As we mentioned yesterday, it’s Blogiversary Week — can you believe it’s been four years? Since we’ve shared a “day in the life” during previous celebrations, here’s this year’s version. Life is similar in that no day is ever exactly the same; different because now we have a toddler running around and a 260+ page book in progress. This time we recorded a full day from both of our perspectives so you can see what each of us (and even Clara and Burger) are doing at different times. Here it is:
7:30 am – 8:00 am
JOHN: Clara’s awake at 7:30 and the weather’s good, so I take her out for a run in the jogging stroller. After a quick diaper change, filling her milk, and grabbing a snack, we head out. I squeeze in about four miles and we’re back in roughly 40 minutes.
SHERRY: I wake at 7:45 and the house is quiet, so I know John and Clara are out. Burger stays in bed, but I head straight to the office and sit at the computer. I’m not fully awake enough to make wardrobe or breakfast decisions, so I answer blog comments and scan my planner. It looks chaotic but it’s how I keep track of post ideas, calls, book deadlines, and column schedules. I spot a 2pm call with USA Today and set an alarm for 1:58 so I don’t forget.
8:00 am – 9:00 am
JOHN: Back from the run around 8:30, I shower, then make breakfast — yogurt for Clara, scrambled eggs for Sherry, and cereal for me.
SHERRY: I keep answering comments until John and Clara return. I get to smooch both of them, play with Clara, and let John shower and make breakfast. I’m still in pajamas while answering comments — gotta keep it real.
9:00 am – 10:00 am
JOHN: I watch Clara while Sherry handles blog work. We read books, play with a ball and a car, and she helps me start a load of laundry — she loves helping with laundry.
SHERRY: This hour flies by. I spend it proofreading the morning’s post, which usually goes up between 9:30 and 10:00. Proofing includes previewing the post to check photo alignment, reading it multiple times, adding links, and clarifying directions. We still average a couple typos per post, so this step is essential.
10:00 am – 11:00 am
JOHN: I continue hanging out with Clara while Sherry works. We read more books and play outside. Some days I get more project time and other days I get more Clara time — it varies.
SHERRY: I’m on comment duty — over two hundred can roll in within an hour, so I try to keep up and delete the occasional spam. When the pending count drops to around thirty I can finally breathe.
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
JOHN: I measure and plan our next project: adding trim to the base of our wall-to-wall desk to make it look built-in. After sketching ideas and taking measurements, I head to Lowe’s to pick up trim.
SHERRY: It’s Clara’s morning nap, so I change her diaper and tuck her in (dim the lights, close the blinds, turn on the sound machine). While John runs his errand, I throw on real clothes and jump back on comment duty — another wave of around 80 rolls in before noon. I skim email and delete the junk so the inbox looks less scary; among the mail are sponsor and giveaway notes, book and column business, and sweet reader letters that we star and read aloud to each other later.
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
JOHN: With Clara still napping, Sherry and I meet to discuss trim options and I head to the basement to make test cuts and see how the trim looks around a cabinet. I also check email and handle a few giveaway and sponsor renewals.
SHERRY: I meet with John about trim, answer more comments, and start writing a post for the next day when Clara wakes at 12:30. I change her diaper and hang out with her while John finishes up the trim.
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
JOHN: The trim project is finished, so I focus on lunch. We reheat quiche and leftovers and eat together while Burger sleeps. After lunch I take Clara to play and read some more.
SHERRY: I proofread and finalize the afternoon post before lunch, add links, fix typos, and post it around two.
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
JOHN: Clara and I hang out while Sherry publishes and handles the post. We fold laundry together and play ball with Burger, who finally gets up around 2pm.
SHERRY: I do a quick call with USA Today to give a quote about painting a chair (it’s brief), then go back to answering comment questions for the rest of the hour.
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
JOHN: We switch — Sherry takes Clara and I return to the computer. I handle emails about giveaways, sponsors, and hosting issues, and catch up on Twitter messages.
SHERRY: I spend the hour with Clara: singing, playing, and chasing Burger. Clara looks tired around 3:45, so I change her and put her down for an afternoon nap; she falls asleep quickly today.
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
JOHN: I edit and size photos we’ve already taken and start drafting a post for tomorrow. I also set up a tripod to shoot the desk-trim project I completed earlier so we have images for that future post.
SHERRY: I planned to spray-prime the office chairs, but I still need to finish writing and editing photos for tomorrow’s post, so priming waits. Clara wakes at 4:30, so I don’t finish everything, but I make good progress.
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
JOHN: Clara gets restless, so we head out for an evening walk before the rain. Burger’s thrilled to go.
SHERRY: We walk the neighborhood for about an hour and brainstorm post ideas for the coming week. We also toss around kitchen layout ideas and refine plans by talking them through until one feels right.
6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
JOHN: I cook a simple dinner — chicken with apples, raisins, and olives — while Clara plays on the kitchen floor and we chat between cooking steps.
SHERRY: I finish up comments and the next morning’s post, edit photos, and help set the table. Dinner is on by 6:45 and it’s delicious. John even gives me extra olives.
7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
JOHN: We enjoy some family time before bed: reading, playing, and trying to tire Clara out. Burger often joins the fun.
SHERRY: Burger is full of energy and Clara finds it hilarious. At 7:45 we brush teeth, say goodnight to the grandparents’ photo, and tuck Clara in — she falls asleep quickly.
8:00 pm – 9:00 pm
JOHN: Once Clara’s in bed we get more work done. It’s normal for both of us to have laptops until late, but we aim to keep things casual with TV on in the background so it doesn’t feel like a grind.
SHERRY: I finish the post I’ve been working on. Typical posts take 2–3 hours to write, including photo editing and step-by-step instructions; quicker items like giveaways can take about 30 minutes to compose but require coordination beforehand.
9:00 pm – 10:00 pm
JOHN: We realize we need to record a Q&A video. I set up the tripod and Flip cam and organize the roughly 80 questions submitted on Facebook, removing duplicates so we can read smoothly on camera.
SHERRY: I get ready for the video and change into a sweater. We prefer doing the answers in one take to keep things natural, so we aim to knock it out in about 30 minutes.
10:00 pm – 11:00 pm
JOHN: Filming takes longer than planned, but it’s entertaining. We talk, laugh, and answer questions, enjoying the process even if it runs over the half hour goal.
SHERRY: Same here — we end up having fun talking to the Flip cam and stretching the session a bit longer than expected.
11:00 pm – 12:00 am
JOHN: After finishing the video, I start uploading it and respond to a few tweets and emails. Then I work on a Google SketchUp rendering to explore kitchen layout ideas while eating a bit of ice cream with whipped cream.
SHERRY: I start another post but realize our House Tour page needs updated photos after recent bedroom and office changes. I update those images and adjust the Paint Colors and Where We Got It pages, then get back to comments and email.
12:00 am – 1:00 am
JOHN: We talk about bed, but I ask for ten more minutes to finish the SketchUp render. I do a quick round of lights-off, set the alarm to night mode, and check on Clara one last time.
SHERRY: While John waits on the rendering, I work on a BabyCenter post but don’t finish it. I pack up contacts and head to bed, surprised it’s nearly 1am.
1:00 am – 1:30ish
JOHN & SHERRY: We finally get into bed with Burger curled up between us. We recap the day, run through key plans for tomorrow — write book intro chapters, spray-prime the chairs, proof and publish the posts in progress, and tame our inboxes — and then drift off. Before sleep, we wish aloud that Clara might sleep until 8am. She makes it to about 7:45.