Day One

7:45 a.m. My sons are on school buses, headed to elementary and middle school. I start my work day with a cup of black coffee. I’m the editor of Indy’s Child magazine, a free publication for families. 

11 a.m. About 75% of my work is writing, editing, assigning, emailing and posting to social media. I step away from the laptop for a bit. I visit Teachers’ Treasures on the near eastside to snap some photos. It’s a store where Marion County educators can shop for school supplies for free. Jasper Toney, one of the managers, shows me around. 

This nonprofit is featured in the May issue’s Local Spotlight column, which highlights organizations doing great things for kids and families. 

12:10 p.m. A quick carnitas taco lunch at Julieta Taco Shop at the Stutz. As I’m leaving, I notice there’s a small, free car museum at the Stutz, but it’s closed today. I had no idea this existed! I should write an article about this! I make a mental note to come back another day. 

Day Two

11 a.m. Weekly Indy’s Child staff meeting. It’s just a check-in, so it’s short and sweet. All of us on staff are women, and all but one of us are moms. Since becoming a mother almost 13 years ago, I’ve found that my favorite people to work with are moms. My co-workers work hard and passionately, but they also know that family comes first. We give each other lots of grace.

5:30 p.m. My oldest son’s first track and field meet! It’s a beautiful spring evening to watch him try out the long jump.

Day Three

8:20 a.m. Sitting down at the laptop to write my editor’s note for the May issue. It’s one of the last things I do before the magazine goes to the printer. This ed note is a doozy. In honor of Mother’s Day, I’m writing about my mom, who died last October from cancer. It takes me the better part of the morning. I’m drained afterward.

11:50 p.m. I’m feeling anxious after writing such a personal editor’s note. I grab my bucket and trash grabber, put on my headphones, and head to the Monon Trail for what I call a “trash walk.” It’s something I’ve done since the pandemic to help calm my anxiety. 

Picking up litter soothes my nervous system. I’m a block captain with Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, and I’ve adopted a stretch of the trail from 86th Street to 96th Street. I pick up trash for about 45 minutes, and I feel better.

Day Four

9 a.m. A daily yoga practice also soothes me. This morning, I’m practicing at Santosha School on the northside. I leave feeling peaceful and ready for the rest of the day.

12:30 p.m. A visit to Ujamaa Community Bookstore, Flanner House’s literary gathering space. We are planning to feature this Black-owned bookstore in our Hidden Gems column for the June issue, so I snap some pics. Coolest discovery: Their public restroom houses free health and hygiene products, oral care products, first-aid supplies and products for people who menstruate.

Day Five

8:25 a.m. I’m shelving books at my youngest son’s school library. I do this every other week. If I weren’t a magazine editor, I would probably be a librarian. I love libraries. Pro tip: If you want a magnificent view of Indianapolis, peek out the windows on the top floor of Central Library. You’re welcome.

5:15 p.m. It’s been a week. I typically cook dinner every night, but tonight? No. I let my children pick where we should get takeout. They choose burritos from Chris’s Ice Cream in Nora. Chris’s has the best BRC burritos (bean, rice and cheese) in Indy. They taste like the ones we used to eat in Southern California — where I’m from, where I met my husband, and where my children were born.

Day Six

5 a.m. I’m up before the sun. I have a date with a yoga mat and the Downtown Canal. Trisha Young, the owner of Pure Soul Paddle Board Yoga, leads us through an hour-long slow flow on dry land, steps away from the water. I start my practice under a dark, quiet sky. By the time the hour is through, the sky is Big Stick popsicle-colored and downtown Indy is waking up.

12:45 p.m. My family and I are on the ground, digging up weeds at an Indy YMCA-affiliated camp. This is where my oldest son will attend sleepaway camp in a couple of months. We’re volunteering to get the camp ready for him and the other children.

Day Seven

9 a.m. Bucket and trash picker in hand, I head to downtown’s Fountain Fletcher district and participate in a neighborhood cleanup. (Despite my efforts to get my children to join, they decided to sleep in.) 

It’s spring, so there are lots of litter cleanups happening around Indy right now. I pick up litter along Virginia Avenue, from Bovaconti Coffee to HI-FI Indy to I-65, with some other friendly folks.

1:15 p.m. There’s charcuterie and a mocktail waiting for me at Public Smokehouse, about five minutes away from where I was picking up litter. I’m a Yelp Elite, and one of the benefits is getting invited to Yelp events around town. Today’s event is a grab-and-go at this Smoking Goose joint. It’s a little reward for today’s do-goodery.