As we mentioned yesterday, it’s Blogiversary Week — five years already! To celebrate, we recorded a typical day from both of our perspectives so you can see what each of us (and Clara and Burger) are up to at different times. Here’s how a normal day usually unfolds:
6:00 am – 7:30 am
JOHN: While everyone else sleeps, I slip out for a five-mile run along the river. I’m usually back by 7:30 and nobody even notices I was gone.
7:30 am – 8:00 am
SHERRY: I wake up around 7:45. The house is quiet — Clara’s still asleep and John’s not beside me, so he must have gone for his run. I head straight to the office and find John squeezing in a few minutes of work between his shower and Clara waking.
SHERRY: I scan blog comments and answer a few, then check my planner. It may look chaotic to some people, but it helps me track post ideas, appointments, promo tasks, and deadlines. Today I notice a short magazine blurb is due by 2pm, so I write it quickly so it’s off my list.
8:00 am – 9:00 am
JOHN: I hear Clara stirring, go say good morning, change her diaper, and sit her down for breakfast. While she eats yogurt, I list a few things I need to do and grab the coupons Sherry cut for a grocery run later.
SHERRY: I keep answering comments and Facebook questions, then play a bit with Clara before the morning post goes live. Clara’s great at independent play, but we like to spend focused time with her a few times a day. I also sneak in a minute to admire her play kitchen when she’s not watching.
SHERRY: After getting Clara dressed, John and I return to our computers while Clara plays and teases Burger with a snack.
9:00 am – 10:00 am
JOHN: I make scrambled eggs for us and then take Clara to her weekly music class — a thirty-minute Musikgarten session at a local church that she adores.
SHERRY: I proof the post scheduled for 10am. That means previewing layout, checking photo alignment, and reading it through a couple of times to catch typos and unclear instructions. I also add links where needed. We still find the occasional typo, so proofing is essential.
JOHN: Clara and I give Sherry a kiss and head out to class.
SHERRY: I usually stay home to manage the initial flood of comments that come in when a post goes live, so I miss class. One of us needs to be “on” while the other attends, and right now it works best for John to take that hour with Clara.
10:00 am – 11:00 am
SHERRY: I publish the morning post and spend the next hour moderating and responding to the many comments that arrive while John and Clara enjoy music class. Clara loves the little Noah’s Ark diorama at the church and often lingers to stare at it.
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
JOHN: Since we’re out, Clara and I stop at the grocery store to pick up essentials.
SHERRY: I take a break from comments to skim email, delete junk, and prioritize the items that really need my attention. My inbox often includes sponsor and giveaway emails, book-related items, and sweet reader messages that John and I love to read aloud to each other.
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
JOHN: We get home, unload groceries, and chat about a project we want to start next week — planning materials, the first steps, and anything we need from the store. I also send sponsor emails and coordinate an upcoming giveaway.
SHERRY: After our planning chat I answer more comments and emails, then start a post for the next day. Clara interrupts for lunch, so we all gather at the table. John surprised us with sushi from the store, and Clara has tomatoes, grapes, hummus, crackers, and a tiny nibble of California roll.
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
JOHN: I finish a few emails while Clara plays nearby with books and toys. Burger heads outside for his afternoon acorn hunt.
SHERRY: I proof the afternoon post, add links, catch typos, and clarify instructions. I publish it just before 2pm, then steal five minutes to play trains with Clara before she naps.
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
SHERRY: At 2pm Clara naps (usually until around 4). My nap routine is quick: sound machine on, curtains closed, lights off, kiss, door closed. Then I spend the hour answering comment questions.
JOHN: I work on editing our annual Q&A video. Editing takes time — trimming clips, finding music, adding transitions and titles — and this one usually takes about three hours total.
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
JOHN: I jump into a book-planning call to discuss tour dates, speaking topics, and press details. Even after sending in the manuscript, the planning keeps us busy — it’s exciting and feels like raising another kid after Clara and Burger.
SHERRY: I join the call and then return to moderating comments with plans to write a new post afterward.
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
JOHN: I continue editing video and spend the last 15 minutes resizing photos for a post scheduled for tomorrow. Balancing writing, editing, and moderating keeps us constantly juggling tasks.
SHERRY: I answer a few urgent emails from our publisher and accountant, then start drafting a post. Ten minutes in, Clara wakes up and asks for some time in her room, so I put the post on pause and hang out with her — little breaks like that keep us sane.
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
SHERRY: I return to the post while Clara entertains herself with a box of spare ribbon — a long-time favorite activity.
JOHN: I take a twenty-minute call to coordinate a complex giveaway, then we all pile into the car and head to Home Depot to pick up materials for a small bathroom project. Clara loves riding in the car-shaped carts there and even recognizes the logo on TV commercials.
6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
SHERRY: We grab what we need at Home Depot, then stop for dinner at Chipotle nearby. After eating, we walk around the mall to enjoy the fresh air and let Clara and Burger stretch their legs. We tend to eat out sparingly, favoring fresh options when we do.
7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
JOHN: Back home, we have family time before bed — reading, coloring, and talking about our day.
SHERRY: Burger usually has a burst of energy around this time, chasing Clara and making her laugh. At 8pm we do teeth and pj routine, then follow the same nap-style routine for bedtime so Clara drifts off under the quilt I made her.
8:00 pm – 10:00 pm
JOHN: Once Clara is asleep, I get more video editing done and handle some post writing and photo sizing.
SHERRY: I finish posts, proof the next morning’s content, answer emails, and review Reader Redesign submissions — they always make me want to start a new project. A typical post takes 2–3 hours spread across the day for writing, editing, and photo work.
10:00 pm – 12:00 am
JOHN: We usually keep our laptops out until around midnight but try to relax on the couch with the TV on so it feels casual. Some nights we swap computer time for building or painting projects, depending on what needs doing.
SHERRY: Tonight I finish the post I’ve been working on while we watch The Voice and Parks & Rec. Around midnight we close our laptops and start winding down for bed.
12:30 am
SHERRY: John, Burger, and I climb into bed, recap the day, and run through key tasks for tomorrow before falling asleep. By then we’re usually out cold.
Psst — If you want to see how our days have changed over the years, check out our past “day in the life” posts from previous blogiversary weeks.
Update — We often get questions about professional blogging, so we’ve shared a detailed guide on how we started our blog, grew our traffic, and turned it into a full-time job.