A Day in the Life of… ME

Let’s be very clear, I don’t think that my life is that exciting. So it feels weird for me to do this post. However, I have had several readers and followers request this so here goes. Please don’t yawn as I give you a typical run down of my day and some insights into the blogger world.

You probably think my life is uber cool because I’ve been asked to do several reality TV shows (which I turned down). For starters, this is going to be a general day taking snippets here and there of things that typically happen. When my husband comes home for dinner and says “what did you do today” I can’t even account for where the day went. Every single day is different.

I am self-employed and work from home. Tanyafoster.com (the blog) falls under Tanya Foster Consulting, a non-profit consulting business I formed ten years ago. I still work with non-profit organizations on their fundraising events mostly focusing on turn-key operations. We are also empty nesters so luckily my schedule is defined by me. Most people are surprised to know that its only me running this show. I don’t have an assistant or intern although I really need one. I hire a photographer (Mary Summers) or have Pete shoot my looks and I have an amazing web designer (Marc Lee). That’s it – that’s the team.

6:30-7:00 AM – Wake up with no alarm. I can’t tell you how good it feels to wake up when your body wants to. This is well-earned because there were many years that I got up at 5:30 AM to make sure our kids were out the door to their morning athletic activities. During these empty nester years, Pete and I really enjoy having coffee together in the morning. I’m always in my pajamas while he is busy getting ready for work. Pete loves to watch CBS Channel 11 but I’m more of a Good Morning America gal. We trade off on the morning show choice. I don’t really work out (please don’t shame me) but I do walk the dogs daily. Usually by 8:30 AM I am dressed and at my desk.

Office time: I know this seems odd but I really don’t keep office hours. Between the blog, consulting and the occasional actor audition or job, I really work all the time. I would say that is really the one downside to working for yourself with your office at home. You are always working! This consists of checking the blog post and making sure it distributed to my readers that day, reading and replying to e-mails, working on future collaborations with brands, checking in with my non-profit clients, project work, working on social media posts that complement the blog content for the day (I never schedule my social media; it is organic and only posted by me), billing clients and invoicing collaborations, reporting back to brands with performance numbers, reaching out to PR firms to introduce myself especially if they have a brand/store that I want to consider for a future blog post. Additionally, I check in with my rewardStyle account rep (Courtney Bier) and with my agent at The Campbell Agency (Bridgette Poe) as needed.

Coffee and Lunch meetings: Because I office from home, if I need to meet with anyone it tends to be over coffee or lunch. My favorite coffee spot of late is Royal Blue Grocery in Highland Park Village. Lunch can be anywhere but I really love Ascension Coffee (coffee or lunch), MiCocina in Highland Park Village (Rico salad with grilled chicken and chili garlic dressing on the side), Zoes Kitchen in The Shops at Park Lane (bonus: you can pick up dinner) or City Cafe To Go (where you will run in to everyone you know from Highland Park). Even if I don’t have a meeting, I like to have lunch with a friend. It’s good to talk to another human being and get out of the house on days when I don’t have any events to attend. If I am home for lunch, I like to have grilled vegetables that I prepare for the week and watch The Bold and the Beautiful. The actor in me is constantly evaluating how I could be cast on the show. That’s my guilty pleasure!

Charity work and events: I’m an active member of The Crystal Charity Ball and that’s where I spend my time volunteering. I find it extremely important to be a part of something and give back to your community. My years in the Junior League of Dallas and Cattle Baron’s Ball have been so rewarding. Additionally, each week brings a bevy of events to attend, store openings, PR opportunities, film screening events (I love attending them with my readers), supporting other bloggers at their events and more.

Photo shoot and content planning: I plan my content at least two weeks in advance. That way I can make sure that I have worked in all paid collaborations and won’t miss any deadlines. I tend to shoot once a week with Mary Summers or Pete. Once I have the photos back, I have to go through them and tag each photo. There is a lot of work to do before anything ever gets published to the blog. The day before a blog shoot, I prep the clothes (steam out wrinkles) and style the outfit with shoes, jewelry and handbag. If I am super organized, I can shoot four outfits with Mary in one hour. That’s why you see me walking up and down my sidewalk and street in most blog posts. It allows me to run upstairs and utilize my own closet and bathroom for quick changes. If on location, I have to find a bathroom to change in which is kind of an ordeal.

Afternoon: I really try to write my content in the afternoon. However, I have found that during the business day when my e-mails still need attention and my phone is ringing, it’s really hard for me to stay focused on writing. I’m not a journalist or an English major so writing the content is not second nature for me. The blog is a visual experience and I try to keep the writing to a minimum. Also, if a reader has a question and takes the time to contact me, I will always follow-up and reply with an answer. No matter when it is.

5:30 PM: This is when I start to think about dinner prep. Here’s a little tidbit about me. I hate going to the grocery store. Especially since I don’t think ahead about dinner. It’s just me and Pete so I don’t really whip out a gourmet meal. In fact my favorite phone call will be Pete on his way home saying “let’s eat out tonight”. If you are like me, be sure to read this post on Instacart. We typically eat around 6:30 PM.

7-10 PM: OK, don’t laugh, this is when my writing muse hits me. I don’t know why but a deadline is what drives me to get it done. My self guiding rule about the blog is if I can’t hit the publish button by 10 PM, tomorrows blog post will not go out. I’m not going to get up at 5:30 AM to write a blog post (the exception is a sale that goes live in the middle of the night). This is a full-time business and I run it as such but I also realize that if I skip a day on the blog no-one will die. Right?

10:30 PM: Night, night. I have always been a gal who needs a lot of sleep. Even in high school and college. I think your sleep rhythm and schedule is something you are born with. Mine rarely varies. The bonus is that this is what helps your body heal and keeps your skin glowing. Sleep is a key ingredient to saying young (as is a good skin care regimen and drinking lots of water).

Additional: Now, weave in a mani/pedi, hair appointments, spa visits, dermatologist, shopping, returns, vet appointments or grooming, TV segment prep and taping, running errands and you see where the day goes. I need more than 24 hours!

And yes, while I do get to attend amazing events like yesterdays store opening of Draper James with Reese Witherspoon (not gonna lie – I thought I was going to throw up because I got so nervous talking to her), most days are ordinary – just like me. I did realize that I had “arrived” when my actor friends and brilliant comedians spoofed me in a beauty video. I am attaching it for you to enjoy (very bottom of this post). Hilarious!

If you have any questions, I would love to hear from you. Leave me a comment. As always, thanks for reading and following the journey. I absolutely adore you and love that you are here!

xoxo- Tanya

P.S. Every bloggers day is different. Be sure to check out Katey McFarlan’s by clicking here. I love her blog!

a day in the life of me in pictures

Walking these two every day is part of my daily routine.

While I dislike grocery shopping, I do like freshening up the house with fresh flowers every week.

When I plan photo shoots, it helps me to put a look together in a flat lay.

Styling an outfit means trying it on and taking a selfie in my closet. This helps me see what it will look like on the shoot.

My darling rewardStyle account rep Courtney Bier. I couldn’t do it without her support!

I guess they are my office mates. Sparky and Max!

I’m in love with the Draper James line. This is what I wore to the party last night.

The Draper James store in Highland Park Village. Can I move in?

At the end of the day, always treat your skin well. Night, night!

the beauty tutorial