A few weeks ago I did a little Instastory poll asking whether you all would be interested in a “day in the life” kind of blog post and the overwhelming majority said “Yes!” To be honest I was a little surprised. I guess I don’t consider my day-to-day life all that interesting. My travel life on the other hand is much more fascinating. But I think what most of you are interested in knowing is how someone like me who works a full-time job can also find the time to blog, and what that daily balance (or maybe it’s more like a tug-o-war) looks like. I’m always wondering how other bloggers do it, too! Hey, maybe there’s a better way out there that involves somehow finding more than 24 hours in a day. If you find it, let me know!

What is a moonlight blogger?

I don’t know if that’s an official term, but I think it describes me pretty well. I spend the daylight hours working a regular job and then I moonlight as a blogger. It’s my nights and weekends where I get my photo editing, writing, proofing, brainstorming, website maintenance, the list goes on and on…done. It probably seems pretty fun. You’re picturing a perfectly put together me in front of a beautiful and well-organized workspace while I’m cranking out post after post while sipping a glass of wine. Oh and don’t forget I’m wearing cute pjs. YEAH RIGHT! Ha, I wish. But I don’t blame you for thinking that. It’s exactly what I thought bloggers did. I mean, it always looks so perfect on Instagram, doesn’t it?

Well, the reality is pretty different. Most nights I’m curled up on the couch with my laptop, hair in a messy ponytail, feverishly trying to finish a post while trying not to fall asleep. And those cute pjs? Try a pair of old sweatpants and one of my husband’s college sweatshirts (and no we did not just graduate – you get the picture, yikes).

So what does a day in the life really look like for a moonlight blogger like me? Here’s a typical schedule and a little more about what I do for a living.

My Schedule

// 7am //

Wake up. I started using the bedtime function on my iPhone and I love how it gently wakes me up and tracks my sleep. It even gives me reminders on what time to go to bed so I get the best number of hours. Unless I have a very early appointment or conference to get to, I don’t get out of bed before 7. I feed Bella and make coffee while she eats. I switch between Nespresso and Keurig during the week, but always with foamed milk. I will always get up and allow myself time for a coffee. It’s my little ritual and I love it. I’ll check emails and check in on social media, too.

// 8am //

Peloton ride! I really prefer riding in the mornings and getting my exercise out of the way for the day. Plus the music and encouragement helps me tackle the rest of the day.

// 9am – 5pm //

Four days a week I am meeting with clients. I spend one day a week working from home as an “office day” to catch up on emails, set appointments and plan. I work as an education sales consultant providing classroom and curriculum resources to schools. So I am on the road quite a bit. Sometimes I can squeeze in lunch, but most of the time I’m just hitting the Starbucks drive-thru.

// 6pm //

Feed Bella again. She eats twice a day and usually gets one or two treats if I’m home. I pour a glass of wine and catch up on social media. I’ll work on blog related things until my husband comes home around 7 or so.

// 7pm-8pm //

Dinner. We always eat together when we are home. My husband does about 99.9% of the cooking (I make a meatloaf one day a year – that’s the extent of my abilities). We catch up on our days over wine and dinner and then usually watch a show or two. During the shows I’ll do some additional blogging. If my husband is traveling for work, I’ll spend the entire evening devoted to the blog. I’ll work on blog and social media things until it’s time for bed, sometimes for 3-5 hours at a time.

// 10-10:30pm //

Bedtime. Most nights we are in bed around this time and asleep by 11.

Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

If you’re not a blogger, you may be wondering why I put myself through all of this. It’s like they say, if you love what you do it won’t feel like work. I love creating for my blog and so I really don’t mind devoting the extra hours to it. Is it tiring? Yes. Is it a lot of work? Absolutely. But it’s completely worth it.

Are you a moonlighter too? How do you balance your time? I’d love to hear from you!

Xo – Erin

A Day in the Life of a Moonlight Blogger appeared first on CathedralsandCafes.com. If you see this content published anywhere else, please email cathedralsandcafes@gmail.com.

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