Rachel Phillips-Luther is vice president of marketing at Zoës Kitchen. She lives in the Dallas area with her husband Mike and their four boys: Garrett, 14; Ryan, 12; Chase, 4; and Jack, 9 months.
5:15AM On a good day I wake up early and get a workout in at Leading Cast Rhythms & Fitness. They have a great variety of classes, so boot camp or some early-morning Zumba starts my day, or I’ll squeeze in classes on Saturday or Sunday.
6:40AM When I get home (or get up) I check email and then jump in the shower.
7AM Chase wakes up and comes to our bed for some snuggle time. He likes to watch Fresh Beat Band or Little Einsteins while curling up between Mike and me.
7:15AM Jack wakes up and is usually all smiles. I go to his room and bring him back to bed for some cuddle time. This morning ritual is one of my favorite parts of the day. I love having a couple moments of down time with our two little ones before the craziness of the day begins.
7:30AM Breakfast is made for little ones, and we get Garrett and Ryan ready for school with backpacks packed, instruments in hand and vitamins in mouths.
7:50AM Big boys (Garrett and Ryan) out the door to walk to the bus stop about a block up the street. I get ready and check sales while Jack plays in our bathroom and Mike gets Chase dressed and ready for school. On days that I’m leaving for a trip, this is the craziest time. I’m usually trying to say goodbyes, get last-minute things packed and get kids ready. I’ve learned that later-morning flights or really late night flights work best.
8:15AM I help Mike get the little boys in the car and one of us takes them to school, depending on the day and our schedules. Chase goes to Good Shepherd, which is a short drive from the house, and Jack spends the day with his nanny, Shelly. Depending on the day, it can still be hard to drop them off. I’m guessing most moms struggle with competing desires for the satisfaction work provides and the desire to spend every waking minute with the kids, but I’m blessed to have flexibility working with Zoës and an incredible husband. Both make my life a bit easier!
8:45AM I head to a meeting, the office, a Zoës location or jump on or off a flight in one of our other markets. I spend the majority of the day in meetings, talking to guests, directing photo shoots, working on new food ideas and campaigns and keeping up with all aspects of marketing for the brand. Lots of email and phone calls daily. I travel about once or twice a month, but outside of travel my days are full. I work closely with all departments, so most of my day is spent brainstorming and strategizing and then communicating to the team.
1:30PM We usually break somewhere to eat at Zoës. I love to be in the restaurants working during lunch. You’ll find me busing a table, talking to guests or watching the expo window to see what folks are eating or shadowing a cashier to see what our guests are buying. Being inside the operation and observing really helps me stay connected. There is nothing more fun than contributing to a crazy lunch rush with one of our teams.
5:30PM I try to wrap up my workday and head to pick up the little guys. Two to three times a week, I place my to-go order for dinner before I leave. This saves me from spending another hour in the kitchen when I get home and allows me more time to hang with the kids and enjoy life a bit.
6PM The evening brings a variety of fun stuff … football or track meets for Garrett, Touchdown Tots for Chase, Orchestra events for Ryan or the chance to take a walk or a trip to the park with all the kids. This is when we talk about school, work, chores, friends, issues and life. Jack eats at 6, so wherever we are I try to have something ready for him to chow on.
6:45PM Bath time for Jack and Chase. Jack is finally able to hang in the tub with his big brother, so it makes bath time more fun for everyone.
7:15PM I get Jack into his jammies and read a book then get that perfect 15 minutes while his room is quiet to rock and feed him before bed.
7:30PM Dinnertime for everyone except Jack.
8:15PM Bedtime routine for Chase, which includes a short show then up to his room for prayers, bedtime stories and some snuggles. Chase has a big imagination, and we often dream up our own stories before bed. We get ourselves into all kinds of mischief.
9PM Bedtime routine for Garrett and Ryan.
9:30PM Glass of wine for me and catch-up on work email. The evening is when I get to write strategic briefs, research and spend time in thought about future brand initiatives … things that can be difficult to do during a crazy day at work.
10:30PM I try to shut down and enjoy a half-hour on the couch with my man before we start all over again.
Diaries are penned by moms (and dads) in the Dallas area. The authors volunteer to share a day of their choosing and are not paid or endorsed by DallasChild. Send your diary to editorial@dfwchild.com. All submissions are subject to editing and may be cut for space.
