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A Day in the Life

A Day in the Life: Finding Balance in the day to day via A Lo Profile.
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Today’s post has been one I’ve been meaning to write for awhile now. One of my most commonly asked questions, whether it is from an aspiring blogger or just someone who is curious, is how do you find time in a day to do everything? Everything includes finding balance between blogging and being a School Psychologist, plus all the other every day things in between. I think it can be helpful to know more about the day-to-day of the person behind the blog your read or a social media account you follow, so today I thought I’d break down what a day in the life of me might entail and share how I go about finding balance.

First things first, I don’t have what I would consider a typical day, but then again, who does? Every day is different and might include a different event or errand, so I’m going to give you a break down of the things that are more routine during the week and share what different days might include.

5:00- My alarm goes off. I go to the bathroom, brush my teeth, put in my contacts, and change into workout clothes.  This takes me like fifteen minutes because I’m usually pep talking myself the whole time so I don’t go back to sleep. Some days it doesn’t work, haha. Working out in the morning might include some toning exercises or some cardio depending on what my afternoon plans are and if I want to redo my hair or not. #truth

6:00/6:15- When I’m finished working out, I usually make an almond milk chai latte and take out my dog and feed her if my husband hasn’t already. Then, I  start getting ready for work. I often eat breakfast on the go or just wait until I get to work, but occasionally I’ll make something at home or eat what my husband has made if he is awake. He sometimes is still asleep when I leave for work, but I always love when he is up with me!  Sometimes, I have some time to spare before leaving for work so I’ll do a few Instagram stories like sharing my blog post for that day or I’ll respond to some messages on Instagram.

7:15- I get to work around this time. My day technically starts at 7:30, but I tend to be early and like a few minutes to ease into the day. My day at work includes anything from doing cognitive and achievement testing or behavioral, social, and emotional testing with children. I may be working directly with students, observing in classrooms, consulting with teachers and/or parents, doing paperwork, analyzing behavior data, attending meetings, or writing reports. Each day is different and since I work with special needs children with behavioral challenges, my day can take a turn at any time.

Lunch- My husband and I switch off who lets our dog out at lunch or some days we take her to doggie day care to play. If I’m not letting her out, I may grab lunch with a friend on occasion for a little mental escape or run an errand or two, but otherwise I typically eat lunch at my desk while I work or eat quickly between meetings.

3:30- I finish my day at work around this time and depending on what the week looks like, I may have a few reports due or paperwork to complete and may have to finish it after my typical work day hours.

4:00- I try to make any appointments such as mani/pedis, eyelash fills, hair, or doctor appointments at this time. If I don’t have an appointment then I may have a call scheduled with a brand. Otherwise, I’ll run an errand or two if needed and then go home. I take my sweet pup out for a walk or some days will take her to the park to play and then the blog work begins! Some days I have events in the afternoon or evening that I attend. Sometimes it seems like there is a different event (or even two) almost every day, so I try to be thoughtful about what I do and do not attend. If I don’t have any events, then I typically work on my blog and then take a break to cook or eat dinner with my husband. There are some nights I work ahead so that I have a night each week with him where I’m not working on my blog once he gets home.

Blog work includes everything from shopping for and planning outfits, steaming clothes, answering e-mails, drafting posts, creating a posting schedule, reading contracts, reviewing analytics, pinning on Pinterest, replying to messages on Instagram, linking products, and more.

I try to go to bed by 10:00, but that doesn’t always happen. If an event runs long and I have a post to finish when I get home or outfits to plan, then I may be up until 11:00 or even 12:00 sometimes. In the evenings I also plan out all of my Instagram posts for the next day.

A Day in the Life: Finding Balance in the day to day via A Lo Profile.

The biggest thing I tell people who ask how I do it all is that I make a lot of sacrifices. The thing I sacrifice the most is sleep. I also sacrifice down time and time with friends or family. Most days, I work between twelve and fourteen hours or more between my day job and my blog. I also work a ton of hours on Sundays. I try not to work on Saturdays, but sometimes it has to happen to get things done. I meet my photographer each week on Thursdays right after work to take photos. I usually spend Friday afternoons cleaning my entire apartment or am up doing that on Saturday mornings because even though I’m a neat freak, it doesn’t always happen as much as it should during the week days.

Working for a school gives me great flexibility with hours and even though I start work really early, I love that I am off and get some time in the afternoon before the average person is off of work. I get several days off for Thanksgiving, two weeks at Christmas, Spring Break, and two months in the Summer in addition to ten vacation days a year. A flexible schedule like this is super helpful and one of the biggest perks of my day job!

Regardless of the sacrifices, blogging is rewarding and I love it. It so rarely feels like a ‘job’ to me because it’s also so much fun and has led to so many amazing opportunities and friendships. Like anything, it has its downsides, but its such a passion for me. My ultimate goal is to find balance. I know that might not happen easily every day, but I try to balance out my weeks with at least one day with no work to focus on my time with the people I care about.

Hopefully learning a little more about what a day in the life for me might look like helps you get some insight into the ‘balance’ between a day job and a blog. I also help it helps some people closer to me understand why I am so exhausted some days! Being so busy has definitely made me prioritize what I do in my spare time and who I spend my time with. It’s a valuable perspective for which I am grateful.

A Day in the Life: Finding Balance in the day to day via A Lo Profile.

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If you have any more questions about my day to day or balancing a job with a blog, feel free to reach out. I definitely want to show you all more behind the scenes of my days on Instagram stories and talk about it more on the blog if it is something you are interested in. Some days, I feel like I am so busy or so boring that it’s not worth sharing, but I know some people love the day-to-day of people they follow, including me! XO

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  1. 11.9.17
    Holly said:

    I adored reading this post, it is so interesting to see how other people structure their days and I admire you working in a school & on your blog simultaneously! It is so worth it because your blog is amazing and your dedication really shines through. Keep it up!

    Holly from The Art of Being Holly xo

    • 11.9.17
      Lauren said:

      Hi Holly,

      Oh my goodness THANK YOU so much for the kind comment. I appreciate it so very much! I also am so glad to have you following along and reading my blog.

      Hope you’re having a great day!

      XO, Lauren

  2. 11.9.17

    I admire, I can’t sacrifice sleep. I have to have a solid 7 hours of sleep everyday :p

    http://www.theeyetraveler.com/how-to-meditate-1-1/

    • 11.9.17
      Lauren said:

      I definitely do much better with more sleep! I can seriously sleep 10-12 hours no problem given the chance. One day… 🙂

  3. 11.9.17
    mscourtneyblog said:

    I really enjoyed reading this. I also have a full time time and recently discovered my passion for all things fashion and beauty related. Thinking of starting a blog(website) but I am a little hesitant. Just wondering, how often do you post new photos to your blog / Instagram? What do you think would be the appropriate amount of posts for a part-time blogger?

    Thank you for your time!

    mscourtneyblog

    • 11.10.17
      Lauren said:

      I am so glad! Its definitely a struggle to find the balance, but I think when something is important to you then you find the time.

      Thanks for stopping by and reading!

      XO, Lauren

  4. 11.10.17
    Meera said:

    Great post ! I admire the fact that you work out in the morning, I’m so bad in the morning haha. Cute photos!

    LoneTeenTraveller | Travel Fashion Lifestyle

    • 11.10.17
      Lauren said:

      Thank you so much! It’s not always easy and some days I snooze and skip (like today.. whoops), but for the most part, its a great start to my day.

      Hope you have a great weekend! XO

  5. 11.11.17
    Liat said:

    Hey Lauren,

    So fun discovering your blog! Absolutely LOVE the framed photo above your couch <3 Could you link details for size and source?

    xx
    Liat

    • 11.12.17
      Lauren said:

      Hey girl!! Thank you! It is actually a photo that I took when In Rio a few summers ago and blew up, then had custom framed. If you or someone you know wants a copy, I’d be happy to sell one to you all! I’ve been thinking of doing that with some of my travel photos on my site anyways. XO, Lauren

      • 11.14.17
        Liat said:

        Stunning! Would definitely be interested in seeing it/others in more detail.

  6. 11.11.17
    Maureen said:

    This is a great post and you are such an inspiration.

    Blogging in itself is not easy so I am impressed at how you keep everything together especially since you also have an 8 to 5 job. I am a new blogger and with trying to figure out how things work, how to schedule around blogging and my normal routine, it’s almost like pulling teeth at times.

    https://www.littlemisscasual.com

    • 11.12.17
      Lauren said:

      Hi Maureen,

      Thanks os much! It’s definitely a work in progress and I am constantly having to shift around my schedule to make it all work. It’s so fun and rewarding if you love it and stick to it though!! Can’t wait to check out your blog. I appreciate you stopping by mine and reading! Xo, Lauren

  7. 11.12.17

    that’s very productive! I try to be early at work as well, rush is not my thing neither. :p

    http://www.theeyetraveler.com/gjusta-in-venice-beach/

    • 11.14.17
      Lauren said:

      I try!! I do not like to rush or be late!

      Thanks for reading. XO

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