This post “Lifestyles of the Poor and Crazy” has been compensated by Collective Bias and its Advertiser. All thoughts and opinions are mine and mine alone and should not be construed as medical advice. #24HourEsterC #CollectiveBias
A while back, Jason and I watched a show about the rich and famous. It was rather interesting, because we have no idea what it would be like to have that lifestyle. We got to talking and decided there should be a show titled “Lifestyles of the Poor and Crazy”. We could be the stars!
The Lifestyles of the Poor and Crazy
A new reality show brought to you by: a slightly stressed, overworked and underpaid, crazy busy mommy, who needs all the help she can get.
I had the idea to take photos throughout my day and share what a typical day in our lives looks like. I did pretty good about getting all my photos in one day, but if you notice outfit changes, that would be due to the fact that I forgot a photo the first time. 🙂
We stick to a pretty routine schedule each day, but there is always plenty of activity and excitement going on.
We start our days at 5:30am. Please allow me to make something very clear though. I am NOT a morning person. However, when I started trying to figure out how to get everything accomplished in the mornings before work, getting up a bit earlier made sense.
Just because I get up at 5:30 though, does not mean I am actually awake at that time. Instead I stumble around, walk into walls and say very strange things. But I do manage to pull myself together.
Feed baby, lay him back down. Get dressed, brush teeth and wash face. Pack lunch and make breakfast. I like to read my bible while I eat breakfast; many days, it’s really the only chance I get.
After breakfast, it’s time for a brief cleaning of the kitchen and then I sit down with my laptop and planner to for about 30 minutes of online work. I use this time to schedule social media posts and review what I need to get done for the day.
Then it’s time to go wake the baby.
He is so sweet and cuddly in the mornings. We sing and talk while getting him dressed, and I like to give him a mini massage with a special blend of oils.
At this point I usually have about 5 minutes before time to leave for work. I go to the kitchen and take my supplements. Trust me, with my crazy life it’s very important to remember to take my supplements every morning.
I take a multivitamin, cal/mag blend, Vit.D, omega-3’s and Ester-C vitamin C. At night I also add in a probiotic.
The Ester-C is my go-to for immune support. One 1000 mg serving of Ester-C, provides up to 24 hours of immune support. I take 500 mg in the morning and 500 mg at night, which keeps my immune system supported around the clock.
Now it’s time to load everything up and head out the door.
That crazy diaper bag is as heavy as the infant seat! 🙂
When I get to work, I will often go up and get the 19mo old dressed and fix the 4-year-old’s hair. If I’m running a bit late, or their mom is a bit ahead of schedule she does it.
Once we get the kids their breakfast, the mom and I will often chat a bit about how they are doing. Or we will complain about how little sleep we got. 😉 You know, typical mom stuff.
Our mornings are always filled with random fun stuff. Weather permitting we love to take walks. In the winter of course we have to stay inside, but there are still plenty of ways to have fun. Dogs, swings, toys, crafts, books, blocks, and so much more.
Kolton still takes a morning nap which is nice, but some days it seems like all I do is put out fires. The 4-year-old is a darling and a huge help, but she always needs something when I cannot possibly help her; and the 19mo old is a pro at getting into trouble the minute I try nursing the baby. Sound familiar? I’m pretty sure they aren’t the only kids to do that. 🙂
And then there’s lunchtime….. Whoo-boy! Awhile back I wrote a sketch of what happens at lunchtime. Now that both boys are eating food though, I’m not sure if things have gotten better or worse. 🙂
Three days a week, the 4-year-old goes to preschool in the afternoon. Sometimes her aunt will take her, but most of the time I load three kids into my car and off we go!
Once I get the 4 year old to school, we return home and prepare for nap time. The 18 month old gets a bottle and prefers to lay himself down. Kolton needs rocked.
Then I pull out my laptop and start blogging. In fact, much of this post is being written during nap time. 🙂
By 3pm the boys are usually up, and shortly afterwards I’m headed home.
Sometimes I cannot go straight home though. Groceries, post office, bank, and several other errands, will often keep me from getting home as quickly as I would like. Fortunately I don’t have to go somewhere special just to buy my supplements. Ester-C is conveniently located near the pharmacy section in Wal-Mart and right now it is on rollback!
Home to laundry, dishes, cleaning, and everything else a home needs done. Of course there’s always dinner to fix as well. To be honest, evenings often seem crazier than the daytime, and I only have one child at that point. Since I was gone all day, I basically have a 10 hours of work to accomplish in 3-4, and Kolton is grumpiest during this time as well.
Sometimes Kolton will play on the floor, other times I wear him while fixing dinner. If I have time, I will often work online again if I can. He loves sitting beside me and being as cute as possible, to distract mommy from her work. 🙂
I try to have supper ready by the time Jason gets home. Sometimes I succeed, other times (most of the time) I do not. In fact, most of the time, Jason will take Kolton and play with him while I finish up. 🙂
Once supper is over, Jason will read to us. Some nights it gets too late, but many times it works well. I have Kolton sit on my lap in the same manner I expect him to at church. Typically we read for about 10 minutes.
The crazy train slows down a bit after we read together. Bedtime is baby-daddy time. Jason takes Kolton back and gets him ready for bed. I feed him one last time and then Jason also rocks him to sleep.
The rest of the evening is passed doing various things around the house. Typically I will work on the blog one more time, and Jason will watch a movie or show.
We take our supplements for the evening, and end our day. If I’m lucky we will get to sleep through the night. 😛
The “Lifestyles of the Poor and Crazy” is sponsored by Ester-C, Twenty-Four hour immune support.
***Leave me your number-1 immune support tip in the comments below!***
For more lifestyle support and healthy living ideas, visit Ester-C on Facebook and Twitter.
This is too crazy Kendra!
Ya think? 😉
I don’t know how you do all that. It made me tired just reading it.lol!
How long do you normally have between getting home and dinner time?
Linda
I’m pretty sure the only way I keep going is through God.
Typically I have 2-3 hours between getting home and dinner time. This all depends on what I have to do that day. Every-other week I clean for an elderly man and don’t get home until 545 those nights. I make sure to have leftovers on the menu for those nights 🙂
And I thought my day was busy! I guess we all do what we can to make it through the day. Thanks for sharing your tip! #client
Yes we do. “It’s just for a season” is what I tell myself when I’m worn out. Someday I will achieve my dream of working from home full time (blogging). I know it will be worth all my hard work someday.
I wanted to say how encouraging you have been to me. This past August I had to take a job outside the home. I have struggled with it for many months. I am blessed to have a job so much like yours! I am a nanny for a 4 year old and 1 year old. I love it, but have often felt guilty over some of the things I neglect at home. Although, my husband has reassured me many times he doesn’t feel that way at all. This is just for a season like you have said. Thank you for being an encouragement to me during this season of our lives.
Oh Jen, thank you for sharing that! I will say this has been one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. But now, I’m begining to see an end to of the tunnel and realize the hardest part is yet to come. In less than a year I will likely be saying good-bye to the little loves that I have taken care of for nearly 4 years, and that will be even harder than what I am doing now.
I loved seeing a peek into your day. Vit C is so important!
Dear Kendra,
I just came across your blog The Humbled Homemaker – so glad to stop by. This is the life for a young family who seek to serve God and raise His godly seed. I have one on the couch and another by the laptop but somehow we manage to juggle everything and stay roofed and fed. God is good!
Stay blessed,
Renee
Hi Renee, glad you stopped by. 🙂 Even though things are a bit crazy at times around here, they are all a result of being blessed. The Lord gives us strength for each day.