As we mentioned yesterday, it’s Blogiversary Week, baby (still can’t believe it’s been four whole years). And since we shared a day in the life during our last annual celebration (and about a year before that too) it’s time for this year’s breakdown (similarities: no day is ever the same, differences: now we have a toddler running around and a 260+ page book we’re writing on the side). This year we had fun recording a full day from both of our perspectives so you can see what each of us (and even Clara and Burger) may be doing at any given time. Woop, here it is:
7:30 am – 8:00 am
JOHN: Clara’s awake early enough (7:30) and the weather’s good enough (and I have enough energy) to take Clara on a run in the ol’ jogging stroller around the neighborhood. After changing her diaper, filling up her milk, and grabbing some goldfish for her to snack on we hit the road. I manage to squeeze in four miles and return home within about 40 minutes.
SHERRY: I wake up around 7:45 and the house is too quiet so I know John and Clara are on a run. Burger stays in bed, but I drag my butt up and walk straight to the office and sit down in front of the computer. I’m not ready to make major decisions like which t-shirt I’ll wear today or what I’ll have for breakfast, so I check blog comments and answer a few questions instead. I also glance at my planner which always looks like this. I know it’s crazy, but it makes sense to me (I use it to write notes about post ideas, appointments/calls we have, book stuff that’s due, deadlines for our BabyCenter & Do It Yourself magazine columns, etc). I check what’s going on for the day and notice that I have a call with USA Today at 2pm for a furniture painting article they’re writing (they just want a quick quote) so I set my phone alarm to go off at 1:58 so I don’t forget.
8:00 am – 9:00 am
JOHN: After returning from my run around 8:30 I take a quick shower and make breakfast for everyone (yogurt for Clara, two scrambled eggs for Sherry, and a bowl of cereal for me).
SHERRY: I continue answering comments and Facebook questions until John gets home from his run with Clara and I get to smooch that face. Well, both faces actually. I play with Clara a little bit while John takes a shower and makes breakfast (we read books and do some highly coordinated dancing). Yes, this is a picture of me in my pjs answering comments. Gotta keep it real. I’m still not dressed.
9:00 am – 10:00 am
JOHN: I watch Clara while Sherry does blog stuff. We read books, play with a ball and a car, and she helps me put in a load of laundry. She loves laundry.
SHERRY: This whole hour feels like it’s a minute. I spend it proofing the morning’s post which usually goes up between 9:30 and 10:00. On this specific morning it goes up right at ten because I need the whole hour to proof read. Proofing usually involves previewing what we wrote to make sure photos are centered and reading it through at least two times (sometimes three times if it’s a detailed tutorial- just to make sure things make sense and are in order and I haven’t written “somebody punch me” when I mean “somebody pinch me”). I also add links to things that I reference and additional info if I think something needs more explaining. We still average about two typos a post so I can’t imagine how bad it would be if I didn’t read things through beforehand.
10:00 am- 11:00 am
JOHN: I continue to hang out with Clara while Sherry does more blog stuff (we do more reading, play outside with a ball, and read even more books). Most mornings involve the me-with-Clara ritual since Sherry usually answers comment questions, which roll in furiously in the morning (she has better recall for the “where did you get X” and the “how much did that cost” queries). Although sometimes we switch. Every day really is different (so I might have more Clara time or more project time one day and Sherry may have more of it the next day).
SHERRY: I’m on comment duty the whole hour. Over two hundred of them roll in over the course of an hour, so I furiously try to keep up and answer every single question we get (and delete the occasional spam message that sneaks in there). Here’s a screen grab that I snapped when I got it down to 30 pending comments, which is usually when I can breathe again.
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
JOHN: I start measuring and planning for our next project, which is to add trim/molding to the bottom of our wall to wall desk to make it look more built-in. After taking measurements, pow-wowing with Sherry about ideas, and drawing a quick sketch to keep things straight, I head off to Lowe’s to grab the trim that I need. (NOTE: This is what happens after Sherry says I don’t look “dynamic enough” taking trim out of the car).
SHERRY: Eleven o’ clock means it’s time for Clara’s morning nap, so I take a break from the computer to change her diaper and “tuck her in” (which really just involves turning off the light, closing her blinds, turning on her sound machine, and saying “sweet dreams”). While John is measuring and running his errand I toss on real clothes (jeans and a black t-shirt) and hop back on comment duty since around 80 more have rolled in before noon.
I also glance at my email but it’s too overwhelming so I just skim the page and delete the junk mail so the number in my inbox gets slightly less intimidating…because seeing 76 new emails at 11am (!!!) when there were none the night before can make ya crazy. A lot of it is sponsor and giveaway stuff that we have to manage along with book stuff or column stuff for DIY mag/Babycenter. Mixed in there are sweet reader letters that we love. I star those and read them out loud to John a few evenings a week so he can share the warm fuzzies with me.
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
JOHN: Clara’s still napping (she usually gives us about an hour to an hour and a half) so Sherry and I meet up to chat about what we think about a few trim options/methods for the base of our new desk and I go down to the basement to make some cuts to see how trim looks around one cabinet before cutting the rest of it. I also quickly check email and coordinate the next week’s giveaway and send a few sponsor renewal notices.
Sherry – I have a little meeting with John about the trim, answer more blog comments, get through a few emails and am just about to begin writing a post for the next day when Clara wakes up at 12:30. So I change her diaper and hang out with her while John finishes the rest of his trim project. The bean waits for no one.
1:00 – 2:00 pm
JOHN: Trim project is finished, so I turn my attention to lunch. Usually it’s sandwiches, but today we’ve got quiche leftover from last night’s dinner along with some other random leftovers (some spaghetti, corn, and beans). With everything reheated and Clara in her seat, we finally have a moment for all three of us to spend some time together (Burger is still sleeping). But about fifteen minutes later we’re done and I take Clara to go play and read some more. Note: ignore the crazy furniture placement in the kitchen- we are perpetually moving things around and it makes no sense.
SHERRY: I try to proofread as much of the afternoon post as I can (which usually goes up between 2 and 3:30) before lunch is ready, but I don’t make it all of the way through. I finish up after lunch by adding some links, catching some more typos, fixing a few unclear parts and it’s finally ready for posting at two.
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
JOHN: Clara and I hang out while Sherry tends the afternoon post. She “helps” me fold laundry and we play ball with Burger outside (who is finally out of bed- yes he moseys out of bed around 2pm).
SHERRY: I have a quick call with USA Today (they want that speedy quote for an article they’re writing about painting a chair). It takes fifteen minutes tops (maybe twelve if I’m being exact?). Then I answer comment questions for the rest of the hour.
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
JOHN: Time to trade with Sherry (she takes Clara, I head back to the computer). I do a bunch of emails involving more giveaway and sponsor stuff along with exchanging a few messages with some guys at our blog hosting place (they’re doing some back-up server work and we want to make sure the site doesn’t crash). I also catch up on Twitter messages that I need to reply to.
SHERRY: I hang out with the bean. We put things on our heads, sing songs, chase the dog, and Clara looks tired again around 3:45 so I change her diaper and put her down for an afternoon nap. Sometimes we get one and sometimes we don’t, but she actually falls asleep right away today. Sweet girl.
4:00 – 5:00 pm
JOHN: I edit and size photos that we’ve already taken and begin writing a post for tomorrow afternoon. I also set up the tripod and shoot the wall-to-wall desk trim project that I did this morning for a future post about that (the thing about sharing 8 in a 5 day period means you always have to be working on future ones while proofing/publishing/answering questions on the ones that are already written).
SHERRY: I had big plans to spray prime the office chairs (the first step in painting/reupholstering them) but it’s already four and I haven’t written the next morning’s post (a project that we already shot, but I still have to write it and edit the pics). So that takes priority. Those chairs and my can of primer might have to wait until tomorrow. By 4:30 Clara is awake, so I don’t get to finish my photo editing/post writing, but at least it’s a start.
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
JOHN: The bean is restless so we decide we should go for our evening walk now because it’s supposed to rain a little later. Burger’s psyched and ready to go.
SHERRY: We walk around the neighborhood for about an hour and brainstorm post ideas for the following week. We also briefly talk about the kitchen floor plan and toss out a few more potential layout ideas. Who the heck knows where we’ll end up with that- we just believe in talking things to death until we land on something we both can’t wait to do.
6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
JOHN: I cook a recipe that I tore out of Everyday with Rachel Ray (chicken with apples, raisins, and olives). It takes about 25 minutes to make, so Clara plays on the floor of the kitchen while I cook and we chat whenever I’m not furiously trying to make sure nothing burns.
SHERRY: I’m back doing blog comments, finishing up that post I started for the next morning, and editing some photos. Dinner is on the table around 6:45. And it’s awesome. John even gave me extra olives. I’m a lucky lady.
7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
JOHN: Time to clock some quality family time together before Clara’s conked out for the night. We three, er, four (Burger decides to join us) hang out, read more books, and generally try to tire Clara out.
SHERRY: Burger is full of energy, so he’s zooming around the room and Clara finds it hilarious. But 7:45 is here before we know it and its time to put that baby to bed. After brushing her teeth and saying goodnight to her grandparents (well, a photo of them) she’s out like a light.
8:00 pm – 9:00 pm
JOHN: Now that Clara’s in bed for the night we can do most of our work. It’s normal for us to both have laptops going until midnight or later, but we try to sit in front of the television and occasionally chat so it feels more casual. Some nights we do major DIY stuff together instead of sofa-computer stuff (since during the day it’s hard to get anything other than very small projects done with a one year old around), but not tonight.
SHERRY: We sit in front of the TV (Project Runway’s on) and I finally finish the post for the next day that I’ve been writing on and off. It’s normal for a post to take us around 2-3 hours to write since we have to edit/size/upload photos along with writing detailed steps (that doesn’t include the time it actually takes to buy materials and do the project). Unless it’s fast like a giveaway – those only take around 30 minutes to write (but probably take an hour or two to coordinate via email beforehand).
9:00 pm – 10:00 pm
JOHN: Then I realize that we need to record our Q & A video since that will take me a few days to edit so I’d like the weekend to work on it. I set up the tripod & Flip cam in the office and quickly organize the 80-ish questions that people submitted on Facebook (removing any duplicates so we can just read the rest off as we go on camera).
SHERRY: I get ready for the video, including a very important outfit change from a t-shirt to a sweater (I’m a wild woman, what can I say). It’s finally time to sit down, turn on the camera, and answer things in a one-shot-only-no-do-overs way (we hate feeling scripted, so having the one-take rule is nice because it keeps it real). Hopefully we can knock it out in about 30 minutes.
10:00 pm – 11:00 pm
JOHN: General weirdness and chattiness ensues as we film our answers to a variety of questions. Gosh we’re dorks. And boy is this taking longer than we thought.
SHERRY: What he said. The thirty minute goal of completion is shot, but we’re having fun talking to no one (aka: the Flip cam).
11:00 pm – 12:00 am
JOHN: We’re finally done with the video and I get the uploading process started while I respond to a few more tweets and emails. Then I turn my attention to Google Sketch-Up, which I’m teaching myself to use so we can render a few kitchen layout ideas in 3D. There’s a bit of a learning curve here, but not the kind that prevents me from eating some ice cream (with whipped cream) in the process.
SHERRY: I begin writing another post, but realize I haven’t updated our House Tour page with new photos since sharing some bedroom and office updates, so I add the “progress” label to those pics and update those. Five minutes later I realize that I need to update them in the Paint Colors and Where We Got It pages too, so I do that. Then it’s back to comments and emails.
12:00 am – 1:00 am
John – We talk about going to bed, but I pull a “give me ten more minutes” so I can try to finish my Google Sketch-Up rendering. But it’s nearly a half hour ’til it’s done (we like it, but not enough to make any decisions or anything – we’ll keep ya posted whenever we decide to stop flip-flopping). I go around the house and turn off lights, turn the alarm to our “night” setting, and do one last check on Clara, our sweet little sleeper.
Sherry – While waiting “ten more minutes” for John I start writing a BabyCenter post. Don’t quite finish it though. Still need to add pics. But for now I just want to get my contacts out and myself into bed. Can’t believe it’s nearly 1 am already.
1:00 am – 1:30ish?
JOHN & SHERRY: All three of us are finally snuggled in bed (the third “person” being Burger). We recap some of the highlights / issues of the day and do a quick run-through of any important plans for tomorrow (gotta write ten book intro chapters, spray prime those chairs, proof and publish the two almost-finished posts from yesterday, try to get our inboxes back down, etc). It doesn’t take long for our conversation to turn into sleep. But not before making an out-loud wish that Clara miraculously sleeps until at least 8am. (Spoiler alert: she made it to about 7:45).
Penni McNamara says
That recipe looks amazing…can we find it online? And can John cook it for us?
YoungHouseLove says
Maybe try Rachel Ray’s website and search the name of the recipe that we added in parenthesis? As for John cooking it for everyone – not sure it would travel well. Haha.
xo,
s
Krista says
Agree that it will get tougher as the kid gets older! But the good thing is you have two of you. That makes a big difference if there is always once person to give full attention to the kiddos! It tried working at home for a while without someone dedicated to the kids and it didn’t work, but it’s great as long as the kids are fully engaged with someone else I trust. You guys sound like you work really hard, but how lucky are you that you can equally share all your responsibilities? Super lucky!
Karen says
Man… I’m exhausted reading about your day!
Congratulations on your 4th blogiversary. You are certainly a part of my day each day, so I hope you’re around for many years to come.
I’m looking forward to the rest of the blogiversary posts and more glimpses of how y’all juggle everything you do.
Kathy says
Wow! You guys work harder than I do at my “regular” job! Kudos to you both – can’t wait to read more of the Blogoversary posts!
Lindsay says
You lost me at jogging four miles at 7:30am haha. You guys are amazing! Are you up that late every night?
YoungHouseLove says
Sadly our bedtime is pretty consistently after midnight. It definitely crept up as Clara got more mobile and demanded more attention during the day (which is definitely something we think should take priority, so we’re happy to stay up later if it means more quality time with her during the day). Gotta pay the bills, so we can’t just let the blog drop down on the list – ya know? But Clara (and each other and Burger) are still number one.
xo,
s
Steph says
On casual wine nights with friends where we pose philosophical questions like, “What would you do if you could do anything?” I sometimes answer with “I’d want to run a blog like YHL… and make enough money to support my family doing it.” I have always honed in on the awesome parts of what you guys do (getting to stay home with your baby, getting to spend time fixing up your house, working from home), but never really stopped to think about the enormous amount of behind the scenes stuff you have to do, plus the pressure you must feel to constantly get stuff done and keep readers happy. Congrats on successfully managing it all on a day-to-day basis! Keep up the awesomeness and happy 4th anniversary!
Amanda says
LOVE IT! Thanks for taking the time to remember what you did that day/jot notes so you’ll remember throughout the day, set the tripod up for pictures, etcetc. :)
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so funny! We were fighting the urge to write “set up the tripod for this shot” or “took notes about what was going on” in the breakdown (since it was also happening that day) but we figured since it was a day in the life and we don’t normally take notes or shoot ourselves getting work done that we should leave that out. Haha. But so funny that you realized that was going on too.
xo,
s
April says
I’m exhausted after just reading it. You two should be proud of how much you get accomplished. Do you ever consider Feng-Shui when laying out your furniture? I try sometimes.
YoungHouseLove says
I think we’re open to accidental Feng Shui and love some of the reasoning behind good flow and softening harsh edges, etc. But when it comes to function for the way we live or personal preference vs. Feng Shui, we choose function or personal preference every time. I think the most important thing for us is to love our house, so it makes us feel good when we’re here – ya know?
xo,
s
Ava says
Love your blog and ready daily. Does Clara sleep well without a blanket? My childrend required blankies to sleep and I have never know a child to sleep with out one.
YoungHouseLove says
We keep the house at a temp that doesn’t call for a blankey (since our doc doesn’t like them until kids are a bit older for safety reasons). Thankfully she sleeps really well without one! It’s summer here so it wouldn’t be for warmth, and her stuffed giraffe (Gee) is the man when it comes to being her “comfort item.” In the winter we generally use a sleep sack instead of a blanket so it stays on when she rolls around. Hope it helps!!
xo,
s
Michelle says
Wow! What a day! Thanks for sharing. I love the interaction you guys have with your readers, I’m sure it’s not easy but you guys seem to really love it! It’s really annoying to me when I ask a question on a blog and do not get a reply. I have stopped reading some for that reason.
You guys are awesome!! Keep up the great work!!
Courtney says
What a lucky little girl to get to spend so much time with her parents everyday. I loved this post! Thanks for sharing!
Melanie @ Mailbox Journey says
great post! that dinner looked sooooo good.
Gayla says
i just knew there had to be a work-a-holic in there somewhere to accomplish all of the things you do! as a reader i admire all of your hard work and interaction with us (readers) Cheers to 4 years!!
Jessie says
11:00 pm – 12:00 pm – if I may please be part of your BLOGIVERSARY I think your times are wrong…. shouldn’t it be 11pm – 12am???? just wanted to help out a little in your busy day! ps.. I had to proof read this comment.. LOL!!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- yes. Thanks for the catch! Off to fix it!
xo,
s
Stephanie says
I’m exhausted just reading that!!!! You all are very dedicated and it shows in your awesome blog :) Clara is a lucky girl!
April says
I loved seeing a glimpse into your blog lives :) Definately a lot more time-consuming work that it looks like on the surface! Clara seems to be a good little girl that goes with the flow! Such a blessing that she gets to be with both of you each day! I can tell that it is a lot of work but that it is you all’s passion!
Jennifer says
Please don’t take offense to this, but the mom in me is super worried that baby Clara has no blankey in her crib with her! Where’s her blankey?
YoungHouseLove says
We keep the house at a temp that doesn’t call for a blankey (since our doc doesn’t like them until kids are a bit older for safety reasons). Thankfully she sleeps really well without one! It’s summer here so it wouldn’t be for warmth, and her stuffed giraffe (Gee) is the man when it comes to being her “comfort item.” In the winter we generally use a sleep sack instead of a blanket so it stays on when she rolls around. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Sara says
Find another doc asap!!! Babies have been swaddled since the day they were invented and I think your doc is buying into some silly safety idea. You two take every precaution to keep your bean safe and undoubtedly love her to the moon and back. Even with cute Gee to comfort her, that baby needs a blanky. Promise- her safety will not be jeopardized. :)
Happy Blogiversary! Love it! First thing I check every morning.
YoungHouseLove says
Oops, misunderstanding. We don’t mean a swaddle blanket, we mean a loose blanket. We swaddled Clara until three months old and she loved it!! I think it’s part of the reason she’s such an amazing sleeper now. We just didn’t do the thick bumper or thick loose blanket thing because the American Academy Of Pediatrics doesn’t recommend them (and our doc goes along with their recommendations). We also just find that she moves so much that a blanket wouldn’t keep her warm at all, so a Sleep Sack in the winter and nothing in the summer works for us so far. And I promise that Clara is an amazing sleeper, so she doesn’t need a blanket for comfort! Gee does the trick.
xo,
s
rachael says
Our daughter has never slept with a blanket either! And shes 14months old. People think its weird, but our house is comfortable and we dress her appropriatley. She has a little monkey she sleeps with and thats all she needs. Plus, all I hear about from parents is that they have to re-tuck their kids in at night b/c they kick the blankets off anyways.
Meg@Keeping up with the Jenks says
We don’t have our little one sleep with a blanket either. A temperate house and warm PJ’s have always been enough! Plus, I was always worried about the SIDS risk.
I promise, Clara (and Isla June) are safe and happy kids!
YoungHouseLove says
I love the name Isla June! Those were two names I always had on my short list and I love them together!
xo
s
Courtney says
We also use a sleep sack for our 26 month old (and she was tightly swaddled until about 7 months). We’ve tried switching to loose blankets but she’s not a big fan and rolls around so much they just end up underneath her.
Clara sounds like she has similar sleep patterns to our daughter who was a champion sleeper from about 3 weeks on. If it works, why change it?
Brittany G. says
Whew- I’m tired just reading all of that. I’ve never put much thought into what it takes to run a blog.
Keri says
It is my dream to be able to work alongside my best friend the way you guys get to! I really love these ‘insider information’ posts you guys do, and I want to thank you for all of your hard work. I know that I am not alone in being inspired by these hallowed web pages.
Ashley says
Aw, I love you guys even more than I already did…and feel a little guilty for commenting and crossing my fingers that you’ll comment back! It’s so cool(creepy?!) to get an even better glimpse into your lives this way. I’m amazed at how much you guys do in a day and manage to keep such a tight schedule/routine with precious Clara.
Congrats on another year of blog success! Keep up the good work! :D
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Ashley! You guys are all so sweet. It’s your comments that keep us going. You have no idea how much motivation and inspiration we get from our readers. It’s kind of insane.
xo,
s
Danielle says
I’d say you guys have it perfect. How nice to spend so much time together! My husband is in his third year of medical school and we are lucky if we see him for 15 minutes a day! I bet Clara loves having John around so much.
Corinne says
Wow, what a fun post! I knew you guys were busy, but now I know just HOW busy! And like a few others have said, I do feel a bit bad for commenting since you get so many at one time.
I love the picture of Sherry on the couch with Burger chilling on her legs. My puppy does the same thing! Too bad she doesn’t sleep till 2pm. Also, I just got that same issue of Runner’s World in the mail. Seriously one of my favorites ever, but mostly because they did an article on the Warrior Dash!
Erin M says
Am I crazy or did Clara’s crib have foam bumpers around the top in the AM and not in the PM-she’s-sleeping-shot?
YoungHouseLove says
Hilarious catch! That was actually the day we removed them for good. She tosses some of them off after a nap for fun while she chatters and waits for us to come get her – and she’s past the chewing stage. So after she tossed a few off at the end of her afternoon nap we just took them all off and proclaimed it “the end” for those things until baby number two. Haha.
xo,
s
Risa says
Wow, that’s a long day! you guys are doing a great job! p.s. We love The Teeth Book too :)
claire says
Loved reading this! I’m always amazed at husband/wife business teams.
The only thing sweeter would be if Sherry joined John for his morning run. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, if by sweeter you mean super ugly to watch, I agree. I can’t run. Bad ankle and super whiny = John’s happy to run alone. We do love our long walks in the evening together though!
xo,
s
Keely says
This… I can even. This is too much work for you guys! When do you even do all your decorating and stuff? I mean, John spent like two hours working on the desk molding, but EVERYTHING ELSE was blog maintenance and stuff like that.
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, that’s actually really normal for us. We do most projects on nights and weekends since the blog is slower then and Clara is either napping or asleep for the night. So in some ways it’s kind of funny to us because we do projects at the same time that we did them when we had full time advertising jobs (on nights and weekends). Haha.
xo,
s
Kate says
Ah, you’re hair is down and there is documentation! I have to laugh because until recently I had super long hair (just donated the whole bunch to locks of love) and the first thing I grabbed in the morning before my feet hit the floor was a hair tie.
Thanks for sharing your day! You guys are awesome and I agree, Clara is a lucky girl to get so much time with the ones that love her most.
Carrie B says
I can’t believe how busy you guys are! Just wanted to let you know it’s appreciated – I check my Google reader at 9:30 every morning for that morning post. Thanks for being reliable :-)
Erin C says
I was noticing the bumper on Clara’s crib…I just took out the bumpers on my twins cribs but need to put something in there to keep them from sticking their legs through the bars. Did you make that yourself?
YoungHouseLove says
That’s actually just a breathable bumper from Babies R Us. We love it because it’s not too plush but it keeps the arms and legs in. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Kate says
Wow — you guys are busy busy! How fun that you guys are able to spend so much time with the bean. Do you think at some point you’ll put her in daycare?
YoungHouseLove says
We’re planning to do the whole two days a week when she’s two, three days a week when she’s three, and four days a week when she’s four thing. Just to get her ready for five days a week when she’s five (and goes off to kindergarten, sniffle) and also because we love the idea of her making friends and socializing and having new experiences we can’t give her.
xo,
s
Beatrice says
THIS is why you have kids and blogs when you are young! LOL Both are exhausting! Great work, guys!!
Do you mean all day at 2 years old? How does she do when you leave her with some one else for a few hours now? Gradual separation will be much easier on her.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh no, it’s just mornings at age two. I think from ten to twelve or something? I think they call it “mother’s morning out” but we’d call it “mother’s morning in to blog” – haha. She does great with grammy and tom tom when they watch her for a few hours. But all day would be impossible I think! At least at age two. I’m too attached. Haha.
xo,
s
Rachel Tatem says
Looks like a busy day!
Steph says
Wow! What a long day – but how nice that you get to spend it together!I agree that you shouldn’t outsource responding to blog comments – but surely you could outsource some of the proofing of blog posts? Maybe someone would proof for you in exchange for advertising so it wasn’t a cash outflow?
YoungHouseLove says
I’m sure they could, but letting someone into our interface would be really scary for us. One wrong push of a button and the whole post could be lost, the site could crash, 100 comments could be deleted, etc. It sounds paranoid, but we really only trust each other “on the inside” of the whole blog. It feels like a big risk, ya know. I’m sure someday we’ll have to figure something out though…
xo,
s
Riva says
Actually I agree on this – completely! Maybe you could do this without letting somebody inside the blog. Copy/paste the content, take screenshots of the layout maybe, and email it out? Then you can just quick make the fixes your proofreader finds instead of having to hunt everything down yourself and fix it too.
YoungHouseLove says
We have thought about ways around letting someone inside the blog interface, but they all might take just as long as DIYIng it, ya know? Drafting emails and taking screen shots and corresponding with them and then going in and making the changes seems about the same as reading it through two times or so myself. I dunno, maybe we’re in denial but we love DIYing stuff – even post proofreading. Haha. And I think if we had someone else working for us behind the scenes we’d just find something else to work on furiously (we just like to be busy). So we’d rather just be two people who blog about our house with a baby than two people with added help behind the scenes. For some reason we just like to keep it real and DIY it.
xo,
s
Susan says
Well, I need a nap.
And, Clara is one lucky lady. I’m a stay at home mom and lots of my friends are, too. I think we’re all great moms but I think Clara gets more time with her parents than most kids I know. I bet being work-at-home parents makes you extra careful about giving her lots of time. That’s awesome and I’m sure all the time and energy you are pouring into her now will pay off big time when she’s two and three which are immensely challenging years (I have four kids!). Thanks for posting this!
Lisa @ Life inGreen says
Totally impressed on how you coordinate everything in your life and how much time you do spend on this blog. Such a great job blending family and work…and of course completely jealous of your opportunity to do so. :)
Happy Blogiversary!
Carrie says
I don’t know how you guys do it, but I’m so glad that you do! I look forward to reading your blog every day at work.
Missy says
I think this says a lot about your marriage that you’re able to work so much and so closely together all day. My husband and I tried running a business together and learned after a couple years that it’s best for our marriage if we don’t work together!
Nicola says
What a full life! Sounds familiar. Do you get any socializing in during the week? Or do you see friends / do non-house-related fun stuff only on weekends? I feel like seeing friends and getting to exercise is the hardest to fit in or the first to scrap from the wanna-do list.
YoungHouseLove says
We usually do that socializing stuff on weekends. I completely agree that it’s the hardest to fit in and the first to go when you’re busy- but it keeps us sane so we try to work some friend/family time at least once or twice a weekend.
xo,
s
Courtney says
That is one full day – thanks for sharing!
Clara is a lucky girl to be able to have so much quality time with you guys. My husband especially would love that. He was pretty jealous of my year of maternity leave (yay, Canada!).
kimb says
Wow, almost makes me not want to post….I feel like I’m adding to your day. Then I remember if I don’t post you may not have a job. LOL. Talk about a double edge blade. Does Clara not sleep with a blanket? I know I sound surprised but I have never been to the southern part of the States and I’m from Canada (it’s cold here).
YoungHouseLove says
We keep the house at a temp that doesn’t call for a blankey (since our doc doesn’t like them until kids are a bit older for safety reasons). Thankfully she sleeps really well without one! It’s summer here so it wouldn’t be for warmth, and her stuffed giraffe (Gee) is the man when it comes to being her “comfort item.” In the winter we generally use a sleep sack instead of a blanket so it stays on when she rolls around. Hope it helps.
xo,
s
Meredith says
You guys are adorable. And hard workers, although I would loooooooooove the flexibility in your schedule (realizing that you have a ton of stuff to do and obviously many things won’t wait). I need to try to convince my office that I would be much more productive if I could take a walk in the early afternoon. :)
Brittney says
I just made that chicken last week! So yummy :)
Here’s the recipe for anyone who’s curious–
http://www.rachaelraymag.com/Recipes/rachael-ray-magazine-recipe-search/dinner-recipes/chicken-with-apple–raisins-and-olives
HAPPY BLOGIVERSARY YHL!!!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much for sharing the link Brittney. Wasn’t it good?!
xo,
s
heather says
I’m ready to come down there and whip up some food for you two just so you can have a little more time on your hands and get a hearty dish in. I don’t have a southern bone in my body, but my friend from NC says that I’m like a southern grandmother. What can I say – I have a lot of love to give, and it comes in the form of warm comfort food made with butter, laughter and making sure it sticks to your bones (from September to March around here at least, then I lighten it up some). I can’t tell you how much the old lady in me wants to push you both out of the kitchen and spend an entire day cooking you up a big old New England meal for you. If you ever come to Maine, the offer stands. I will stuff you full of pie and stew or some other hearty dish.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, you’re so sweet!
xo,
s
heather says
By the way: not doubting John’s cooking skills – that dish looks amazing. I’m French-Canadian, a New Englander and I love cooking. In other words – I just want to feed you, even though you can feed yourself.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, you’re so sweet Heather! Love it.
xo,
s
Reenie says
WOW!!! I’m exhausted just reading all that! Cute pics of y’all =)
Cat says
Thanks for sharing guys! So fun to see what life would be like with both the hubster and myself working from home :) Clara is one very lucky little gal!!
I super love the idea of a peninsula on the fridge side of the kitchen with a little sitting area beyond/near the fireplace. I could totally see the kiddos eating at the bar (or maybe a low kid table in front of the fireplace) while the adults eat in the dining room, just steps away thru that awesome new opening you’re going to make. Not that my vote counts there, but I liked it :)
Lesley says
I loved this post. I think it’s great that you guys have found a schedule that works for your family and your dynamic. That’s really all that matters. I’m also so excited to see that John is the chef! This may help me relinquish that control-issue over to my husband. I also LOVE that you stay in bed while he runs. That’s exactly how it works at our house :)
Question – is this where you see your life in 5-10 years? Still blogging, working from home, working with each other 24/7, and all that jazz? I’m curious what your goals are!
YoungHouseLove says
It’s so hard for us to picture our lives in five years since five years ago we never ever ever would have guessed we’d be here. I think we still hope to be blogging since we love it so much, but who knows where we’ll be. We just try to trust that we ended up here and love it, so we try to have faith that we’ll be somewhere else in five years that we hopefully love just as much!
xo,
s
Blair says
I loved the post! It was so neat of you guys to share, I’ve often wondered how you guys do it all! And Sherry, my planner looks worse but its better than having no planner at all!
~Blair
LauraC says
Happy Blogiversary guys! Proud to say I’ve been reading you for over half of your time: 2.5 years. I always knew you were busy, but phew!, super tired just reading what you do. And so I have a question, don’t want to ask b/c it’s just more work for you, but like everyone else, I’ll ignore my guilt and ask anyway, because you are super awesome like that and answer. Do you ever try to give Clara independent time? As in playing quietly in her crib or on the floor a little ways from you, just by herself, and not interacting w/one of you? Just curious, I know there are a lot of different parenting philosophies out there. It’s been important for me to foster that independence from when mine were little, usually it’s just 15-20 min of play time, but gives Mommy a break here and teaches them that they don’t always need me. Just wondered if you’d heard of /thought of that. Happy Monday!
YoungHouseLove says
So funny you say that. We just had a chat with John’s mom who suggested the same thing. Sometimes Clara plays independently but we’re right behind her checking comments or something. But John’s mom recommended setting up a 20 minute playtime without hovering over her and seeing how she does independently on more of a regular schedule (working it in every day like naptime). We’ll have to see how it goes!
xo,
s
Elizabeth says
WHOA. I’m tired just reading that. You guys rock. I’m so happy we get to enjoy the fruits of your labor. Reading your blog every day is definitely a highlight to my day. Tonight my cousin Jen and I are going to attempt to hang up a collage wall going up her staircase inspired by you guys! Can’t wait to see how it turns out!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw good luck! That sounds like so much fun!
xo,
s
Jen says
I love these behind the scenes posts! Keep up the momentum. I’m excited for the rest of the week!
Jeannie says
Wow, I almost feel guilty leaving this comment knowing it’ll just add to your to-do list! :-D I can’t believe how busy you guys are… and how late you stay up! Keep up the gret work though- I only discovered your blog recently but I’m already obsessed!
Trisha says
I love you guys. And I love Burger resting on your butt while you type, LOL! Makes me laugh.