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).
renee says
Thank you for all the blood, sweat and tears you shed to create your fabulous blog; you Petersks are the bomb diggety!
Anyone else notice that John had the most wardrobe changes in one day, followed by Clara? ha ha!
Happy Blogiversary!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- he’s so funny! When he did the trim work he changed his shirt just to keep the good one clean. And also had running gear on in the early morning. Hilarious!
xo,
s
Christa M says
Haha!!! I just commented on that!
Christine says
Ok, I am tired just after reading this. Wow, I had no idea, long hours. But, then again running your own business is hard work, I know after watching my parents do it and deciding I didn’t want to head down that path for myself. That’s the reason your blog is good though!
Christin says
Oh. My. Goodness! You guys are crazy busy!! I almost didn’t want to comment b/c it would lead to one more comment for one of you to approve. I am so impressed that you can keep it together doing all the projects, photographing them, posting, writing a book, additional baby center posts and articles….. wow. While I envy how you are able to work from home… you guys WORK. I enjoy your blog so very much and look forward to it every day. It’s my mid morning break from work or studying depending on what day it is. (And afternoon break too!) Your writing is witty and fun and you come across so personable and real. I cannot wait for your book to come out. You are truly very good at what you do. Your amazing effort shows through in tremendous ways. I for one am so glad you do what you do! Best wishes as you keep on keeping on! :)
tjack432 says
Did I miss a post? Congratulations on a book deal (or almost book deal?). I have sooo many questions about that (and will be perusing the old posts to find the one that explains them all).
1. How did you get an agent?
2. Did you send out query letters or maybe someone contacted y’all?
3. Will their be never before seen things in the book?
4. What type of book? (I am assuming its about home makeovers but maybe it is a baby book).
5. How many pages/chapters?
6. When is the tentative release date (2012? 2013?)
7. How many books do you guys want to write?
No need to answer all these questions, I’m sure you have a post for it. Congratulations!
YoungHouseLove says
We’re planning a big book post soon about the whole process, but to answer things quickly for ya:
1. One approached us (well a few approached us and we did some research to end up with the right person)
2. Since an agent approached us, she sent our proposal out to publishers
3. Yes, nearly all 250 projects/ideas in the book will be new!
4. It’s a book full of ideas for how to show your home some love – bit projects, small ones, little tricks and tips, etc.
5. It’s going to be 260+ pages long (broken down into 10 chapters along with an intro, conclusion, etc).
6. Fall of 2012
7. We actually have a two-book deal, but that’s too crazy for us to think about so we focus on book number one to stay sane.
xo,
s
Nikki K. says
Love this post! Don’t you guys get tired? How do you manage to keep your energy up, given that you go to bed so late?
YoungHouseLove says
I think we just do it. Does that make sense? Stuff has to be done and we do it! We’re definitely tired when we collapse into bed, but we’re also excited and fulfilled and happy. You guys keep us going more than anything, actually! Knowing you’re all dropping in on us keeps the momentum up!
xo,
s
Kara says
Love Google SketchUp! It does have a steep learning curve, but I found their instructional videos very helpful. I ended up doing the whole main floor of our house.
https://picasaweb.google.com/107147256146896699731/Sketchup
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so funny- John watched the same videos! I was like “um, it’s hard to watch TV with the google sketchup voices in the background). Haha. Love your sketch!
xo,
s
Julie says
I’m so glad you answer all your comments yourself (although I would totally understand if you had to have help with that). It makes it so personal! And you guys are hilarious! And I love the xo ending you use because it is such a sweet and unoffending way to end a response especially when you’re kind of saying thanks but no thanks to a suggestion you know you won’t take (smart girl!). So, how was the recipe?
YoungHouseLove says
Mmmm, it was so good. Seriously, we both loved it (and John’s not even an olive person).
xo,
s
Brittany says
In some ways I envy you guys (doing what you love, being with Clara and each other all day, etc.), but your schedule is one thing I don’t envy.
Keep up the good work!
GreenInOC says
Wow, I need a nap just from reading that!
I’m curious about your laptops. Don’t they burn up when you set them on the couch? How do you keep them cool? How long do your batteries last?
I’m curious, because I have a MacBook Pro (it looks like that’s what you guys are working on as well), it’s about 3.5 years old and I’m on my 3rd battery. No matter what I do the battery starts lasting shorter and shorter pretty quickly and mine burns up if I have it directly on something.
YoungHouseLove says
We’re both still on our original batteries (we’ve had these for two years I think). They do get hot on the couch but putting them on books or other hard surfaces can help.
xo,
s
annabelvita says
I found this guide to keeping your battery happy really useful… mine’s still quite young though so we’ll see how it goes!
http://www.unplggd.com/unplggd/how-to/how-to-maximize-the-battery-life-of-your-macbook-135858
(I use a large hardback book as a base if I’m using it on the sofa to keep the airflow going underneath it).
YoungHouseLove says
Love it! Thanks for the tip!
xo,
s
Skye @ Neathering Our Fest says
I almost DON’T want to leave a comment because it will just add another to the “pending” folder but I just have to say that I am so so impressed with you guys! I will be truthful and say that many times I have wished that I “had more time like John and Sherry to work on home projects and blog about them” but yeah. I definitely take all of that back. It is really amazing to see how much busier you guys have gotten and how you really work a 24-hour a day full time job.
In the words of wayne & garth – “I’m not worthy! I’m not worthy!”
Tanya says
And I thought my days were overscheduled! Wow!
Although, i do have to ask, where does Pinterest fit into your daily routine?
(I joined up because of your reference, and I’m totally hooked now too!)
Keep up the awesome work. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Oh Pinterest. That’s my happy place. I probably pop over there once or twice a week to catch up. Usually around 11:30pm because it’s not too busy (so it’s not slow/crashing then).
xo,
s
Tori says
Thanks for sharing that! You guys are so dedicated, and such inspirational balls of energy! Can’t wait to read the rest of this week’s posts.
caroline s says
Hi! I stumbled upon this site for making floor plans the other days and thought it might be useful to you for your kitchen makeover:
http://www.homestyler.com/designer
(I find it really easy to use compared with other software)
Have fun!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much! We’ll have to check it out!
xo,
s
Calypso says
So inspiring. I wanna be just like you when I grow up.. seriously.. this is sooo my dream life.. except my goal is to have a wardrobe of just pajamas.
Andrea says
Can we trade lives?! Please and thank you :)
Kati W. says
I love your blog! It is seriously amazing and this post definitely makes me appreciate all the time you guys spend on posting — I never thought it was this hard but you guys dedicate so much into it, which is great. Keep it up! I also love how you get so much family time in there — I really need to start going on walks with my boy just to catch up. Sounds like a fantastic idea. Speaking of which, I’d like to know how you and John keep romance alive – with all the blogging and baby stuff, do you ever get a chance to go out just the two of you?
PS – Maybe I’m just bad at grammar/spelling, but I never notice your typos. :)
YoungHouseLove says
We do get a date night every once in a while thanks to John’s parents living in Richmond now. It’s awesome! We usually get sushi and watch a movie (we saw Bridesmaids and Horrible Bosses, both of which we loved).
xo,
s
greta says
I’ve always wondered what it takes to do blogging full time! Thank you so much for posting this and giving us a real sneak peak into your awesome lives. Eventually Clara can be our third person & take over some comment responses! ;)
Looking forward to the rest of the weeks posts!
YoungHouseLove says
That would be hilarious. The responses from Clara would be: skfjas;h;oiho kdfhsjk ss 1800jsdfh!
xo,
s
Meg@Keeping up with the Jenks says
I love this! You are a full time independent buisness family, plus stay-at-home parents! As a stay-at-home mom and blogger (with none of the success ya’ll have, but enjoying it nonetheless), I am so enamored and inspired by your day.
What a perspective for us to see!
Thank you so much for sharing. You all deserve to see your hard work pay off!
P.S. do you think Clara will be moving to a one nap anytime soon….?
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, I think today might be the day actually. She’s still up (totally skipped her usualy 10:30/11 time slot – and yesterday she skipped it too). She has been phasing out afternoon naps so we’re going to try one big one around noon or one and see how it goes. Right now she and John are outside playing with a ball and she doesn’t seem tired at all. Haha.
xo,
s
Amy says
She sure sounds like she’s ready! My son was about Clara’s age (he’s 6 mos. older) when he moved down to one long nap. It was nice for us, but I imagine is going to take some adjusting for you guys!
Meg@Keeping up with the Jenks says
Good luck! It could be a bit of a transition and make you want to pull your hair out some days, but eventually she will settle in to the new routine. Or, knowing Clara, she will adjust to it just fine! Either way, good luck!
YoungHouseLove says
Update: she’s still awake – so no morning nap. We’re feeding her lunch and then planning to try putting her down to see if she’ll combine things into one long nap. Heck we’ll take a short nap too. Just hope she’s not over naps altogether! Haha.
xo,
s
Meg@Keeping up with the Jenks says
Stick with it! Don’t let the naps go!!!! Naps are a neccessity for mommy and daddy sanity! We had some grueling days transitioning to one nap, but we stayed mostly consistent (I had to adjust the time- I tried keeping her up to 12 pm, but realized she would be overtired and then not sleep enough because her little body was full of adreneline, so now she goes down at about 11:00 everyday and it has been working). It probably took us almost a month to get it worked out!!! Also, we started to have a snack before nap and lunch after (she kept pooping during her nap and waking up!!) And there were some days in there where we went back to two naps (if she had a bad night). Sending you lots of mommy love and support!! She’s a wonderful little girl.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Meg! We’re hoping to make it stick. We miraculously stretched her to 1pm today and she just woke up at 2:22, so that’s pretty good for us (since she was skipping so many random naps).
xo,
s
Meg@Keeping up with the Jenks says
Yay! Keep on nappin’, Clara!
Kit says
that was awesome – thanks for sharing!
Allison says
Loved reading this post. I can see what a full job this is for you guys! But I’m so glad (for selfish reasons) that you love what you do so you keep it coming. I think you’d still have all your loyal readers if you just posted once a day. I mean, I hate to admit that b/c I want like 4 posts a day b/c they’re so darn interesting, but it would be a way to scale back without “letting the blog go.” Love you guys!
YoungHouseLove says
Yeah, sometimes we think about how we can keep this thing going without sacrificing family time/sanity as it continues to grow (if we’re fortunate enough to keep moving along our little trajectory). We have no idea what we’ll do but we’re just two people with a kid so we know we can’t do it all. Haha. Who knows where we’ll end up! The blog is always our first priority though (after each other of course)!
xo,
s
Becca T. says
How are you liking Sketch-Up? I’m a former interior design student so I am very familiar with the program. It takes a little getting used to but it’s much more intuitive than some of the alternatives. Nerdy question — are you using a photo-realistic rendering plug-in with sketch up or just sketch up alone? I pay for a plug-in but I’m wondering if there’s a freebie out there that I just don’t know about.
YoungHouseLove says
We’re just using the sketch alone to start out and get our bearings. Although that plug in sounds fun!
xo,
s
marissa says
happy blogiversary! I walked away from the computer for a minute before commenting myself and the number jumped from 32 to 165 wowzers. Blogging is hard work and I’m looking forward to reviving my own blog. Your writing is very entertaining and making time for Clara is so wonderful to see! Looking forward to that 2 pm post… no pressure :)
Jos says
so i couldn’t help but think while reading your post how much fun it is going to be when clara is old enough to start participating. i’m looking forward to blogiversary 12 when she writes her first post ;)
YoungHouseLove says
I know, right?! I can’t wait!!!
xo,
s
CT says
Happy Blogiversary John and Sherry. Yay for the SketchUp!! I’m sure you guys will kill it. The online tutorials are really great and there are so many free models and little things already built in the SketchUp library.
Cheers!
Christa M says
John – How many wardrobe changes was that for you? What a fashion plate!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- he’s so funny. Different clothes for running and doing the trim project in the basement along with his usual “day wear” – haha.
xo,
s
LauraC says
My hubby wins the “most clothes worn in a day” prize too. Biking clothes (he rides to work), work clothes, then relaxed clothes when he gets home. I usually make it out of my pajamas ;-)
Ash says
Wow! You guys are officially my heroes. It’s so nice to see that you both have such successful careers and are such devoted parents at the same time. It seems like a lot of people might have you believe that you can have only one or the other, but it’s inspiring to see you two striking such a balance! As a newlywed just finishing up college, it definitely gives me hope for the future. ;)
Aly says
Thanks for sharing! Love to see so much teamwork that goes on with you guys. Parenthood is definitely work! Clara reminds me so much of my daughter (Scarlett)…which still takes two naps a day at 15months. They love there sleep! I was wondering where you bought her crib bumper? I’ve been looking for one that small. Thanks! :)
YoungHouseLove says
That’s just a breathable bumper from Babies R Us. We love it. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Amanda says
Congrats on 4 years! I know this isn’t on topic, but have you ever showcased any tips for renovating a mobile home? Obviously the quality leaves much to be desired, but I can’t find any online tips and was wondering if you guys have any tips, or know where I could find some? It’s definitely different than traditional building materials :(
YoungHouseLove says
I wish! That would be so fun. Maybe try google?! There are also some cute renovations on pinterest.com I think!
xo,
s
Riva says
We remodeled a mobile home before moving into our current home. We used normal materials but just kept in mind that anything we put on the walls needed to be lightweight so the trailer wouldn’t implode (i.e., all walls had wood paneling. Sheetrock would have been too heavy so we just filled in the cracks with drywall stuff and sprayed texture over it, then painted it and it looked like a normal wall.) Good luck!
YoungHouseLove says
Wow, sounds awesome!
xo,
s
Elizabeth says
Wow! I can’t believe how busy you are. Of course I feel bad even submitting this comment after hearing how many of them you have to review each day! It is one of the things that makes YHL so special though, love how you interact with everyone. And it is so awesome that you both are getting to do what you love and spend time with your baby girl every day! Keep up the great work!!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, we never want you guys to feel guilty commenting! You’re what keeps us going and makes us smile. Best readers ever.
xo,
s
Laurie says
I just discovered you site three weeks ago and am currently still reading in 2010 :) Loving it!
Thanks for all you do – my idea book is overflowing and my hubby thinks I’m crazy taking notes from a blog. But he is liking the tweaks around the house and the fact that after ten (yes 10!) years of living here it finally is starting to look like we didn’t JUST get out of college.
Wow on the day. Curious though – do you actually answer mail from the gmail website or was it just easier to use that as a pic? Using Mac’s Mail and filters would cut ages off the time it takes you to deal with e-mail and it can easily be set up in part of an afternoon.
YoungHouseLove says
I have redirects so everything comes to my gmail because it’s easier that way. Otherwise I fear we’ll miss something important from sponsors or book/magazine jobs.
xo,
s
Jessica says
HOLY WOW! I admit to naively thinking that blogging for a career was almost just lucky but I see now how much really goes into it. You work from home, but you really bust your butts! And obviously there are even more things that didn’t even make it to your schedule like bath time, cleaning, grocery shopping, errands, etc. I don’t know how you do it!! I have a whole new respect for your career as a full time blogger now! (Not that I didn’t respect it before, but I didn’t realize how much it truly takes)
P.S. Just wanted to mention that the picture of sherry through the office window.. total creeper photo! lol
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- John’s so weird. He was all “I’m gonna be artsy at dusk” – so I just smirked at him.
xo,
s
Julia Bernal says
This was such an awesome post, I loved it. Thanks for all of your hard work and dedication!
TD says
I am very impressed that you two can keep your energy level up for so long. :) Clara seems like the sweetest kid.
S says
Amazing – I knew you guys didn’t sleep (much).
And, Sherry, I love your Burger butt. : )
Soffia says
“But not before making an out-loud wish that Clara miraculously sleeps until at least 8am”
Haha, I read: not before making out…… and I though, my that is very detailed ;)
Happy bloggyversary!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- that would be pretty detailed.
xo,
s
Harinee says
Oh my god! That is what I read too – had to go back and read again because I know you try to keep it PG!
Happy blogiversary! God bless you guys with more of the same!
sophie says
we worked from home until our eldest son was two and our schedules were similar to this – dividing between parenting and working in such a way as to guarantee each of us 35 hours of dedicated work time over a 6 day work week, with a seventh day (usually a Monday) as a collective day off.
It worked really well for us for the first two years, and then became more and more difficult to sustain, perhaps because we were in a small apartment at the time? Or we didn’t see each other as mucha s we wanted (we weren’t working on the same things, just both at home, so we didn’t discuss work stuff together).
the downside is that you’re workign at all hours and there’s no feeling of ‘rest’. On the upside, you can go shopping when nobody else is shopping so those trips take far less time than they do when you have to do them on the weekend.
Amanda says
Thanks for the “Day In The Life” post. Love getting to see what your day is like. If I worked from home there would be no changing out of my PJ’s. The weekends at my place is an endless PJ parade. Haha.
DONNA says
Phewwww! I’m absolutely exhausted!!! Great post…great photos…my favorite is Clara helping John fold LAUNDRY!!! Thank you for sharing a DAY IN YOUR LIFE!!!
Kinsey says
Man, this post was awesome. I’m all about organization/efficiency, so I loved reading about your day in an hour by hour breakdown. I’m in awe of how productive you both are on an average day! I also kind of feel guilty leaving this comment, knowing that you’ll have to take the time to approve it…but obviously not guilty enough not to leave it:] I’m excited to see what else the Blogiversary Week has in store!
Rebecca @ the lil house that could says
Reading that made me tired. Though jealous that you get to do something you love full-time!
ps- just spotted this room on Lauren’s blog and saw the similar heart latern that you picked up for the playroom!
http://www.withtwocats.com/2011/09/friday-favorites_16.html
I figured I’d share incase you haven’t seen it :)
YoungHouseLove says
No way!! That’s totally our lantern. Love it! And the yellow Target pillow on the chair that we have in the guest room. Thanks for the fun link!
xo,
s
Erin @ One Project at a Time says
This is awesome you guys, thanks for keepin’ it real. I have to say, so sound so busy but yet so calm and put together. Nothing like my recent blog meltdown on how there’s not nearly enough time in the day to do everything I’d love to do. http://oneprojectatatime.blogspot.com/2011/09/todays-modern-woman.html Could you just look a bit chaotic for me just once? It would make me feel so much better! :) Just kidding!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- there’s definitely a fair amount of chaos going on! Burger barks and Clara cries and projects fail – we just try to keep our spirits off and laugh whenever we can to blow off steam!
xo,
s
Katie says
Wow! Can I just say that I TOTALLY and COMPLETELY appreciate what you guys do for us? I read your blog on a daily basis… I love the 2-a-day blog posts! Reading “Day in the Life” posts, stories, articles, what-have-you are some of my favorites… I just love taking a glimpse into other peoples’ lives! I’ve commented and emailed before and have always received a response. It’s so awesome that y’all dedicate a huge amount of time to interact with your readers! <3
Jill says
I couldn’t help but noticing the Leap Frog Sing and Spin…Do you find yourself singing the songs all day? “The animals have something to say…they hoot and holler and chirp away!”
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- yesss! All. Day. Long.
xo,
s
Elizabeth says
I just love you guys! What a fantastic life/career you have built for yourselves. I am new to blogging and am just starting to do it full time since my twin girls just started preschool. I hope to be as successful as you someday!
I can’t wait to spend the rest of this week, celebrating with you!
Warmly,
Elizabeth
Jana says
You two are amazing! But I bet all the hard work is worth being able to work at home doing what you love! Keep it up, reading youre blog is one of my favorite parts of my day :-)
Megan Ann says
Heavens to Betsy, I am so exhausted just reading this. Glad you love it and I hope you are making a million dollars! Your blog is my favorite.
Sami says
I haven’t looked through all the comments so I apologize if this is redundant…But since I know you guys are frugal I was wondering if you think you’ll send Clara to pre-school in the future. I can’t imagine it would be easy to spend the money when you work from home and can watch her. But if it becomes hard to get work done when her needs become too demanding or just for the socialization aspect – I was wondering if you’ve discussed it. Loved this post and am looking forward to all the rest on the agenda this week. Thanks,
YoungHouseLove says
We think it’s a really important thing for her to socialize and make friends and have experiences that she couldn’t have at home with us so we plan to do two days when she’s two and three days when she’s three and four days when she’s four so she has those preschool experiences under her belt by the time she’s five and goes to kindergarten for five days a week. I’ll miss her so much though. Sniffle.
xo,
s
Ashley says
Sherry! I don’t mean to alarm you, but you have a burger on your butt
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- thanks for the warning!
xo,
s
Sydney says
Wow…what a life! And you guys are night owls like us too : ) I’ve been wondering for some time, though: you guys never mention any religious beliefs/lifestyle/etc. What are your thoughts on this?
YoungHouseLove says
We actually have a Q&A post with that extremely commonly asked question (and answer) worked in for ya on Wednesday!
xo,
s
caitlin says
Happy Blogiversary! I only just stumbled upon your website about a month ago, but I love it and it has inspired me to do so many projects. It is amazing how you can do what you love and get paid for it, and spend so much time together as a family while you do so. You two seem like the funniest couple! Congratulations and keep up the great work <3