Many of you know me for my love of food, writing, videos and social media presence as Gourmet Gab. What you may not know is that I have a real job, too! By day I am working at a nonprofit doing social media, marketing and public relations, by night I’m testing recipes, working behind the scenes in WordPress and chatting with Mariah, the digital marketing intern. Today I’m giving you a look into a day in the life of Gourmet Gab, beyond just what you may see on Instagram Stories.

A Day in the Life

6:30 am: The Best Meal of the Day

Rise and shine! Make coffee and a quick breakfast, simultaneously get ready and head (okay usually run) out the door to work. For breakfast, my go-to is yogurt with sliced banana or fresh berries, a small scoop of granola and cinnamon, plus a slice of peanut butter toast. I will make scrambled eggs with Tuscan kale and hot sauce if I have a few extra minutes or just eat oatmeal at work if I’m really in a hurry.

7:30 am: You Better Work

When I arrive to the office, I usually catch up with my co-workers, read through my inbox and take a look at my to-do list for the day. Between meetings, working on social media plans, editing videos, dreaming up future plans and overseeing our organization’s blog, the time flies by!

10:00 am: Snack Time

Like clockwork I get hungry at about 10:00 am almost everyday. I bring a “hummus of the week” with carrots, make my own trail mix, snack on apples and peanut butter, or grab a Lara bar. The cashew cookie flavor is like dessert to me!

12:30 pm: Lunch

I head upstairs to our lunch room to chat with co-workers and get a break from my computer screens. I am a huge fan of salads at work, so I usually bring my big bag of lettuce, toppings and dressings. Then I assemble my salad in a big white bowl you’ve seen pictured here and here on Instagram.

1:00 – 4:00 pm : Keep Trekking

I always get a little sleepy after lunch, so I love having a tea every afternoon at my desk. (This Trader Joe’s ginger turmeric tea is my current favorite.) It breaks up the water and helps curb my sweet tooth. Throughout the afternoon, I continue on creative projects and check off my to-do list until the day wraps up.

4:00 pm: Gym Time

With new summer hours at work, I’m stil getting into a new evening routine. I usually will go to an Orangetheory class or for a run on the Monon Trail in Indy. If I don’t workout, I’ll usually be on a Google Hangout with Mariah talking about blog plans or running errands.

7:00 pm: Dinner Time

Doing meal prep on Sunday usually means I have a meal waiting in the fridge for me, which is THE BEST part of putting in a few hours of cooking ahead of time. Right now I’m on Season 5 of Parenthood so I’ll watch an episode of that while I eat! (What shows are you watching this summer?)

8:00 pm to 10:30 pm: Quality Time with Gourmet Gab

It’s time to give the blog some quality time. I answer any emails I’ve received throughout the day and make sure the next blog post is ready for publishing. That includes editing recipe photos, writing the content, entering the recipe, optimizing the SEO, prepping everything for social, and double checking it all.

After everything for the next blog post is ready, I work my way through a never-ending wish-list for Gourmet Gab. Between updates to the site, growing on Pinterest, working with Mariah on the next newsletter or researching opportunities to collaborate with people and brands–the fun never stops! It’s hard for me to stop once I get in the groove and get working because I love building Gourmet Gab and have such big visions for it.

11:00 pm: Must Sleep

I always have the goal to get to bed by 10, but to be honest, it never happens! I love packing as much as a I can into each day and would prefer to stay up than to sleep. The #sidehustle is real.

That’s a Wrap

I wake up and do it again – Monday through Friday. There is never a dull moment, lots of great food along the way and plenty of creative projects happening both at work and in my mind for Gourmet Gab. I am a big believer in hard work and love spending my free time making Gourmet Gab happen. Let me know what you thought of today’s post and I can write a weekend edition, too!

Love food. Love self. Love life.
Gabriela

Photography by Brooke Marcella and cozy beach people top by Muse Apparel in Phoenix, Arizona. Shop it online here.