a week in the life
of a personal stylist, parent, human, and laundry technician
Ever since
did one of these, I’ve wanted to try and do one myself. If you’re not interested in the mundanity of my life, this is one to skip. Although I did send it to my husband to make sure it was all cool with him and told him he didn’t have to read the whole thing since it was really long, but a bit later he told me that he thought he wouldn’t read all of it, but then he got invested, so that’s some kind of recommendation I suppose. Bonus drinking game, take a shot (of water, coffee, wine, whatever pleases your fancy) every time you hear me mention laundry.Monday
7:00am - My husband (henceforth referred to as Dave because, um, that’s his name) had an early doctor’s appointment, so I was on my own for morning duties. We just finished 9 days out of school for spring break, but my older kid woke up sick, so he’ll have to stay home yet another day. I get breakfast for both kids and Dave has a few minutes in between appointments and takes the other kid to school and I get to work.
8:30am - I always try to save email until later in the day, but I just feel anxious without trying to clear some of it, so I spend about an hour on that. Included in those email responses were some quotes for an article in NY Mag’s “The Strategist”. I’m recording a podcast episode with
and Corinne later in the day, so I read over the script and make some notes. I always have an hour on Monday blocked out for finalizing the week’s Substack post, but this week I hadn’t even started it. Luckily, it came together pretty quickly.
12:00pm - We record our podcast episode (linked below), which takes a bit longer than usual because Virginia's internet decided to be a brat that day. I have about 10 minutes before a client session, so I make something to eat really quickly. I have a lovely client session (we were going through her closet together).
2:00pm - When that’s over, I get a really unsettling email and try to calm myself down for a few minutes without jumping right into something else. The oldest needs gear for baseball, so I take him to the secondhand sports equipment store and then pick up the youngest. I’m composing my email response in my head during all the driving.
3:00pm - We get home, and I start working on this email. It takes about 30 minutes to get it right. I start writing this post. I usually try to have some downtime in the afternoon, but it just didn’t happen today.
5:00pm - I’m meeting up with friends for one of their birthdays, so I get dressed, and leave a few minutes early so that I can stop by a couple thrift stores to look for old baseballs. I had no idea those things were so expensive! But also, I’ll take any excuse for stopping into a thrift store.
Tuesday
7:00am - When I got home from dinner last night, my oldest had developed pink eye. So he’s home again today. My youngest had woken me up at 5am to tell me that he missed me last night (sweet, but you know what else is sweet? sleep) and was up for a while. I finally fell back to sleep only to have both kids wake me up again at 7 (Dave and I switch nights being “on”). It’s super gray and yucky outside and I’m so cranky, I do everything backwards: jump on my computer right away (Dave brings me coffee every morning) and start working, then get some breakfast while Dave gets the youngest ready and to school. I answer emails and send an email to the waitlist for Making Space. I sold an item on Noishaf Bazaar, so I print a label and get that ready to go. Then I go back to bed for about an hour and scroll TikTok.
10:00am - I have a doctor’s appointment (get your Pap smears!), so I get up, get ready, put in a load of laundry (just know that that’s my big household chore, Dave’s is to do the food. All the food. Groceries, cooking, etc), do a little bit of shopping for a client and go.
11:00am - I always find it funny when the doctor who has delivered both of my children feels the need to “step out” while I change.
11:40am - I sit in the doctor’s parking lot to try to post quickly and simply on Instagram and it still ends up taking me 30 minutes. I go home and eat lunch.
12:30pm - I have a couple of clarity calls. These are free 15 minute calls I do with potential clients. One is a no-show (don’t do this people!) and the other is lovely. I also send notes to a client from her closet edit session we did yesterday. I switch the laundry.
2:30pm - I can’t do this every day, and I’m lucky to be able to do so, but today I need to be done working now. I still have the sick kid at home (luckily, Dave is also home) and didn’t sleep well, so I’m going back to bed (again). This time I’ll read my book (or this one I’m reading at the same time) instead of being on a screen so that I can have the possibility of a nap.
5:00pm - Yes, I slept a long time. Everyone’s home now and we get dinner started. Kids chose to make their own dinner instead of eating the delicious pasta we made. Then we practice cello, take baths, brush teeth, and watch a couple of Dude Perfect videos before bedtime.
8:30pm - After they’re down, I work on a puzzle for a bit before I go to bed and read a bit more.
Wednesday
7:30am - I had a hard time going to sleep last night so my alarm wakes me up, which hardly ever happens. Unsurprisingly, the youngest now has pink eye, so he has to stay home, while the oldest is able to go back to school. I’m very privileged and not only can I rearrange my schedule, my husband happens to have the week off of work, so these sick kids aren’t actually impacting my day too much. I have no idea what parents with full (or more than full) time jobs are supposed to do when there are sick kids home three days in a row, since we have no parental or childcare support in this country.
7:35am - Put in a load of laundry.
8:15am - I haven’t gotten dressed or eaten breakfast, but I start working. I answer a few emails, then continue shopping for the client I was working on yesterday and get that sent off. Fun secret time: I was approached by a book agent in the fall to write a book. I haven’t felt ready to commit to that yet, but she set up an exercise where she sent a list of 20 questions about my work and every two weeks I send her a short piece of writing.
9:45am - I take a break to shower and eat breakfast. I also switch the laundry, tidy up the kitchen, and make myself another (decaf) coffee.
10:45am - Another no show clarity call! 😡 I use the time to schedule a discussion thread for Substack. I have a check in call with a long time client, which is lovely.
12:15pm - I have 45 minutes until my next client. I heat up some leftovers and sit and watch an episode of Bluey with the youngest while I eat. I’m working on my Body Trust Certification, and I do a little work on that. I’ve had pretty serious neck issues this year, and a lot of it is because I sit at my computer too much. In December, I got a walking pad and when it’s convenient, I walk on it while I work.
1:00pm - I have a call with a client who is also a friend. We go through her closet and start to make a shopping list for her. Immediately after, I call my parents to talk about estate planning stuff.
2:45pm - I’m really excited about shopping for my friend, so I can’t help but explore some new brands and save some items for her.
3:30-7:00pm - The weather today has been peak midwest spring, so everyone is outside for a while. The oldest and Dave are jumping bikes off of a ramp, and the youngest is making nature art installations for me.
Thursday
7:30am - Youngest had an accident in the night, so I sleep until my alarm again. I do some editing of a video for Instagram, which takes me an hour. I put in another load of laundry, get myself ready, eat breakfast, and prep for the two client sessions I have today. The to-be-folded laundry pile is growing.
10:00am - I see a new client and an ongoing client.
12:00pm - I’m wiped after those. I switch the laundry, heat up more leftover pasta and watch Top Chef (thank god it’s back and I’m loving Kristin as the host!) while I eat.
1:00pm - I do a little work, then take inventory of what I’ve collected for the kids’ Easter baskets (all thrifted toys and new candy obvi) to make sure I don’t need to run out and add anything.
3:00 - I lay down (I saw someone on TikTok randomly making a sweeping generalization that all neurodivergent people need to be horizontal at some point during the day and I’m sure that’s not true for everyone, but it really is for me), finish Top Chef, and watch Top Chef Last Chance Kitchen and Top Chef Dish with Kish.
4:00 - Oldest is home from school and has a virtual therapy session while I do a little more work.
5:00 - Another beautiful day, so the kids play outside while I drink wine in my camping chair. We practice cello and get some dinner.
7:30 - Dave gets home and relieves me of parental duty just in time for me not to lose my shit. Just, why why why are they so loud? 🙉 The mountain of laundry is ever growing, but I just don’t want to do it right now.
But then I ask myself how happy tomorrow Dacy would be if I did and give it an effort. Kids are in bed, and they’re responsible for putting their laundry away, so some of it will still be out tomorrow.
Friday
8:00am - All week it’s been weird to note how easily and quickly I’m able to get up and just start working and how having a kid home sick three days this week hasn’t derailed me. I guess it’s a combination of my kids being at ages where they’re much more self sufficient and Dave doing most of the morning heavy lifting this week. (note: I’m now editing this post 2 weeks later and I had a sick kid home 2 days this week and that, among other things, has absolutely derailed me and I feel like giving up, so I guess sometimes it’s ok and sometimes it’s not.)
On Fridays, I try to look ahead in my calendar and block out time in my calendar for work projects (usually client shopping and client notes, and I have 3 clients to shop for next week). Every week, I always have time blocked out to catch up on email, for each phase of Substack (draft, finalize, add images and links and schedule, and responding to comments). Today I only have one 15-minute call on the calendar and I honestly love days where I’m able to just go at my own speed and chip away at my infinite to-do list (update: I actually scheduled time for all the tasks I need to do today and it’s suddenly a completely full day 😭). Also, tonight Dave and I are going to our favorite nice restaurant (if you’re also in St. Louis, it’s Indo), so lots to look forward to today!
9:30am - After planning out next week (and still not seeing where I’ll fit all my tasks in 😟), I get to shopping for a client. I’m sitting in bed, with the sun shining in, and getting paid to shop. Sometimes I can’t believe this is my life.
10:30am - I take a break to shower, which is such a drag (having to shower). Also, we let the kids have their ice cream with sprinkles in the bath last night and now there are melted sprinkles all over the tub, so I have to clean that first.
11:00am - My one call for the day canceled, but at least she emailed to tell me! This week enrollment is open for my group program, so I need to send another email about that, but first I have to import to Substack any email addresses that were added to my list through my email marketing platform. I get the email sent out and then stop for lunch. I obsessively plan my restaurant meals, so while I eat, I look at the menu for the restaurant tonight, read reviews, and make a notes doc with the things I want to try, along with prices (everyone does this, right? 🙃).
12:30pm - I’m able to wrap up the shopping for one client. I really need to finish the document you’re currently reading to get it ready for next week, but my brain is fried.
1:30pm - I end up working on it a little bit anyway, then head to bed to have a rest before it’s time to begin after school activities.
4:30pm - We are unbelievably lucky that Dave’s mom moved here when the oldest was 4. She usually keeps the kids overnight once a week (I know, don’t hate me!). We know so well that feeling of drowning without anyone to throw you a life line from those first 4 years with a very spirited child, so we absolutely know how lucky we are. We drop the kids with her, get ready, head out to dinner, and have an amazing night.
If you made it this far, thanks for sticking it out! I always like hearing minute details of others’ lives, hopefully you did too!
P.S. ICYMI, I’ve partnered with
and on the Unflattering x Burnt Toast style challenge! We got started yesterday, but since this is a “challenge” in the very loosest form of the word, there’s still plenty of time to join in! Here are the details:
Your writing this week might be the most real thing I’ve read on the internet ever. Thank you, I feel less alone.
Lovely to read about your week, thanks for sharing. It’s always comforting to hear about other parents feeling on the edge with their childcare duties - makes me feel less alone for sure.