6:30 AM – I would love to say that I’m the kind of mom who wakes up before her children, fixes herself a nice warm cup of coffee, and dives into some much needed quiet time in her Bible… but I would be lying through my teeth! Instead, I open up my Bible app as soon as I hear the pitter patter of little feet running through our house (gotta get some Jesus in me before the madness begins), and then I fumble out of bed like a zombie. By this time, my incredible husband, Philip, usually has the girls dressed and then I’m on hair duty. After that, they’re off to school and work!
7:30 AM – After Philip and the girls leave, this is my special time with my son, Enzo. We usually cuddle for a few minutes and then I get him dressed for school (if it’s a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday). With Enzo only being in part-time childcare, I have to use my time extremely wisely. I usually try to glance at my planner before we leave so that I can know exactly what I need to do when I get back home.
8:30 AM – And we are off! After I drop Enzo off at school, I head straight home to workout, eat a more substantial breakfast so that I can take my vitamins (I take a lot due to chronic health issues), and then I sit at my desk to plan and collect my thoughts. I’ve learned that I have to clear my head before I begin working. If not, anxiety tends to creep in. This is the only time I am alone and have a quiet house, so I don’t take it for granted one bit. Every mama deserves and needs this time. And this is exactly the moment when I light one or two of my favorite Candelles. If you were to walk into my mom cave (aka home office and studio) right now, you would see Pepperberry Greens on a rack to your left and Cranberry Woods and Blackberry Sage on the desk straight ahead. As you can tell, I am a berry girl… give me all the sweet and fruity scents!
10 AM – After I light my Candelles and clear my head, I am ready to work! As a small business owner, I use this time to connect with clients, do photoshoots, or film for my personal YouTube channel. These are my “action” hours—when I actually get photos and videos taken.
1 PM – I like to wrap up around 1 PM, make myself a smoothie, and throw in a load of laundry or two, and then I am off to pick up Enzo from school! As you can imagine, the time between dropping and picking him up feels like the blink of an eye. It’s why I set aside at least an hour to unwind and take care of myself, otherwise I crash hard come midday.
2 PM – Enzo and I come home to grab a snack, put his things away, take a restroom break, and then we are back in the car by 2:40 PM to pick up the girls. Sometimes I feel like I live in my car, which makes me grateful that I can edit photos on the go. I usually take my iPad with me while we wait in the car pick up line.
3:30 PM – And just like that, this mama has got her crazy loud home back! This is when I help the girls with their homework, swap laundry, tidy up, and light one or two Candelles in the living room and kitchen. I love to get our home smelling good before Philip gets off of work. He usually comments on just how good the house smells when he walks in, and that makes my heart happy!
5:30 PM – Daddy is home, praise! This is when I run away to my mom cave and I get more work done, specifically editing! I learned long ago that I am a creative night owl, and I edit at my best between 6 PM to midnight. I know, crazy, but I love it!
6:30 PM – It’s dinner time! And if there’s one thing I am forever grateful for, it’s a husband who loves to cook. I haven’t cooked dinner in the almost-two years since opening my business! It’s such a blessing, one I will never take for granted. We then sit at our kitchen table and chat while we grub. Philip and I like to have the kids take turns sharing their favorite parts of the day. We usually end up laughing until our tummies are achy and full. So many beautiful memories have been made at our table.
7:30 PM – The kiddos are bathed and it’s time to get them in bed. This is usually when I blow out all of the Candelles, we read them a story or two, pray together as a family, and then Philip and I give each other the biggest high five. Then, it’s back to work!
8 PM – While Philip gets in his nighttime workout, I head back to my mom cave to edit. I like to turn on one of my favorite shows as background noise (Gilmore Girls or New Girl) and cuddle up on my yellow couch. Each photo can take anywhere between 30 minutes to an hour to edit, so as you can imagine the time adds up. I usually ask my clients to give me two weeks to turnaround photos. But in the end, it is so worth the time it takes!
10 PM – I usually take a break around this time to stretch, make lunches for the kids, wipe down the counters and table; and you guessed it, start another load of laundry. But then I eagerly get right back to editing until I find myself dozing off. This usually happens close to midnight.
11 PM / 12 AM – I do my nighttime skincare routine and hit the lights! Ready to do it all again the very next day. It’s a full life, but it’s a blessed life.
We are so incredibly grateful for this peek into Erica's world. This creative mama is an absolute super star! If you've loved getting to know Erica as much as we have, be sure to follow along with her on Instagram @ericacanant and her photography business, Erica Canant Photography
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