A Day in the Life (Feb. 10, 2026)
This essay appeared in the Monday morning newsletter on 2/16/26. Subscribe here!
Three Steps to a Happier Monday
Before we dive into a new week, let’s pause and ask ourselves some simple questions to reflect on where we’ve been, get excited about something today and set an intention for the week ahead.
GRATITUDE: What are three things I appreciated from the weekend?
TODAY: What’s one thing I can be excited about today?
INTENTION: What is my intention for this week?
For me, I’m thankful for sweet Valentine gifts, quiet reading time and walks outside. Today, I’m most excited to get a pedicure! And my intention for the week is to take things one day at a time.
Okay, your turn! And if you want to share, I am all ears. 🙂
Monday Musings: A Day in the Life
Last year I wrote a “day in the life” post to capture the ordinary details of a random day in March. I remember thinking how fun it would be to look back on it and remember exactly what that season felt like.
There’s something about documenting a single day that sharpens your attention. It preserves not just the big milestones, but the texture of ordinary days too. It forces you to notice what might otherwise blur together. And in a season like maternity leave – where the days can feel repetitive and also fleeting – that feels especially important.
I’m always curious to know what the everyday life of others looks like. Still, I don’t know if any of this is interesting to anyone except me. But I already can’t wait to reread this a year from now. I love the idea of capturing one or two “days in the life” entries each year as a way a to preserve the little details that I otherwise wouldn’t likely remember. Next time, I want to capture photos too!
So, here we go. This was Tuesday, February 10, 2026:
5:45 AM: My Hatch alarm goes off and I slip out of bed, brush my teeth and make a cup of coffee. I settle into the couch to finish The Correspondent(LOVED!) before opening my current nonfiction read, I Know How She Does It.
6:50 AM: Matt and I go into Ben’s room to wake him up. This is the best moment of the day as we get a “smile attack” from Ben as he’s waking up.
7:00 AM: Matt changes his diaper and then brings Ben to me to nurse while watching the Today Show.
7:10 AM: Ben spits up, necessitating an outfit change for both of us, lol.
7:20 AM: Feeding, take two. Success!
7:30 AM: Ben hangs in his bouncy seat with Matt while I toss in a load of laundry, do a quick tidy and make another cup of coffee. We rotate Ben between his seat and playing on the mat.
8:45 AM: I take Ben into his room for a diaper change, a book and his first nap.
9:00 AM: Nap time blitz! I move fast to make the most of the time I have. I get ready for the day, answer a few emails, change the laundry, reset the kitchen.
9:40 AM: I hear noises on the monitor, but it doesn’t sound like he’s crying? I check and he’s… laughing at the ceiling fan – adorable.
9:50 AM: Alright, now he is crying. It’s finally above freezing and sunny out here so I decide we’ll finish the nap in the stroller.
10:45 AM: We’re back home from our walk. I feed Ben again.
11:00 AM: Playtime rotation: bouncy seat, activity center, mat. While he’s content, I chip away at small house tasks.
12:00 PM: I’m planning to do Ben’s second nap on the go, so I give him a small bottle to bridge him to his next feeding.
12:30 PM: Ben & I head out! This is definitely not the norm – I’ve spent 90% of my maternity leave at home, which has been so cozy! But today I run to the mall for a return and pop into Target while Ben naps on and off in his stroller.
2:50 PM: Home for another feeding.
3:15 PM: More playtime. I catch up with my mom on the phone while Ben kicks happily on his mat.
4:45 PM: I put Ben in the carrier on me for his last nap and pour myself a glass of wine. I tidy up from the chaos that was us leaving the house earlier and start prepping dinner.
5:20 PM: Matt comes up from working downstairs and takes over with Ben while I start on dinner. I’m making one of our favorites, taco cornbread casserole!
6:00 PM: Dinner is ready… but Ben is getting super fussy, so Matt and I decide to pivot: we’ll do his bath and bottle first, dinner later.
6:15 PM: Matt & I give Ben his bath (another favorite time of day, for all of us). I get Ben all cozy in his pajamas and a fresh diaper.
6:40 PM: Matt gives Ben a bottle while I eat.
7:00 PM: I read Ben his bedtime book (Goodnight Moon, of course), we snuggle and then I lay him in his crib for the night.
7:15 PM: I change into my pajamas, wash my face and then join Matt on the couch to watch an episode of Mad Men while I pump.
8:42 PM: Get into bed and start my new book, One & Only. I’m really liking this so far! A fun read for February.
9:04 PM: Lights out!
///
When I zoom out, nothing about this day feels extraordinary. There wasn’t a big event or milestone. And yet… writing it down makes me see it differently.
If you’ve never tried it, I highly recommend picking a random day and writing down your day in timestamps. Nothing fancy, just observing what happened. You might be surprised by what you notice.