I often think that I am a bit of a nosy, snoopy person, as I just love reading little tidbits from people’s lives. That’s what blogging and social media are, aren’t they, a fun peek into others’ lives? I love it all, from the minutia to the grand sweeping stories. Lately I have been seeing a lot of Day in the Life blogs, and I honestly cannot get enough of it.
My days are all different, but each day of the week is the same, if you know what I mean. Every Monday is the same shape, but different from Tuesday. I chose a Thursday to report on my moment-to-moment doings; this is a pretty typical Thursday in my world.
4:07 am GOOD MORNING WORLD! I get up, start the coffee maker, drink two big glasses of water, perform my Morning Ablutions, and get dressed in the workout wear I have set out the night before. The key to early morning exercise, for me, is to have my clothes laid out and ready to go. After that I literally chug down a huge cup of coffee while reading The Daily Stoic (I am not recommending this to you, but I started it and now I must finish) and a page from All Along You Were Blooming (I AM recommending this to you, it is beautiful and uplifting).
4:25 am YOGA! I start my yoga practice, while meditating on this morning’s readings, which were about accepting people the way they are and also not living in the past. Okay! Sounds good. My zen is only briefly interrupted by the thought that I should remember to take the butter out of the fridge for cookie dough, and also, when are those envelopes I ordered arriving? After savasana, I do take the butter out, drink two more glasses of water and head downstairs to the gym.
5:20 am PELOTON! Today, I choose a 70s pop ride with my favourite instructor, Leanne, and it was a perfect choice. I will be singing Burning Love and Mamma Mia for a while. I drink more water and pour myself another coffee.
5:55 am SHOWER! As the shower warms up, I take a moment to choose today’s scented lotion – Cashmere and Snowflakes – and set out all my serums, deodorant, and makeup. I shower, moisturize, put on my makeup, and briefly wonder what will happen when my eyebrows go completely white. Right now there are only a few strands here and there, and I am not willing to pluck them, as I don’t want to go bald above my eyes.
6:15 am HI EVERYBODY! My older son is awake and needs the bathroom to get ready for work, so I vacate and go downstairs to the computer. The computer fires up and I use the time to file my nails and sip my coffee. I open up my blog reader and there are 33 unread posts, hello NaBloPoMo! I read a couple, check notifications and comments, and finish my coffee. I let Rex out (HI REXIE, HIIIIII, WHO’S A GOOD BOY), give him some snuggles and feed him, and then pour another coffee.
6:45 am MORNING SCRAMBLE! My husband is up so the bedroom is accessible! I make the bed, get dressed, put my hair up and jewelry on. I make myself a smoothie AND pour more coffee – do I have a problem? No. I don’t think anyone in this house wants me to go light on the coffee, believe you me – and then wash up the blender and a couple of small things in the sink. I quickly clean the bathroom, do ten minutes of strength training (not going to “Get The Osteo” as the boys say), a DuoLingo lesson, and look over my class plan for the day. By this time my husband and son have left for work, my younger son is up – he has a spare first period on Thursdays – and I pack up my things for yoga class.
Layer one: my teaching outfit.
I had the door closed while I got dressed, and when I opened it…
Layer two: sweater and legwarmers for the wintry day, hair up, ready to teach.
No matter what I do, there is always an errant leaf of spinach.
8:30 am TEACHING TIME! I drive over to the community centre, set up my mat and music, chat with the ladies and start a 90 minute class with a hips and hammies focus. I find out that one of my students is in a choir and they are having a concert next week, which I hope to attend. Drink more water for my parched throat and head home.
11:00 am REX TIME! I get home to a very excited Rex – it’s like I am Odysseus returning home – and we go for a nice long walk.
12:25 pm LUNCH TIME! I’m starving! I make myself a chocolate banana protein shake and have the veggies left over from last night’s crudité platter – this is the only kind of leftover I can stand to eat, I have a real aversion to them. I blame this on Leftover Nights of my childhood. I read a little of my book and then clean up the kitchen for the second time today.
1:00 pm NICOLE THE ELF! I start a load of laundry and then write out some Christmas cards, wrap gifts and package up the parcel I have to mail out, and make gingerbread dough for the freezer, for later rolling and decorating. Getting the parcel packaged up is my least favourite Christmas job, so I’m happy to have it done. I contemplate baking muffins, but decide to wait until tomorrow to do that. I clean up the kitchen and wash dishes AGAIN. It’s the third time today, for those who are counting. Yes, I have and use a dishwasher, but not for the blender and big mixing bowls. I fold the laundry and feel extreme gratitude for podcasts for entertaining me throughout such domestic drudgery.
4:15 pm DOWNTIME! I have been playing Christmas music on the piano since November 12, and the Charlie Brown Christmas songbook is the perfect amount of challenging and fun, as it’s “swing” and I was classically trained, so a very different way of playing. I play a few songs and then read for a while. My older son gets home from work and the gym and we chat for a bit. He’s busy with university applications these days and it’s exciting and stressful.
5:30 pm COOKING, CHATTING, EATING, CLEANING! My younger son gets home from wrestling practice to tell me that he is going to participate in a study at the university about the effects of concussions on young athletes, and I go from zero to WHEN DID YOU GET A CONCUSSION. He gives me the Relax, Mom speech and says that he is going to be part of the control group, i.e., the non-concussion group. He tells me that he is getting fitted with a special mouthguard that will monitor his head speed and reactions, somehow, and that he needs to go to the Sports Med Centre next Friday. I write it down in my calendar, and we talk some more while I prepare dinner. By Thursday, I am tired, and so our dinners are very simple and generally consist of something like tacos or, like today, wraps. The guys get sauteed chicken in theirs, but mine is avocado. The guys set the table and feed Rex, we eat and talk, and then the boys help me clean up, but I would like it noted that I am now doing dishes for the fourth time today. This is average.
7:10 pm WIND DOWN TIME! At this point in the day, Hurricane Nicole has become Gentle Breeze Nicole. I’m tired. I put on my jammies and start my several-step skincare routine. I am Team Pro-Aging, but also, I’d like to try to look less haggard. I read my book for a while and talk to my husband. We realize that it was six years to the day that my father-in-law passed. Neither of us like to dwell on “death anniversaries,” so we don’t. I have a nice thought about him though, and then I get really, really tired. I go to bed around 8:25, which is early, but my bedtimes creep earlier and earlier throughout the week. I might stay up until 9 tomorrow!
I hope you enjoyed this peek into my week! I’ll be back to regular programming on Monday. Have a great weekend, be well. xo
I do enjoy the peek into your week! Our lives are very different, which may make it even more interesting than if we were more the same. It’s like a very benign form of peeping tom, to see into someone’s life like this.
Thanks so much – maybe a day in the life post from you? Blog idea!
I love day in the life posts, too! Your days start sooo early!! Were you always an early riser or has this happened as you’ve gotten older? I go up to bed at the same time as you – around 8:30 but I read until 9:30 usually and sleep until 5:45-6 and I still feel tired!! I don’t know what my deal is – I’m going to have my rheumatologist check my iron at my next appt because I feel like I should be THIS tired, but maybe it’s just having young kids, having RA, or a combination of all of that? I so wish I could be a person that gets up super early because that would make fitting workouts in so much easier!
I love hearing about the relationship you have with your older boys. I feel like teens get such a bad rap. I don’t get to spend a ton of time with my teen nephews but they are pretty delightful. The oldest one has been spending time at my parents cabin when he goes hunting as it’s pretty close to where he goes to college and my mom said he’s so chatty and just lovely to have around. And that’s how all of my older nephews are! That concussion study sounds interesting. I think concussions are not taken nearly as seriously as they should be!!
Well, Lisa, I do not have small children, RA, OR a full-time job! Any one of those things would definitely affect my energy, so no wonder you are tired (although, checking iron is always a good idea). I have just always been an early riser, my whole life. Mind you, this is the earliest I have ever been, in this stage of life. I wonder if I’m just going to keep getting up earlier and earlier, and then when I’m 80 I’ll be awake for the day at 1:00? Time will tell!
Concussions are so awful and have such long-lasting effects!
I have been having trouble sleeping lately, mostly in the form of waking up too early. It started around the time change– it was like I never adjusted, but I think that was coincidental and it’s actually stress. Even so, when I wake up you’re already either doing yoga or on the peloton.
Oh Steph, the time change was awful for me this year. I was waking up at 2:30-3:00 and couldn’t get back to sleep, for days. I have adjusted now. TIME CHANGE, WHY WHY WHYYYYYYY
This was so fun! I love how you referred to yourself as Hurricane Nicole. And your “Smiling Is My Favorite” mug is amazing. I also cannot believe that you a) wake up at 4:00 and b) exercise and then c) TEACH A 90 MINUTE CLASS WHICH IS ALSO EXERCISE. You are amazing.
And no wonder you went to bed at 8:25! I try to slip into bed between 9:00 and 10:00 and I never wake up (by choice) at 4:00!
I bust out my Buddy the Elf mugs every year on November 12! I’m using the Smiling one right now!
The waking up at such an EARLY hour makes me shudder. I’d only do that if I had to catch a flight. Your workout routine – that includes a long walk AFTER you’ve worked out, and taught a class is blowing me away. I’d need a nap by noon. I love the photo of you workout out with the woman in the backgroud (Peleton lady instructor?) who looks like she is clmibing your shoulder. Hee hee.
Washing the dishes that frequently? I couldn’t do it. This is why we have two dishwashers. Even then, I do not constantly load. I do it middle of the day, or later. I’m OK letting things pile up until I feel I have time. I find the best time to deal with dishes is when I get a phone call, because I don’t even notice that I’m doing it.
This was fun.
I don’t think I would even have room for a second dishwasher! My house is small. But with your family, it makes sense. I always wondered about people with two dishwashers, until I met you! It is smart. I only run the dishwasher once a day at most, and that’s only for dishes, silverware, glasses, etc. All the cooking stuff I wash by hand AND IT’S A LOT OF WASHING, ERNIE.
Just wow on the 4 am wake up. But I get it, ya gotta do what ya gotta do.
Washing dishes 4 times a day with a dishwasher? Yep, sounds about right.
Team Pro-Aging and also Team Making the Best of What Ya Got? Yes I’m a member of that club
Finally, I always take a bit of extra time to remember my MIL and FIL on their birthdays but I refuse to remember or acknowledge their death days.
I am glad you said that, because I sometimes feel weird that I don’t automatically know the dates. But that’s not how I want to remember people who passed, so I do think a happy thought on their birthdays.
I enjoy learning about other people’s daily lives. You have such contagious enthusiasm that I am grateful to have you in my feed each week. You inspire me. 😘
You are so kind! Thanks Kari! xo
Nicole – the thing about your posts is that they are always FULL of everything I love and it’s so hard for me to decide on how to comment! I could write a full blog post just in response to your post today, ha!
I love so much about your day, including how you manage to take care of your body every morning, pretty much first thing. But my question is — when do you sit down and write for your blog? I find that I just don’t have enough quiet time throughout the day to get that task done and have to do it in the morning. But I’d LOVE to be a morning exerciser!
And I don’t have a dishwasher, so I completely feel you on all of the dishwashing. It’s totally crazy!
(And I think Ryan Holiday is totally overrated.)
((And I could go on and on and on and on!!))
Lol I would love a whole blog post, Katie!
I usually write the majority of my blog on the weekends, or early morning. This was something that changed for me in the pandemic, when my husband was working from home and I couldn’t access the computer during the day. So I try to write a few ideas in the mornings and then I jot things down when I have ideas during the week, on a piece of paper. Then I write on the weekends mostly.
Ryan Holiday! At first I liked this book, and by now, 11 1/2 months in…WE GET IT, WE NEED TO JUST BE STOIC.
Brilliant! As much as I want to exercise in the morning, I know that this morning time is also my ideal writing time. Soo… exercise sometimes just gets pushed aside, despite knowing that it’s so important to me. I’ll figure it out eventually! And I read Stillness is the Key by Ryan Holiday and also found it REALLY repetitive.
Do you usually spin Monday through Saturday?? That is AMAZING.
I do spin Monday through Saturday, but the times vary depending on the day. 30 mins is average – I just love it as a form of exercise and I look forward to choosing my rides every day!
Ryan Holiday is SO repetitive in this Stoic book. It’s just hammered into the reader.
Great post as always. It is always fun to see the day in a life posts. Those are some of my most popular on my blog too. (Like this one: https://laurakbray.blogspot.com/2022/03/tuesdays-are-for-writing.html) There are days when I feel like all I do is cook and clean the kitchen! You read so many books a week, I’ve been curious when how much you read a day. I read about 1-2 hours a day and still don’t get as much reading in as you do!
Oooh that was so fun to read! I am going to snoop your archives. Because I’m snoopy.
I read a few hours a day – at least one in the evening, and usually another one in late afternoon, then I squeeze in bits and pieces during the day. I always have a book in my bag when I have appointments. Some days I have more free time and I usually use them to read.
Let’s start with the 4 am thing, because that is clearly the elephant in the room. Can you please send me just a little smidgeon of that morning zest and energy my way? I also cannot imagine so much exercise so early. I am a reluctant waker, and you’re making me look bad! Haha.
I love all the movement you have in the day and how joyful it all is! Walking with Rex. Teaching classes with students you enjoy and invest in. Riding along to great old music.
Dishes never stop – even with a dishwasher.
I am Team Leftovers 100%. Almost every meal, I think, is better the next day as leftover.
But this is my fav thing in the whole post (and I know you referenced this somewhere before): “Hurricane Nicole has become Gentle Breeze Nicole.”
Somehow I get the feeling that your “gentle breeze” would be my “tropical storm”? I did 20 seconds of downward dog yesterday and 30 seconds of child’s pose (not even kidding – that was it) and was SO proud of myself and ticked off “stretch” in my planner.
Elisabeth, downward dog and child’s pose are so great! You should be proud because those are good stretches! I have always been a morning person but the flip side is that on the rare occasion that there is an evening event I need to attend, I have to really work myself up to it! Like I said to Sarah, did you know there is an eleven o’clock PM????
4am!! I was quite convinced that time didn’t exist, because late at night stops at 3:59 but morning starts at 5:00am. I love day in the life posts too because I am Nosy McNoserson. Thank you for sharing yours!
Well, Sarah, let me tell you how shocked I was when I heard there was an eleven o’clock PM. I mean. *faints* *actually falls asleep*
I enjoyed reading about your day! It’s unusual to read about someone who, like me, gets up so early. I love the early morning – it’s when I have the most energy. By 5:30 pm, I’m done! I can’t even think.
Oh I hear you, Michelle! And I get more tired as the week goes on. I do love the early mornings, especially all by myself!
You may be Gentle Breeze Nicole, but Grrl… you’re always on the move!! Yoga and Peloton before you teach your class then a long walk with Rex? We have a family health chart where everyone (eats all their fruit and veggie colors and) gets some exercise, and and ONE of your daily quartet or activities would be a check mark. Damn!
Your curiosity about people is probably what makes you such an empathetic reader of blogs and novels about people unlike you. 💗💗
Thanks Maya! I do get a lot of movement in my days, but also, I don’t work full-time! I need something to do 🙂
I like how you say “curiosity” because it’s better than “nosy!”
I LOVED a peek into your daily routine! But I have to ask, how did you determine that you needed to wake up at 4:07 am? Or did I misunderstand and you just naturally wake up around 4:00 am?
Hi Gigi, that was just the time I woke up. My alarm is set for 4:15 on Thursdays but I usually wake up before my alarm.
Like everyone else, I want to know about the 4:07 wakeup. Do you get up that early because it’s natural for your body, or did you force yourself into the habit?
Also do you have just one bathroom for the four of you??? (I have four small daughters and am DESPERATELY hoping for a third bathroom either through a new house or a reno before we hit teenagerhood here. 😅)
Hi Ariana, Thursdays and Wednesdays I wake up a little earlier than other days, because I want to shower before everyone gets up. Other days I wake up more like 4:30 or sometimes 4:45, but early wakeups are natural to me. We have two bathrooms, but the main floor bathroom is the one that everyone prefers to use. The downstairs one has a shower and bathtub, but no one ever uses it for showering. I have my hair dryer and products in the downstairs bathroom so I can dry my hair in peace on wash days!
Your comment about not living in the past reminded me of something I saw on a yoga video, where she said, “Let go of that which is no longer serving you. Let it go man.”
Amen.
Hi J! It’s so true! I think we all tend to hold onto things in the past and that really doesn’t do anything for us!
I love all the Day in the Life posts that are popping up – so fun to see how people spend their days. Man, and your day starts early. I mean, I knew it was early… but it is very early. I used to get up 3 times a week at 4:30 am to go to the gym and I do not miss these times… and why in the world do you do yoga at home when you teach a class later?? LOL As you know, I am with you on the Peloton – I love getting on there and sweating it out in the morning… but no wonder our times never overlap 😉
I am glad you always get a nice walk with Rex in and then such lovely time with your boys. It’s delightful to hear how you all get along and spend time together.
That’s a good question, San, about yoga! My home practice is a moving meditation for me, it’s based on Ashtanga primary, and because of that the sequence and postures are the same every day. So I don’t think about it, I just go through my practice, and it’s very meditative. When I’m teaching yoga, I’m “on” if you know what I mean. I am looking at my students to see if a posture is working for them, I’m talking to them, I’m demonstrating different variations…it’s not meditative at all. It’s more mentally active, if that makes sense.
It keeps eating my comment!!!! This is my last attempt.
Rex is so cute and I demand more information about his day to day life. SO ADORABLE.
Count me in as someone who is absolutely befuddled by such an early waking hour. And then yoga AND peloton before going to teach MORE. I don’t know how you’re not zonked out on the couch by 1pm. My fitness instructor actually workouts every morning before she goes into work, too, and she said that it’s her time to do what she wants and it’s not prescribed and she doesn’t have to be “on” while she’s doing it. I think she’s crazy, but everyone’s got their own energy level I guess.
Oh, this is such a cute idea! Day in the life of REX!!!
That’s exactly how I feel – it’s time for me! Yoga teaching is fun work, but still work, and I definitely have to be “on” all the time.
I’m glad this comment went through!
I too love reading about the daily lives of my friends. You are such an early riser, a go getter!! I am about the opposite; I sleep in until 7:15? 7:30? And I prefer to LINGER in the morning time. Life has to work its way into me. 🙂
I had a good giggle at seeing Rex on the other side of your door! He’s your biggest fan. Well, right there with me.
You’re so sweet, Suz! As I write this, he is right at my feet, like on top of them. He cannot be close enough!
Wow, Nicole! Just…wow! As someone who operates mostly at gentle breeze/flat calm level, I’m full of admiration for the amount you’re able to achieve in just one Thursday! I took early retirement 18 months ago, and have been thinking about my daily routines (or lack of them) quite a lot lately. I’ve seen one of your tactics (getting things such as exercise clothes, lotions etc. ready beforehand) mentioned elsewhere as a good way to ensure that a new habit has a chance to embed. I really want to try and build some exercise/thinking/self-care time into my day – and this post has inspired me! A 4am start would be far too ambitious (although come to think of it that’s normally around the time my insomnia kicks in), but maybe an earlier bedtime would make getting up before 8am less of a stretch! Thanks for allowing a fellow snooper this wonderful little peek into your busy life!
I should do one of these. I admire you and your ability to get up early and move. I struggle with the movement part. I love hearing about your routine and I’m going to try to incorporate some of it into mine! PS. I found a Buddy the Elf mug at Winners and I’m going to start it up tomorrow. 🙂
I think that’s where mine came from! They were gifted to the boys years ago and I have coopted them!
I guess I’m nosy as well as I quite enjoyed this. I cannot fathom 4 a.m. wakeups. Lordy. I got up early for over 40 years. Usually 6 a.m. but for a period of time when I was training really hard and running a lot of races I did 5 a.m. workouts. That said, I now sleep in like it’s my job. I’ve never been one to sleep late but find that these days I wake up at 8 or 8:30 (probably because age and hormones give me a very interrupted sleep). I think I work out a lot but you take it to a whole new level!
I wonder what it will be like for me in the future? Maybe I’ll be a sleep-in kind of girl, who knows!
I loved reading the ” A Thursday in the Life of Nicole” — and you inspire me to move more! I am with your other readers; very impressed with the early wake up time! I can’t imagine getting up at that time. I am a late riser and on the days that I do wake up earlier for no reason, I fall back to sleep eventually. My coworkers were laughing last week recalling the time we had a call-in team meeting at 9am and I was still fast asleep; one had to call me to ask if I were going to log on/join the meeting! They said I sounded so sleepy when I finally called in and said hello. Ha ha!
I spend too much time on my bottom, sitting in front of my work computer. I am so excited and looking forward to retirement (next year!) so I can have more time to move about. Before the safer-at-home times, I kept active by going to a few Zumba classes, a yoga class and a Pilates class weekly. And my husband and I got in some tennis time whenever we could squeeze it in, about once a week. I have not gone back to the gym and I really miss my classes…and I know I should move more. Reading about your very active day inspires me to be less sedentary. I want to be outdoors more — hiking, playing tennis, taking long walks on the beach, etc….and the coastal San Diego area gives us a lot opportunities to do that — I just need more “my” time during the day and less work time.
Oh, I bet you have the most beautiful places to hike in! We sure do in the Rockies, but of course, there are some weather barriers to work around.
I’ve always been an early riser, the flip side is falling asleep early!
This was fun to read. You hit the floor [mat?] running, so to speak. I ooze into my days, slowly, very slowly, but I admire [worry about?] you people who are exercise-y in the early morning hours. I like your choice of outfits, btw. In case you were wondering, I guess.
Thank you, Ally! Comfy and warm! I am just a really early morning person with lots of energy early in the day. I have an event this week that starts at 7pm and honestly, I’m a bit worried! I hope I don’t fall asleep.
I love posts like this! I’m like you- all my days are different, but every Monday is the same, etc (it depends on my daughter’s school schedule, if she has an early morning rehearsal, my work schedule, and what I’m doing for exercise.) I’m very impressed with your early bedtime and early wake time! You really do get a LOT done in the morning before everyone else is up.
I want to see what happened with that gingerbread dough!
Stay tuned! Well, it will be a few weeks before I bake the dough. But every year is generally a bit of a shitshow with decorating! In a good way.
Oh, yay! I am so glad you did a Day in the Life post. But Nicole, you live an entire lifetime before I even get up for my day! Wowzers. You fit in soooo much activity. What’s your daily step count like? I’ll never do a step challenge with you. 😉
It was fun to see what day-to-day life is like in your world. AND REX, OMG. Sweet muffincakes.
Thanks Stephany! It depends on the day but somewhere between 10000-20000 steps, I’d say 15K is average for me.
I love this, Nicole. Why? Because I have found maybe the only other person on earth who gets up nearly as early as I do. When you are getting up and yoga-ing, you can think of me, one time zone (I think…aren’t you in Alberta?) to the East, wrapping up my morning workout routine and hitting the shower. <3
I, too, go to bed at 8:30.
And I, too, completely shut down after dinner. I had a work-related phone call this week at 7:45 and it nearly sent me straight to bed without my evening tea ritual. Yikes.
However, I could also learn from you. I LOVE how you build mindfulness as well as sweat into your morning. Sigh. My constant downfall.
Thank you, so much, for the glimpse into your beautiful life. <3
You are so kind! Thank you! And right now – it’s 5:00 so you are probably working out!