Today’s featured lady really needs no introduction. She has been a blog superstar for quite sometime. At one point or another during your blog travels I’m certain you have spotted her work. Not only does she blog (On multiple blogs by the way) and write e-books she is also a loving mom to 3 boys and amazing wife to one super cute husband! I adore Nester from nesting place and was very excited to take a peek into her day and how she juggles it all. She didn’t think it would be an interesting story, but I loved it. Gave me a little peek into what my life with one little little boy might start looking like.
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Yesterday after my boys tutor cancelled their session for today, I knew today would serve as that much-needed work my tail off day that I’ve been putting off. Summers are crazy working at home, keeping three boys 10, 11 and 13 alive and entertained. I enjoy lazy days hanging out with my boys but, I also have to balance work. Sometimes it the best way to balance that is to have some unbalanced days. Which for me usually looks like 4 days of very little online/at work presence so I can hang out by the pool and drive my boys around and then 12 hours of work like a mad woman. Today is one of those mad woman days.
In the summer I wake up in the 7’s. We haven’t had a clock in our room for years but I wake up within minutes of the same time every day depending on the season. I wonder if I’m part bear. I’m the first one up, I let the dog out and pour a glass of iced coffee I made from this recipe. I read my favorite little devotional and then walk into my office downstairs and get to work. First I check my email and I have a sweet reminder from Camila. Tomorrow my post goes live for my “In Her Shoes” post. I’ve yet to write one and today is going to be the worst day ever to write about. I consider faking my death, or some other excuse that would be believable and then decide to tell her I’m in. Maybe I can just make up a nice, fancy, I shopped for fabric and wore cute shoes and got a latte day.
One minute later…
I decide to write about today and mentally give her permission to skip my post if she doesn’t want to publish it. It’s not going to be pretty. I think she wants us to write about a typical day, not an unbalanced no shower kind of day. But today is all I’ve got and it will take too much brain power to make up an acceptable day. I’m thinking I’m probably supposed to show photos of my house looking like this…
When in actuality it normally looks more like this…
By 8am I’m done with email and putting out little blog fires. I’m speaking at a conference in less than two weeks and I need to work on all my photos for the presentations. I promise myself I’ll never agree to speak at a conference again. I remind myself that I said that last time. I read over my notes for the sessions, think about the women who will be attending and start pulling photos and putting them in that keynote program on my computer.
My husband walks down the stairs. Normally, I like to do a big to do of at least walking over to him and giving him a smooch. I almost always ask him if he wants an iced coffee and he almost always says no. Today I just yell good morning from my office. I hate conferences. I hate speaking. Time is ticking and the boys are still sleeping. Precious, guilt free time that I need to spend working on these sessions. I think I eat a brownie. I’m in work mode and that’s all I can think about.
I get on twitter for a quick second. And I know better than to check in on Pinterest. Back to the session planning. Later I hear my phone and realize I missed a call from Jessica, and a text from Gussy. Something in my kitchen smells funny but this is not the time to figure out what it is. I’m in the zone.
I email my friend Angela who is also speaking at the conference. She said she is sweating as she writes her session and that makes me laugh and feel more normal. I’m glad I’m surrounded by real life in person friends as well as real life online friends as I work. My two closest in town friends, Angela, and Caroline the ad manager, gatekeeper, organized assistant of Nesting Place are both a huge part of Nesting Place and my creative fiascos.
The boys get up and I hear them talking to Daddy in the other room. They watch a show. He tells them to clean their room and make sure they read today. He’s a good dad. They go play with legos and he gets ready to leave for work. I get up and give him a kiss and tell him what I’m working on and he nods and smiles because he knows and he’s the one that encouraged me to say yes to this pesky conference anyway.
Our 13 year old is spending a few days at my parents. Our two youngest boys play with legos, it’s a miracle, they play for hours without fighting. I hear them come down and make themselves lunch and go back up and keep playing. I take advantage of it and keep working. My sister emails and I call her so we can chat about an upcoming party I’m hosting for her. She wrote a book and it’s coming out in September and I’m inviting anyone and everyone who knows us online or in real life to my house in September to meet her and celebrate. I cannot wait for that day. I like hosting parties better than speaking at conferences. I let myself enjoy thinking about planning it just for a few minutes before I get back to work. I think I decide to hate the person who invented conferences.
I have no idea what the boys have been doing but I still hear legos so I assume it’s that. A little later I notice that I’m hungry. I’m in work mode and need a change of scenery. I grab the boys and we run to Wendy’s and I get that Almond Berry Salad. The boys get a frosty. We get back home and I put half the salad in a bowl and I look at the clock and it’s 4pm. I’m eating lunch at four O’clock. And today I’m documenting my day for the world to read. This is SO not a typical day. Maybe it’s not too late to tell Camila I can’t do this?
My desk is a mess and nothing is pretty. But then again, it’s the sign of getting things done which is its own special beauty. It’s 4:20 now and I got a chunk of my sessions done and I’m grateful I had the time to work on them. I’m also grateful that I only have days like this once a month or so.
I get a package in the mail. It’s a book I ordered called House of Havoc. I figure that’s fitting for today. I’m going to work another hour or so and call it a day. Maybe. And maybe my husband can take the boys to dinner and I’ll eat the other half of my berry salad and get more work done so that tomorrow I can have some more work free summer hang out time. We’ll probably take the boys night swimming at the neighborhood pool after dinner. I realize my middle son just invited two neighbor brothers over to play poker. My husband’s been teaching them to play. I wonder if people without blogs and online businesses and conferences to speak at have boys who play poker.
I look at my feet and see that I happen to have slipped on my 10 year old’s flip-flops. They actually fit and are more comfortable than my own shoes. Then I remember seeing photos of feet and shoes in some other In Her Shoes posts. I wonder if I’m supposed to do that too but my camera battery is dead.
So I add this photo in, I don’t wear shoes much in the summer anyway. I’ll probably get a new cute pair of shoes to wear at that conference, come to think about it, I’m kind of looking forward to speaking at it after all.
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The woman can do it all. Bravo Nester for accomplishing so much in a day. Hope all goes well with your speaking engagement!
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Love it!! I think days like that are more real life than “perfectly planned” ones!
Wow. You accomplish much in your day. And I have to say I absolutely love that nail polish!
my blood pressure went up a few notches just reading this.
but i giggled too.
because that nester…she’s a funny girl.
This is my favourite ‘In Her Shoes’ that you’ve ever shown! Love it and love her!
Love this! and love her!!! She is a hoot!!
Blogger kids and poker…that is for real life.
Great post! What color polish is that? Love!
Awesome! Women really do rule the world!! 🙂
Nester, so glad to know you have these kind of days too! 😉
I loved this post! And found a few more blogs to read as I read it!
I plan on getting the book by her sister. Sounds like a fun filled life. And I love poker! I hope my boys grow up playing it. 🙂
Too funny – Nester is fabulous! She’s such an engaging writer and I love her tips. Great to see her featured in this series! And I think the blue nail polish beats cute shoes. 🙂
love it! I’m much more inspired by these types of days than the perfectly styled and edited photos of so many big wig designers. Nester just seems so real and doesn’t take herself too seriously which I love. love the blue toes too!
except for getting up at 7 ish and eating a salad this could be one of my days. well, and also i don’t work on conference stuff. and i always wear some kind of shoe because my floor is usually sticky. i guess our days aren’t that similar after all.
loved this.
I very much appreciate her real day as opposed to ones that seem a bit too camera-ready. Loved it!!
Way to “keep it real.” No one wants to read about a perfectly planned day anyway =)
Love the Nester! Any woman who sports her gorgeous shade of blue toenail polish can have a perfect day if she remembers to look down at those fabulous toes!
I my gosh, I have been laughing so hard at your pesky little conference tale, woven in with your very fun full life day. And I almost spit my coffee out because I thought you wrote, I hate whoever invited (not invented) me to this conference. You will be amazing, and I hope you love me anyhow, never hate me. 😉
bahahahaha…thanks, Nester. You are real and we love you for it. 🙂
Life at the Nesting Place is never dull. I love her and her writing. Hearing her speak at a conference would be such a treat! She is inspiring 🙂 thanks for this series, fun to read about how other women roll.
You make me feel super normal. 🙂 I love how you said, getting it done is it’s own sort of beautiful. I needed to hear that.
I think all boys should know how to play Poker. It’s like a man right or something.
LOVE Nester! What an absolutely fantastic and hilarious post! 🙂
wow, so inspirational! you do SO much! and your home is gorgeous 🙂
XO Sahra
EffortlessCool
Love this post! I love seeing the boys “living” in the house. I do have a question. I love how the dresser looks as a console for the tv and would love to recreate this look. However, I haven’t yet because I don’t know what to do with the cable box. It can’t go in a drawer and still receive reception from the remote. How did you do this? Thanks!
easy~we don’t have cable 🙁 {insert tears of me missing American Pickers}
Just want to say I LOVE you curtains! Where are they from? Or, did you make them yourself?
I was just wondering where did you get the teal and grey art work piece from? It is awesome! Love your home by the way!! 🙂
Who is the manufacturer of the sofa, love it?
I love the curtains in your living room! Where did you get them (or the fabric to make them)?
I believe if you go on the nesters site she has that information. From what I recall the fabric has been sold out for quite some time.
I’d love to know the paint color used in your living room. Beautiful!!
Table -just love it!
PLEASE share where you got it.
what color is your living room and the kitchen. I love it. I have a white sofa so this would look good in my home too.