My Daily Routine

I had a request for my daily routine in quarantine so here it goes. I have to say not that many changes from my life before except I am not traveling at all when I used to be gone at least once a month. Instacart has been swapped for my favorite grocery runs and I dance at home instead of a studio.

Morning:

I try to wake up at the same time every morning even on the weekends. My body wakes me up naturally between 5:30 and 6 am. I suffer from migraines and changing my sleep pattern is a trigger so it’s best to stick with a routine. There is a lot I can get done before 9 am. It is probably my favorite part of the day and my most productive. I love the quiet in the morning. I make a cup of coffee either Nespresso or French Press in my Bodum. My sister and brother in law got me hooked on a Yeti and it makes a big difference in keeping my coffee warm while I work in the morning.

I love to read in the morning and usually start on my phone first thing on what I missed overnight. If I wake up really early, I will start reading and finding articles for Sundays links.

I get dressed and make the bed every morning. I dance at 9:15 now on Zoom and will put on my workout clothes before I make my way to the kitchen. Dance is at a local studio here in Chicago but you can do it online from anywhere. Its 45 minutes of cardio followed up by 15 minutes of toning with weights.

For breakfast I usually eat, homemade granola, eggs, or toast. On the weekends, it is usually toast, eggs, and bacon. It is the one way I change things up to my routine. I have been loving this pepper jack cheese I found that is spicy but so good.

The first thing in the morning I do is to check stats. I am a dork when it comes to numbers and I like to know how the blog did the day before in terms of views/articles and of course what orders came through in The Print Shop.

I will reply to emails and wrap everything up around 9 am. Dance class starts at 9:15 and it is my one constant every day that gets my body moving.

After class, I will see what I missed in regard to emails and texts and take a quick shower and get back to work. This is where I get blood flowing and ideas to come to me. I keep a notebook next to the computer and write down different ideas as they come. If I wait until the end of class they might be gone.

Afternoon:

Lunch is around 12/12:30 and I take a break and will make it part of my day. I love cooking and it is so distracting and calming to make something during the quarantine. My favorite lunch is this salad that I made up which takes a little bit of prep but it’s so good. (recipe coming soon) I also rotate between quesadillas, quiche, grilled cheese, pesto pasta, or a sandwich.

I will spend the afternoon getting out orders from The Print Shop and replying to emails from customers or blog readers.

I will take a quick walk in the afternoon to grab a baguette at La Fournette. I will use it for dinner or wine and cheese before dinner. I like to support them and their bread is pretty darn close to a Paris boulangerie so it makes me happy. Some days I use a little and some days I use more of the baguette. I will use the leftovers for croutons or bread crumbs if possible.

The rest of the afternoon I try to work on blog post ideas. I write best early in the morning and at night when it’s quiet.

Evening

Dinner starts between 6:30 and 8:30 depending on the day. If I didn’t eat a salad for lunch there is always one at dinner. Simple arugula, parmesan, carrots, and onions with olive oil and lemon is a staple. I eat salads every day and never get sick of them. I always have to have a protein at dinner, it’s a rule of mine. In a perfect world, sushi would be for dinner but it is rare in quarantine. Once again, to calm me down from the world news I will usually throw myself into dinner prep. Pizza with homemade tomato sauce is a weekly occurrence, along with pesto pasta, and stir fry. I am constantly looking for new recipes to try.

I love a clean kitchen so after the meal is finished and everything is put away it is time to clean up and start the dishwasher. Dessert is usually Greater’s ice cream, brownies, or cookies. I have a sweet tooth what can I say 😉

My nights usually end with a Facetime or text with my family to end the night. It is probably the hardest thing about quarantine not knowing when I will see them next.

It has never been easy to work from home and turn off that mental switch to unplug. I have been trying to get better at it at night. I have been watching a few shows at night but nothing too exciting these days. I wrap up for bed around 9:30/10. I do my best to wind down with a good facial oil (the smell is so calming) the routine helps me wind down for the day.

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