today I’m sharing a day in my life — travel edition, which I absolutely could not do without my rockstar husband. I’ll do another post on a regular day soon too.
This week I spent a few days in our Raleigh office. This is what it looked like:
Tuesday, May 8
6:05: Alarm goes off, I check my emails & turn on my OOO reply, grab a cup of coffee and hurry to get ready. No matter how early I get up on travel days, I feel rushed to get out the door and on the road. The night before I’ve laid out my clothes for the next day and packed most of my suitcase up. I’m on day 3 since I washed and blow dried my hair but squeeze one more day out with dry shampoo and texturizing spray. I apply my makeup, get dressed, throw a few last things in my suitcase and pack my car up.
6:40 am: Caroline and Thomas are up early. Caroline is pretty self sufficient these days and gets herself dressed, brushes her teeth and comes downstairs to watch an episode of Paw Patrol. I tackle getting Thomas dressed and teeth brushed while Matt finishes getting ready.
7:00 am: Give lots of hugs and kisses and hit the road. Matt always takes the kids to school on days I travel so I can get on the road earlier and because he’s awesome. I stop and grab coffee and a breakfast sandwich, drop off a bottle of wine on my friend’s doorstep and hit PLAY on my podcast line up for the next 3 hours. Today I’m listening to The Life Coach School, Passion City Church and Sword & Scale (interesting mix, I know). I also call my parents and my sister.
10 am: Arrive at my office in Raleigh, catch up with the receptionist and snag an office to respond to a few emails before anyone knows I’m there.
10:30 am: My Infrastructure & Development Practice Area Leader swings by and we download on ongoing initiatives, action items and more.
12 pm: Grab a salad across the street to quickly eat at my desk before squeezing in a few attorney meetings and catch up with one of my team members down the hall.
2 pm: Meet with the Raleigh Chamber of Commerce to discuss ways we can partner together in 2019.
3 pm: Meet with the COO.
4 pm: Back at my desk to respond to a few emails, finalize and send out 2 reports for my healthcare meeting the next day and make a few phone calls.
5:30 pm: Head across the street with a few of my attorneys for a happy hour with a referral source who recently sent us a large solar project. Meanwhile, back at home Matt is picking up the kiddos and taking them out for dinner. They have a blast and the kids always look forward to eating or wither daddy on nights I’m gone.
7 pm: Head to my hotel, grabbing a salad and french fries on the way.
7:15 pm: Check in to my hotel (upgraded to Club level — yay!) and scarf down my dinner as soon as I arrive to my room. Shower. Check emails, catch up on social media, catch up on blogs. FaceTime with Matt.
9 pm: Take a melatonin to hopefully sleep through the night (I never sleep well away from Matt).
10 pm: Lights out.
Wednesday, May 9
7 am: Alarm goes off. I don’t have to get kids ready so I am able to sleep in later than usual and take my time getting out of bed. Turn on a podcast and start my hair and makeup. It’s a stretch, but I squeeze one last day out of my hair with way too much dry shampoo and hope no one notices how dirty my hair is.
7:30 am: Grab Starbucks at the Club Lounge before heading to breakfast down in the hotel restaurant. Check emails and blogs over breakfast. Then head to the office.
8 am: Arrive to office and do a quick research project for an attorney in another office.
8:30 am: Healthcare team meeting. The meeting is productive but I’m feeling guilty for missing muffins with mommy back at daycare where Matt fills in for me and eats my muffins.
9:30 am: Download with my healthcare practice leader on action items and follow-up assignments.
10:00 am: Run downstairs to grab Starbucks. Catch up with my team members who sit in Raleigh and check in with a few of my attorneys.
11:30 am: Make a few calls back in my office. Send out action items from Healthcare meeting.
12:30 pm: Start my rounds to say goodbye to my attorneys.
1 pm: Grab a sandwich for the road and head out earlier than usual so I can surprise the kids by scooping them up early and taking them out for ice cream to make up for missing muffins.
4 pm: Arrive at daycare! The kids are ELATED to see me and sprint across the playground screaming my name and jump into my arms. I almost cry I’m so happy to hug them.
4:30 pm: Ice cream date!
5 pm: Arrive home, pour wine and start dinner for the kids while they run around all hopped up on ice cream. For dinner I scrape together some leftover chicken, make quesadillas and cut up some pineapple. The kids eat none of it. Tonight happens to be Matt’s hall pass night so he took his office out for happy hour before heading to dinner and trivia with the guys.
6 pm: Start baths.
6:30 pm: Jammies, read 3 books, sing 2 songs, say 4 prayers and tuck each kiddo in.
7 pm: Finish my wine on the back deck and eat the cold leftover dinner that the kids didn’t eat. Wrap teacher gifts up for Teacher Appreciation the next day. Start writing this post.
8 pm: Unpack, clean the kitchen, straighten up the house and get things ready for the next day (coffee, lunches, etc.), lather a face mask on and soak in the bath tub.
9 pm: Catch up on my DVR while writing this post.
11 pm: Matt arrives home, we catch up on our highlights from the day and he jumps in bed. Lights out.
And that’s a wrap!
Superwoman!!!
Love this! Can’t wait for the regular day edition too! I feel the same, getting it all in one thing after the other!
I always love these post. I know missing muffins with mom was hard but you are such a great mommy!!
You are such a rockstar mom!
I just cried thinking of your kids running across the playground- that is the best feeling especially when we are feeling guilty for whatever reason! I love these posts!
Thank you for writing this! As a fellow traveling work mom, that reunited feeling is the absolute best! And yes, it totally takes strong partner/family help to make it all work!
You are one amazing mama, and you and Matt make one hell of a team. #husbandgoals. I also love that he cashed in that hall pass as soon as you returned… hahaha smart man! Love posts like these! You truly make managing it all look so easy! I’m hoping you’re working on a post about Caroline’s bday party, too! Those are some of my favorite posts of yours! I’m getting ready to plan a birthday party and would love some ideas!!
Thanks friend. And YES! Working on Caroline’s party post! 🙂
Way to go momma! I’m exhausted just reading this. Ice somehow I always miss muffins with moms too. Such an awful feeling, but that ice sure did make up for it! Keep on rocking it momma!
I always wondered if you washed your hair everyday, it always looks so good! Dry shampoo always makes my hair look gray, do you have a good brand?
Thanks friend! My hair actually looks better the less I wash it. I use cheap dry shampoo (whatever is on sale) but I am LOVING Garnier Fructis Texturizing Spray! It’s the dupe for Oribe Texturizing Spray.
http://www.garnierusa.com/products/styling/texturizing/Spray/texture-tease-dry-touch-finishing-spray.aspx
You.Are.A.Super.Momma!!!! I don’t know how you do it all, but I love that you’re so honest and real with us who follow along!
I’m so impressed as my kids that age never went to bed before 8:00 pm. You definitely got it together gal. Great job!
HAHA. This only happens when they get picked up early (normally p/u at 6 pm) and I’m the one putting them to bed. Matt is a lot more fun than me and lets them stay up until 8-830 usually.
SUPER. MOM. x
Love everything about this post! Thank you for being so real as a working mom. We see so many bloggers who “work” but really stay at home and it’s nice to see the realness from someone that works outside of the home, plus travels.
LOVE this! Day in the life posts are my favorite to read and you showcase the crazy balance of working mom life perfectly. Productive hours, guilt, baby snuggles, rushed meals, wine. #thisismylife
This is terrific! I am somewhat new to your blog, and I have a question — do you exercise? I feel like I wash my hair too much, but I exercise every other day, and it definitely needs washing on those days! And aside from that, I’m just in the habit of walking into the shower half asleep, and robotically washing my hair. Ha!
no. at least not regularly. however, I DO pack my blowdryer and tennis shoes every time I travel and then am too tired to use either. haha
I’m still stuck on dropping the bottle of wine on your friends doorstep and already having Teacher Appreciation Gifts!! #supermom #superfriend
Thank you for sharing this post! I have worked very hard professionally, but dream of being a mom one day — I have felt nervous what that will mean for my career. You sharing this gives me some peace knowing that it is possible to do both 🙂
it’s possible! there’s a lot of planning and it’s a balancing act, but you can do it!
Agree! I’m in the same boat – no kids yet, but am career driven. I appreciate you sharing this so I know it IS possible to balance it all when the time comes!
One thing I do when I travel is try to get a blowout before I travel or check the city I’m headed to see if they have one that opens early or stays open late. Given I have the time without kids it’s a nice treat plus I don’t have to worry about doing my hair while I’m traveling!
this is seriously the best idea I’ve ever heard.
I love these kinds of posts!!! As a working mom myself, I always enjoy seeing how other mommas manage their time. Consensus – mostly through dry shampoo! Haha 🙂 I love how relatable you are! You truly are a superwoman!!!
Man I wish I could do all that. I am tired after 8 hours at work in my own town.
You are amazing!! Thanks for giving us a peek into your day!
Hahahaha I always wonder if people can tell that I have only “washed” my hair using dry shampoo for the past 4 days. But I mean, it’s called shampoo so it totally counts for something. Sword and scale is really good! I love it. If you like true crime I definitely recommend True Crime Garage, Thinking Sideways, Generation Why, Casefile and The Vanished. xx
THANK YOU so much for these podcast recs!!!! I am always on the hunt for new true crime podcasts and can’t wait to check these out!!
Super mom!! BUSY lady, I am so impressed!
Loved this post! I’m about to start my career (graduating next week with my bachelor’s in accounting and I’ll be starting at one of the big 4 accounting firms this fall) and one of the things I think about a lot is how I will balance my career and future children (way way in the future). It’s comforting to see ladies like you doing it so well! I really admire you and look up to you for that! 🙂
Girl. I’m so impressed. Also, I want your job. I am an attorney, but also have an MBA and would love to pivot in that direction. This post was awesome!
Thank you so much for writing this! I have a 1.5 yr old and travel around once a month often internationally and constantly feel the need to justify it to people. BUT it can be done with a super supportive family and spouse! You are a rockstar mom!
Sounds like you guys are a great team!! Love the “hall pass” idea!! What do you use to listen to your podcasts? Apps? iPhone? Etc? I am a total moron when it comes to this!
I listen to them straight from the podcast app in iphone!
So going to use the hall pass idea when baby girl makes her appearance next month! Thanks for sharing!!! Helpful to see what a real life day in the life of a working mama looks like!
Work travel is never quite as glam as it sounds, but this post makes me feel better about the fact that my days are jam packed, too!! Love that you took the kiddos out for ice cream before dinner. ?
Being a working mommy is just no joke and with one I feel so bad bringing work home or staying at work even a few minutes later than normal ! You and Matt have it all worked out!!!!! You’ll get the muffins next year I’m sure !
Hahahaha I always wonder if people can tell that I have only “washed” my hair using dry shampoo for the past 4 days.
I need to hear more about this “hall pass”. Do you each get so many per month? Do you have to use one on supper club or is that a calendar event so it doesn’t count? 🙂 Curious on the details. ha.
haha im so interested about this article
this good its funny ^^
poker online
Sword and scale is really good! I love it. If you like true crime I definitely recommend True Crime Garage, Thinking Sideways, Generation Why, Casefile and The Vanished. xx
https://casiovietnam.net