From 5am starts to podcasting: A real day in the life of Holly Wainwright.

I have two lives. 

Don’t get excited. I have one family, one partner, one dog. I’m not cheating on any of them. I’m not a monster. 

I mean that, since my partner Brent and I moved our family a couple of hours south of Sydney two years ago, I genuinely feel like I have two modes, two realities. 

There’s Work From Home me.

And Office me.

And one thing they have in common is this: Eggs. 

Not even joking. Let’s go. 

What time does your day begin?

For WFH me, my alarm goes off at 6.20am. Brent and I walk our dog together every morning we’re both home at 6.30. It’s my favourite way to start the day. We walk along the river near our house, throw the ball for Tuna and get a coffee.

We get home about 7.20 and the kids will be up and waiting for breakfast, no matter how many times I suggest they make their own. Then it’s straight into getting them sorted for school, which M, my daughter pretty much does herself now, being 13, although she still likes it better if I make her lunch. But B still needs a fair bit of cajoling all the way from bed to the school bus, which collects him just outside our house. 

For Office Me, my alarm goes off at 5am and I literally get in the shower, pull on the clothes I laid out the day before and either drive or drive-and-train to the city. It takes just over 2 hours. If I’m on the train, I’ll work and read and listen to pods. If I’m driving, it’s either pod or audio book time all the way. 

Image: Supplied.

What’s for breakfast?

In both worlds, eggs. 

Two years ago, I got the advice to start the day with protein and I always, always try to. Eggs keep me fuller and give me a shot of energy and nutrients. 

If I’m home, I usually make my Egg Things – they’re like little frittatas, with whatever veggies we have lying around, either from my smug veggie garden, or in the bottom of the fridge. 

You just chop up veggies, whisk with eggs and bake them in a lined muffin pan, usually with a crumble of feta on top, for about 30 mins. I have one straight away and one mid-morning, usually with a dash of hot sauce. They couldn't be easier to make, and I can turn them into a meal – a real step up from my old toastie habit.

Image: Supplied.

If I’m at the office, I’ll get two pieces of grainy toast with a sliced hard-boiled egg from the local cafe. 

In both instances, coffee is non-negotiable. A large, please.

What time do you start work?

At home, I’m generally at my desk in my awesome shed-office-studio just after B leaves for the bus at 8.30, egg thing in hand (convenient).

If it’s a Mamamia day, I get across emails, read across the news headlines – although I will have already had a flick when I wake up and will have been listening to the news all morning while sorting the kids’ lunches and brekkies – before jumping on a Mamamia Out Loud planning meeting at 9, followed by an editorial meeting at 9.30 and then into writing and prepping for the show. 

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If it’s a writing day, I break my day into chunks. It’s not massively realistic to plan to sit down at your writing desk at 9 and not get up til 12 or 1, at least, not for me. So If it’s a book day, I set a timer alarm for one hour or 90-minute stretches, and in between I’ll give my brain a little break in the garden, or with a cup of tea, or, let’s face it, an Instagram doom scroll.  

If I’m in the office, I’m generally there by 8. 

Do you have a lunch break?

It’s a travesty, but I’ve been a desk-lunch person for decades. 

If it’s a WFH day, I might run an errand at lunch time (that’s a cute term for “go to the shops”), but otherwise, I’m a work-through kind of girl.

If it’s a book day, sometimes at lunchtime I go into our garage and do an embarrassing dance workout on YouTube. I’m always glad I did, it kind of shakes my brain free for the afternoon and gives me a boost of energy. 

And depending on the weather, it’s always soup or salad for lunch, or, if I’m in the office, a sushi roll. 

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When’s knock-off time?

If I’m home, my kids start falling in the door at 3.30. One of the wondrous things about living where we live is that they both catch local buses to their schools and the novelty of not having to go do pick-up has not yet worn off. 

So I’ll usually break for a bit, go make B a snack, nag him about homework or reading or something, anything, other than gaming. If it’s an activity day, Brent or I will take him where he needs to go, but if it’s not, I go back to work until dog-walking time. 

Like lots of people who’ve embraced flexible work, what I love about it is that if I need to go take B somewhere, M needs picking up, or someone needs me, I can let my co-workers know and then jump back online later that day to finish a story or a job. If I’m on deadline, obviously I see that through before I head off to a piano lesson. 

At almost exactly 5pm, our dog Tuna comes and starts telling me it’s time for her arvo walk. She does this by putting her paws on my knees and giving me a big old kiss. She’s subtle like that. Then she’ll whine at me until I give up and close the laptop. 

One or both of us will take her to our local beach for her second walk. The light’s always beautiful on the ocean at that time, she loves chasing her ball in the surf and it’s hands-down one of the best parts of the day. 

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Okay, what’s for dinner?

During the week, we all eat together at the family table. On weekends, Brent and I will feed the kids early and have something special later. Treat time. 

But on a normal night, we’re trying to get the kids involved in cooking, so I’ll be nagging M to get off her phone and help me. Often that’ll be instead of homework, so she’s happy to give it a go. 

I love a shakshuka – a baked veggie and eggs pot that’s tomatoey-chilli-gooey deliciousness. So sometimes we make that, and have it with a salad and some bread. 

I’m obsessed with my veggie patch these days so I might use some spinach or capsicum or lettuce from there, and believe me, if I do, EVERYONE’s going to hear about it. That’s why we call them smug veggies. 

Or my kids love stir-fries, so sometimes it’s egg-fried rice or noodles. My son, in particular, is a fussy eater, so adding an egg or two to something I know he’ll eat just bumps up the protein (eggs contain all essential amino acids too, needed for growth and recovery), and makes me feel better about what he’s eating. 

If I’m coming back from the city, I probably won’t get back until 7pm or so, so Brent will have cooked and I fall in the door either in time for a late dinner with them, or to a bowl of leftovers. 

Then what?

Family TV time, friends. We love Survivor, The Amazing Race, The Voice, Lego Masters… basically all the wholesome reality shows. We’ll watch on catch-up and the kids will eat dessert from the couch while we watch 40 minutes or so of something we’re often shouting at the TV about. On weekends, it’s movies.

Sometimes, of course, we’re going out, but since we moved out of the city, that’s much less likely. On Friday nights, we might meet up with friends at the local club or winery with a posse of kids. On Thursdays, Brent and I often leave M&B to watch a bit of extra telly and go off to play trivia at our local pub. And on Sundays, we often go over to a friend’s house for an early dinner. 

The kids are in bed later and later, which is one of the most irritating things about them growing up… the house doesn’t get quiet til way too late. But B’s usually down at 8.30 and M around 9. 

Then Brent and I will either watch the news or an episode of something we’re loving (Mr In Between, Somebody Feed Phil, Mother & Son on the ABC), or sit out on the deck and natter with a cup of tea (weeknights) or a glass of wine (weekends).

Often I go to bed with my laptop to finish some work or get some more writing done, but never, ever on a Friday or Saturday night. Those are sacred, do-nothing nights. 

I always, always have to read a few pages of a book in bed. 

And it’s lights out about 10.30pm.

I told you I led a double life. 

I didn’t say it was exciting.

For new and creative ways to work eggs into your meals, find tips and recipe ideas here at Australian Eggs.

Feature Image: Instagram/@wainwrightholly