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
By day, I’m a full-time computer programmer at a small college. By night, I’m a reluctant grad student and single mother of two pre-teen daughters (which means I’m also the chef, the maid, the tutor, the chauffeur, the carpenter, the plumber, the electrician, the coach, the cheerleader, and the money tree. Every day is an adventure! Whee!
I really enjoyed this post. I recently started working from home and have been having trouble adjusting so it was very interesting to see how you schedule your day. For me, it can be tempting to never leave the house, especially if the weather is bad! I like how you go for a lunchtime walk with or without the dogs. I may try something similar. I also think it’s important to have an active social life when you are working from home since you don’t interact with coworkers. Having friends over every night seems perfect!
Wow that sounds busy… I am a mum of 3 (4, 2 yrs & 3 months old). I have a keen interest for creating recipes & wanted to start a blog but my goodness I don’t have too much time with my little family just 5-10 min here and there, & before and after there asleep. Do you have any tips or advice on starting out, or am I crazy to consider embarking on such a time consuming thing at this time in my life. I know your busy but your comments would be invaluable.
Thankyou so very much from all the way over here in Queensland Australia.
Oh my. Peach Cinnamon Coffee Cake? I hope that was a success and will be posted soon. 🙂 I’m not vegan or even vegetarian, but love trying your recipes. This weekend I’m planning on surprising my family with Banana Bread Doughnuts. 🙂
My job is a stay-at-home mom. Not an easy job, but very rewarding.
I am so thrilled that blogging is your full-time job….that means lots of posts and you do such an amazing job commenting! I agree with a lot of the comments, we love hearing about you, but what first attracted me to your blog (reading the entries and not just skipping to the recipes) is that you don’t come off too narcissistic like a lot of bloggers do!
My job is a high school teacher for students with learning disabilities and behavior problems. Hard and not often as rewards as I like, but I love my kids. They love hearing about veganism!
In 2 years, I’ll plan to quit and focus on starting a family. I’d also really like to use my Certified Personal Trainer license and start my own fitness / nutrition business….just dreams for now!
Aw my mom is a high school special ed teacher too! I think people like you (and her) are saints. Thank you for being so wonderful :).
I work at a department of defense run military clothing store. It’s not a dream job, but the company is decent enough and I’m in management training. Still, I miss my barn manager days.
Ugh, I love that you did this post but I hate that you might have felt the need to write this post… If you know what I mean. My boyfriend doesn’t understand how busy I usually am during the day. It’s so frustrating, let alone having to explain it to hate-readers. I love that you make recipes a few times before publishing them and I love making them 🙂 I also appreciate how you include versions your readers tried. Keep up the awesome work! Honestly, in regards to the income, I think that is something you should keep to yourself more or less 🙂 There has to be some mystery in it right? Lastly, I couldn’t stand working from home so much, although like you, you kinda need to sometimes especially when you are in the kitchen so much! I now rent space at a shared office space type place and LOVE it. If you get sick of being at home all the time, consider it! It was life changing.
I really love that idea, and I’ve thought about it! I’m just wondering if they have offices with test kitchens 😕
I should rent space next to you, and we could be coworkers! But then we’d probably never get anything done…
I love your day! Thanks for breaking it down for us to see!
SO COOL that you get to do what you love for a living. I love my part-time job, but NOT my full-time job. I’m working on a way to figure out how to make that part-time gig full time and ditch the other job. Life is too short to spend all day in a crappy job.
What a great post! It’s so interesting to hear what full time bloggers days are like and I don’t know how anyone could say it’s not a real job. It totally is and you guys work your butts off- it just so happens that what you are doing is awesome and fun! (And delicious in your case!)
Great post Katie!! I often wonder how you get a post out with a new recipe everyday – it’s because you never stop!
I work full time in sales/project management for my family’s commercial flooring company, however, I recently enrolled in the Institute for Integrative Nutrition with hopes to be a health coach in the near future. I also blog (only about 3 times a week) and I find that it takes up a lot of time, so I’m hoping to get sponsored in the near future (since more and more people are reading it now!). My hopes are to be a health coach, recipe developer/blogger, and still work for the family business part time!
I love your blog, your energy, your creativity. I find it very inspiring! Thank you for writing today’s post and for all of your delicious recipes. Keep up the great work!