A local newspaper or magazine (can’t remember which) runs articles about the day in the life of celebrities and high level executives. It gives a detailed account of their day minute by minute and hour by hour.

Mainly, the point of these articles is to humanize these figures – they, too, read books to their children – and to highlight how much they do in one day. I have read a few of these articles and thought, “Ha! A working mom can fill that same page all before 9 am.”

So, here is how a day rolls for this (part-time) working mom:

4:45 am: Husband’s alarm goes off. He works for a company based in New York City, so he works on east coast hours (unfortunately, he does not leave the office at the end of the east coast day). I usually get up with him. Yes, it is early, but there is a lot that needs to be done!

4:50 am: Make a cup of coffee – the day CAN NOT start without one!

5:00 am: Feed the cat. Read my personal e-mail ,check Facebook, read the day’s World Moms Blog post, then generally get distracted by other things on the internet. Most importantly, enjoy that first cup of coffee which is always the best.

5:30 am: Quietly as a mouse, so as to not to wake up the sleeping girls, take a shower.

6:05 am: Depending on time (sometimes I get to this step closer to 6:30 am), do a yoga class in the space we created in our basement and try to set a calm tone for the day in a sea of rushing.

7:05 am: Hear Little Girl yelling for “Momma” at the top of her lungs, obviously waking up Big Girl.

7:10 am: Do one more thing before picking up little girl, like make my breakfast to take with me to work, and if I have good leftovers, my lunch, too.

7:15 am: Get Little Girl from her crib, pretend Big Girl is still sleeping, go downstairs and make some warm milk for both.

7:30 am: Everyone is up! Turn on an episode of Dora the Explorer, or something similar, so I can  get dressed for work.

7:50 am: Help the girls get dressed for the day. Big girl is wearing a dress as always and loves to pick out Little Girl’s outfit. They must all be laid on the floor to make sure they match – she didn’t learn this from me.

8:00 am: Make breakfast for the girls – oatmeal or frozen waffles on days I work.

8:15 am: Babysitter arrives. Give her the download of the day ahead (ballet, preschool, etc) and confirm that she can come Friday night, so husband and I can go on a date.

8:20 am: Send a text to other mom trying to set up a morning play date for Big Girl with her BFF (Best Friend Forever).

8:25 am: Make sure I have everything I need – cell phone, bag, scarf, coat, shoes. Yes, I need to check to make sure I have my shoes on, as one day I almost left in my house slippers.

8:30 am: Grab my bicycle and ride downtown to the office, approximately 5 miles.

8:55 am: Pit stop at the Ferry Building and pick-up a cup of coffee – because the coffee they brew at work just won’t suffice.

9:03 am: Listen to the bells of the clock chime 9 and know I will be on time.

9:05 am: Lock-up my bike in the garage and take the elevator up to my desk on the 3rd floor.

9:10 am: Greet my co-worker and done with a big sigh of relief. I made it safely, dressed appropriately, and on time–at least for me.

9:15 am: Let the work day begin!

Do you feel like you have put in a full day before 9am? What time-saving tricks and tips do you have for getting out the door in the morning successfully?

This has been an original post to World Moms Blog by Angela Y of San Francisco, California.

Photo credit to Daquella Manera. This photo has a creative commons attribution license.

Angela Y (USA)

Angela Y. is in her mid-thirties and attempting to raise her two daughters (big girl, R, 3 years; little girl, M, 1 year) with her husband in San Francisco, CA. After spending ten years climbing the corporate ladder, she traded it all in to be a stay-at-home mom! Her perspective of raising a child in the city is definitely different from those who have been city dwellers all their lives, as she grew up in rural Northeastern Pennsylvania (NEPA) surrounded by her extended family. Angela Y. and her husband are on their own on the west coast of the United States — the only family help they receive is when someone comes for a visit. But, the lifestyle in San Francisco is like no other for them, so there, they stay! This exercise conscious mom is easily recognized, especially when she is riding around her husband-built bike with two seats on the back. And, when she’s not hanging out with the girls, you can find Angela Y. in the kitchen. She loves to cook for her family, especially dessert, and then eats some herself when no one is looking! Sneaky, mom!

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