Normally, the main subjects of my posts are the recipes.
I’m actually somewhat shy and don’t like a lot of attention on myself.
But many people have asked what I do as a full-time blogger.
I do not just sit around and eat cookies all day. (Too bad, ‘cause that would be fun.) I work really hard! So today’s post is going to be a little different from the normal recipe posts.
A Day in the Life:
I wake up naturally around 5am, amble downstairs, and start replying to a massive amount of emails, comments, facebook messages, and tweets. If it’s a running day, I’ll eat pre-run snack, then and answer more questions while waiting for the food to digest. [Insert run here: a little over an hour]
Upon returning, I quickly check the computer again, then eat a real breakfast.
Yesterday’s breakfast was this: 5-Minute Chocolate Oatmeal.
With breakfast done, I go back over to the computer, this time to ensure the day’s post published as scheduled. I work on writing new posts for about an hour and a half, taking mini breaks to measure dry ingredients, get one or two things started on the stove or oven, and cook something else in the microwave. (I’ve become a master at multitasking.) Then I run upstairs for a quick shower, after which I do maybe 20-30 more minutes of blogwork (writing posts, editing photos, answering questions) whilst also making lunch.
After lunch, I take Henry and Batman for a walk (unless they’re at my parents’ house, in which case I go by myself). I come back and do a photoshoot or two, since it’ll usually be nice and light out by this time. I also do some taste-testing of whatever recipe experiments were cooked that morning. Yesterday, I tested chocolate peanut butter pie and peach cinnamon coffee cake.
About two hours after lunch I’m usually hungry again, so I’ll have a snack. Sometimes the day’s experiments have turned out so well that I’ll just eat them for snack.
Yesterday’s snack was one of my favorites: Fudge Brownie Energy Bars.
Yes, more chocolate.
Then it’s back to the kitchen for more recipe experiments (and washing dishes!). I also continue to check the computer intermittently, answering questions and emails. Y’all ask a lot of questions, which I love because it means people are reading and making the recipes. I do try to answer as many as I possibly can!
Some days I run errands, often with a friend (or my roommate, if she’s off from work) to keep me company. And then it’s dinnertime, which is often followed by hanging out with whatever friends (if any) have found their way over. Our house is quickly becoming the “hang out after work” place, and I take advantage of this by giving out samples of the day’s experiments, asking for honest opinions.
Not all my experiments turn out; it sometimes takes two or three trials before I arrive at a recipe worthy of publishing… or ten in the case of my Chocolate Pumpkin Brownies!
Sometimes we’ll watch tv (Gossip Girl, Friends, whatever sports are on), but I always have a notebook in hand to multitask—brainstorming recipe combinations, writing out new posts, making a to-do list, etc. After people leave (or even sometimes when they’re still over), I’ll schedule the next day’s post, continue to tackle the never-ending inbox, eat a nighttime snack—usually more chocolate!—and finally turn off the computer. I don’t take days off, and even if there’s no post for the day I’m still working on all the other components of the site. When it’s time for bed, I rarely have a problem falling asleep.
I know some people (a lot of people?) think blogging isn’t a “real” job, but truthfully it’s no different from saying my job is: photographer, photo-editor, recipe developer, writer, and often–too often!–web technician. It’s definitely never boring!
What do you do as your job?
Do you enjoy what you do? I love almost every minute of this (except when the site crashes or an experiment fails… those times are no fun), and I really hope to continue running this website for as long as people continue to read.
EDIT: By popular demand:
Part Two: Questions and Answers
I’m a Microsoft SQL Server database administrator at my company in central Illinois. I have a B.S. in Computer Science, but I hope someday (soon!) to quit my office job and have a local, organic, sustainable farm business. I loved this post because it shows that when you are doing what you love, you don’t mind “working” ALL day. Work becomes something you want to do and a natural part of your lifestyle/routine instead of something you need to do for money. Your blog is awesome – must be all the work you put into it 🙂 – and I look forward to the next blog post about this topic.
I am a full time lawyer, part time blogger… I love your blog and have shared it with my co-workers often. We have tried and enjoyed many of your recipes. Keep blogging on, and would love to know more about places you eat in DFW as that is where I am.
I have a restaurant tab: https://lett-trim.today/tag/restaurant/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Many of the posts are from NYC, but some (such as Bliss or Spiral Diner or Clay Pit) are in Dallas :). And I really like Pei Wei as well!
I am a nurse and for the most part, I enjoy it. But I wish people would treat healthcare professionals a little nicer. I go above and beyond every 12 hour shift and sometimes go an entire 12 hour shift without ever hearing a ‘thank you’ from patients or families.
I especially love bloggers who are very active in the comments, like you. There are a few blogs I read where the blogger literally never pops in to reply to questions in the comments. It is awesome to see how active you are in the comments, always willing to answer any questions your readers have.
I know that, as a reader, I’m always thankful when the blogger takes the time to answer my questions! 🙂
Wow, loved reading this! I think it’s so interesting to hear about what people do for a living. I work for Whole Foods Market in the bakery, and I absolutely love it.
Wow! My day in the life is work Mon – Fri as an office manager, than come home and think food! I exercise for about 30 minutes, than start dinner, take pictures if it’s blog worthy, down load pictures, edit ect… Write my post for the next day, answer e-mails than I go tot bed! Geez! It’s a lot of work blogging, but so rewarding!
Thanks for sharing your day with us, Katie! You are lucky to have a job you truly enjoy doing. I consider myself one of the lucky ones, too. I’m a collections manager for a natural history museum. I have the enviable job of taking care of over 100,000 objects ranging from taxidermy mounts to Catawba Indian pottery to butterfly specimens! It can be challenging but I learn something everyday!
Sounds like a fun job! With a nice perk of flexabiliy and yummy eats!
I would have never thought that “full-time blogging” would take the entire day. Of course, you have to eat, exercise, and socialize, so your schedule must be so rigid.
Do you ever have “vacation” days where you don’t blog? What do you do?
When you embark on new projects, do you think you will have someone help you manage your blog?
Keep at it Katie, your work is amazing!
There are days I don’t post, but I’m still answering questions and emails. If I don’t stay on top of that, it’d pile up too much.
I probably will need to get help at some point. I’m not sure how to go about that, but especially on the technical side I’m already getting close to the limit of how much I am able to manage with my limited knowledge in the area.
Hi Katie!
Thanks so much for this post 🙂 I love reading your blog, making your tasty recipes, tricking BF into thinking they are the ‘real deal’ ;), and changing them up to give it a twist of my own! I am currently in the works of starting my own blog (have been for years but finally decided to buckle down, stop worrying about it being PERFECT and in the words of Nike…JUST DO IT!)– I am a witer at heart, but sometimes to pay the bills you have to start working somewhere just to make ends meet. JUST freelancing for a newspaper wasn’t and option for me. While I do love my busy, busy corporate office job, I felt like I was losing a part of myself by not doing what I love every day. You are truly an inspiration my dear! I know you are super busy, but I would LOVE to get your advice sometime once my blog is ready to be published 🙂
Best,
Ashley
Congratulations on all of your success! I discovered your site through the skinnytaste post a while back…I think it was brownie batter pancakes? I love sending friends to your site as I have several that are on gluten free diets and many of your recipes fit that. And I love making treats for my kids (I have a 18 month old and 3 year old) that are not so full of sugar and artificial ingredients…they don’t know the difference. 😉