a day in the life - boni

I've been staring at the screen for far to long trying to thing of something interesting or witty to start this post off with, but I've got nothing.  Take it away Boni!  :o)

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Hi, ya'll! I am a southern girl who loves to laugh, Mexican food, shopping, Jesus, petit fores, shoes, matching outfits, sweet tea, big bows, margaritas, the beach and my family. I am married to my super handsome, laid-back, go-with-the-flow husband, Travis. We have three daughters (I KNOW...THREE GIRLS!). Emma is, our 9 year-old, is in the 4th grade. Hannah is 6 and in 1st grade. Catherine just turned 4 and is in Pre-K. Our house is what I, lovingly, refer to as "organized chaos". It's a different kind of chaos from when the girls were very young, but each new season in life brings new challenges, (and usually shows up just as I get the current one figured out). I work in the Walmart/Sam's supplier world in NWA. My husband owns his own flooring business. As you can imagine, the dirty laundry and drama are not in short supply around our house!

5:30am: My alarm goes off. I give my self one snooze before I finally get out of bed, let the dog out and start the coffee. I check my phone (instagram, email...you know the important stuff), then I take a shower before waking everyone up.

6:00am: I spend the next ten minutes going from room to room trying to get everyone out of bed. Emma gets right up, but she isn't happy about it. Hannah wakes up smiling and hops right out of bed. Travis and Catherine are NOT moring people. They both wake up a little grouchy and don't get up very well.

After everyone is up, I dry my hair and finish getting ready for work. Travis fixes breakfast and the girls make their beds. (Yes, even Catherine makes her bed...not very well, but she's learning). The girls eat breakfast and I lay out their clothes. Travis drinks his coffee and makes lunches. The girls get dressed, brush teeth, etc. Then, I fix everyone's hair, sign some last minute papers from school, rotate the laundry, etc

7:00am: We are out of the door. (Oops...forgot my coffee...back in to grab it!) I take Emma and Hannah to their school. Travis takes Catherine to her "school" (read: daycare). I start my 20 mile commute by 7:30.

8:00am: I arrive at work. I spend a majority of my time in and out of meetings or on conference calls. I love my job! I work with Walmart Corporate offices on what gift cards they should take, how many and where they should be placed in their 4000 stores.

5:00pm: I try to leave the office and head home by this time. Travis picks up the girls from their after school program and we meet at home.

5:30pm-8:00pm: I cook dinner while the older girls do their homework. Travis spends some 1-on-1 time with Catherine. Once Emma and Hannah finish their homework, they take turns taking showers and talking to me while I finish up dinner. After dinner, Travis cleans up the kitchen with Emma and Hannah's help. I give Catherine a bath. Then, we spend a little more time together as a family before bed. We read books, play with Gus (our dog), watch "Duck Dynasty" and just enjoy time together.

8:00pm-8:30pm: I do laundry, because let's face it, if I don't get two loads a night done, I am behind! I also pick up the house, sweep the kitchen, etc.

Around 8:30, I stop doing chores and spend some 1-on-1 time with Travis. We have really be into Homeland lately, so we are catch up on a few episodes together. I also spend a little "venting" time hashing out some craziness from work that day. (He doesn't really understand exactly what I do, so he just nods, smiles and offers some comforting words. Love that man!)

Finally around 10:00, we turn the lights out and go to bed.

-What is the most surprising thing about being a mom? Other than the massive amounts of laundry...kidding (kind of), I think the most surprising thing about being a mom is my capacity to balance work and family. There was a time I thought that I would never be able to manage my job, get the girls taken care of and keep everyone happy. But, some how, we just make it work

-What advice would you give to new or soon to be moms? Kick Mom Guilt to the curb. We all have it. Whether you miss that field trip with the school and all other moms went or you're traveling two weeks in a row. Every mom is just doing the best she can for her kids with the hand she has been dealt. Would you think ill of your friend if she didn't send homemade valentines to school for her child's class? (I've been that mom. Read here) I didn't think so. Then why not extend that same grace to yourself. (easier said that done, I know!)

- What are your top three baby products? I don't have babies anymore and things have changed SO much in just the last 4 years, but our top three things in our house are:
1) An Erin Condren Life Planner and family organization chart. I travel with work some, my girls are in all sorts of after school activities. This planner is a life saver for us. I plan meals for the week based on what we have going on and quite frankly, we would be even more crazy without it.
2) DVD Players in the car. I know it sounds ridiculous, but we spend a lot of time traveling back and forth from school to dance and home, even running errands. These help keep the peace in the back...and me sane.
3) Books. Lots and lots of books. I love to read and want to instill that in the girls early. I read to them. Travis reads to them. They read to us. They read to each other. And, I have found that if I keep new books in the house, they will read like it's going out of style.

Thanks, Ashley, for letting me participate! This is my favorite series on your blog!

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Thanks for sharing your day with us Boni!