Daily Work-At-Home Rhythms & Things I Have Learned

I’ve received a few requests recently for a post about my work-at-home schedule or more specifically, “what does your day look like?” and “how do you fit it all in?

My work at home journey started about six or seven years ago and it’s been continually evolving and changing over time. These changes reflect the passage of time, my workload, the change of seasons (literally and more figuratively), the addition of family members, Chris’ work, inspiration, travel, and on and on.

We struggle with the same issues many families face, and some that are more unique to our own personal situation. Some days things completely fall apart and other days everything hums right along. My hope is that through sharing these details of our lives you might find one little thing that will make a positive impact for you and your family. If find it’s often simply one little thing that acts a springboard for making life-affirming adjustments.

To begin I want to share two lines from Mary Oliver’s poem The Summer Day that I keep top of mind and close to my heart as I approach and schedule my days:

For me that thought, those specific words, are a marker, a springboard, and a measuring stick.

When I need to re-evaluate anything, Mary’s words come to mind…”one wild and precious life.” They lead me back to my core beliefs and help me make decisions that mesh with those things that are most precious to me.

This is our life. Real, basic, wonderfully imperfect everyday life.

THE RHYTHM OF MY DAY

MORNING | Chris and I are up early, usually 6am. Simon’s alarm goes off at 6:15am. Anna yells “Mama” sometime around 6:30am.

The day starts with a simple breakfast (toast, bagel with cream cheese, or bowl of cereal) for Chris and the kids and something hot to drink for the adults. I usually have a bowl of oatmeal after everyone else has started their day.

Simon gets up early enough that he doesn’t have to rush. He takes his time while eating breakfast (there are lots of reminders from us that usually sound like “Keep eating Simon.”) I’m not a fan of rushing and would much rather get up a bit earlier to give us all a little more time to adjust to the start of a new day. After breakfast he gets himself dressed, brushes his teeth, we brush his hair, and then we wait together for the bus.

The bus comes for Simon at 7:10.

Most days I don’t take a shower until later in the day after I’ve exercised (more on that below).

I also often throw in a load of laundry first thing. I’m a fan of hearing those machines humming along.

CHILDCARE | We have two babysitters that share childcare responsibilities – both are an integral part of the way we function during the week. One is a long-time friend and the other we found through Care.com. Both are loved as a member of our family. Two days a week Anna is cared for outside our house and the other three days she and the babysitter are here. Childcare began for Anna when she was about 6 months old.

On two days of the week Anna goes to one of their houses for childcare – she gets picked up around 7am. On the opposite days of the week our other babysitter comes here and watches Anna at our house. She arrives at 8am.

WORK | After the kids are on their way or settled in, I go upstairs to work.

In our home we have a bonus room that is used as my office. I like that it’s away from the regular traffic within the house. I like that I “go to” work in a specific place. I also like that it has a door that can be closed at the end of my work day. I feel this set up has helped me be more present in both my work hours and my family hours.

My daily work schedule is flexible. It’s a mix of email, writing, creating stuff with my hands, designing products, photographing, linking, uploading, creating content, dreaming up ideas, telling stories, monitoring classrooms & message boards, answering questions, and more writing. There’s also billing and planning and occasional phone calls.

I don’t have a set schedule I follow during my work hours but I do tend to have an agenda each day. I have an ongoing project/task list and a calendar – both keep me in tune with project deadlines. There are many ways I could be more efficient – efficient is a word that comes to me often during the day.

I use a program called Things for keeping track of projects. My sister just introduced me to TeuxDeux (an online to-do list) that I might test out. It’s even simpler than Things. Right now I’m just trying to see if it would actually be helpful for me or just add another level of list-making.

I’m working on not adding other layers of lists/stuff/places to visit – too many makes me less efficient. Sometimes it’s easy to spend way too much time searching for “just the right thing” when in reality whatever I was using was just fine.

I’m thankful everyday for my flexible schedule.

EXERCISE | Over the last year making exercise happen during the day has become very important to me. I now see it simply as a part of my day.

I run from home. I bike from home. I run and swim at the gym.

Some days I exercise before I start working. Other days I wait until later, depending on what’s on my work agenda, when I worked-out the day before, and what activity I wan to do that day. I used to feel like I needed to have a fixed schedule for this – now my one and only goal is to exercise once a day. I find myself exercising more consistently since I’ve given myself more flexibility.

As I’ve been running more I find it really hard to sit at my desk for long periods of time like I used to and this is awesome since I’ve been working on not being married to my computer. Often I’ll just get up and run outside when I get to the point that I just can’t take sitting at my computer for another minute (or when I find myself mindlessly surfing or being hopelessly inefficient). Getting out and getting it done has definitely helped me be more focused when I return to my computer.

People often say that running clears their head and heart. I have found that to be absolutely true.

AFTERNOON | Simon returns home from school around 2:45pm. He usually plays legos or video games for a bit and has a snack before he tackles the homework. We’re working on incorporating daily reading time for him as well – having him have an interest in The Diary of a Wimpy Kid is totally helping (he’s also starting to enjoy reading before bed). After his homework is done it’s usually more legos or a video or playing outside when it’s warmer or chasing Anna around inside when it’s raining.

Right now he’s not in swimming lessons but I’d like to get him back into those as well.

While Simon is doing homework Anna is usually hanging out in the kitchen/dining room area playing or coloring or painting. Our babysitter facilitates this afternoon routine on the days she is here.

On the days she’s not here I meet Simon when he gets off the bus (it comes to our house) and hang out with him while he transitions to being at home. Depending on what I’m working on I try to have something I can do on my laptop so I can hangout with him in the kitchen/dining room area or I do things like move the laundry around, fold clothes, pick up toys, empty the dishwasher, take out the garbage, etc.

DINNER | Dinner gets underway around 5:30pm. The kids are hungry at that time and I like to eat early and I enjoy how the day flows into night with dinner as the transition point. Depending on Chris’ schedule he’s able to make it or not (different times of the year are different for him). I do a general meal plan (sometimes written out and sometimes often just in my head) for the week that usually includes three main cooking nights with a specific recipe while other nights are leftovers or weekly favorites like tostadas or baked potatoes. On the days that I’m here with Simon in the afternoon I’ll often spend some of that time prepping dinner.

I like to cook. I especially like to cook with a plan in place and the correct ingredients on hand. Grocery shopping happens once a week with maybe one additional stop for more OJ or milk.

We’ve been making progress with Simon and his eating habits and that’s been really, really nice. It’s still drama-filled at times, but it’s so much better than it used to be. At least now we can usually get him to eat what’s on his plate – or at least try it. The best thing is that I’m not cooking more than one meal anymore. Whatever I make is what we’re having and we have a balance of things each week that he can rely on and likes combined with the new foods (like we always have tostadas – his favorite – once a week). He seems more open to the new foods when we can say “last night we had tostadas, tonight we’re having spaghetti” (a non-preferred food).

Eating together, all four of us at the table, is really one of my favorite things. Even when it’s challenging with Simon, even when we end up sitting there for almost an hour as he takes one tiny bite at a time, even when Anna’s ready to get down from her booster chair after one bite, even then it’s still something I treasure. It’s often the only time of the day when we are all together in one room at the same time.

I’m hoping to get a new table to eat out in our backyard this summer.

 

EVENING | After the dinner dishes are done we hang out – playing hide & go seek is the recent favorite – before the bedtime routines begin. Bedtime for Anna is between 7 and 7:30pm with a bath before. Simon’s been staying up until 8 or 8:30pm.

Sometimes the dishes stay in the sink until the next morning. My preference is to get them done after dinner, but I go with the flow and the mood and the opportunity.

Once the kids are in bed it’s time to do more work or hang out on the couch with Chris. We watch DVR’d Jon Stewart, Modern Family, 60 Minutes, Glee, or American Idol, or a Netflix movie we might have on hand. Sometimes we both have our computers on our laps and other times we’re just hanging out.

I like to be in bed by 10pm or earlier. Most nights I read in bed – no computer or TV in our bedroom.

And then we do it all again.

THINGS I HAVE LEARNED (AND AM STILL LEARNING)

TRIAL + ERROR = EVOLUTION | There’s no magic formula. There’s no prescription, no set things to do or a specific set of things to follow. It’s simply trial and error and evolution. When our schedule/set-up starts not working, I change things up. This time next year it’s likely that things will have changed again.

I think one of the most important things in setting up your day is to be fully aware of your core values. If you don’t know what you value most it’s pretty difficult to keep that focus first and foremost in your heart and mind. What do you want your life to be about? How do you want to spend your time? What’s most important to you? If those things aren’t being nurtured it’s likely time to make some changes.

ESTABLISH A FLOWING ROUTINE | Over the years our daily routines have come and gone. Being open to going with the flow and adapting to the established routines with as little upset as possible is a part of our daily life. There have been times when we stick really close to certain routines (especially when Simon was younger) and other times when it’s been easier to be flexible.

For me, knowing the flow of activities throughout the day works better than having set times. Waking up flows into breakfast flows into getting dressed flows into brushing teeth, etc.

WEEKENDS = FAMILY | I work hard to keep most of my work within the confines of Monday through Friday. The weekends are family-time, relaxation, adventure or just doing nothing. I work ahead during the week so I’m not stressing on Sunday night that I don’t have something lined up for Monday morning.

SAY NO | I say “no” a lot. I still say “yes” quite a bit, but saying no has gotten easier and it gives me more freedom to focus on what I care about most (both in work and family life).

SYSTEMS | I like things to be organized and have a natural tendency towards order. I like the things we own to have a home -  a specific place to be put away. We each have a shoe basket in our entry. We each have a dirty clothes basket in our bedroom closets. I’m keenly aware of how I feel when certain systems aren’t working as I’d like and I change them up to see if something new will work better.

I find it’s easier to keep our stuff picked up when there’s a very specific place to put that stuff away. I’m one of those people that functions better in general when things are in their right place. I work with the kids to keep things picked up but I don’t stress about it and I’m not fanatical – I just take care of it.

CHOICES | I’m not a do-it-all person. I’m more of a do-less person. Actually, there are lots of things I like to do, many of which include just hanging out with my family without being distracted by a myriad of other obligations. I take very seriously the choices I make in how I spend my time. I have no desire to be super-busy. When I’m super busy I find myself complaining way too much (all complaints about being busy) when I should be enjoying whatever it is that’s happening around me.

I want to live a full life. Busy does not equal full.

Last Thursday night I read this post from Tara Whitney which included this statement: “Being busy does not bring meaning to my life.” This is one of those things I believe wholeheartedly. I make time for what I love. The pace of our days is important to me.

Leo from Zen Habits also has a post on this that's inspiring: The End Of Busy. Also check out How To Live In The Land Of Enough: Time from Be More With Less.

PERSPECTIVE & ATTITUDE | Since starting my work at home journey, along with all my other work and life adventures over the last six or so years, I find my perspective continually evolving: 

  • I don’t want to always be working on trying to find that magic place where everything runs smoothly. I don’t want that to be my focus. I’d much rather simply focus on being engaged with my kids when it’s that time and engaged with my work when it’s that time and engaged with Chris when it’s that time and engaged with myself when it's me time. I’m acutely aware when my attitude is heading downhill. I’m working on taking a deep breath and refocusing on what’s most important.
  • A big challenge for me occurs on the days when childcare issues come up. My first inclination is to let the stress and pressure rise up as I think of my to-do list and my deadlines and any other agenda items that might be on my list for the day. My second inclination is to get mad and think, “how come it’s me that has to give up what was on my list for the day?” I round that all out with a firm GET OVER IT and a reminder to myself to embrace the wonderful opportunity to spend special time with Anna. Attitude, attitude, attitude.
  • It’s easy to get trapped in the cycle of always trying to find that elusive perfect balance when in reality what you have at any given time might be just right. These days I'm less focused on trying to find the perfect balance (not sure it even exists) and more focused on something I mentioned above: being engaged with my kids when it’s that time, engaged with my work when it’s that time, engaged with Chris when it’s that time, engaged with myself when it's me time.
  • Even with a list of things to-do a mile long, so many things on my list can wait. "What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"
  • Things are always changing.

READ | I like to read about ways to bring peace and calm into our lives. But what I’m really working on is reading less about it and doing more about simply living that way. Here’s some recent blog posts I’ve encountered that speak to some of these issues: 


I love being a working Mom. I love my family. I love my work. I love that I get to work from home. I especially love that my family is a big part of the things I create and the work I do.

My "wild and precious life" is evolving one day at a time. And I am oh so thankful for it every single day.

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220 thoughts

  1. Jess E says…
    01/28/2011

    Ali - I love your blog and website. I've been following you online for years. I started because I admired your scrapbook style, and that is still a draw, but your perspective on family, work, life keeps me coming back. I so enjoy your perspective, it's an important part of keeping myself on track with wanting to live a full (not busy) life. Thank you for sharing your family and your life!

    Reply 0 Replies
  2. Jenn Serrano says…
    01/28/2011

    Just curious... how long on average does it take Simon to do homework? Do you have to sit at the table with him and help the whole time? We have been struggling with homework this year. I have a totally blind 4th grade girl and a seeing 1st grade boy. The 4th grade teacher this year gives a ton of homework- about 1-2 hours worth each night. Mostly I have to assist her with the homework, sit next to her, help her understand what it is, the whole time. Thank goodness my first grader just has a spelling list to study. I just wonder how other mom's fit in helping with homework into their busy schedule, especially mom's with more than one child, or a special needs child?!
    Also...
    Do you ever feel guilt about having someone come into your home to clean? I tried it for awhile, loved it, but felt guilt that I "couldn't do it all". I work full time, but my mom worked full time and also cleaned the house herself... Do you feel it is worth the added expense?

    Reply 1 Reply
    1. Ali says…
      01/30/2011

      Hi Jenn - I'm sorry I missed this earlier.

      Simon's homework seems to vary. He gets a homework bag on Mondays and everything is due on Thursday. Each day he does one or two sheets depending on what was included in the bag. Somedays it takes 1/2 hour and some days an hour - usually not more than that. He needs supervision so either the babysitter or I am there sitting with him while he's working on it. He progressively gets better at sitting down and getting it done :).

      As for your question about guilt, I can honestly say that I have zero guilt about someone coming in to clean my house. I am SO, SO happy to have that done by someone else as it frees me up to spend more time with my kids, Chris or get more work done. I absolutely think it's worth the expense. It helps keep me sane and assists in making other things work more smooth.

      I don't want to do it all. I want to do the things I care about most and make adjustments to be able to take the time to do them well.

  3. Emily M. says…
    01/28/2011

    Thought your blog readers might like this article on cnn.com: 20 questions you should ask yourself: http://mw.cnn.com/snarticle?c=cnnd_latest&p=10&aId=20110126%3Ao.questions.change.your.life%3A1

    Reply 0 Replies
  4. Emily M. says…
    01/28/2011

    It's actually called "20 Questions That Could Change Your Life."

    Reply 0 Replies
  5. Amy K says…
    01/28/2011

    What a wonderful "story" you have written for us and for you to keep for yourself as documentation of this point in your life. Thanks for sharing. There are several things that will help motivate me to move into a new phase in my life.

    Reply 0 Replies
  6. Oh! | The Project of Me says…
    01/28/2011

    [...] this lovely quote was included in Ali Edwards’ recent blog post and I LOVE it.  I just had to repost so I could remind myself of it when I needed a little [...]

    Reply 0 Replies
  7. tracey says…
    01/28/2011

    Wow, Ali, this was really great to read. I've been curious about how your days go! Thank you for detailing this for us.

    About the whole balance issue - it's like you put words to my thoughts! It had become a sort of holy grail, this balance-seeking. Just when I'd have it figured out, things would change again. So true that we can achieve balance in moments, if eveything, all the time!

    Reply 0 Replies
  8. amy s says…
    01/28/2011

    Ali,

    Thanks so much for posting this! I am a mom of a 1st grader and 2.5 year old and expecting #3 in February. I work from home about 15 hours per week and currently only have care for the kids, other than school, 4 of those hours. I am currently evaluating my situation knowing that I need more childcare help once I return to work after baby but I also struggle with wanting to still have time during the day with my SAHM friends who don't work.

    For someone like me it is encouraging to hear that you do have childcare help and cleaning help, as mentioned in the comment section. I'm glad it seems to help you as much as it helps me!

    Amy

    Reply 0 Replies
  9. Katrina Kennedy says…
    01/28/2011

    "I want to live a full life. Busy does not equal full."

    That line completely resonates with me! Thank you.

    Reply 0 Replies
  10. Angie F says…
    01/28/2011

    LOVE this post! Thanks so much for sharing!! I think I just need the right perspective!! YES! I can do this! :)

    Reply 0 Replies
  11. Sara G. says…
    01/28/2011

    Thank you for sharing in such a real and honest way! This is a wonderful post that can be beneficial to so many. I often read blog posts quickly, but this one makes me stop and think. I love the quotes you share and plan to check out all of the links. You statements "I love being a working Mom. I love my family. I love my work." really resonated with me.

    Reply 0 Replies
  12. Beth Holmes says…
    01/28/2011

    Ali this is such a wonderful post -- I was inspired to write a blog post of my own about my one little word INTENTIONAL, but it turned out to be a Thank you Ali Edwards post. It's at:
    http://jimbethmag.blogspot.com/2011/01/struggling-with-my-one-little-word.html

    Reply 1 Reply
    1. Ali says…
      01/30/2011

      Wonderful post Beth - thank you.

  13. TodaysMama | Blog | The Yay Friday Round Up: Hungry Pregnant Woman Edition says…
    01/28/2011

    [...] always fascinated to learn about how other people juggle working from home. Ali Edwards shared her schedule and some insightful thoughts on the topic this [...]

    Reply 0 Replies
  14. Erika says…
    01/28/2011

    Ali - Thank you for sharing this! Seriously, we HAVE all been wondering for YEARS how you DO IT!? This is SO AWESOME to learn more about the details of what keeps you doing the balancing act...thank you for sharing something so personal and real!
    hugs
    erika

    Reply 0 Replies
  15. Ellen says…
    01/29/2011

    Thanks Ali!

    Reply 0 Replies
  16. Poupee says…
    01/29/2011

    Dear Ali,

    I have two questions that have been lingering for a while in my head. The first touches upon your world of efficiency. How do you use your computer efficiently? When it comes to filing your photos what system do you use? I have been filing by year and subdividing within months and days with a short descpriptive blurb on the event. I know you use a Mac, I think. When it comes to filing your (or or other designers) digitial products, How do you do it? Do you have a subfolder for each designer name or do you subdivide based on product type (brushes, layered layouts, paper, etc.)? How do you keep track of what you have? Do you have a printout of the product sample in a binder so you have a visual reference available?
    2nd question? Do you still like the quilted camera bag you blogged about a while ago? Is it fitting into the daily life of camera and "everything else we women have to carry" in our purses? Sorry to be so long winded. Thank you for all you give to your readers.

    Reply 1 Reply
    1. Ali says…
      01/29/2011

      Hi :).

      I do my photos very similar to you: a year folder with a sub-folder for each month. I also have specific project/work photos. That simple system has been working fine for me. You might want to check out a recent Paperclipping post that talks about quaterly storage of photos (lots of good tips): http://www.paperclipping.com/scrapbooking-ideas/how-you-really-can-tell-all-of-your-photo-stories/

      For digital products (I organize by categories) I talk more about that on a post here: http://aliedwards.com/2010/01/scrapbooking-with-your-computer-downloading-unzipping-organizing-digital-elements.html

      I have the *emera camera bag. I use it from time to time - intermixed in with other bags I carry :).

  17. shelley says…
    01/29/2011

    Ali - this post hits home for me. i too, am a full time work at home momma, though sadly - not in a creative light, but a corporate software company light. but still - it is a matter of finding balance and being ok as Tara said to not be busy. busy doesn't fit me either. and saying no and doing things on my terms initially felt selfish. wheras now? feels fitting. it suits me. thanks for articulating this... work at home is not nearly as glamourous as everyone thinks...

    Reply 0 Replies
  18. Kimberly says…
    01/29/2011

    Thank you for sharing. This really has me thinking. I wrote down several quotes and thoughts while reading this. I'm not sure where it leaves me, but in a place of consideration and careful thought.

    If you are searching for a list organizer, http://www.rememberthemilk.com/ has been wonderful for me. Anything from books to read, quotes I love, groceries to pick up (lists can be shared with others) and normal work to do's.

    Reply 0 Replies
  19. Sara G. says…
    01/30/2011

    I loved this post so much that I had to blog about it this weekend!
    http://1200somemiles.blogspot.com/2011/01/what-works-for-you.html

    Reply 0 Replies
  20. monday: best of last week | The Misadventures of Kelly and Kelly says…
    01/31/2011

    [...] kind of life. via Ali Edward’s post about her rhythm, which is also a great post in itself [...]

    Reply 0 Replies
  21. Ali Edwards : Parenting Daily Times Interview | Parenting Daily Times says…
    02/01/2011

    [...] Working from home can be a blessing and a curse. What are the things you do to make it a blessing? Do you have a routine? Any tips for parents working from home with small children? I just recently I did an in-depth post on my blog about my daily work-from-home schedule and the lessons I’ve learned from working at home: http://aliedwards.com/2011/01/daily-work-at-home-rhythm-things-i-have-learned.html [...]

    Reply 0 Replies
  22. Deer Baby says…
    02/01/2011

    This is great, thank you. This is the sort of thing I can get a handle on (not sites like Goop). It helps tremendously to see how other people do it who are truthful and realistic. I love the fact that you are striving to be engaged when it's time to be with your kids, engaged with your work when it's work time and so on. That's what I want to achieve - not some ratio plucked from the air.

    Thank you for giving us this insight into your life.

    Reply 0 Replies
  23. - Planting Dandelions Planting Dandelions says…
    02/01/2011

    [...] is exactly what Ali Edwards did in this  post about her daily work at home routine. How on earth a professional scrapbooker’s blog came to be among my weekly reads, I [...]

    Reply 0 Replies
  24. Ronda Palazzari says…
    02/01/2011

    this is such an amazing post. Thanks for the look at your daily life. You truly inspire me.

    Reply 0 Replies
  25. jamie slay says…
    02/02/2011

    I am so glad I am not the only person in America without a tv in my bedroom.

    Reply 0 Replies

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