I was excited when my partner HarperCollins the publishers of Goodnight Moon of asked me to share their previously unpublished book release from Margaret Wise Brown, Good Day, Good Night because we enjoyed Goodnight Moon so much. You all know our family loves to read and this new book is so sweet. This book release created the perfect opportunity for me to share “A Day in The Life of a Blogger with a 19 month old!” I often get asked how my schedule works or if I have a sitter for Finn while the girls are at school and I need to get my work done. The answer is no, not right now. I worked outside of the home with both of my daughters, so I am enjoying this time to be here with Finn Believe me it is not always easy and somedays I am up really late working because Finn wanted more attention or didn’t nap well and that’s ok! Because he is my priority. So today I wanted to share my secret…and it starts with NAPS along with a good children’s book and a schedule that helps me get it all done. Here is a typical day for us!
7:00 am- Good Day!
I try really hard to get up BEFORE the kids. Most of the time that is 6 am. I just feel better, more productive if I can wake up- say my prayers, make my bed, put my makeup on and get dressed. Finn wakes up like clock work about 6:45 or 7 am every morning. The girls set their own alarm and wake up about 7:30. They make their beds, get dressed and come down for breakfast and finish packing lunches.
9:00 am-
We wave goodbye and send the girls off on the bus about 8:45. This is when we pull out the books and do “snuggle time” with Finn. Honestly one of my favorite parts of the day. Finn LOVES books. I have found the more consistent I am with Finn’s routine the better he naps. I say to him its “snuggle time” and he goes and grabs this blanket and hops up on the rocking chair. We really love Good Day, Good Night. It shares the same soothing word pattern as Goodnight Moon as the title bunny says “Good Day” and “Good Night” to everything around him. Perfect clue for a 19 month old that it is time for rest. Also I swear by black-out shades and a sound machine along with books. If you don’t know what gift to give a child- give them books!!
9:30 am-
After I put Finn to nap. This is my time. I typically check my blog post for the day then share it to Facebook, Instagram and Instagram Stories. Then I try to get my blog post written or take pictures for the next day. I have to be disciplined with my time. I would like to just scroll through social media for ideas or answer all my emails. But I ask myself “What is the most important thing I have to do before the day is over?” and I do that first and while the 19 month old sleeps!
12:00 pm-
Finn naps for about two hours every morning. So after he wakes up we get shoes on and go outside in the backyard for a little play time before lunch. We typically eat lunch at home. While he eats I eat too and do a little more work. After lunch we head back outside, to the beach playground, park or on a bike ride!
2:00 pm-
Luckily my Finn, 19 month old boy still takes two naps. If he doesn’t dinner time and evening is rough around here! So we head back into his room, close the black-out shades, turn on the ocean sound machine and read another book. While Finn naps I wrap up my work for the day and get dinner ready.
4:00 pm-
This is when it gets crazy! The girls get home and unload their back-packs and lunches from the day. Then they have a snack because you know they are “starrrrrrving”. Finn sits in his high-chair and has a snack too while we immediately work on homework. After that it is off to soccer, piano or cheer. And there is always a little time for play…
5:00 pm-
I have been going to a gym class at 5:30 pm because Kevin leaves early for work. I have to say I really enjoy that “me” time (a lot)! I go to a crossfit gym and generally those are very social gyms. I get to talk to other adults while having a really great workout. The kids eat dinner before I get home or I sit down with them at 5 before I leave. We really value that family dinner time. So it has been tricky with me going to the gym at nights. Often Kevin waits for me and I eat dinner with him when I get home from the gym and the kids are ready for a bedtime snack so they sit with us at the table and we read our scriptures then or the girls will take Finn and read books to him (best thing ever!) Lola my 6 year old really likes to read Finn Good Day, Good Night, a perfect book for her age. She loves the illustrations by Loren Long the most. You can get a peek at them by watching the adorable book trailer!
8:00 pm- Good Night!
Another sacred and favorite time if I am honest! Bedtime! Finn goes to sleep between 7-7:30 every night. We do the SAME routine as the naps our “snuggle time”. We read about one book, our favorite is Goodnight Moon (I have it memorized:)!) “Goodnight room, goodnight moon. Goodnight clocks, goodnight socks”. Margaret Wise Brown’s fun wordplay and Clement Hurd’s classic illustrations make for such a good way to teach kids words and things in their room. A new padded board book version just released which fits so perfectly in little hands. I rock him for a few minutes, just because I love it and never want this to end. Then I lay him down, still awake and he puts himself to sleep. He sleeps all through the night. The girls go to sleep about 8:30 and Kevin usually tucks them into bed. I straighten up the house for the next day and then I work for a couple more hours on my blog, social media and answering emails while Kevin and I watch a show on Netflix!
You can ENTER TO WIN some of our favorite books! (CLOSED, WINNER PICKED IN COMMENTS BELOW).
Leave a comment below just say “Hi” or tell me who you want these books for!
One (1) winner will receive-
- Copies of Good Day, Good Night and Goodnight Moon
- Good Day, Good Night– themed event kit
- Branded bunny rattle provided by KidsPreferred.
Giveaway open to US addresses only. Prizing provided by HarperCollins and KidsPreferred.
Book Details-
Good Day, Good Night
By Margaret Wise Brown, Illustrated by Loren Long
Recommended for ages 4- 8
Goodnight Moon
By Margaret Wise Brown, Illustrated by Clement Hurd
New padded board book edition released June 6, 2017
Recommended for ages 0- 4
You can watch the Good Day, Good Night Book Trailer HERE
Learn more about Good Day, Good Night on HarperCollins.com
Learn more about the new edition of Goodnight Moon on HarperCollins.com
Follow the official Goodnight Moon Facebook page
Follow HarperCollins Children’s Books on Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
my granddaughter Harper who lives too far away going to visit Friday
yay!! She would love these books:) have fun with her!
Oh my 15 month old daughter LOVES books! I am a teacher and so is my husband. We feel it is so important to read with and to your little ones. Thank you for sharing your day. I love my stay at home time during the summer (even though I am not working like you are.) 🙂
I love that! And I bet you love your summer off!!
My kids (& me too!) are huge book lovers. These would be perfect for the toddlers! We read our first copy of Goodnight Moon until it was in shreds. Definitely a classic!
yay!! You would love the new book!
I love this post! Seeing your cozy home and reading about your day with little ones is so much fun. My kids are all grown up (18 and 20), and I miss those days so much. Goodnight Moon was definitely one of our favorite bedtime books for many years! I would love to win these new books for my nieces and nephews, as they are much younger than my kids. I now have a little “child’s cabinet” in our family room, just for those special books and toys I’ve saved from my own kids. For now they’re saved for visitors, and someday maybe I’ll have grandchildren (!!!) who love peeking into that special cupboard.
I love that you shared your routine with everyone! It helps hearing what other people do throughout the day that have children. I try to stick to a schedule but my 18- month old daughter is not a good sleeper so that can make it difficult. Your tips for getting your little one to sleep are great so I’m going to definitely try them! Thanks again for this post I loved it!
Wow! I work from home two days a week, and the others I’m in the office. But the days I’m home – my day sounds very very similar to yours! I would love these books for my 2 year old daughter!
Love your site! I’m an “older” reader – over 65 but don’t have grandkids, but know my good friend who has her first grandson would love these books.
Love your blog!
My 7 year old daughter loves reading to my 9 month old daughter. It’s the sweetest sister time. They would love these books!
I read these books to my children…now I would read them to my grandkids when they come for a sleep over.
When my two were younger they loved Goodnight Moon. I’m hoping to have grandchildren at some point, so I’d love to get a copy of Good Day, Good Night. I love being a mom, and sometimes miss them being little. Enjoy your time with your kids…. they grow up fast!
Love Goodnight Moon- a classic! Would love to start a new library for my new grandson born this month!
I have a 19 month old boy as well and would love the Good day, Goodnight book! Also have two girls, a 3 year old and a 5 year old and another one on the way (due in 8 wks), so we love lots of books in our house!
Hello! I recently found your blog and it has quickly become my favorite! I love your cozy style.
I have two beautiful granddaughters who come to visit. I have many books from when my kids were little that I saved so we read together a lot. However, I don’t have Goodnight moon. How is that possible? It’s such a wonderful book!
Hi! Would love this for my 4 year old and 3 month old boys. We love to read and it’s part of our bedtime routine!
Hi!
I just love your blog! I have tried your pumpkin bread! We love it! And of course I love your design and specifically your news letter with asking a design question!
I do not have little kids any longer, but we have a special needs son named Landon (who just had his 28th birthday yesterday) who is as I always say”a little boy in a big boy body”. He loves Goodnight Moon still to this day, so these books would be great for him! He is a snuggler and we try to read to him at least twice a day and Goodnight Moon is always in there!!!
Thanks for your comment and entering to win!! You are the winner of the books! Can you please email me your address?
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My granddaughters love their books! Good Night Moon is a favorite, way back to my daughters, when they were little. I love your blog! Thank you for sharing your sweet life with all of us!
I love this post. It’s always fun to peek into the lives of someone else and see how they manage their family, home, and work. I love to read to my children too. It’s funny how certain books just become a favorite and connect to a child. I would give Goodnight Moon and the rattle to my newborn twin niece and nephew and I would have to keep Good Day, Good Night for my own 7 year old. Thank you for the chance to win these.
Loved your post! My baby boy loves books! We would love some new ones 🙂
Goodnight Moon was one of my favorites as a kid! And I’m also glad to know your son still takes two naps. My son is about the same age & still loves a morning nap though we push through it some days. Thanks for sharing these!
This was one of my favorite posts. My boys are all school age now and I still can’t seem to get everything done before school ends. Do you have other days when your house just has to be cleaned super well and other things have to take a back seat on that day? I don’t feel like my day was productive if I have “house” work left over at the end of the day. It’s so silly, but I’m trying to work on that.
That is a good question! I should have talked about cleaning etc.
So I do a load of laundry daily- my husband helps fold too!
Thankfully our house is small so I can clean it pretty quickly. I stay on top of cleaning bathrooms once a week and bigger cleaning like mopping and tubs probably every two weeks.
I don’t really obsess over that- I do like my house put back tougher nightly!
Hope that helps. And you are right, don’t let it get to you or ruin your day! xox
Just a comment – thank you for sharing your day and for including the spiritual routines in your day. So refreshing. Love your blog.
Both my daughters love to read. We read 2-3 books before every nap and bedtime. We have Goodnight Moon and I have to say… it’s in rough shape bc it’s been read so many times over the last 4 years! We would love Good Day, Good Night.
Hi! For my 3 month old! I’m obsessed with her and she seems to really enjoy story time ❤️
Good Night Moon is one of my faves, but would love to read the newest one to my niece and nephew!
The most adorable post! I love that you make your children a priority and also take the time to read & snuggle. I will keep this at my house for when my grandchildren come to visit.
Wow! I am just amazed at how much your little guy sleeps! Mine never slept that long at night plus two good naps….Not to say you don’t have a very busy day, but oh my goodness. I’m jealous!
I would love to win these books and I love your blog! I get so excited whenever there’s a new post in my inbox :).
I’d love the books for my15 month granddaughter. She loves to snuggle, too.
I would love to win these books for my son ?
HI!
I would love to have these books to read to my Granddaughter (my first grandchild), just born this month.
Wow – so interesting to read that you don’t actually eat dinner together as a family! I am a single mom and have alway tried to make a point of eating with my two boys each night. We always ate together as a family when I was a kid too – with both of my parents and my two siblings. When I was a kid I had no experience with parents eating separately from kids – is this how you grew up ? (I actually grew up in the town you live in!)
we actually eat together more nights than not- 4 out of 7 actually. And we typically always have and try to. But there is a season for everything. But with trying to workout (which is important to all of us) kids in soccer and dance we have to let it go a couple of nights. I grew up eating family dinner every night too, it is very important.
I l❤️ to see how your day goes and how you actually get things done. We have 4 young kids (soon to be 5 in January!) and I vow to be more scheduled so that this baby sleeps better as I try to juggle everything as a SAHM. We read a lot too & Goodnight Moon has always been a favorite here as well.
We love Goodnight Moon!! These books would be for my son, Ezra, who turns 2 November 3rd! Our nap time and bed time routine look about the same as yours and Finn’s!
Thanks for sharing.
How fun to learn more about your family! I have 4 kiddos ages 3-10 and my 8 yes old is the biggest bunny lover you will ever meet. These books would be so fun for all of them!!
Books, Books, Books how can we live without them. I am a Grandmother and a Nanny by trade. Since my grandkids do not live close by, it is imporatnat to me to give books as gifts, and write in the front cover a little note and say….Gamma misses you. I read to all my Nanny kids and it is always apart of the nght time routine, along with prayers of course. Goodnight Moon has always been a part of all my families library. Would love to have “Good Day Good Night to add to their collection.
This was great! Thanks so much for sharing. Where did you get the rocker in Finn’s room?
–Bianca
I talked about the rocker here- http://nestingwithgrace.com/nursery-how-to-paint-a-crib/
We’re building a library for our, much anticipated, first grandchild due in March. These books would be a great addition! Thank you for offering them. I so love visiting your blog to see what you are doing in your home as I grew up in a small cape cod in NJ and would have loved to do some of the things you are doing in yours to ours. I miss the coziness but do appreciate the space we have now. Keep creating!
We love Goodnight Moon!
I would love these books for my best friend’s grandbabies…her 2 daughters had babies a month apart…a boy and a girl:) I got to be there for the delivery of her granddaughter since her girls are my pretend daughters. I have 5 boys and no girls. So special!
I want to win for my son and daughter.