no. 40: a week in my life (solo parenting)
a timestamped week in my life plus the things I always do to do to keep the train on the tracks with my toddler.
Kaos, (Netflix). I adore a good adaptation of Greek Mythology and was immediately intrigued by the premise of Kaos. A modern retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice, Koas intertwines other myths (Prometheus, Ariadne and the Minotaur, Caneus, Hades and Persephone, among others) to tell the story of a plot against Zeus (a delightfully paranoid Jeff Goldblum). I thought it was ambitious, intriguing, and was struck by the performances from Aurora Perrineau and Misia Butler. Highly, Highly recommend.
Alex’s Ice Cream Matcha Chocolate Chip - I don’t much care for pumpkin spice, but I do consider tea-flavored things my own personal introduction to the ‘Ber months instead. Had a bit of an Earl Grey kick which transitioned neatly into a full blown obsession with this ice cream. It’s a perfectly scoopable consistency, the matcha is earthy and rich but not too sweet, and the chocolate chips are dark and melty. 10/10. Available at lots of grocery stores (whole foods, PCC, sprouts) and delivery services!
The Body in Question, Jill Ciment. I went into TBIQ sight unseen (thanks to a recommendation I saw in passing and a blissfully short library holds request) and I highly recommend you do as well. What I will say: TBIW tells the story of a photographer who becomes entangled with another juror during sequestration for a sensational murder trial. The novel is short, told in two discrete but parallel parts (“during” and “after”), that somehow makes profound observations about human behavior, meaning and mortality in the mundane procedure of a hospital or court of law.
Something you should know about me is that I love realistic “snapshots of life” writing. Whether it was the early days of the Refinery 29 Money Diaries, or following along “day in my life” tiktok vlogs from people with actual, regular (non-influencer) jobs, there is something I find so interesting about, to quote one of my toddler’s favorite books, what people *do* all day.
I found myself especially interested in this kind of content during my parental leave – not the “day in my life with a newborn” content, as I was already living that, but instead the vision of what it would look like once I had a six month old and was back at work; once he was a toddler, once my husband or I had to resume travel for work. I absolutely love a behind the scenes look at what the minutiae of everyday life looks like, and have found that y’all do too, whether it's a video or it’s written form on the newsletter.
Recently, I’ve gotten a number of questions in the earlybird question box about schedules and activities with our toddler, about how I manage solo parenting time, what my fitness routine looks like, and how I get everything done with writing, a full time job and a full time life. I figured it would be easier for me to show you, rather than tell you, so I documented a recent week in my life that has literally everything. This week’s issue has:
A week in my life (with timestamps!)
The things I always try to do when solo parenting
Let’s get right into it!
Xo,
Maggie
a week in my life:
this is a long one, so you may need to open it in the browser or the app!
Day 1: Sunday (partial day)
8 am: Wake up and make breakfast with little bear (eggs, toast, cheese, peaches) - he eats at the toddler tower while I make coffee and my own breakfast, and then we play while my husband Mark finishes packing – he’s leaving this afternoon for almost a week.
9:00 am: Mark and little bear head out on a big walk with our dog, Minnie, and it’s It’s *me time* for the rest of the afternoon. Whenever Mark or I have to travel for work, we try to make sure we have at least a little bit of time to get ourselves together before the week begins.
I hit the gym to do a pilates and strength training workout on the ladder app. I’ve been doing the workouts for 3+ months (completed over 70 workouts!) and I LOVE them. I finish with some stretching and mobility work, and then head to the grocery store to pick up food for the week. On the way home, I stopped at a new neighborhood coffee shop (for Seattle folks: bonito!). I grab a café de olla, a Mexican spiced coffee with cinnamon and sugar and it’s SO good.
1:00 PM; I get home just in time to put our little guy down for a nap, so I drink my coffee and eat lunch outside while I make a few final tweaks and send out the Sunday edition of the newsletter while he’s sleeping. After I catch up on a few newsletters I’m subscribed to, I get started on a few meal prep things to make the week easier.
3:00 PM: Mark heads out to the airport, while we enjoy a post nap-snack (leftover black bean quesadilla, grape tomatoes, ½ a banana). After snacking, I load up to go meet some friends at a brewery. I feel extremely lucky that Mark and I have been adopted into a wonderful friends-of-a-friend group, including a bunch of kiddos close to our son’s age. It makes the afternoon go by quickly, and it’s so nice to have the littles playing together (and some adults to talk to!), but by the end the little guy is WIPED.
6:30 PM: Back at home, we do a quick dinner (leftover chicken, pesto couscous, cheese, peaches and milk) for a little bear before beginning the bathtime, book, and bedtime routine extravaganza. My child has figured out how to barter, so he manages to get his typical three book routine extended to seven before I finally put my foot down and we call it a night.
8:45 PM; I make my own dinner (a Big Ass Salad, aka everything in a bowl) and prepare a second for lunch tomorrow – work smarter not harder! I eat dinner while I watch A Discovery of Witches, a new to me show that is honestly sort of addicting. I do a few life admin things (scheduling appointments, planning for the next few days) while I watch.
11:45 PM: Whoops. Like I said, this show is *addictive*. I drag myself off the couch after three episodes, do my lazy skincare routine (face wash, serum, moisturizer, face oil), then brush teeth, and head to bed.
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