Day In The Life | Words & Photos

AE_Blinds

6:28AM


Up. I've been sleeping with the blinds open and have been loving the natural light wake-up that happens. Anna had crawled into my bed about 6:15am - ready to get up and wanting me to get her bathrobe.

AE_AnnaCloset

AE_SimonWake

6:45am


Wake up Simon.

AE_Morning

AE_Coffee

7am


Breakfast. Kids had toast and strawberries.

AE_BreakfastTableBW

7:20am


Tell them to go get dressed and finish getting ready to leave the house. Help Anna get her things together. Brush teeth.

AE_Car

7:35am


Pull out of the driveway.

AE_AnnaCar

AE_SimonCar

AE_Drops

AE_AnnaSchool

7:50am


Walk Anna into school.

AE_Target

8:35am


Between dropping Anna and Simon off there's just enough time for a quick stop at Target. He stayed in the car this time in order to continue watching an Adventure Time episode on the ipad.

AE_SimonSchool

8:50am


Simon heads into school.

AE_DIshes

9:30am


Back at home. Finish up dishes. Another cup of coffee.

AE_Books

Remember that the basket of library books are due today.

AE_Sit

10:09am


Start listening to the Throwback Thursday playlist on Spotify. Katie knew all the songs (90's Boy Bands). Work on Technique Tuesday blog hop layout (coming on the 10th).

10:25am


Simon calls from school telling me he wants to organize a movie club and can he invite some kids over this weekend.

10:27am


Simon calls again to make sure he can invite Nathaniel too (who goes to a different school).

10:40am


Call from dermatologist about my new insurance number.

AE_Stamping

AE_Layout

11:25am


Finish layout for blog hop. Photograph. Start writing post.

AE_lunch

1:35pm


Drive over to Jimmy Johns for lunch.

2:47pm


Resolve to figure out how to letterpress some business cards (more like give Katie the job to figure it out using supplies from Studio Calico and the Vagabond). Watch a couple of YouTube videos. Talk about design.

AE_Mail

2:50pm


Doorbell rings with UPS delivery of next month's Studio Calico kits.

AE_HappyThoughts

3:03pm


First successful run through the Vagabond. Super awesome and insanely easy - start researching where we can have our own plates made. Katie freaks out.

AE_AnnaCar2

AE_AnnaILPC

3:45pm


Leave the house to go pick up Anna from aftercare and drop off the library books along the way. Her soccer practice was canceled so we stop at Starbucks for the iced lemon pound cake she's been asking for the last few days. Katie picks Simon up from his Lego Robotics Club.

AE_Laundry

4:45pm


Back home. A day in the life would not be complete without at least one laundry room shot. You might notice that I never changed out of my workout clothes and I never actually worked out. Go figure.

AE_HomeAgain

AE_Mama

5pm


Go through Simon's backpack and find the thing I'm not supposed to see yet. Have a discussion about being flexible about what we are going to have for dinner.

AE_George

AE_StillRaining

AE_Hangout

AE_MakeDinner

5:30pm


Start dinner.

AE_Outside

While dinner is cooking I peek my head outside to see what's happening (rain) out there and take a couple photos.

AE_Garden

Looks like someone needs to get out there and weed around those raised beds.

AE_Cala

Along the side of the house I have some hostas, white bleeding hearts and these awesome cala lilies my Dad brought me from the beach.

AE_Peonie

And the peonies that will soon be exploding (in the middle of the frame).

AE_Dinner

6:00pm


Dinner. Salmon + green beans + oranges and kiwi. Simon eats all the salmon and green beans but stays away from the fruit (not a fan of things mixed together). Anna eats all the green beans and all the fruit and a few bites of salmon. Many of you long time readers know that Simon's diet/eating habit challenges have long been part of our story and I'm here to tell you that he's doing really awesome and has made so much progress. He's grown much more flexible and even though he complains he will eat what we ask him to most of the time.

AE_popcorn

6:30pm


Tonight we ate dinner on the couch. After dinner there was a request for popcorn. Twist my arm.

AE_Movie

We watch Adventure's In Babysitting. Their first time. My "too many to count" time.

AE_Transition

I love sitting on my couch and watching the transition to evening. Especially now when it doesn't get dark until after 8pm.

When the movie finished it was time to head up to bed.

AE_Mirror

I captured myself in a mirror in a dark hallway.

AE_AnnaPrayer

Prayers with Anna.

AE_SimonNight

Legos for Simon. He doesn't have school on Friday so he can stay up later.

AE_NightNight

10:05pm


Lights out after finishing up this post.

A COUPLE NOTES


  • I did mainly DSLR photos today just to mix things up - relying on my self-timer a ton. I seemed to be having issues focusing though and that resulted in a lot of blurry images especially earlier in the day (not sure that's user error or something wrong with the lens - one that I've had to have repaired in the past).

  • I skipped the Daily Sheet this time and just used the photos as my guide. Some of the times I jotted down while sitting near the computer and others I keep track of on my phone.

  • Half-way through the day I had the thought it would be fun to sometime just do a morning or half-day. I sat at my desk way too much during most of the day. I definitely got re-energized around dinner time. I'm so interested in light and lack of light. I want to learn more about low-light photography and ways to more accurately capture what I'm seeing. I love the moods it can convey.

  • I'm not sure just yet what I'm going to make with this content. I'm thinking maybe a mini-book for a change of pace.


Thanks to everyone who played along! It's always more fun to do it along with other people.

Check out previous Day In The Life posts here.

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56 thoughts

  1. Kimberly says…
    05/09/2014

    With the help of my mom, who watches my little girl, we did a day in the life for her to include in her baby book. It was so much fun. I would like to do a day in her life every few months or so for the first year to see how much she grows and changes. Of course they will all end up as inserts in her Project Life baby album:)

    Reply 0 Replies
  2. crystal moody says…
    05/09/2014

    I am so encouraged to read that Simon is getting more adventurous with his foods...maybe there is hope that my 8YO will eat something other than the 5 foods he eats daily!

    I played along yesterday and posted here:
    https://crystal-moody.squarespace.com/blog/2014/5/9/day-in-the-life

    Reply 0 Replies
  3. Leanne in CA says…
    05/09/2014

    Wow, this is awesome and your home and yard are beautiful! Thanks for sharing

    Reply 0 Replies
  4. Lisa W. says…
    05/09/2014

    SO loved this!!! All the simple things of the day that are REALLY such big things!!!! Your home AND yard is absolutely beautiful. I think what makes my heart sing the most is when you capture things, like from day to night, yourself in the mirror, the pic of Anna from your level, gosh I love LOVE that stuff.

    Regarding letterpress, I have NO idea if you will be able to answer this question but it made me think of it immediately exspecially beings it a Tim Holtz product. I recently bought a stamp set from his line, and it's called letterpress. I simply thought it was a stamp set. But when I opened it the letters are made to look like a old press/stamp set, but they are like plastic. NO ink sticks to them so to speak. I have NO idea what you are supposed to do with them, would you happen to know. They were from Joanne's Fabrics, not expensive, I believe $19.99. I never took them back because I love the font, the way they look, and now I am intriqued WHAT they are for. Thank you for your time.:)

    Reply 0 Replies
  5. Ann E. Ford says…
    05/09/2014

    Thanks for keepin' it real. One foot in front of the other . . . one day at a time. ;) @*

    Reply 0 Replies
  6. Emily says…
    05/09/2014

    Thanks for sharing Ali!! This is my first time ever doing Day In The Life and def think I may need to create a separate album for this :) Love seeing this "window" into your life and others' - it is so neat!

    Here is my day as a Stay At Home Mom of 1 baby girl:
    http://scrapper-emily.blogspot.com/2014/05/day-in-life-may-8-2014.html

    Reply 0 Replies
  7. Carol says…
    05/09/2014

    Loved doing this. Such a purposeful way to see the value in our mundane and excitement. Here's a link to my ditl.
    http://www.carolynchastain.blogspot.com/2014/05/day-in-life_9.html

    Reply 0 Replies
  8. jody says…
    05/11/2014

    this is one of my favorite posts. love the layout and thought process. helps me put my day into perspective, i think that it (my day) is to mundane to project life it but this layout makes me think if i just do it i will see that my blah may turn out to be a wonderful reflection.

    Reply 1 Reply
    1. Ali says…
      05/12/2014

      Yes!

  9. Melissa says…
    05/11/2014

    Thank you for sharing "Adventures in Babysitting" with your children. My twin sister and I wore out our VHS copy and went on to purchase the DVD. We love re-enacting the opening scene of Kris and pretty much have the whole thing memorized. I hope your children enjoyed it.

    Reply 2 Replies
    1. Ali says…
      05/12/2014

      They loved it!

    2. Julie says…
      05/12/2014

      I too, LOVED, Adventure in Babysitting and after reading this was encouraged to watch it with my 8 year old. He zoned in on the "Thor's a homo" line. "Whats a homo?", he asked....I am glad our language is more sensitive now than when we were kids. Everyone is better off for it.

  10. Carla Conroy says…
    05/12/2014

    Enjoyed this.

    Reply 0 Replies
  11. Jennie says…
    05/12/2014

    Loved seeing and reading about your day! Here's a link to my DITL: http://www.jennierosedesigns.blogspot.com/2014/05/day-in-life-may-2014.html.

    Reply 0 Replies
  12. Go Outside & Take A Selfie & Day In The Life | New AE Products | Ali Edwards says…
    05/12/2014

    […] with the Day In The Life theme from this past week I also created some 3×4 printable […]

    Reply 0 Replies
  13. northcarmen says…
    05/13/2014

    I enjoyed this series of photos and reflections. :) You have such a beautiful home -- I am jealous of how clean it is! ;) Is it normally that way, or did you pick a particularly clean day, or plan ahead since you knew you'd be sharing photos?! LOL. I have spent the last few days trying to clean a house that turns into chaos central so easily, especially with a 4-year-old whirlwind living in it, plus me away for three days for work last week and then a weekend filled with a birthday party, family meals and Mother's Day (only one of those at my house, fortunately). Ah well -- it is what it is.

    Reply 0 Replies
  14. helen says…
    05/14/2014

    I couldn't follow along, but am doing fine today (14th) I think I needed this to push through the day (my father's B-day and he past away last year, and mom this year); thanks to you, this is the 3rd time I do a DITL;

    Reply 0 Replies
  15. Cara in NJ says…
    05/14/2014

    Loved this. I know what you mean about learning more about low light photography. Karen Russell has an excellent "Making the Shot" issue that covers just that. I think it might be available to past students of her Photography workshop but maybe she would "bend the rules" for you!
    Love your day in the life post. I HAVE to do this!

    Reply 0 Replies
  16. Morning Dew says…
    05/14/2014

    Ali, thank you for inspiring us to tell the stories of our lives and thank you for sharing yours. This was the first time I did a day in the life. The morning was going quite well till the time I was having a calm pedicure and we had to evacuate the building due to a 6.8 earthquake! The day just got really crazy after that so I cannot really say it was a "normal" day but at the end it was a story to tell about my day and the fact that there was no major damage gave me one more thing to be grateful for that day.

    Reply 0 Replies
  17. 4thehunts says…
    05/16/2014

    hi, Ali. I just loved this post and all the pics and commentary. This is the first time I tried a Day in the Life and am now keen to do a mini album! When do you think you will be posting an idea for this or are there links to ones you have done already that I can follow? I am busy doing your "Hello Story" class and love it so much I don't want it to end!!

    Reply 0 Replies
  18. Mel J says…
    05/18/2014

    A very busy day for you with some great captures, I have just blogged mine,,,

    http://melgetsscrappy.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/a-day-in-life.html

    Reply 0 Replies
  19. Day In The Life | 4×4 Mini Book | Ali Edwards says…
    05/23/2014

    […] Today I’m sharing what I ended up doing with my words & photos from my Day In The Life documentation back on May 8th. You can check out my post that just includes the words and photos here. […]

    Reply 0 Replies
  20. Day in the Life // July 2014 - ok, enjoy. says…
    07/17/2014

    […] sharing “a day in the life” for the first time on the blog today. I saw the idea from Ali Edwards and Elise […]

    Reply 0 Replies

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