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I'm Shay! I’m a cookbook author, lifestyle blogger, travel agency owner, wife and mama who loves making every day special for my family.

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Everyday Life ·

A Day in the Life: 01.11.21


Happppppy Thursday!

Last week, when I asked you guys what you wanted to see on my blog this year THE NUMBER ONE ANSWER WAS THIS!

Part of me gets it…my favorite posts to read on other people’s blogs are “day in the life”, but then part of me laughs because…we are so boring.  Ha!  I feel like now that the kids are in school all day, we’re suuuuuper boring, BUT you asked, so I’m delivering!  For this edition of A Day in the Life of the Shulls, I picked this past Monday, January 11th to document…and I did okay.  I mean, right around 12:15 the wheels fell off…and then again at 3:15, buuuuuut  you’ll get the gist.  #sigh

Before we start talking about Monday though, let’s back up to Sunday night…

…Kensington asked if I could have a sleepover in her room that night, so I slept in her bed 🙂 .  We were in bed by about 9:30, I read a bit and then the next morning…

…my alarm went off at 4:30 to start my week.

I headed downstairs to drink my first cup of coffee, say hi to Andrew and…

…do my quiet time.

This cutie came into the dining room to say hi to me 🙂 .

Next up, I went to my office to do about 30 minutes of morning work…

…and then, it was time to go get dressed to workout…

…you girls know how much I love this long cardigan!  My pjs are here.  One minute, I’m in jammies and the next…

…I’m ready to workout.  On this particular day, I did a 30 minute upper body workout on my Peloton app, and then, I ran about 3 miles.  I was back at home and ready to wake up the two little girls right around 6:45…

…all cozy in their tent 🙂 .

G-free waffles with peanut butter and Nutella?  Okay!

Smith sets his alarm for 5:30 and basically has a full day before school.  Ha!  He slowed down to let me snap a pic of him with Yankee though.

Um, not the best pic, but when the little girls went up to get dressed, I ate my breakfast.  I have sausage balls in the freezer (you can see my recipe HERE), so I had one of them with one of my protein pancakes (I made a separate post for that today since so many of you have been asking!!).  I also had my second cup of coffee.

As I was emptying the dishwasher, I looked up and saw all the kid chaos.  Ashby is looking at her watch, Smith is over there messing with Kensington and Madeley is running around.  Just a typical busy morning at our house!

I take the little three to school every morning around 7:45.  I asked them for a quick pic on our way out the door…

Take one.

Take two.

Take three.

Take four.

Sigh.

Awwww!  Look who I found ready for school!  This girlie doesn’t have to be at her school until 8:45.

Whew!  Kids at school, time to walk the dogs.  I walk them one mile every morning (and sometimes, a bonus walk in the afternoon).

After we got back, it was BLUR of craziness.  Lots of noise and construction, so I showered quickly and headed to the grocery store where I work when I can’t work at home…

Do not judge that third cup of coffee.  It was a Monday after all 😉 .

I worked here until about 11:45 and then, I got back in my car and pulled around to the grocery pick up side of the store…

…and grabbed my online grocery order!

Went home, unpacked groceries, made myself lunch…

…bless Trader Joe’s!  A little chicken salad, a little regular salad and some spicy chips.

After this, I worked all afternoon until it was time to grab the kids from school around 3:00.  I grabbed the kids, and we juggled after school life (which on this day meant speech for both littles)…

…quick Ashby pic at home!  I love this girl so much!

Ohhhh!  And look who else came home?!  I love her too.  Also, my leopard pullover is HERE!

These two.

They had a great time at speech!  Their speech therapist is one of our favorite people EVER.

Does anyone know what age kids come out of their shell?  I’m waiting for Mades to come out of hers.  #sigh #fourthkid

No second walk for the dogs on this day, so I took them out for about 15 minutes of fetch instead.

Back inside, it was time to make dinner.  These two were playing Uno Attack at the counter while I cooked.

Lots of ground beef for one of our new favorite recipes…

…that recipe will be posted soon!

While I had been making dinner, Andrew and Smith had gone to the park to play baseball.  We all sat down and ate dinner around 6:15 and then…

…K and I were in the car and heading to her volleyball practice.  I dropped her off…

…headed home to fold laundry…

…watched about 30 minutes of football with Smith and Andrew and then…

…I climbed in the little girls’ tent to read them a book before…

…I had an 8:00 PM Manda Strong Foundation board meeting.

The meeting was over around 9:00ish, and after that, I took a shower, read my Kindle and went to sleep around 10:15.

And that’s a day in the life of us. xo

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Comments

  1. Lauren says

    Happy to know I’m not the only one who drinks a zillion cups of coffee each morning! I don’t know how you wake up so early AND stay up until 10. I can usually do one or the other, but if I don’t get at least 7 hours of sleep I’m a wreck the next day!

  5. Julie Connelly says

    I LOVE these posts!!! Thank you for sharing even though you think you’re boring. HAHA!! I really wish I knew you personally, I’m pretty sure our kids would get along so well. And Mades looks like she’s so much fun!!!!

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      The list is long (and often varies) but it includes: his quiet time, taking a shower, eating breakfast, reading a book, practicing a violin, practicing shooting his cross bow, sometimes he’ll fish…seriously, it’s a full morning.

  7. Kimberly Kilduff says

    Can you please tell me what leggings you have on in the lunch pic? I am looking for leggings to wear as non workout leggings (so after i shower from my workout – i want to put on another pair of leggings- Ha) Thank you!

      • Kim says

        Thank you!!! Are they the faux leather ones you linked? ❤️❤️ Do you size up? I get so nervous doing that. I’m a small/medium but if I go to a large I’m scared they will be too big.

  8. Michele says

    I am in my office dying laughing at Madeley. Do not take offense because I love a good twerk, but it looked like that’s what she was doin and I cannot stop laughing. She could give me some tips. Thanks for sharing your family. It really brings me joy on these tough days.

  9. Lis says

    Unrelated to your post – but on insta you posted a pic of your house progress last night – was that an “ACK” light up sign outside?! If so – love it! Where’s it from?

  10. Karah Stracener says

    I always love these posts too!! Thanks for sharing. You have inspired me to get up earlier, and I have so enjoyed my daily quiet time in the morning with my coffee. I used to roll out of bed and head straight to work. Now I look forward to my mornings.

  11. jamie says

    GOOD MORNING! i’m so inspired by A CHILD who gets up at the crack of dawn! i 100% think you should do a {day in the life of smith}! i’ve decided recently that i need to be better at getting up earlier so i have more time in the morning! i’m on about week three. i’m increasing my wake up time by 10 minutes every few weeks— it’s amazing how much more i can accomplish! thank YOU for your inspiration.

  12. Natalie Alvarado says

    Busy Monday! Could you tell me about the pan you were cooking the meat in please? I’m looking for one that size.

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      It’s my fave!! It’s that Rachael Ray one from Amazon I always talk about!! IT’S THE BEST!

      • Mix and Match Mama says

        I lied! Ha! I just went back to double check and that’s not my Rachael Ray pan, that’s my Le Creuset pan! It’s from Williams-Sonoma!

  13. Stacy says

    I love reading your blog, thank you for sharing your family, shopping and recipes! My family has enjoyed a few of your recipes lately! But I love that Madeley!! Her photos crack me up!! She looks like the life of the party and would cheer up anyone on a sad day. Have a great day!!

  15. Deanna says

    Busy Monday…coffee is justified! 🙂 I would love the links to your cute black bag (while you were working at the grocery store) and the camera you use to photograph your fabulous recipes!

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      The bag is from Louis Vuitton and the camera is super old! I think I’ve had it 10 years now!!

  16. Katrina says

    Wait – you forgot to pick Kensington up from volleyball!!! She’s not still waiting there, is she? ?

  17. Jen says

    Hahaha I really had to laugh when you said “does anyone know when kids really start to come out of their shell”. I love Madeley’s fire personality. Thanks for sharing ☺️

  18. Paula McKaughan says

    These are always my favorite posts!!! You look just like your beautiful Momma in the picture of you and Smith watching football. ??

  19. Patty Anderson says

    The gluten-free life sure agrees with Kensington. She has such a healthy glow about her and it so beautiful! All of your “kids” are precious.

  20. Kimberly Nations says

    Love these post. I noticed Ashby had on a pink watch. Can you tell me what kind it is and where you may have gotten it. My granddaughter is wanting one. Thanks..

  22. Mary says

    Can you share the links to your dainty earrings? All of them:). I’ve just started wearing my second hole again and I’m having trouble finding earrings small enough. Thank you ?

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      Yes! The smaller ones are Kendra Scott and the bottom ones are Gorjana! I need to find the links!

  23. Melissa says

    Love these posts!
    DO you run in the dark? If so any tips? I HATe the treadmill with a passion. But when its dark in the am I use it but would rather be outside!!!!

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      I do often run in the dark. Make sure you wear reflective clothing, small flashlights are great, and just BE SAFE!!! If you have any hesitations, don’t do it!

  25. Nancy says

    Curious if you are still loving your air fryer? Do you use it consistently? Pondering buying one but don’t want another kitchen appliance that just takes up space. I ended up selling my Instapot because I didn’t use it.

  26. Becky B says

    I love that Smith has all that time before school. My son is a morning bird but the rest of our family are more programmed to be night owls, and want to sleep in. I think my son would love to have that much time before his school day starts. What time does Smith typically go to bed?

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      I would say somewhere around 8:30 depending on what’s going on that night. He is a much happier camper when he wakes up early!

  28. Sharon in Seattle says

    I love day in the life posts! Please tell me I’m not the only one that googled the phone number of the grocery pickup to see where you shop and then looked through the photos of the store to see where you sat. LOL

  30. Stephanie says

    I LOVE your Day in the Life posts! You may find yourselves boring but these posts have inspired me to start a daily devotional for the first time at age 40!! I purchased Jesus Calling and I’m committing to wake up early to have this quiet time every morning. Thanks for sharing!!

  31. Missy says

    Love posts like this! Sometimes 3 or MORE cups of coffee are necessary on any given day. Ha! Where is your coffee mug from? I feel like you may have mentioned it before but I can’t remember.

  32. Bana J says

    Hi Shay! I have a series idea for you. I’d love to see a peek inside various places of yours. Examples: inside your purse, inside your fridge, inside your mug cabinet, inside your pantry… the list goes on! I’d also love a post on your favorite Etsy shops.

  33. Detroit Duchess says

    So 28 weeks pregnant here with my first, and I’m wondering does your energy increase with each child? HAHA! I have no idea how I’m going to function – I’m SO tired!

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      Heavens! I was EXHAUSTED when I was growing a human. Trust me, that’s super exhausting! You’ll have plenty of energy when you’re a mama. Congratulations!!!

  34. Alexa Jae says

    Love a day in the life post. And you had a busy day!!
    When you work at the grocery store are you required to wear a mask the entire time? I feel like from what you post everything is back to normal life in TX – which it was like that in th north east.

  35. Ella says

    I love day in the life posts!!! Also I love your Trader Joe’s lunch. Is the chicken salad something they have pre-made? And what kind of dressing did you have on your salad (and were those chips or something else crunchy on top)? Looks delicious – I need inspiration to start eating more salads!

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      Yes! It’s their Curried Chicken Salad! IT’S AMAZING!!!!!! That salad is a kit in the salad department and comes with the toppings and dressing.

  36. Liz Thorson says

    I am impressed with how much you accomplish each day, Shay! I’m a life long night owl living in this world of morning people and it’s a curse, for sure!
    So envious of your town’s ability to have the kids in school. I assume Covid has not been an out of control issue in McKinney? Do your kids have to wear masks all day at school and are masks required in all public spaces? Public schools are still not in session in the greater Seattle area. Some private schools have returned to full time and some are just restarting more normal schedules and some sports team activities.
    Smith is one amazing kid! He appears to be following in both you and Andrew’s footsteps—organized, determined, persistent and focused!

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      I’m actually really shocked by how well it’s going. Our kids have to wear masks all day, they have assigned seating for everything and are always spread out. Things like the library in school are closed, etc and at lunch, they sit very spaced out…but so far, so good!

  37. Kim N says

    Day in the life posts are my favorite, too! I always feel like they are a behind the scenes glimpse of real life and so fun! What’s on your salad from Trader Joe’s (the regular salad not the chicken one)?

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      It’s the Asian mix or something like that? It has cabbage in there and is super delish!

  38. Elizabeth Feldpausch says

    I love these posts!! I love that Smith is an early bird! I wish just one or two of mine were…it would help so much in the mornings! ?

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      The Air Fryer is on my Amazon Faves page (at the top of my blog, you’ll see it!) and the kettle was a gift, but the brand is Le Creuset!

  40. Lien says

    Which kindle do you have? A lot of the books I want are not compatible with my version. And which grocery store did you sit down to work at?

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      I have the waterproof Kindle. I think mine is about two years old but works fantastic!

  42. Amanda says

    Just sayin – this meat tool is life changing for the kitchen (and an Amazon find). You need to try it, especially for that amount of ground beef. We literally get excited to cook ground meat now that we use this thing!!

  43. Joanne says

    I do love reading day in the life posts too but rarely think to actually do one! I too think we’re just boring and do all the same old same old stuff each day.

  44. Mary says

    You should do these posts once a month. I’d read them all. ? Side note, can you link your leggings from the workout pic? They look like such a pretty neutral color!

  47. Andrea says

    I always look forward to your posts! It’s a great way to start my day.
    Wondering where you found Kensington’s black leopard sweatshirt in the same picture you linked yours?

  49. Amy St.Hilaire says

    Shay – is that Lucky Charms in the glass dish on your counter?? Or is my 4 year old eating too much of it?? 🙂

  50. Lizzie says

    I’ve been hunting for a good black LV bag and that one looks fabulous. Is it the Montaigne? Thank you!!

  51. Kelly says

    Day in the Life posts are always a favorite! I have to get up at 4:15 one day a week and I would NEVER judge you on a third ( or tenth!) cup of coffee:).

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