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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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Mix & Match Mama

Everyday Life, Life Lately ·

A Day in the Life


Hello, Monday!

As I make my way home from Walt Disney World super, super early this morning, I thought I’d share a little Day in the Life of the Shulls with you 🙂 .

When I asked you guys last week what content you wanted to see more of on my blog, this was the #1 response!  I always get tickled when you say that because my life often feels mundane and routine, but if you want a peek, I’m happy to share.  As always, I just randomly pick a day and document it…this was a very normal “fall Tuesday” at our house, and today, you’re along for the ride.

Settle in, here’s a DAY IN OUR LIFE…

Good morning!  My alarm went off at 4:10, and I headed straight for the coffee.

With my cup in hand, I walked up to my office to settle in with my quiet time.  I am moving right along with my Bible Recap!

Next up, I sat down to check some emails, look in on my blog and do just a few minutes of work.

After that…

…I changed and hit the (home) gym for strength training.

Around 5:45, I left our gym and look who I saw in the kitchen…

…it’s Mr. Smith up bright and early for 7th grade football.

On this morning, it was a quick “stand and eat” breakfast of a Three Ingredient Pumpkin Muffin.

The little girls’ alarms went off at 6:45 (they use their Echo Dot Kids. as their alarm), they got dressed and…

…came down for breakfast.  This sums them up in the morning…Ashby eases into her day, Mades takes it at 100%.

I emptied the dishwasher, helped them with their breakfast and then while they did a little chatting…

…I popped up to my office for a minute.  How cozy is my office?!

Early morning is just my favorite time of day.

We were heading out the door for school when Andrew arrived home.  He was at an early morning mens Bible study but got home just in time to see the girls off.

He does it to them too 😉 .

Heading to school and look what we see!  McKinney, TX is so magical.  I see hot air balloons probably five days out of seven each week, and they thrill me EVERY SINGLE TIME!

After I dropped off the girls…

…look who I found in the kitchen!  Kensington doesn’t have to be at school until 8:45, so she’s the last duck out of the house.

Time for their morning walk.  We walk one mile in the morning together.

With Kensington now off to school…

…back to work I go!

I did a little work until it was time to…

…shower and get ready for the day.  With evening football ahead of me, I got dressed for the weather and game.

After I was dressed…

…I popped over to my favorite grocery store for a few quick items and…

…a Venti Pike with a pump of pumpkin and splash of cream.

After that…

…it was back to work I go.

Still working, but it was chilly in my office, so I put on a sweater AND a blanket.

Around 12:30…

…I let the dogs out to potty (they immediately come back because they want me to go with them)…

…and then I make me something quick for lunch.  Today was one quesadilla from Trader Joe’s…

…and a salad.  I ate my lunch and then…

…headed back to my office to finish up my work day.

Awwww!  Look who stopped by and surprised me with more coffee?!  #mylovelanguage

Next up…

…school is out!  I picked up the little girls, and we headed to…

…their tumbling/cheer class.  I watched half of the class and then switched off with Andrew.  He stayed and I…

…headed to the middle school to grab Kensington.

Hurry, hurry home…

…throw dinner in the slow cooker.  I made a version of THIS RECIPE.  I added the meat to the slow cooker, put it on low and let it hang out while we did our evening activities.

Andrew and I took two cars, and I had…

…two rock stars in my backseat singing into plastic bottles.  Hahahaha!  The whole way to the stadium, they belted out tunes.

First up…

…look who we saw walking into the stadium!  Doesn’t Andrew look happy to see his boy 🙂 .

We are really good at watching sporting events together.  We have had A LOT of practice. 😉

Smith played in the first game of the night.  Andrew, Mades, Ashby and I cheered our hearts out and then, as soon as it was over, I took…

…these two crazies, and we headed to the opposite side of town to watch the football game where Kensington was cheering (about half the time, she will cheer at his games but not on this night).

Did I find a random bag of Cheez Its in Madeley’s cheer bag?  Maybe.  Did I eat it on the way to the other game?  Possibly.  Did I also use a napkin?  Of course.  Hahahaha!

Kensington cheered at two games on this night, and we made it in time to see most of the second one.

Whoop!  Whoop!  Look who showed up a minute later!

These girlies are such good sports!  They are sitting though two games a night most weeks!

Later that night (around 8:30)…

…we all six ended up home together for dinner 🙂 .

I heated up the frozen jasmine rice from Trader Joe’s, and we made “bowls”.

After dinner, we cleaned up, everyone showered…

…and then I read a few minutes while watching the end of the Yankees/Sox games.  Spoiler alert, we lost.

And then it was off to bed.

That, my friends, is a day in the life.

See you tomorrow! xx

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Comments

  1. Erika Slaughter says

    The giant gap from lunch to dinner at 8:30 can often feel like I’m starving so I’ve been having a second lunch. hahaha! A big hearty snack somewhere before the game. It saves me!

  2. Lauren says

    I love your “Day in the Life” posts! The “mundane” days are always so fun to read about. Especially for me because my kids are young still, I feel like I’m looking into my future just a few years down the road! It blows my mind that you go to bed at 10 and wake up at 4:10. Don’t you ever get tired? Any tips on how you stay awake/alert/not grumpy? Also… how do you motivate yourself to workout on the days you just aren’t feeling it? I’m in a little bit of a rut over here and need to get back into exercising!

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      I really think for me, I’m so energized by how productive I can be waking up early that it offsets being tired. If I ever truly feel tired, I’ll get rest but the majority of the time, I enjoy my morning routine so much and always feel so good about my day (not rushed) that the benefit truly outweighs any grumpiness. I always remind myself that I never regret a workout. Even if it’s just a walk (and not a heavy workout), I never regret it. Make sure you’re doing something you love. It’s hard to make yourself do something you don’t love. If you love yoga, do more of that. If you love walking, do that. I think that helps too!

      • Charlene Cunningham says

        I read somewhere that about 5% of the population can get by on 6 hours sleep a night and not feel the effects (genetics). I’m like that. Not so productive though 😕

  4. Jennifer Goodwin says

    I don’t know what it is, but I always love these too! I always think I’ll do one and then I remember my life isn’t exciting anymore since all our sons have grown up. I have to say- your grocery store IS pretty magical with all the pumpkins and a Starbucks. You always make me wish I enjoyed Starbucks! Ha! I don’t, though, unless I’m out of town and longing for better coffee than what the hotel has to offer. Thanks for always sharing your life with us!

  6. Jennifer says

    Glad to see you’re reading TJR’s newest! I’m finally getting around to read Evvie Drake Starts Over after being in the mood for a similar one after loving Nora Goes Off Script (your review inspired me to read it!)… and I don’t know how you haven’t read this one yet! It has all the makings of a slightly meatier chick-lit, Boston, New England, baseball, lobster, fall… it’s witty with lovable characters… you need to add this one to your list!

  7. Dana P says

    I think one of the reasons these are so popular is that they’re just so motivational! Sometimes I may wake up in a blah mood and then later I see one of you posts, and it perks me up and gets me excited for the day. What a gift, Shay! On these heavier recent years, your blog is such a bright spot for so many of us! ☀️ Thank you for being consistent and continuing to be such a happy (and inspiring!) place to visit!

  10. Laura says

    Wow! Looks like a busy, productive day. Love that you all support one another.
    When do the kids do their homework? Is it hard for Smith to keep up with his challenging courses? What courses does he take? Thanks for sharing.

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      I would say that, at this point, our schools have been very easy/accommodating with homework. No one gets assignments that are due next day. It’s very similar to college…syllabus are given with advanced notice of every test/project/assignment so that we have plenty of time to get them done. Both of my big kids are in advanced classes at school and do quite well. Smith is just in some extra advanced classes. Ha! For instance, he and K are both taking the exact same math class this year (Pre-AP Algebra 1); he’s just a grade behind her.

  15. Melody Miles says

    Thanks for sharing! I always love a Day in the Life post! We are in that crazy season of fall sports too but it’s baseball and cross country. I love it but it’s also a little exhausting! 😅 Have a good trip back to TX!

  16. Nicole says

    Love these posts! I’m adding your dinner to my menu this week! We have lots of busy nights with sports too. Would love to see your weekly work outs again too!

  18. Kate says

    I so admire your dedication of getting up so early! Also thanks for the reminder that Disney can be a quick little weekend trip. With older kids now I’m struggling to find a good time to go where they don’t have to miss a lot of school so I need to remember this! When they were little I always pulled them out of school now it’s not so easy! I love day in the life posts. Thanks for sharing your sweet family with us

  19. Arika says

    Can’t wait for a recap of your Disney trip! 1-1 time with a kid is always so special. Hope you had a great time!

    • Julie Easa says

      Thanks so much for sharing! How do plan ahead and manage after school snacks so everyone is not hangry!

      • Mix and Match Mama says

        I have bins of snacks in both the pantry and fridge. If I’m picking them up right after school, I’ll bring them a random snack (like I did on this day with Ashby and Mades) but if they come straight home, they just grab something. I just always try and keep those staple options handy.

  21. Michelle says

    I was exhausted just reading up to lunch time. You are the energizer bunny for sure. So fun to read about you mundane day.

  22. Amy says

    What a fun filled day! I love that the first item on the agenda is COFFEE! Me too 🙂 I’m searching for a new coffee machine. What are you using? Is it a Jura? Do you love it?

  24. Shannon Miles says

    Great post Shay! I miss those crazy busy days of running my 3 daughters around.
    Did you find a box of GF spice cake mix? My husband is a Celiac. If so where did you find it.

  25. Brinkley Brown says

    We are big Redsox fans in our house too, and luckily they are playing in Cincy this week, which is rare! So we are gearing up in our Best Boston gear and heading to Cincy to cheer them on (anniversary present to ourselves)! Fingers crossed for a WIN!

  26. Kathy says

    I’m wondering how far you are from the schools? Do they offer any transportation so you wouldn’t have to drive/pick up multiple times in a day?

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      Awwwww…we are in that annoying sweet spot of “too close for the school district to send a bus” and yet “too far away for independent walking”. We shuffle them to and from (either walking with them, golf cart, bike or vehicle) each way.

  27. Olesya Griffith says

    When you had babies and weren’t sleeping good at night/nursing where you less productive? Did your schedule/morning routine look alot different? Did you try and get more sleep?

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      The great part about my blog is that you can go allllll the way back and read about it! Head to the archives (on the far right side of my blog) and check out the years from fall 2008-2012ish. You can see exactly what I did right there in real time. I have always, always, always been a super productive person…but I have not always had this many careers and such a large business. I was not juggling all of this stuff 12 years ago.

  29. Sarah Shaneyfelt says

    I absolutely LOVE your day in the lift posts, too! It’s always so fun seeing what my life will look like once we start sports big time. My little boy is 3 and we are just finishing up his first soccer season and that was so fun! I also cannot wait to hear about your Disney trip and where you stayed. We stayed at the Wilderness Lodge last October after Erika’s rec and we loved it–my husband wants to stay there again the next time we go back!

  30. Jennifer Stafford says

    Hi! Love these posts and feel motivated by them! Here’s a random question … I love my crockpot, but have never used it to keep a dinner I made on the stovetop warm until we eat. Can you share more specifics on this? How does your cooked ground beef not become dry on Low for a few more hours? Thanks!!

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      The beauty of the slow cooker is that if you leave the lid on tight (no peeking!), moisture does not evaporate and thus, nothing dries out. Pull yours back out! It’s a great way to keep dinner warm and ready on those busy nights.

  31. Danielle says

    What a fun post! I could read these each week! The mundane days are the ones we look back and realize they were “the good ol days”!

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      They do!!! Oh my word, my older kids DID NOT do this when they were younger but after COVID, Erika told me we could not go back into that next school year with me still waking my kids up. Boy, she was right. Now, each kid wakes themselves up, gets dressed and then comes downstairs. It’s been a game-changer on so many fronts. I wish I would have done it sooner.

  33. Lizzie says

    love these posts! I love my morning routine too but I do wish I could get up an hour earlier, it just isn’t happening LOL
    also, can you share a link for andrews sunglasses when you’re at smith’s game? thanks!

  34. kathy says

    May I ask where the Hello Pumpkin pillow is from in your office? You may have said before.
    There is something magical about early mornings. The whole world seems quiet and peaceful. It helps me get my day planned out so much better.
    Blessings on your days!

  35. kathy says

    May I ask where the hello pumpkin pillow is from? You may have shared that before.
    I agree. Early mornings are the best. The beautiful sunrise and the peace and quiet help me before the busyness of the day.
    Blessings on your day!

  36. Amie P. says

    We have a 7 year old and 18 month old. What are your tips for trying to watch kids sports with the little that is ALL OVER THE PLACE??? haha

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      Oh goodness, that’s a crazy stage. My advice would be lean into it and know it’s a short season. Bring snacks, bubbles, sidewalk chalk, etc but at the same time, you can only do so much with a one year old. Hang in there!

  37. Joanne says

    I get up anywhere between 3:30 and 4:30 most days but you’ll never see me still up at 10! LOL I am so tired by 8:00 that I’m usually asleep by 9:30 the latest.

  38. Gracie says

    Love seeing a glimpse into your life!! 🙂 My kids are a few years behind yours so it’s fun to see where when’ll be in a couple of years!

    Also, where do you find your phone backgrounds?! I love the fall one!

  40. Lynn Timperman says

    I Love your blog posts. I made your pumpkin chocolate chip muffins with the yellow cake mix this weekend, and I ordered the fall candle from the Lilac app that you had in one in one of your previous posts. You make everything so easy to order and click to. We were in McKinney a couple of weekends ago for a wedding and loved your downtown. We didn’t go to the pizza place, but we went to the outdoor place with the music, bar and outside seating. So fun!

  42. LuAnn says

    You are totally an inspiration. Love everything you post. Your family is adorable and you have a beautiful sole. God bless

  44. Joy says

    Love these day in the life post. I don’t understand how you have so much energy. And how do you and the kids go hours without a snack? Do the kids pack snacks today to eat while at football games? I’m hangry after 4 hours of not eating.

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      The school feeds Smith before busing him to the game, Kensington doesn’t snack often and the little girls ate snacks in the car as we went to cheer. I did buy them ring pops though at this game…hence the blue tongue 🙂 .

  45. Erin says

    I love your DITLs!! Being a few years behind you, it’s fun to see these posts progress through the seasons and stages and remember to treasure where I am now with my kids bc of how fast I see it all shift and change with your kids!

    I would love to know more details on how y’all use your echo dots – we use them for alarms in kids rooms too – for morning wake up, just one alarm, or any other “routines” set up, curiously? We’re always trying to make our morning routine more efficient over here!! Also! I would so love to know more about your specific settings and ways you utilize all of your do not disturb/focus profiles!! You said somewhere recently (not this post), you did a quick 5 minutes of setting it up and it helps you drastically in your day to put your phone down and be more present. I’ve sat several times to make my settings and get hung in the weeds of how many different ways I could do it for different scenarios of my day (I’m an overanalyzer), so I keep walking away thinking “I’ll have to think about it and come back to this later” and not utilizing any of it well and feel like a slave to my phone so much of my day. I bet I’m not the only one who would love a post or stories step-by-step explanation of how you utilize the echo dots and your DND phone features!! 😉💕

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      I should really make both of those things a post. They use their Dots for music, alarms, to set timers (if I tell them they need to read for 15 minutes, etc), they ask questions and get silly jokes…each kiddo uses their Dot many times a day. On my phone, I have my Do Not Disturb hours set so that my phone isn’t making any sounds during certain large chunks of my day. I also have it set where you can “turn off” apps. My phone turns off apps beginning at 3:00 PM (when I get my kids from school). You can selectively override this if you need to but it drastically reduces how much time I spend looking at my phone.

  46. Anna says

    Hi Shay! Long time reader, first time commenter. Thank you for sharing your sweet family. Your posts are always a bright spot! I have a kitchen question. I didn’t see a dish drainer by your sink. Do you not use one? I loathe how much counter space mine takes up, so when I saw your island so sleek-looking, I was like—where’s the dish drainer??

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      Awwww! I’m so happy you commented! No, I don’t use one. I either put my dishes directly in the dishwasher or I wash and dry them completely and then put them away. I hope you comment again! 🙂