Day In The Life | Words & Photos
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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.
6:45am
Wake up Simon.
7am
Breakfast. Kids had toast and strawberries.
7:20am
Tell them to go get dressed and finish getting ready to leave the house. Help Anna get her things together. Brush teeth.
7:35am
Pull out of the driveway.
7:50am
Walk Anna into school.
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.
8:50am
Simon heads into school.
9:30am
Back at home. Finish up dishes. Another cup of coffee.
Remember that the basket of library books are due today.
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.
11:25am
Finish layout for blog hop. Photograph. Start writing post.
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.
2:50pm
Doorbell rings with UPS delivery of next month's Studio Calico kits.
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.
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.
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.
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.
5:30pm
Start dinner.
While dinner is cooking I peek my head outside to see what's happening (rain) out there and take a couple photos.
Looks like someone needs to get out there and weed around those raised beds.
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.
And the peonies that will soon be exploding (in the middle of the frame).
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.
6:30pm
Tonight we ate dinner on the couch. After dinner there was a request for popcorn. Twist my arm.
We watch Adventure's In Babysitting. Their first time. My "too many to count" time.
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.
I captured myself in a mirror in a dark hallway.
Prayers with Anna.
Legos for Simon. He doesn't have school on Friday so he can stay up later.
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 comments
What a great day of photos for you Ali, loved them. Even the rain looked pretty! We had a surprise hot summer day here, much needed and wanted after a week cold. I used both my phone and camera, have been pulling out the camera more often now. The warm weather did make me lazy, just wanted to sit outside and enjoy it so most of the photos are from outside. Thankfully for having my camera handy for a few "precious" moments I would have missed and a fun one of a turtle I saw walking thru our yard.
Thanks for letting us share our day with you, so glad I played along. Can't wait to see what you do with yours, a mini album would be fun!
Happy Friday and early Mother's Day!
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Thanks for sharing Ali. I totally forgot but might choose a day next week. I did a day in the life last year and really loved to be able to look back on my life from a different perspective. Those business cards sound awesome.
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Great photo's. Some things overlapping with my own days, some very different (eg, we're out the door about an hour earlier - no fair) :) Love the variety in light in your photo's.
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Really enjoyed this glimpse, Ali.
Ronnie xo
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Wasn't sure if I wanted to read today. I can get jealous of the normal day to day everyone else has. My life's a lot different. But I'm happy I stopped to read. I take my kids to school/bus stop. I don't go out beyond that, but I do laundry. Yesterday was a banquet for my son's baseball team and another reminder of what I miss. But I decided to choose a day next week. And I think I might make a small mini album, my first one. Maybe a little art journaling. Thanks for the inspiration. Oh, if it would be a good idea for you, could you please do a post on letterpress? I'd love to see. Thanks. Michelle t
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I love when you do DITL! And I love just reading about your day. A couple of things: wearing work out clothes but not working out - totally had me cracking up. I've done that so many times but am too embarrassed to admit it. And second - you will be coming out with your own Letterpress!! I'm jumping up and down!!!! Thanks for sharing your day with us :)
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Don't get too excited about the letterpress :) - I really just meant that we were going to order a plate to make some business cards. No immediate plans to design/sell them.
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I actually did this today with photos and using the daily log sheet. I also drank some green tea and man, was a WAY more busy than usual. haha. It was fun even tho it was only me and I realized I can get a lot done if I'm focused and drink my tea. Ah…the lessons you learn ;)
Again thanks for sharing your ideas and your life.
Julie
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Gorgeous account of your day. I've done some in the past, and it made for great documentation. My favorite part of your 5/08/14: ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING!! "Babysittin' Blues! Baby baby, babysittin' blues!"
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Thank you for creating this, Ali!
It was my 3rd or 4th time really participating and for some reason this time was my favorite. We had a good day planned and I didn't end up documenting a ton, but the parts I did were great.
At the end of the day I was imagining just how different my days will be years down the road, as my little ones are 1 and 4 right now.
You are so inspiring, Ali.
My day is here: http://iconosquare.com/viewer.php#/tag/donyasdayinthelife/
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As always, it's so awesome to get a glimpse into the regular, everyday life of someone who inspires, as a mom and as a "family historian". You remind us to pay attention to the little things all around...
Love that Simon wants to start a movie club...that's right up my son's alley, too. Can I ask how you get movies? Do you stream? We're looking for a good way to do that. Right now it's Netflix through the Xbox, but I'm looking for a better selection and delivery. Any advice would be so appreciated!
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We do Netflix or rent via the Apple Store using Apple TV (and we also own quite a few).
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Ooh I love your low-light photos! I squealed a bit when you mentioned custom letterpress plates - I had some made for our wedding invitations, from the Lifestyle website, and they turned out amazing! I would LOVE to see you design some letterpress products, Ali!
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Ali, thanks for sharing and spearheading this. I love these projects and appreciate so much you triggering me to do these kinds of days. We homeschool and it's so easy to get swept away in all the stuff I need to check off. You would think that with a camera/phone in my hand I would be more distracted, but honestly, it helps me be more focused and present with my people as I guide and direct our days. So, thank you. : )
(I blogged mine here if you are interested: http://herdofsteph.blogspot.com/2014/05/day-in-life-may-8-2014.html)
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Loved reading about you day Stephanie - thank you for sharing.
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Karen Russell has a great PDF on low light shooting in her store called "Making the Shot: Low light Shooting". It will explain everything you need to do to get great shots in low light.
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Oh cool - thank you.
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I loved reading about your day and I too loved your comment about not changing out of workout clothes but not working out...guilty here too. How does the day get away? Also interested in low light photography. Thanks for sharing this. I've never done a day in the life but after reading some of yours, I just love the idea and hope to do one soon.
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I always love when you encourage me to do this. Seeing a glimpse into your day and the way you document is fascinating.
I made a mini album out of my days in the life and it was super fun!
Can't wait to see what you make!
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I wish I had something like this from when my kids were younger. You know? I mean, crap, I know you were doing this YEARS ago, and I wish I would have done it too. Might have to do one now. Yep. I might.
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Do it.
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I love ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING! Funny movie. I totally forgot to do DIL yesterday...so I'm working it today. It's all good right? Grin.
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Hi Ali!
Is the stamp set shown in this post available as digital product yet? I didn't seem to have any luck finding it.
You are always such an inspiration...Just can't get enough!
Nancy
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Yes - it's called Today Circles: http://www.designerdigitals.com/digital-scrapbooking/supplies/product_info.php/products_id/17559 and there's a matching one for days and months: http://www.designerdigitals.com/digital-scrapbooking/supplies/product_info.php/products_id/17330
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[…] played along with Ali Edwards’s Day in the Life […]
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Ali, since you have both the vagabond and silhouette cameo, do you think its redundant? I have the silhouette portrait, and hardly use it, but it seems much easier to use one of the manual die cutting machines and have been contemplating buying one, but thinking it might be redundant. What do you think??
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Hi StacyK - I use them for completely different things. I use the Vagabond (or intend too - we just set it up yesterday) for embossing and now for letterpress. I use the Cameo for cutting and it allows me to use all my own personal designs that we don't have dies for (Technique Tuesday has a few). So for me, totally different uses.
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