Personal little update
I just crawled into bed (yes its 8:15) after Brian made me dinner while I rambled on about how I just can’t seem to find enough time in the day. This week I shot some more Target videos and I made a conscious decision to work hard, get home in time to put Charlie to bed, then get sleep instead of writing the blog or emails so that I was fresh for the next day. But of course I didn’t mean to only put out two quality posts this week, certainly. So sorry. It’s my own fault for insisting on being the only one who writes it so the drafts just pile up (Brady preps all the posts with the pictures and links).
So check this out: I tried to find more time by waking up at 5am and working …
MY LATEST VIDEOS
It worked for a week and it was kinda magical. I turned into a morning person 5 years ago and now its truly when my brain does its best work. I poured a cup of coffee, sat by the fire with my laptop, wrote really good posts with a fresh brain and watched the sun rise. I had two full hours of alone work time before Charlie woke up, then I played with him til 9:30 and went to the office. Wonderful. I was really feeling on top of things. Sure, my social life was over because I was going to bed at 9, but I felt really in control of work and parenting and my social life resumed on the weekend. I got a full 4 1/2 hours with Charlie most days and I was churning out pretty good posts, if I do say so myself.
But then my adorable little son, Charlie, caught onto it. His spidey senses could just tell that someone was up partying, enjoying some free time without him. It’s as if I was watching Sesame Street while playing with Captain America and Thor and eating bowl after bowl of strawberries and toast (no one loves berries or bread more than Charlie Henderson). I could BARELY pour a cup of coffee when I’d hear him stirring and by the time I turned on the fire, so quietly, he was up talking to his animals. I only answered an email or two before he was yelling to get out. He started waking up earlier and earlier. First 6:45, then 6:30 then 6:15 then 5:30 and then I was just basically BABYSITTING at 5am instead of working OR sleeping. I realize that you aren’t supposed to say ‘babysitting’ when its your own child, but sometimes that’s just what it feels like. Especially at 5am.
So after a week of my failed experiment I was even more exhausted, and yet I got LESS done. It all back fired and it was terribly maddening. Sure, he was taking a much longer nap, but I wasn’t around during the day to capitalize on those hours. So I abandoned my new plan he started sleeping in later – with today getting back up to 7:30 again. THANK GOD. I needed the sleep anyway, what with my job being some hard-core hosting all day long.
But the blog kinda suffered this week. I just really didn’t want to squander a really good makeover post with some half assed brain dead writing. So next week we have a VERY full week: the final master bathroom of the Rustic California Spanish home, another personal/advice column, and The Fig House Bridal Suite (plus two more undecided – either a new client sneak peek, the book sneak peek or a ready-made frame roundup).
Speaking of sneak peek into the book – I got the dummy copy in the mail this week and it’s just SOOO exciting to finally see. It’s where the text and the images are finally laid out together and you can see how its working (and where the holes are). It’s not coming out til October but yes it is already on pre-sale without even a cover image because we are still sorting through the options.
The good news (well, there’s lots of good news) – we’ve hired an office manager and an in-house photographer. My photos are about to get better (fun gifs!!) and the office is about to get crazy organized. Welcome Jessica and Sara.
Hosting and shooting these videos is so exhilarating, challenging and yet totally second nature. It’s really a good testament that life just kinda takes you places you never knew you thought you wanted to go, but then as you get there you realize it’s where you were headed the whole time.
If anyone has any secrets regarding my extremely boring sleep/morning/baby issues, feel free to leave them in the comments. Waking up at 4am just seems insane (and i’m not convinced he would even sleep through that!) and staying up late to work doesn’t seem good for me in many ways. I’m debating putting noise canceling headphones on that child before he goes to bed … (I’m kidding, obviously).
Happy Friday. May your weekend be full of brunches, cuddles, Netflix marathons and sleep. Lots and lots of sleep. xx
Kids’ senses are (ridiculous) amazing. They know everything. 🙂 My only comment about that is that it’s really so temporary in the big scheme of life. Eventually, even if he gets up early, he’ll be self sufficient and won’t require much supervision and you can keep your feet up and keep sipping your coffee even during the awake hours.
I would just like to say, that I enjoy your blog no matter what (1st time commenter). I have no expectations for what you should and shouldn’t do. I’m just happy when I see new content because regardless of how often it is, it’s always GOOD. So, no fretting allowed.
Also–I have ONE question. You don’t have to answer, I know you’re busy. But, the entire world of the internet is very lacking in décor ideas for the windowless walls above a catty-corner bed. If you have any insight on this, I’d greatly appreciate it. I don’t particularly like to he look of catty-corner beds, but it’s the only way our bed works in our room w/ our other furniture. Pinterest doesn’t even help!
Ditto!
AH, thank you. also I need a pic of your place! I can’t really picture it. Email it through!
This too shall pass. So, just think of it as the current state, and try not to stress too much! In a few months his schedule and need for attention will shift and it will all change anyway. I check your blog a couple times a day to see if there is a new post, and if not, I just wait until tomorrow. Your readers will understand that you are busy today and that we can look forward to something good tomorrow or the next day. Don’t let the guilt of a new blog post interrupt the time with your son. We are all here for you (and I assume a lot of us are moms too). We got you!
PS. Don’t be worried to let your team write a couple posts. Brady made me laugh and I am sure your other team members are as delightful as you! You attract good people, after all you brought us the joy that is Orlando.
PPS. Thanks for the honestly. Makes me love this blog more!
I’ll second this.
I third that! Orlando is hilarious and I loved those “behind the scenes” posts that Brady did awhile back.
And I also support what everyone else is saying about this phase passing. Moms just can’t be 100% “exactly how we want to be” at everything at once, unfortunately.
Preach it, Amber, Beth and Jenna! I am childless 26 year old but I can’t deal when my cat wakes me up 10 minutes before my alarm to be fed. I can’t imagine the rigors of child-rearing, being a bad ass in business, and having a husband and social life. Keep on, keepin on! I’d rather you take more breathers than burn out like YHL (literally still crying about that). Take your time, don’t worry about us too much, we’ll live. I promise.
OOOH..me too Elyse. I don’t want to hijack the comments and turn them into something about YHL, but that was SUCH a bummer (I try SO HARD to not use the outdated bummer. But for real, there’s no better word. )
I agree with all of this! Please take this time with Charlie and don’t worry about us. I also agree to not be afraid to let your team write every now and then.
Is it selfish to say I adore your posts and actually love that your team does not like it? Another design blog I frequent is generally well-done and while I am SURE their whole team is kick-ass, I really only read the posts by the main gal and skip when it’s published by her “studio” simply because I don’t find them as good. That being said, I have noticed how frequent you have been posting after the reader survey and would just like to say i would love your blog NO less even if your posts were less frequent than they have been of late. Because every post you write is so wonderfully written and quality – frequency for me is never an issue so long as you write it. Please do not take this the wrong way!
Sleep problems are real. I have a 3 yr old (just graduated to a big boy bed) and a 9 month old (who all of a sudden thinks that my bed is his bed) and we are struggling. BUT…one thing that helps a lot for me (and I have used every since newborn-hood) is a white noise machine (a low hum/or shhh sound). Do you have one in Charlie’s room? If you already do, then disregard, but that could help to dull the sound of the coffee perking or the logs crackling 😉 Happy Friday!
this was going to be my suggestion too! my husband and i lived in a studio until our girl was 13 months. she was sleeping in a closet with curtains and basically no sound barrier. we downloaded a white noise app on our ipad and it was KEY to our sanity. we’re now in a 2 bedroom but it’s still under 900 sq ft and her room is right off the kitchen. the ipad is now basically the world’s most expensive white noise machine, but it does the trick.
i’m a night owl but i force myself to work 8-4, have baby time from 4:30-8:30 (late bedtime for baby but to us spending more time together is more important, and then she sleeps in till 8), then allow myself 1 extra hour to get lingering work done and focus the rest of my time on hanging out with the hubs. it doesn’t always work out that perfectly, but it’s the goal!
Yep, this was my suggestion, too. Our 1-year-old is in a crib in our bedroom and not a great sleeper. There’s a “sleep” setting on my alarm clock that I hit when I’m putting him to bed. It only lasts an hour but it does the trick. If he stirs in the middle of the night and seems like he’s starting to wake up, I turn it on again and he usually goes back to sleep. It was a struggle for a while, but now that sound (it’s an ocean waves sound) puts him to sleep almost instantly.
As far as your posts, don’t sweat it. I read you on a blog reader, so when a post comes up I read it. It takes quite a hiatus before I’ll even notice a blog hasn’t been posting. Don’t get me wrong, I love all your posts, I just know people have lives and need time to actually DO stuff to make content. I’d be just fine with one or two posts a week as long as they were good quality posts.
We do have a sound machine. AND I put a towel under his door. Old houses just creak!!
I don’t have kids yet, although we’re talking about it, so I can’t give much insight on what helps. Hope for the best?
YOUR BOOK – can I just say how incredibly excited I am for it. This little sneak peek looks fab (can’t say I’m surprised)!
Sigh, I feel you…somehow they always know when you’re trying to have some time to yourself!!! Now that he’s back to sleeping til 730 maybe get a one cup coffee maker for your bedroom and skip the fire and work in there?! (Poor hubby though!) maybe you can trick him by never cracking your bedroom door:) good luck though, munchkins have unbelievable radar!!!!
Ha. I thought about it. I was like ‘maybe i could put the coffee maker in the bedroom and just work from my laptop in the dark?’. But that just seems INSANE. Also I forgot to mention its also the cats fault. The second I get up they start meowing for food and even if I feed them IMMEDIATELY they make enough noise. We’ve tried switching their food to dry food or even putting it on a timer – but then it broke. That’s it, I’m buying a new cat food timer and i’m going to start doing that again.
We have a loud meower and she got worse when she became hyperthyroid. That’s corrected now but she already got into the habit of begging for food to the point that I felt bad for guests in the morning who were staying over because she wouldn’t shut up, literally for a full half hour or more, even if we hadn’t gotten up yet. I also tried putting the dry food on a timed feeder but she still begs for the wet food. (And for her own health I don’t want her on dry food only.) What finally worked was switching to feeding the wet food at night. It took a few weeks, but she eventually figured out the new routine and now she might make a small meow when I get up but often there’s no meow at all. Now she does beg when I get home (working on that), but it’s much less annoying when everyone is already awake.
Yeah, you MUST get sleep– without enough of it, seems like everything suffers. I’m sad that you felt the need to write this post– that we readers have become so demanding that you felt as though you needed to. Life throws us all kinds of interesting curveballs and we manage them as best we can. I personally think it should be ok (without the need for explanations) for you to have some lighter post weeks from time to time. You do so much, you are so generous with your posts, and to your readers. There’s got to be a balance and we readers need to remember that. Thank you for all of the inspiration! I wish you could see all the cool projects I’ve done in my house, inspired by you!! Keep the faith– it gets easier as the kiddos get older. O, and I totally pre-ordered your book! Yeah!!
Thank you 🙂 And I want to see those projects!! I was thinking about starting a series where people submit photos of their house if it was inspired by a post or something. Or maybe we send a photographer … dunno, but I think it could be a great series. xx
Second this!! oh, and love your honesty and willingness to get real with your readers.
Thought I would third this, given my name is lex too, and this part of the comments really resonated, and I’m upstairs at 5am (mid-first pregnancy) escaping my dog howling for breakfast…planning the further parts of my EH inspired house decor makeover.
I’m not experienced in putting together blogposts, but perhaps this could take some of the onus off you to create them Emily? Though appreciate photography might not be to the standard you’d like. London light is also sadly nowhere near as brilliant as LA…
Personal posts keep you human. Thank you for sharing, and good luck with the snoozing. xoxox
PS THANK YOU for all of the amazing inspiration. From a silent reader first time commenter (I think)
If you don’t have one already I might suggest a white noise machine in Charlie’s room. Also that picture of him in blue made me melt! That belly is so cute I want to munch on it!! He’s getting so big so fast, I love when you share Charlie updates along with your other fabulousness.
Book: Please don’t put captions or wording on top of the actual pictures! I like photos in all of their simple glory, and my friends and I don’t buy books in which there is writing over those magical images.
Sleep: I have a five year old, and I have yet to have a full night’s sleep. Spidy-sense is right! Those little ones just KNOW.
May the force be with you.
Ha. There are VERY little captions over photos. It’s a pet peeve of mine, too. I think you’ll be happy 🙂 xx
No kids here, so can’t really help you with any insights, I can only say it is so nice that you are always so honest and open with your readers.
And that I think most of your readers more than understand if every once in a while there are less posts.
Your blog is just so good and I think we have such high expectations of you. I know almost no other blogs with the same quantity and quality of posts. I (like many other people) check your blog at least daily and am sad to see if there’s no new content up, and I can imagine that must create some kind of pressure from time to time. We’re being spoiled, and at the same time you and the team are doing all the design work and you write a book…And then you have your family! Madness!
So I just wanted to tell you that I so appreciate what you do, your blog is my happy place where I can virtually get away for a moment. Thanks for that! x
I wholeheartedly second every word of this comment! You’re fantastic Emily and if I have to wait a month for one of your wonderfully honest and informative posts then I’ll do so silently. ::whispers:: But don’t make me wait that long ;]
THANK YOU so much you guys. Thank you. xx
It sounds like you could probably get away with your 5am wake ups once or twice a week, without him catching on. Unfortunately that means your schedule is a bit in flux, but if it doesn’t bother you too much, you’ll get back 4-5 golden morning hours per week. Good luck!
What was the trick to becoming a morning person? I made it my personal mission last year, waking up at 6 to get personal work done before business work at 9, but old man winter (who isn’t nearly as cute as Charlie Henderson) threw a big wrench in my plans. it’s so cold and dark here that I’m losing the “will she, or won’t she get out of bed” battle more times than not. Any tips for the snoozers of the world??
east coast emails. That was the trick. It was after DesignStar and when I started the blog and If i slept past 9am I would have sooo many emails to wake up to that I had really bad anxiety. Plus it was before I wrote and scheduled the posts at night and often would write them fresh in the mornings with the gaol of being published by 8 or 9am. So basically its because of work. But maybe i was one the whole time. Its never been that hard for me to get out of bed, but I certainly had to train myself a bit. xx
I had a friend suggest that I set a second alarm outside the bedroom, for 5 minutes after the bedside alarm. This totally worked. It especially worked for me because I seem to be externally motivated and I didn’t want to wake my husband with the second alarm, so I HAD to get up and go turn it off. But the 5 minutes gives me a couple of minutes to wake a little more before actually getting out of bed. She also suggested investing in one of those wakeup lights, and I hesitated at the price but ultimately went for it, and it is REALLY helpful in the cold dark winter mornings! (It’s also lovely to wake to chirping bird noises instead of a beep or even the radio, which can sometimes be startling.)
I’ve got the light alarm too and love it, but feel like i need another push. The second outside alarm sounds like a great idea – thanks Vivian! And thank you, Emily! Work is definitely a strong motivator. I think my problem is that I let my personal work slip down the list of priorities. Time to make some adjustments! x
Just want to say I’d rather have fewer well thought out posts, rather than 5 or 7 crappy quick “filler” posts. I come here for content, but more than that, I keep coming back for your “voice”, so if that goes, I’d feel less inclined to keep reading. Keep up the good work, and don’t stress out if one thing goes so that you can keep doing another.
Thank you. That’s why I didn’t post any random roundups – I thought about it, I did. But I figured I’d just not spend the effort and just sleep. NExt WEEK!!
My kid was a horrible sleeper – as in he just didn’t – so I wouldn’t even presume to give advice.
I do love your blog and can’t wait for your book.
Happy sleeping.
Ursula
P.S. Charlie is so darling. Is he a Brian clone or what? Although I definitely see some of you in there. Love the pics!
i would love to see a ready-made frame round up, particularly large frames which I find hard to find good frames and matting. Love the blog
Your best post yet! I totally get it. I think everyone reading this- gets it! I lived this exact life… until I got really sick… it forced me to take care of myself. #1 sleep is a priority. I will never go back. My biggest advice- take care of yourself! Everything else will fall right into place. Wish I had known this!
Thank you. Will do. It’s friday night and I’m in bed already and can’t WAIT to watch a little TV before I pass out at 9pm. 🙂
Hey Emily!
I love your blog and your honest tone! I’m also a working mom and relate to this 100% One thing I ask is–no apologetic tone!!!! You don’t owe me posts! I’m so glad when I see them, and the quality is always good, always something interesting for me to ponder on in my own home! You don’t need to apologize (i think) at all these weeks that don’t go perfectly!!! And I relate to the morning thing! I started going to a gym class at 6am in Jan. The first two weeks were amazing, I was done, home and got to shower in a silent house while everyone slept until the usual 7.30am. Two months later? I get home from the gym at 7am this morning and am greeted by my 4 year old who has already been up long enough to tell me that she held the cat (not allowed) and he scratched her but it didn’t hurt! LOL The only one still sleeping in is the hubs 🙂 Anyways, you’re doing awesome! Love to hear about the struggle-but I hope you never feel guilty for putting your work, family or sanity first!!!!!
I totally agree with this comment from Sarah. As a working mom who is always trying to find time to get in some more work/exercise time without sacrificing the time with the kids, I completely identify with everything that you said. So many of your readers will understand where you are coming from. And, it apparently doesn’t matter when you try to work out — I recently started going to a class after they go to bed, and though we haven’t had issues with this in the past, they are still awake waiting for me when I get home. Argh! I appreciate your honesty, and think that all of talking about the juggle actually makes it easier, somehow — at least knowing that we’re not alone in having a hard time figuring out how to do the juggle in a way that works for our families!
OMG aint it the truth!! They just LOVE YOU SO MUCH. My son is 10 and he still wakes up when I do, kind of in 2 week cycles … 2 weeks on 2 weeks off. But you know, he will be pushing me away so soon … just gotta embrace it while you have it. It’s hard!
Dude, you’re a new mom with a very young child and an already established career. Cut back a bit! We’ll all survive with fewer posts and keep coming back for more. Manhatten Nest posts once or twice a week and I always get a thrill out of “finally” getting a post from him. And, he doesn’t have half the demanding lifestyle that you have. Take time with your kiddo and be in the best shape (sleep & health-wise) for him that you can. He’s going to be little for such a short time.
Agreed. I’m delurking finally to say, please don’t burn out. I love love love your blog (and Manhattan Nest too, hi Sarah!) but don’t want you to feel that you have to apologize to us for not posting. Like, I feel bad because you are putting out such high quality content All The Time and have so many other obligations, and yet still find time for keeping us happy here on the blog. It’s uncomfortable to be that audience you’re trying to appease, knowing that you’re working on no sleep or waking up at some god-awful hour to make it happen.
My advice is, don’t feel like you have to please us. We’ll survive on fewer posts. Put yourself, and your family, and your business, first! The blog and readers will still be here.
xo
Thank you. I will not burn out, I promise. and I’ll try to be less apologetic – clearly its more about disappointing myself than you guys. xx
White noise machine! Sure, he will become dependent on it and you’ll have to take it everywhere, but it is a lifesaver. Because we can take it with us, it becomes a constant for Hugo’s routine, and he sleeps ANYWHERE. We crank it up and he sleeps through everything (we have a modern, open house like yours and they are great but noisy).
Maybe I need a louder one 🙂 I think he’s like me and just gets excited to start the day. Most of the time he’s just in there smiling and kicking his legs with the ‘what are we going to do today’ look on his face. Its ADORABLE at 7:45, but at 5am that same look just seems psychopathic 🙂
As a mother of a 3 and a 10 year old who still hasn’t figured out how to fit in working full time, working out, doing errands, making dinner (my hubby and I take turns cooking!), doing laundry (even though m nanny does the kids laundry), doing just fun stuff for myself like seeing a movie with a friend, plus of course the most important thing having real fun quality time with the hubby and kids. Some weeks I’ll be great at one but the others suffer just like you experienced with the blog posts. That’s just how it is as a working mom and you can’t beat yourself up about it! You’re doing great! Love the blog and check daily- if there is not a new post I’ll still keep checking! Just pre-ordered your book- so excited for October now!
AH, thanks Stef. Honestly thanks for making time to read the blog 🙂 AND ORDERING THAT BOOK. THANK YOU. xx
I love reading your blog because of the well-thought out and meaty posts, not because of the frequency. As a working mom with a 4 year old and 1 year old I understand the frustration. You decide to get up at 5am, against everything in your nature, to have a little alone time and you can’t even get that at 5am! I used to get up at 5am to workout and crash at 9pm barely even speaking to my hubby. Now, I just sleep. Things do change, however. I am often shocked at how self-sufficient my 4 year old is. I often think about writing a child development book with the things parents really care about but don’t want to admit (i.e.at 5 they can pour their own cereal, get up and turn on the tv in the morning so you get an extra 30 minutes of sleep, at 4 they will play by themselves for 20 minutes while you make dinner…). Love the blog, your designs, but also your honesty about parenthood.
Thank you. And I would love those little tidbits about what kids can do at certain ages, for sure. xx
I must say I don’t have kids and I can sleep how late or wake up when I want (except for in the week, otherwise I could get fired…maybe that a good thing, but that’s another story). But it’s so great that you get the time to “apologize” to us for skipping a few days. Like c’mon..your blog rocks and if we need inspiration, we can go back a few posts (that’s what I do). So feel free to rest as much as you need and after all, family does come first. That’s why I’m showing you some blog love today on my blog. check it out here:http://jenpluspenequalsjenpen.blogspot.com/2015/03/fwa-bloglove.html Have a great weekend 🙂
P.S congrats on the book btw 🙂
Thank you. And I would love those little tidbits about what kids can do at certain ages, for sure. xx
I recall thinking this week, “Her posts are SO high quality, such good stuff, HOW does she do it?” I didn’t keep track of whether you posted or not each day, I just knew when there was a new one, it was good.” So, good call to focus on quality rather than quantity. Don’t stress. You rock!
You can give white noise a try without a special machine. I learned this with business travel. A hotel room near light rail drove me to it! You can download white noise tracks just like music. My downloads are by Hushaboo.
Emily, I am also a designer with now older kids. When they were little it was difficult to put a full day’s work in. Our job not only requires concrete work but mental space for creativity.
Your blog is great, I anxiously await new posts. But if that’s only a few times a week, it’s ok. Time spent with Charlie is special…..I’m willing to share you:)
Is that a photo of Brian you and Charlie are holding? There is an older time feel about it which is why I decided it wasn’t Charlie. Loved the photo and your comment on Instagram this week.
Glad you could hire some help and that you realize what a load can be taken over by an ‘office manager’ person.
So excited your book is at the pre-order stage (it’s ordered) congratulations.
This happened with me and working out (2.5 year old, 8 month old). I tried to get up an hour before them to start working out again (haven’t done it much since my daughter was born)…and within a week, they both were waking up earlier with me, and I was pausing my video every few minutes to move a baby/make breakfast for toddler/etc. These kids are onto us.
Oh boy. My little boy was an early riser and it sucked. We joke that he is part rooster. Even at 10, he’s still up early.
I tried the “get up early and get it all done” route a few weeks ago too. I am a SAHM homeschooling mom to two, so I thought it’s be great. And I am a morning person. But I would just sit there staring into space for the first hour and then ended up going to bed at 9. It was similar to what you describe here. A total bust.
So now I get up at 6:30 like a DECENT human being. 😉
And no worries about the blog. I mean, you have a life. Take care of yourself!
Emily! You don’t need to apologize for skipping a day or two of posting! Your blog is still sooo good and I really don’t think people are put off when you do. You are so genuine and super talented, we’ll still visit on a ‘blank’ day (at least I do:))
Thanks for your honesty though, and love to super-cute Charlie!
PS: I can’t wait to buy your book!
My boy is 14 months and this is the story of my life. I feel for you.
Emily! You are doing awesome. Two posts of high quality, great content is nothing to apologize for. We’re all different and capable of different things. So, all that to say…
1. I don’t know everything. I also have three kids four and younger.
2. They, without fail, wake up when I wake up early. I like to wake up at 4:30 to workout and have me time, read bible, etc.
3. I don’t have a full time job besides my kids, and I can’t find time in the day to do a fraction of what you do.
I want to know the answer to this sleep nonsense too. We resort to just putting them back in bed until they realize they aren’t allowed to get up. Takes a few days. When my husband was in grad school and working full time my oldest woke up at 4:30 to hang out with his dad. That was… special. Can a better parent than I, in their wisdom, solve this for us all??
Book ordered.
It’s been said but I’ll say it again…white noise machine! I don’t know if it’d be hard to introduce now since we’ve used ours since newborn-hood. But it’d be worth a try if you wanted to give the early bird routine another go!
Emily, I totally appreciate your honesty and sincerity. 2 awesome posts per week is much better than 5 half-assed ones. Do you know why you don’t have much time to blog? BECAUSE YOU’RE BUSY ACTUALLY DOING WHAT YOU LOVE AND MAKING A CAREER OUT OF IT. And that’s something to be proud of.
Also: THAT BELLY ON CHARLIE. Love love love.
APPARENTLY I’M REALLY INTO INTERNET SHOUTING TODAY. I think it’s time for the weekend. Hope you have a restful one! xox
I’ve been up since 4:30am (after a midnight pump sesh) with my 3 month old, and I can barely remember my name much less hold down a job. Give yourself a break (and a hand!) for even attempting to “do it all”. And as a wise woman recently told me, “just because it’s really hard, doesn’t mean you’re not doing a good job”. It’s my new motto.
I don’t have any ideas, but if it helps, I’m staring at what should be a marathon-work-weekend (after a marathon-work-week) and trying to figure out how the whole husband-&-two-toddlers-thing is going to go. Ay yay. But I don’t have to do that all the time, and finding schedules that work (mostly) for everybody is legit hard.
If it’s any consolation/hope, my #2 is a much sounder sleeper 🙂
As a mom, and now a grandma, I have had some experience with little ones. Now is the time to enjoy Charlie! Being a mom and running your business are more important that blog posts. Even though I know that the blog is a part of your business. I would rather see fewer blog posts than have you collapse and have to give up blogging all together.
You’re doing good Emily and you will get it figured out. The problem is that as soon as you get things going good – Charlie will change and you’ll have to figure them out all over again!
Did you do any sort of sleep training for bedtime? You could just do the same thing in the am. You know, go in to his room, don’t pick him up and gently remind him it’s time to be sleeping. Let him cry for 10 minutes and do again until he gets it. Of course, stressing out about your crying baby does not make for a productive pre-sunrise morning. Maybe you stop being such a fun mom and he won’t care that you’re awake? 😉
Hi Emily-
Like everyone else, I don’t mind waiting for a post. But to get a quick post out there, I wouldn’t mind seeing a good one from your archives. I don’t have time to scroll through the blog history so I’m sure I’ve missed some good ones, along with many other readers. Maybe you could tell us how your thinking has changed since the original post or give us some new insight about the project? Great post as always!
Going to chime in with others to say that we love your blog, love your content and feel like we love you, even though we don’t really know you. Some weeks are just like that, best laid plans and all.
Don’t apologize!! Your content is THE BEST out there. Don’t burn out to please the 24 hour news (blog) cycle and us clickers!! The content has been so amazing in the last couple weeks, sometimes you even need to give the readers a break and time to go back and look at the amazingness!! 🙂 🙂
Totally relate to kids having a 6th sense about when mom & dad are up! You may already use this, but this noise machine has been a life saver for us ( family of four, including twins!) http://www.amazon.com/Marpac-DOHM-DS-Natural-actual-Machine/dp/B000KUHFGM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1425666479&sr=8-2&keywords=noise+machine
*should read, family with 4 children, including twins! : )
Look at that sweet little face and belly. He’s a cutie. Well done.
Babes who decide to not sleep can make a mamma crazy.. Hear you! Have you tried a noise machine in his room. It’s been a lifesaver for my 3. If they are used to a noise machine they will sleep anywhere if it’s there. We have had parties and they just snooze through. Good luck!
Hey, Superwoman, be kind to yourself!!!!
Oh man, I can so feel your pain with Charlie! My 3 1/2 year old did the same thing!! I was losing my mind…no one needs to be up at 5 am with a toddler, regardless of how cute and how much you love them, 5 am is not okay!
Few things that we did that worked…noise machine or a noisy fan, we moved the kurig maker to a different countertop, and closed her door. I actually went in her room and had my husband do our normal morning routine to see what she could hear. The kurig shocked me!!
Also, we’re the only ones out of a large group of friends that this didn’t work for, but all of my friends suggested the “okay to wake” clocks. Do a search for that on Amazon. They’re not cheap, but I’d pay $40 for sleep anytime! The clock turns green when it’s okay to wake up. You can leave it off or red when it’s not okay. So the idea is that the child sees the clock red or off and goes back to sleep. I know at least 10 kids that this has worked for. My daughter just stared at the clock all night long until it turned green in the morning. She’s pretty stubborn though!
Best of luck figuring it out! Hope you get sleep soon! And your blog posts are always amazing, heavy or light, 1 a week or 5…just love your fresh perspective and honest and humerous tone. Thanks!
Noise canceling headphones might be a joke, but white noise isn’t! We lived with our two children in a small apartment in NYC for years and a small Vornado fan in their room saved our sanity — and our nighttime TV watching/early morning Jillian Michaels grunting. Good luck!
The thing about having babies is that whenever you think you have things figured out, they throw you for another loop.
I have a 7 month old and sometimes feel like she knows me better than my husband! She can pick up on my mood even when I can’t. Kids are amazing. As for the blog posts, I’m sure this isn’t what you want to hear but I’d actually prefer less content because I could spend more time with your posts. I find that your blog posts stack up in my feed because I just can’t get to them all. 1 or 2 posts a week would be more than enough in my opinion. I felt the same way about YHL too so maybe it’s just me.
Yes! I just recently started reading your blog and have been astounded at your output. I get behind and end up trying to read three in one day–and with comments, that’s a lot. So, another vote for “no need to post every day.”
Along the same lines–is it possible to put a “older post/newer post” links at the bottom of each post, so if I’m binge-reading, I don’t have to return to the home page to get to the next post?
Finally, as an empty nester, I echo the comments that just when you figure things out with a kid, the kid changes. Do what you have to do to enjoy the now.
You’re posts were amazing this week. Don’t apologize. Good content (great content) outweighs volume any week of the year. Actually, I loved rereading the post about your journal (because checking your blog like 5 times a day is part of my schedule… reading blogs = my work breaks) and got something new out of it each time. I bookmarked it to reread when my creativity bank runs low – Such an inspiration. Thank you (sincerely!!!) for inspiring, encouraging, and comforting all your readers. This blog is a blessing. And get some rest. Even the self employed can take personal days 🙂
I’d love to see a frame round-up! I know you’ve done this in the past, but it would be nice to see a fresh take.
Girl, take a breather. It is ok, we are going to be here when you get back and we KNOW how it is to have a child especially one that parties in the early am. I am looking at my almost 2 year old Son while I type this.
Ha, I thought you were going to announce Charlie was going to be a big brother. 😉
Just wanted to chime in and lend one more voice to the “please don’t burn out and YHL us!” crowd. I know you probably see a difference on the back-end in your stats when you post less often and that this blog contributes to your income, so it’s more important than just making your readers happy, but for what it’s worth, I’m one of many readers who is just as happy with a couple great posts a week. 🙂
Chill! Your two posts were fabulous. Don’t even worry. I love them all but be good to yourself. You …a nd Charley and Brian are worth it!
I would never want to encourage fewer posts because i’m a greedy, selfish cow… but that 23-year-old journal/style book post was…incredible/inspiring and i hope you feel pumped about sharing it!! But also just read comment above by soozey and think she’s nailed it too.
…i also for sure thought Charlie was going to be a big brother.
Hope you have a gorgeous, indulgent, relaxing weekend!!
Your posts gave me LIFE this week. If much rather have quality over quantity, and you are definitely giving quality. I LOVE your blog!
Don’t worry – I don’t care if you only post a few times a week. I’m still following you! I don’t know anything about toddlers, but when I was little I used to wake up at 5:30, and lay at the foot of my parents bed and watch TV while they slept. I know parents are worried about their kids becoming robot-zombie-TV-monsters, but I turned out ok.
Fewer posts would be so much better than no blog at all. Some of my favorite bloggers now do only Instagram, which has it’s place, but has none of your great blog content. And some day when Charlie’s a teenager, you’ll be trying to wake him up before noon.
I bet others have already written this but it bears repeating. As a regular reader of your blog, I would rather see fewer posts from you than have you burn out and stop writing altogether. Balancing it all — work, motherhood. partners, social life, exercise…is a struggle for most everyone and I can certainly relate to it and understand why posts might be less frequent.
Thanks for your efforts!
This morning, I tried getting up at 5:30 to walk the dog before having to take my son on a 5 degree dog walk with me. Sure enough, he woke up… 2 hours prior to his usual time. You see, I knew he’d hear me if I tried at 6:30, because it was allllmost time for him to wake up. I thought my extra early time would be a winner.
Fail.
They hear everything. Those kids. There’s no winning. Until they’re 8. I think when they’re 8 you can get up early and they won’t join you. Or need you to laugh at them. Or turn the TV on for them. Or ask you 100 “why’s” or “what you doin’s”.
Funny that you write this today, My almost 2 year old has suddenly decided he will not nap. If I can manage to get him to sleep or stay still long enough to fall asleep, he sleeps for like 15 to 20 minutes, a real bummer because he has been an wonderful napper from birth. FRUSTRATING!!!! And guess what. He has 4 older siblings. Yes I said 4. You would think after 5 kids I would figure it out, but nope.I just try to tell myself that it really is so small when you think about your whole life, And I know it makes you want to punch people in the face when they say that, You just feel like saying, but you aren’t the one holding this child during his nap for 2 hours while you watch all the stuff you need to be doing fall apart,not to mention the fact that that is your only time to yourself all day. I guess this is every mothers woe since the beginning of time. I will say that I went through this with my others and when I look at my oldest who is about to turn 16, I’m really proud that I did it… But sometimes it just feels good for someone to listen to you and say “Yea this is really HARD.”
A few months ago I started waking up at 5:30 so I could finally have time alone to exercise. I have an almost two year old, and he started doing the same thing as Charlie. He knew I was up and would start to cry for me right away. It sucked, and at first I felt like my plan wasn’t going to work, but then after 2-3 weeks it stopped and he went back to his regular sleep schedule, which is where we are today. If last week worked for you and seemed full of possibilities, even though this week sucked ass, keep trying! I never was a morning person, but I have to say that once you get in your groove, it’s awesome. Good luck!
Oh those spidy senses! They are so real and so unstoppable! I’ve found, at least with my two so far (#3 is in the oven), that the spidy senses seem to dull over time — they are 4.5 and 2.5, and are known to sleep through adults being awake, and perhaps even sleep-in some days!
Don’t feel one bit bad about less blog content. Like everyone else is saying we don’t mind waiting for such good stuff! You are doing an amazing job on the whole.
Every single time you post I think, “Man, that is one amazing lady!” I can’t imagine putting out as many (always incredible quality) posts that you do! With all of your other work/wife/mom commitments, producing such quality work so frequently is really amazing. I am always excited to read your new posts, whether they come once a week or five times a week. Always fun, funny and honest. Take care of yourself (AKA, sleep as often and as long as possible), you deserve it. Also, GO DUCKS! Oregon class of “08
Be gentle with yourself. What’s the point in accomplishments if you don’t enjoy the day-to-day? #easiersaidthandone, I know. You’re doing better than you think you are.
Emily please don’t worry about us right now. Your posts are always top shelf and I thoroughly enjoy each one. It is very obvious that a great deal of effort goes into them, and BTW you are a VERY good writer. Your fans and followers will stick by you. Charlie will grow up too soon anyway. Enjoy the time with him now while you can and if that means posting less, post less. I do believe you are a super high achiever and you are too hard on yourself. Maybe you might want to think about handing the posting reins over to someone else now and then?
When my kid started waking up early, I set a time before which I would not go into her room. And after a while she figured it out, started sleeping later, and when she wakes up before her alarm she mostly just plays in her crib. Once she was around 18 months old we got this “OK to wake” sort of reverse alarm clock (link: http://www.amazon.com/Onaroo-Childrens-Alarm-Clock-Nightlight/dp/B00EAHSBV4), and explained to her that we would see her in the morning “when the green man comes on,” and not before.
How long did she take to figure it out? A week, maybe. It wasn’t a particularly tearful process; I just had to kind of tie myself to the mast through some grumpy complaining. It did seem to help when I explained the plan to her during her waking hours, even though she was not all that verbal when we made the change.
None of which is to say that my approach is for everyone. But if you enjoyed that time, and can manage to suffer through a little learning-curve phase, I think you may be able to get your mornings back. Good luck, regardless. We all really enjoy and appreciate you.
Hey Em,
Like many of the commenters, I feel your pain, but I do have a suggestion. Have you ever tried a light/daybreak alarm clock? We used one before our son was born and got him trained to wake up to the light. Even if he wakes a little early, he knows that we aren’t getting him out of bed until the light goes off, but he usually wakes from the light. It’s been a lifesaver for us! It’s hard enough running a house and working with little ones, so this gives us a little jump on the day. I hope it helps!
My Mom always got out of bed early to sew – a craft she loved and was her quiet/rejuvenate/personal time. She said the second she sat down at her machine, there I was, right at her side ready to play or eat breakfast or whatever. Now I wake up early to blog/sew/catch up/etc, and my child wakes the second my food hits the floor too. (Mom didn’t give me much sympathy!) Maybe we all just love our Mamas and want to be near them so! 😉
Emily! Tengo una hija de 18 meses y un hijo de 4 años, te entiendo perfectamente! Y me encantaria poder hacer la mitad de las cosas que tu haces en el dia!! Eres mi inspiraciòn!!
I just want you to know that your blog is fabulous and your content is always really on point! I know you have expectations of yourself, but I’m sure I speak for most of your “fans” that while it’s a day maker when you post something new, sporadic post’s won’t keep me from coming back time and time again! The struggle is REAL, I am a mommy of 4 (1 school age and 3 are at home with me) and I work from home as a travel agent. Surely, I don’t have thousands and thousands of people hanging on my every word/picture, but I know the feeling of trying to keep my clients happy and stay on top of their vacation details, keeping my house up, caring for my children and trying to not go insane in the process! In the words of Orlando #VICTIM
I feel for you. I keep thinking you are going to burn out at any minute so I have no tips and just want to tell you not to worry about doing more posts.
Umm…No mention of #1 on Amazon interior design category! C’mon Beezy, that’s awesome! Congrats and I hope nothing but big sales and success after the book is published. Will it be at Target too? I hope so. That exposure would be great for you.
after i had children, i fully understood why sleep deprivation was a form of torture! and by the time they sleep enough, they’re teenagers and you want them to get the h*ll up. good luck.
I am a freelance designer and work from home. I think finding the right balance between working a lot and having time with the family (2 boys and husband) is getting extremely hard these days when everything needs to happen so quickly and we, moms, tend to be overachievers. So I understand what you are saying. However, I would leave Charlie in his bed and let him fall sleep by himself again, even if you are up. He needs to learn that even if you are up, that doesn’t mean he needs to be up. Since you are trying to find the balance and you work really long hours, I think he needs to accommodate to your schedule and not the other way around. That doesn’t mean is not going to be hard, but give it a try. Don’t go to his room and if he starts talking, and it is impossible to ignore him, go and without carrying him, tell him is time to sleep again because the house is sleeping and you need to work. He needs to start understanding that you are going to be working early in the morning while he is sleeping. And your blog is so awesome. Love how funny and honest you are!
My 13 month old goes through phases of waking up too early. Our rule is anything before 6 am is a non starter. So even if she seems to be in a good mood at 5:30 just jabbering away with her snuggie, we go in and rock her with the lights out and sound machine still on until 6 am. Not ideal, but it helps her get back in the swing of things. Maybe your hubby could do that while you work? Just until he gets back on schedule. I am with you on quiet mornings. And I have NO shame going to bed very very early.
Just pre-ordered your book on Amazon. Can’t wait!
AH EM….it sucks..not sleeping. I would have paid good money for sleep back in the baby days…and even still…I am no good on fumes. One thing that helped me in my overly active brain which was always doing ten things while contemplating ten more was to tell myself “JUST DO THE NEXT THING”. I would make myself focus solely on THAT…even if THAT was putting my baby to bed…I would try to be in that moment as much as humanly possible for me…not half out the door…and it really helped…my body relaxes…yes, sometimes I would fall asleep…but I would give my pinky finger to lay next to my babies again…all teens now, and super fantastically great and lovable…but not co-sleepers! hang in there…
Hi Emily, i second trying a sound machine. We had a very inexpensive one that had the ocean, rain, crickets and white noise i think . . . It was very soothing. Just a funny aside, be careful with the crickets, cause I hear real crickets will come. Love your blog!
Childless here, no advice there – but had to chime into the crowds to tell you how great you are and how much I love your blog. Daily check for two years now, and your content just keeps getting better – love that you’re real most of all. Just keep doing your thing, unapologetically.
Ps – can NOT wait for your book.
Oh, thank god, I thought this was gonna be your YHL kiss-pff post. Thank you for not picking up your marbles and going home. Your marbles are boss! (The quality of your content is consistently great and nothing to apologize for, in case that wasn’t clear.)
Hi Emily
My 20 month old woke up at 515a the other morning and when I checked the time I said “oh hell no!” He yelled for mama for a few minutes, but eventually went back to sleep until 7. I ignore because I know he is still tired. I try to wake up sometimes before my kids…same as you, I am way more productive in the morning and that silence before they wake up is heaven, but somehow they do have that spidey-sense and then we are all up early. ugh!
im with others, dont give it a thought when you dont post 5 days a week. we are all here waiting (i check everyday) but there its not a big deal when you skip a day. in fact, just to condition your readers, you should skip a day or two…even when you have the content! ha!
cant wait for the book, it will be the first one I buy…as opposed to going to barnes and noble to read:)
My son does the same thing when I try to wake up to get things done. Spidey senses are very real! Haha! Also, I just wanted to let you know that I subscribed to your posts and newsletters several weeks ago (maybe 2 or 3 weeks ago), but haven’t received anything yet (I checked my spam box as well). I didn’t know if there was a delay or if something was wrong, but I wanted to give you a heads up just in case. 🙂
Great update, and admirable self discipline. I love to wake up early…but I love to stay up late. And unfortunately I’m not one of those people who can get 2.5 hours of sleep a night and wake up feeling ready to conquer. So excited about the further reveal of the Rustic California Spanish house! You’re nailing it over there- as you do in every project. Thank you for being a class act designer- your work inspires me on the daily. And your love for your family is a sweet testament of your priorities. Carry on!
This was just what I needed today. Last night I read a nasty comment on a blog post about parenting. It said something like, “I saved up for five years before having a child so that I could afford to stay home with the baby. I don’t think it’s right to hand over to a stranger the sacred responsibility of keeping your child happy and healthy.” It was just a stupid comment, but it was like a punch in the gut because I’ve been feeling so guilty about being a working mom. I struggle to get in just a few hours of time with my baby on weekdays, and to read that you do the same was just a huge relief for some reason. Maybe because I look up to you or because I can tell from your posts what a good mom you are and how devoted and loving. Anyway, thank you for posting this! You really made me feel better knowing that I’m not alone!
Don’t put so much pressure on yourself to do so many blog posts! Yes, we love reading them and look forward to a new one everyday or second or third day but you have a toddler who needs you too. Do whats best for you and your family as it won’t last forever! We will always be here 🙂
It’s nice to read your posts whether once, twice, or five times a week – You are completely allowed and deserving of this time! This time will pass and you will find yourself wondering why you worried about your worries 🙂 Enjoy that adorable babe!
Hi Emily 🙂
I realize I’m a bit late commenting on this, but…have you read the book The Wonder Weeks? I finally bought a copy when our 4th baby was a newborn (she’s 1 now.) It’s really informative and explains when/why developmental milestones happen. I’ve found that when our kids go through early wake-ups it usually has to do with a wonder week. Plus it’s so much easier for me to deal with sleep issues if I have a clue what’s going on. I’m a huge fan of waking up before the kids do. I just feel so much more accomplished and settled. Your posts are great! I’ve loved your blog ever since you did a Ryan Gosling/best gray shades post 🙂 And Charlie is adorable.
I can’t wait to see the book- the pics you posted look great.
Love your blog- you perfectly combine interiors, your personal life with a good dose of straight talking. It’s very refreshing and inspiring.
I’m just trying to get my blog going, finish my house off, work an 8-6 job and see family etc. considering the 5am starts but not sure I have it in me!
Claire x
I wouldn’t worry too much about us here. We will always enjoy a new post, but you have a crazy busy job and a family to spend time with. We can’t do it all. Thank you for thinking of your readers. You’re truly a class act, but we don’t want you to burn out!
Agreed with the commenters above. Two high quality posts is impressive! I enjoy everything you publish. Hope you are able to rest and enjoy the ride rather than stress and worry about us blog readers 🙂
I just spent a lot on two frames for art I LOVE, but bailed on framing two other pieces I wanted to hang over the bed. I’m definitely needing ideas on ready made frames for that – and am now early awaiting that blog post!
Thank u lady for sharing this, especially for all the moms who wondered how/why their kids had some spidy sense! I did the early wake up thing too until my son caught on and started waking up at the same time. The good news is this will pass in a milli second and he’ll soon get into his own rhythm but balancing the blog and design styling life will just be a beast until IDK you and the rest of us win the lotto. Can’t wait to see the book it is already looking amazeballs
Like everyone else, I have no expectations for your posts with regard to time/timing. I’d rather you put out fewer posts of better quality than feel obligated to be constantly generating new stuff.
So post them when you can – the great content and your quirky and endearing personality will keep your loyal fans coming back 🙂
white noise machine all the way- they are a miracle!
Since you have a big platform, please keep setting an example for us other moms. Please show the world that it’s ok to work less, and that it you still have mega talent and can still be awesome. Charlie is adorable and you want to spend time with him. I want to be with my kids too. I want to work [at my paying job] less, so that I can spend time with my babies. But it seems like it’s all or nothing, stay at home or work full time. Let’s talk about what you’re doing – telling the world that you are putting out less posts because you want to be with Charlie. I think that’s awesome.
Morning!
Juggling work and children can be tricky. I constantly feel like I’m whirling around in a washing machine – sleep deprivation is the pits. My first daughter is an early riser and would often get up anywhere from 4.30am onwards but as they start to grow up they start sorting themselves out. She will often now sit & play in her room, put the telly on and get herself some breakfast and funnily I sometimes miss those early morning snuggles. Annoying as they were at the time. There is the saying the minutes are long and the years are short. My eldest is just about to turn six and this saying is so true gone are those baby years where they can’t wait to see you – we are now in the I’m 5 and I’m going to have a teenage strop out. My other daughter however is a horror at going to bed and will be up and down a multitude of times between 7 and 12pm. They are all different. You can only do what you can do. As a mum it’s easy to be harsh on yourself but there is no such thing as “perfect”. You are doing great.
You need to get that boy a white noise machine, stat. A cheapo one will work fine, turn it to rain and crank up the volume.
Nope. Keep going with the sleep/baby issues thing. It’s far more authentic than supermum facade personas that some people have. Parenting is hard…can’t imagine parenting a lil’ one and running a business. My three year old is making it impossible for me to paint at all during the day now (sigh..when the light is good) …he has quit naps and is 100km’h all day…so I laud and applaud anyone who can juggle business with parenting.
Andrea, have you checked out Alisa Burke’s blog? She has a series of posts called “Creating with a kid” that may give you some ideas. Good luck!
I know I’m a bit late to the party on this but I wanted to (first time) comment too. Im currently nine months into my maternity leave (it’s quite normal to take a year here in the UK) and we are also building a new home (well, I’m not down on the site piling the foundations, but you know what I mean) so a huge proportion of your fun, funny, informative and pretty posts are super relevant to me and never fail to brighten my day. BUT I could totally cope with fewer posts, in fact, occasionally I feel, for me personally, there maybe even be a few too many and I need to catch up on them (like I’m doing now). As regards posts by your team / others, I really like these too – your taste and judgement mean the people you surround yourself with are top notch and produce great posts. Ok while I’m at it, and I appreciate you haven’t asked for feedback but in case at all helpful, can I just say I miss the Trolling Craigslist posts, I don’t miss Material Girl too much, id love a post on where to start when you have a newly built house with no period features / character to work with (including floor finishes- I’ve been looking out for your post on how you chose your flooring but maybe I missed it..) and, finally, I just want to say I love love your voice and honesty, especially around parenting (I can completely empathise with your babysitting comment above and anticipate frustrating times like you describe ahead for me…). So to sum up, love you and your wonderful work but slightly fewer blog posts would be all good with me! Xxx