A year ago, I shared my morning and evening routines. Since then, life has changed quite a bit. My boyfriend H and I moved in together. I switched from being a full-time first grade teacher to a part-time fifth grade English teacher (thus dedicating afternoons to my blog and writing). We adopted a dog, Cleo.
My routines have adapted to these new circumstances, but you’ll notice that some things have stayed the same. Here’s a typical week day for me these days:
Morning
6:05 a.m. My alarm goes off. I drink a full glass of water to hydrate and hop in the shower. My eczema has gotten worse over the past year, so I stick to gentle, basic products. I wash my body with Dove Sensitive Skin bar soap (better for the environment!) and my face with CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser. I switch up my shampoo daily, but my favorite right now is R+Co Perfect Hair Day. It’s amazing. I follow with R+Co Moisture + Shine Creme, and my hair smells heavenly all day long.
6:20 a.m. After showering, I moisturize my skin with Cetaphil Ultra-Healing lotion and my face with CeraVe AM lotion. I apply Clinique’s All About Eyes for under-eye circles and puffs.
6:30 a.m. I get up, and Cleo follows. While I make myself breakfast – Purely Elizabeth granola with almond milk and berries, followed by green tea – she chews on a toy. Sometimes, we sit inside, and I check emails and messages. Other days, we sit on the balcony, and I don’t look at my phone at all.
6:45 a.m. I finish getting ready, Cleo and her toy right behind me. I put my contacts in, brush my teeth, and apply some basic make-up: Garnier BB Cream (my go-to for a long time! – I’ve tried many and always go back to this one), Tarte Shape Tape Concealer (my shade is light sand), and Tarte Maneater Mascara. I let my hair air dry currently since it’s warm out, but in the fall and winter, I’ll start blow drying again to keep from getting chilled. I get dressed with Cleo dancing around me.
7:10 a.m. I feed Cleo breakfast and take her outside. We enjoy a brief but lovely walk together around our neighborhood.
7:35 a.m. I leave Cleo inside and head to work! (I don’t have to be at work as early as I did last year since I’m no longer a homeroom teacher.) Meanwhile, H will soon be getting up and taking Cleo for a big walk at the park.
Teaching Day
8:00 a.m. I arrive at school and get prepped and settled for the day.
8:40 a.m. I teach my first class of fifth graders. I teach 5 subjects: reading, writing, grammar, spelling, and vocabulary. We alternate our focus based on the day.
10:00 a.m. I teach my second class of fifth graders.
11:10 a.m. I am finished teaching for the day. I eat lunch and start getting ready for the next day and week ahead. I write lesson plans, make copies, and grade assignments.
1:00 p.m. I’m off work and heading back home.
Working from Home
1:15 p.m. I greet Cleo and give her a treat. Lately, it’s been rather hot in the afternoon. Cleo and I either go for a brief walk around the neighborhood or meet up with my mom and her dog, Elsie, for a play date. When the weather cools down, I plan on taking Cleo to the park for another walk or the dog park! She has a lot of energy and loves to be active and social.
2:15 p.m. By now, I’ve taken care of Cleo’s needs and settle down for the second part of my working day. I have designated a spot at home as my “office,” so when I sit there, I’m in the mindset to work. I publish my daily Instagram post and work on content for collaborations as well as blog posts. This means taking photos or writing. If there’s time when I am finished with my blog duties, I work on my own personal creative writing projects.
5:00 p.m. Sometime in the late afternoon, I wrap up my work. I try to make a clean break by putting my computer away and out of sight. I don’t want work time and home time to bleed into one another, so I try to make these times distinct and separate.
Evening
5:15 p.m. I feed Cleo dinner, and we go for a little walk around the neighborhood. This is my clear marker for being done with work for the day. I love unwinding with a leisurely walk.
5:45 p.m. By this time, H is home, and we talk about our days. We might sit on the balcony with our pup and a beer / glass of wine in hand.
6:30 p.m. We either make or pick up dinner from somewhere – depending on how tired we feel! Then we eat together at our dining table.
8:00 p.m. We are on the couch having some snuggle time with Cleo and watching a show.
9:00 p.m. We are done with TV. While I pack my lunch for school the next day, H takes Cleo out.
9:10 p.m. We get ready for bed as Cleo gets settled into her dog bed for the night. I remove my make-up with CeraVe Hydrating Micellar Water and moisturize with CeraVe PM lotion. I brush my teeth and floss.
9:20 p.m. I write in my journal, documenting parts of my day and how I was feeling. Then, I read. This is one of the most important rituals of my day. I can’t sleep if I don’t journal and read! I’m currently reading Florida by Lauren Groff, and it’s amazing.
9:45 p.m. Lights out, and off to sleep!
I am a person who loves structure, so following these routines every day helps me feel balanced and happy. Do you have daily routines? I would love to hear about them in the comments!
Love, Bee
