Mom blogger Courtney Glantz knows a thing or two about multitasking. This busy wife and mom to two active boys spends her days juggling motherhood and her successful lifestyle blog, A Life From Scratch. We wanted to know how she does it while still managing to cook delicious meals, look effortlessly put together — and have fun doing it. Here Courtney shares an inside look at her typical day.
6 a.m.
I am naturally a morning person so I’m up happily with the sun and birds. Also, babies will do that to you, right? If you weren’t a morning person before, they will definitely force you to become one (unless you’re my husband). Anyway, I try to get up before the males in the home awaken to have a cup of black coffee and my breakfast alone (whole-wheat Eggo waffle with peanut butter, banana and honey) while answering any emails pertaining to current partnerships and responding to social media comments/questions/inquiries from the evening before.
7:10 a.m.
My nine-year-old, Logan, emerges for the day. He rarely sleeps in unless I tell him he’s not allowed downstairs before 8 a.m. He generally flops onto the couch and turns on the Cubs game from the night before and I carry on with emails and setting up social content for the day.
7:50(ish) a.m.
I’m beckoned from upstairs, “MOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Ah, my three-year-old, Beckett, is up. (I honestly don’t think he realizes he can exit his bed without me.) This is my cue to get my butt in gear. I get him up, dressed, down the stairs and get breakfast on the table. I always serve them a hot breakfast because they are growing boys with growing brains and they need a great start to their days at school. It’s a toss-up between whole-wheat pancakes or waffles, bacon or sausage, and some sort of fruit. They also both have a Trader Joe’s probiotic smoothie.
8:20 a.m.
I start a load of laundry every weekday morning, make each bed, put the dishes away, and throw myself into some sort of workout gear acceptable enough to wear in front of other humans. Sometimes I wash my face, sometimes I don’t. Don’t worry — I always brush my teeth.
8:35 a.m.
I remind Logan over and over to pack his backpack and I sit down with Beckett to get him ready to go out the door. This is a process, as he is extremely particular. I always allow five minutes to go from mudroom to car.
8:40 a.m.
This is our target time to be in the car for school drop-off. We are right on schedule 90 percent of the time. And 10 percent of the time we’re unavoidably detained because Beckett had a meltdown over a sock being weird.
8:45 a.m.
We say goodbye to the big guy (my husband, Mike). It’s always very dramatic.
9 a.m.
Beckett attends morning preschool three days a week. He started there when he was two and it was a SCENE. Now, he struts in like he owns the place. I’m so happy he loves school so much. Again, dramatic goodbyes.
9:01 a.m.
Moms who have little ones in preschool, you know the next two hours are golden and somehow go by faster than any other two hours in your day. I typically do a mix of grocery shopping, cooking and photographing, work out (three-mile hike around my neighborhood), fold laundry and, if I’m lucky, shower. Today I am “mystery reader” in Beckett’s class, so my time will be shortened to just a hike, folding laundry and a quick shower.
11 a.m.
Ready to head back to preschool, my everyday style is pretty simple. Generally, I wear a lot of neutrals and I also love the classic look of stripes. Not all striped shirts are created equal; Boden makes the best ones on the market. They work especially well for me as they come in a tall version. As for makeup, I am so plain. I use Benefit concealer under my eyes to look a bit fresher and Maybelline Lash By Lash mascara. C.O. Bigelow My Favorite Night Balm, always.
11:30 a.m.
Mystery reader went well and preschool is over. Sometimes I run a quick errand with Beckett but more often than not we head home to play a bit, have lunch together and get ready for (his) nap.
1:30 p.m.
I hope this child naps forever. I need this child to nap forever, as it’s the only time I am truly able to sit at my computer for a good chunk of time to get some work done. I work on editing photos, writing content, planning out post ideas for the upcoming week, setting up my weekly newsletter, and taking any calls about partnerships I am working on. Right now I’m working with Goddess Garden sunscreen and also a project with Carlisle Wide Plank Flooring.
I also do some dinner planning during this time, though I actually begin thinking about dinners for the whole week Sunday morning. It’s important for me to have a plan, especially since I’m stuck at home most afternoons. Today, since we have baseball tonight, I’m getting our favorite sweet and spicy chicken thighs going in the slow cooker. When we come home at night, tired, dusty and hungry, this insane smell will greet us when we walk in the door. I serve it over brown rice for the boys and wrap mine up in Boston lettuce. Yum.
4 p.m.
Time to get my older son from the bus stop. Beckett and I make a trip of it in his John Deere tractor. Again, always a dramatic greeting…
4:10 p.m.
Logan has a travel baseball game far away tonight so the next 30 minutes are a flurry of unpacking his bag, getting him in his travel uniform, feeding him his first dinner (grilled sliders today), and getting the family packed for baseball. I have a huge family baseball bag I keep packed and ready to go and, come game time, throw in fresh snacks and drinks. Our favorites snacks are Skinny Pop and honeycrisp apples. My mini banana muffins are always a huge hit too.
4:45 p.m.
We are off to McHenry in rush-hour traffic — how fun! More often than not, we carpool with another baseball buddy. Logan has the greatest friends and we are happy to take any of them anytime.
6 p.m.
Play ball! I can’t believe Logan has been playing baseball for five years now. It’s so fun to watch children grow into a sport, year after year. His travel team is the best group of kids and I love watching them play. This is the first year I can actually sit and watch the game with Beckett. The past few years I’ve been chasing a toddler to some random park or forest in the middle of God knows where.
8 p.m.
Heading home, feeling tired and hungry.
9 p.m.
The next 30 minutes are a blur of getting the boys fed, washed and in bed. Another reason Beckett still naps — he’s up this late most nights.
9:30 p.m.
Finally, my husband and I have a moment. We love to relax together with a glass of wine and a show (we’re currently watching “The People vs. OJ Simpson”). But remember how I am such a happy morning person? A night person I am not. I’m struggling to stay awake at this point — man, struggling. I love sleep and would go to bed this early every single night if I could.
10:30 p.m.
With at least four baseball games and entertaining ahead of me this weekend, it’s lights out for mama. Good night!
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