Hello friends!
Today I thought it would be fun to give you guys a glimpse into how I balance my work and homemaking. The problem is, I don’t have very set routines. I have two part time jobs with inconsistent schedules, meaning my day rarely actually looks like the one neatly laid out in this post. Isn’t that how it always goes though?
Regardless, I thought you might enjoy hearing how I fill my days as a newly married wife. If that sounds interesting, read on!
(Note: you might recognize some of these photos from old posts. I had fun searching the blog archives rather than taking new ones.)
7:45-8:15 {waking up & Breakfast}
We wake up at different times depending on Sully’s work since it’s somewhat seasonal. Right now in the slow season I usually get up between 7:45-8:00 and fix breakfast.
Usually breakfast is pretty simple, since 1) I’m too sleepy to get up early for something special and 2) while breakfast is cooking I like to pack Sully a lunch to eat on the road during his window-washing route for the day. Here’s a post with my go-to lunch ideas (breakfast post coming soon!).
We eat breakfast and then Sully has to leave for work. Sometimes I do too, depending on what the schedule looks like for farm work that day.
8:15-9:00 {Chores}
After Sully leaves, I get myself ready for the day, clean up the kitchen a bit (or save that for lunch 😛 ), make the bed, tidy/sweep the house if need be, and maybe start the laundry – you know, all the housework stuff. I also usually scroll my phone a bit and catch up on any notifications or messages I have outstanding.
Then I get out my planner and write or review my list of tasks for the day. I don’t know how I’d keep track of everything without it! I also take time in the morning to read a chapter of the Bible and journal my favorite verse, as explained in this post and others.
9:00-12:00 Work
My jobs are… confusing to explain. I usually say that I work part time on the farm for my dad and am also an artist/graphic designer. If I’m not doing hay rebaling or deliveries at the farm, I’ll work at my desk for the morning. This is the time I create my tiny paintings, ship Etsy orders, post on my art Instagram account @thecolorboxstudio, make progress on current graphic design or custom art commissions, edit photos from a recent photography session, etc. All the most pressing or important projects I try to make progress on in the morning.
On hay days I drive to my family’s farm 20 minutes away to help with deliveries or rebaling. I work in my dad’s hay business under his business manager who is Chessie’s dad. I really enjoy working with him and his family, and it’s nice to have a job that gets me outside with plenty of exercise helping stack 40-pound bales.
12:00-1:00{Lunch Break}
On hay days I love eating lunch with my family – catching up on their news and grazing their leftovers. This regular interaction has made the transition to living apart from my family and the farm unexpectedly easy. I still get to see both quite often, plus I love the house and town we live in.
If I’m home for lunch, I usually eat leftovers or a random assortment of foods to keep me going. This is a good stopping place for a lunch break – I might do some more housework (like dishes), check the mail or pay bills, scroll Instagram, practice piano songs for church the next week, etc.
1:00-4:30 {Projects & Errands}
After lunch I usually continue the morning’s work, be it hay or art stuff, or new projects lower down on my to-do list. This is also a good time to go shopping or run errands if need be.
4:30-5:30 {Winding Down}
This section of the day varies widely depending on Sully’s widely varying work schedule. He comes home anywhere from 3:00-7:00. I try to finish up necessary projects before he gets back so I can spend time with him when he gets home. Often we’ll have an event to go to that evening like small group or getting together with friends or family, so everything needs to be finished up before we leave. I might also spend this hour doing fun projects (like writing letters), or finishing up housework (like folding laundry).
5:30-6:30 {meal prep}
Sully is probably home somewhere in this time range. He has a 45-minute commute right now so he texts me when he’s on the way home which gives me time to start supper. I don’t cook every day because we often either eat at whatever event we’re going to, have leftovers from the last meal, or occasionally eat out. I enjoy making a good, homecooked meal when I get the chance though. While the food is in the oven or on the stove, Sully and I have a chance to catch each other up on how our days have been.
If we have evening plans, this is usually when we drive 30 minutes to an hour to our destination. Perks of living far from real cities, haha. Sometimes we’ll bring a book along so I can read aloud while Sully drives, or else we’ll talk or listen to music from one of Sully’s many playlists. We do so much driving…
6:30-7:00 {Supper}
To be honest, we don’t really have a set time for supper – every evening is different depending on our plans, Sully’s work schedule, and whether I got the meal started on time. Flexibility is definitely one benefit of being newlyweds! As is the ability to walk to town and grab some food or gelato as a treat. Anyway, we eventually eat supper and Sully kindly tells me to go do something fun while he takes care of the dishes for me. 🙂 Sometimes I finish up a work project instead of having fun, but sometimes I’ll watch YouTube or work on a blog post or write a letter or something.
7:00-10:00 {Relaxing & Spending Time Together}
Evenings are my favorite part of the day. If we’re at home we get to either spend time together or do our own thing. It’s nice to have Sully writing at his desk while I’m at mine working on a blog post or doing art journaling. Some of our favorite things to do together are take walks, explore our small town, read aloud to each other, watch a movie or show (like the Gilmore Girls!), and play games. It’s so fun to spend time with your best friend doing normal stuff.
10:00-11:00 {Evening Routine}
Sometime around 10:00 it’s time to get ready for bed. My evening routine consists of journaling/planner-ing, getting a shower, maybe reading aloud from whatever book we’re working on at the time, and having evening devotions with Sully where we read the Bible and pray together. Sometimes we go right to sleep and sometimes neither of us are tired and we accidentally have “sleepovers,” staying up too late talking about random stuff we somehow forgot during the rest of the day. Some nights I go to sleep wondering why life or marriage has to be so frustrating and painful. But most of the time I go to sleep happy that my best friend will still be there when I wake up and I’ll get to spend another day with him. 🙂
______________________
So there you go! As I said earlier, my days are rarely this tidy and planned-out, but that’s part of the fun of life, right? I hope you guys enjoyed seeing a little peek into my life anyway.
What does your day usually look like?
Thanks so much for reading, my friends, and have a lovely day!
***Allison***
Allison Marie 
I think this made my day! I loved getting a glimpse into your life as a homemaker, because it sounds just how I’d like my married life to be one day. 😉 Thanks for sharing. Praying all the best for you and Sully! ❤
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Aww that makes me so happy! I’m glad you enjoyed the post. I am treasuring these days as newlyweds, knowing it won’t always be this simple. Thanks for reading! I appreciate that. ❤️
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I like your routine, I am also into arts and teaching, not farming, I have a few part-time jobs, and my schedule is sometimes completely nuts. Some days are predictable and dull, but it’s okay. I wish you all the best in your journey!
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Phew I can relate to that! I wish you the best too, Mirena. What kind of teaching or art do you do?
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I make folk art, Ukrainian folk art to be exact. Usually I teach English as a second language, occasionally I teach my folk art classes, it’s a lot of fun.
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Wow that’s so neat! That does sound like fun.
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I read about your routine and was jealous that you can go out leaving your computer behind. I want to be more physically active. I miss it a lot
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Having some physical activity helps your mindset and health a lot, so I hope you can find a way to include that in your day. ❤️ Going for a walk is a lovely way to achieve it!
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How sweet! Thanks for inviting us into your life!
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Thanks for joining me. 🙂
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Enjoy your wonderful life!
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I am doing best to soak it up.
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Allison, this is just such a sweet testament to a married young woman who loves her life, regardless of it’s ups and downs! I want you to know that I admire you so much, not only as a woman who’s beautiful on the inside and out, but also as a Christian. You are such an inspiration!
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Oh my goodness Makayla. That was such a sweet comment. ❤️ Thanks for the kind words, dear!
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Aw, absolutely!
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This was encouraging and enjoyable to read especially today as it seems like a mundane day for me. But you’ve reminded me to enjoy the small and insignificant moments and find the Beauty in them too 🙂
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Yay, my mission is accomplished. 😀 That makes me happy!
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Yay for kind husbands who wash dinner dishes! My husband will often wash the dinner dishes for me as well. 😉
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It makes me feel so loved. 😄
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This was so fun to read! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
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Well yay! Thanks for reading!
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I loved this! It seems like you have a lot on your plate, but I’m happy you also have moments to settle down, relax, and enjoy yourself. ❤️ I’m trying to get into planning my whole day better. Haha, it’s true days can look so different! Can’t wait for the breakfast post 🥳
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Why thank you! Yeah I have a lot of little things going on but they add up after a while. It’s good though; I like having options to keep busy when I have open days. Planning out my day helps me so much; totally recommend. Yes! And yeah I’m excited about that too!
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It sounds like your newlywed life suits you well! I’m so happy for you guys! This post makes me want to get married twice as much as I already do 😭😉❤
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It does indeed! ❤ Thanks so much. Aww haha. Glad to help you look forward to a good thing, but hopefully I can be realistic about it too because it's definitely not all fun and easy. I do enjoy it though, and am glad you enjoyed reading the post. 🙂
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Love this!! Would love to see in a post what you have most learned from marriage and the things that were challenging that maybe you didn’t expect to be challenging. I love your realness in showing us that marriage is not a fairy tale, but I’d love to hear any specifics you’d feel comfortable sharing that may help the rest of us know what to expect. Thank you for the light you shine! ❤️
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Yay, I’m so glad! I’m not sure if you read it or not but a while I go I did make a “how to prepare yourself for marriage” post that goes over a bit of those things, but I’ll definitely have to make one talking more about marriage itself in the future. Maybe around our one-year anniversary in May. 🙂 I really appreciate your comment and feedback! I love getting ideas and hearing what you guys want to read about.
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Your routine is so amazing I really wish u all the best.
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Aww thank you!
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These pictures are so pretty and I always enjoy hearing about other peoples’ daily schedules and life. It sounds like you have a good balance between your two jobs (fresh air and exercise, and creative work, too)! My day generally looks like working (from home as a freelance writer) from about 10:30-2:30; going to either a doctor appointment, music lessons, or coffee with a friend in the afternoon; and reading or working on personal creative projects at night.
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Thank you! I know right? I always enjoy hearing about other people’s routines too. Including yours! Thanks for sharing it with me. 🙂 Yes, I enjoy the balance between my work. Your days sound like a nice balance too!
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It was so nice reading your blog about one casual day of your life! I got a toddler and my casual days would have a little more activities with him including the house chores and office work at the same time. But at the end of the day, it’s fun to have the family close which builds up enough energy and inspiration for the next days forward!
Loved your blog, became a follower 🙂
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I’m so glad you enjoyed! I loved getting to hear. But about your life too. How lovely to have your family close throughout your work day. ❤️ I appreciate that as well. Yay, thanks so much!
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I enjoyed reading this ❤
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I’m so glad! 💕
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This was a lovely read. Will definitely follow x
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That makes me happy. ❤
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