Gimme Some Oven

Day In The Life

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Happy Friday, everyone! ♡

I realized the other day that it’s been over a year and a half since I’ve done a day in the life post on here…and I kind of miss them! So now that we’re back home in Barcelona and getting settled into our usual routine again, I decided to snap my way through our day yesterday to capture a bit of what life looks like lately with our little guy (who just turned 18 months today, time is flying!).

We’re settling in here for a cozy almost-fall weekend ahead with a few toddler playdates, lunch with some Kansas City friends who are passing through town, maybe a little fall baking, and then I’m excited to dive into this new book. Wherever in the world this finds you today, I hope that you’re all doing well and wish you a lovely and peaceful weekend ahead, xoxo

7:00: Muy buenos días. ♡ An iced latte to start the day, courtesy of my favorite barista.

7:30: Teo’s turn to rise and shine! This busy little dude doesn’t want to stay still for a single photo lately, so my camera roll is full of lots of blurry cuteness right now.

7:45: Quick clean-out-the-fridge egg scramble for our desayuno (and plain scrambled eggs, PB toast and banana for Teo’s).

8:00: He’s now tall enough to press all of the buttons…which means that we occasionally now return to a mysteriously paused laundry cycle an hour later.

8:30: And off they go! Teo just started attending a sweet little Montessori guardería (daycare) last week and, like most daycares here in Spain, they have a lengthy “adaptation” period during which the parents are encouraged to stay with the kids to help ease the transition. So we’re taking turns spending our mornings there with Teo until the teachers think he is ready to stay on his own.

9:00: Having the house to myself again for the first time in a year and a half while Teo’s at daycare feels surreal. (It’s soooo quiet!) Finishing up my coffee now and wrapping up edits on a post today for my favorite fall salad.

10:30: Off for a quick spin around the neighborhood to go grocery shopping!

10:45: Buying groceries is still rarely a one-stop-shop sort of thing for us here in Barcelona, which now feels normal after nearly five years here. Today I was able to round up the majority of the ingredients I needed at our main neighborhood grocery store, but now I’m filling in the gaps at our neighborhood bulk store (where I stocked up on various types of nuts, wild rice and spices)…

11:00: …and our brand-new neighborhood frutería, which I’m super excited about because it’s close by and usually very well-stocked (today I was able to track down some fresh dill, green onions, and tahini).

11:15: Listened to the second part of the We Can Do Hard Things interview with Dr. Becky while I was out and about. And wow, both of these episodes have blown me away. Highly recommend.

12:15: Back home and in the kitchen now testing testing a new recipe for salmon cakes (salmon patties? salmon burgers? what to call these)…

12:30: …and, omg, they were fantastic. Teo gave them two chubby little thumbs up too once the boys arrived home.

12:35: I’ve been on a fresh mint tea kick lately in the afternoons, which I especially love serving over ice with a squeeze of lime. Refreshing, kind of mojito-y, caffeine-free, and super easy.

13:00: Back to work with this coworker. :)

13:00: Switching gears away from Gimme Some Oven to spend the afternoon working on our monthly newsletter for The Wash Project. (If you’d like to follow the latest updates happening in Mali, here’s a quick link to sign up!)

15:00: My sweet and savory afternoon merienda — mandarina, pistachios, aged cheddar, and these paper-thin garlicky crackers that we brought home from Italy that I absolutely adore. Dinners usually don’t happen until after 8 or 9pm in Spain, so afternoon snacks are essential!

15:05: Little break to go hang out with Teo and our wonderful nanny, Inés, who takes care of him here in the afternoons.

17:00: Cooked up a double batch of my cozy autumn wild rice soup so that we could take a batch upstairs to our favorite neighbor (Teo’s adopted Catalan abuela) who recently returned home from being hospitalized. My friend, Vanessa, who is coming over later this evening, happens to be vegan and also really loves this recipe too. So it felt like the perfect night to simmer up a big batch.

17:05: Also popped a quick round of nooch popcorn for later tonight!

17:45: After-dinner paseo with the fam. The weather here has finally started cooling off lately and it feels soooo nice out at this time of the evening.

18:30: Inés and I have been having lots of fun creating little homemade books for Teo this year, and he is always so delighted when he recognizes himself in the story. It’s been so cute!

19:00: Speaking of delighted, one of Teo’s favorite moments of each evening is catching a glimpse of his little bear-towel ears in the mirror after bath time. Our little Teosito! ;)

19:30: Each night when we place him in his crib, Teo reaches up to choose a peluche to sleep with. And the tenderness with which he pats and snuggles and cares for these little stuffed animals is just so, so sweet. Love this little boy and his big heart so much.

19:35: Back to the kitchen for a third round of dishes for the day with Barc. (Howww do the dishes never end?!)

21:00: Thursday night Bach night! My friend, Vanessa, and I cozied up with soup, popcorn and vegan donuts while our guys went out for tapas.

22:00: We’re missing the third of our usual Bach-watching trio tonight, who’s currently back in the States visiting her family. But loved getting to catch up and, of course, over-analyze every minute of this ridiculous show with this sweet friend. ;)

23:50: Stayed up late chatting once the guys returned home. ♡ Now, off to get ready for bed quickly before our little human alarm clock rises and shines.

Midnight: Barclay have been ending our days this week reading through our friend, Evan’s, brand new book. I finished up his essay tonight breaking down the brilliance of Seinfeld’s comedy which was so thoughtfully written and spot-on. So proud of him!

0:20: And that’s a wrap! Thanks for following along with our day, and buenas noches a todos

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49 comments on “Day In The Life”

  1. Thanks for sharing! It’s always fun to see a little glimpse into other peoples lives :)

  2. Love it!! How brilliant is the iced peppermint tea/mojito?!?!? I am so going to make that this weekend while I make my grocery list to make the fall salad! Mmm. Cheers, Ivy

  3. A good day with my favorite date! I love you so much sweetheart — xoxo, B

  4. Awesome to read your post! So happy all is well!

  5. Love the update! Thanks for sharing! Quick parenting tip. When my little guy was Teo’s age, I set my camera to sport mode and it will grab a bunch of shots and usually you can find ONE good one! ;o)

  6. I love all of this!! We’ve already made your cozy autumn wild rice three times recently. That recipe is the best!

  7. Beautiful family! I’m always curious when parents drop the name Montessori when referencing their children’s’ school.. Is it more expensive/exclusive than other schools, like carrying a designer bag? Is it a better program? No it’s not. Hopefully it’s a happy match for your little one.
    ….Lifelong teacher/administrator
    Trained and certified in multiple programs, including Montessori

    • If you were truly curious about the reasoning behind her including that it’s a Montessori school, why not ask thoughtfully and wait for an answer instead of snarkily answering your own questions?

    • Agreed with Sara’s reply here! I love these updates, please respect Ali’s choices about what she does and shares so that we can continue enjoying posts.

    • People also do this with other schools – Waldorf, generically “public” or “private” school, we have a lot of outdoor “forest schools” where I live, and it does happen with Reggio and others although less so- so it’s not exclusive to Montessori, either.

    • I come from a family of public school educators (and also worked in one for a year myself) and would never presume to value a certain educational system as “better” than another. For various reasons, we cannot enroll in the public daycare system this year in Barcelona, and it just so happens that all of the other private daycares in our neighborhood are Montessori or Montessori-based.

      In a season of life with our first child where just about every parenting decision feels new and vulnerable – why not err on the side of supporting parents and assuming they’re all doing the best they can instead of making the leap to criticize their character? I sincerely hope that you will reconsider comments like this in the future.

  8. Thank you for sharing your life and adventures. Love reading your recipes and have made many for my family.

    • Very kind and thought response to Carolyn!
      Whatever school/daycare/ childcare decision parents make for their child is the right one for their family!
      I try to remind myself that critical, judgmental people sometimes lack insight into the impact of their words and that mean, hurtful comments may come from a place of pain…. I try to be better!
      Love your blog! Great recipes and so so much more!

  9. Reading these updates always feels like hearing from an old friend. I’m so happy you’re doing well and Teo is super cute!

  10. I just read this blog/post and loved it! I am a Grandma of 4 and so loved it all. Your Teo is beautiful and lucky to have you! 😘

  11. Thank you for sharing photos of you and your beautiful family on a day in the life and for sharing the wonderful recipes.

  12. I just finished Carrie Soto Is Back last night. Couldn’t put it down! That lime mint tea sounds right up my alley and 18 months is *such* a cute age. I know that the transition to daycare can be hard on a mama’s heart, but I’m sure it will be great for him once he gets settled in. Thanks for the fun post!

  13. Loved reading your update. Teo is just so adorable.

  14. So lovely to hear from you and get a sneak peek behind the scenes look at your life. Enjoy every sweet moment. Tea looks like a sweetie pie and is down right adorable – perfect combo of you two. Thanks for sharing and nice to see you back blogger friend! Yours was one of the first that inspired me. And now we’ve niched down, grown and launched a podcast 100 episodes and going. Thank you!

  15. Thanks for the great update! Teo is so big!! I can only imagine the fun you and Barclay are having. Noticed you have a Miele washing machine and dryer. We just ordered a pair and they are arriving soon. Are you happy with them? Any issues? Is capacity good? Thanks and take care!!

    • Exciting! They actually came with our furnished apartment and we’ve loved them. We never expected to have a dryer in Barcelona, so that especially has been a big bonus.

  16. This post left me with a big smile on my face. Fun read.

  17. I absolutely love when you share these “day in your life” posts. Love the mint tea idea too! Do you just brew tea and then add to iced glass with mint leaves? That simple?

    • I just “brew” the mint leaves by steeping them in hot water for a bit! (Or you can also just steep them in cold water if you’d like a milder mint flavor.) So good and simple!

  18. Lovely post, thanks for sharing :)

  19. Your little family is so precious♡ Glad to hear that things are going well in your corner of the world, and praying all the best for you guys!♡

  20. Loved this post! I’ve missed your day-in-the-life updates. I’d love to hear more about your decision to have Teo and stay in another country. We’re contemplating moving out of the US with our little one, and I’m just feeling very conflicted about moving far away from family. I love learning more about how other parents navigate that distance!

    • To be sure, being away from family has hands-down been the hardest part of living abroad, especially with a little one in the mix now. We of course do lots of texting and video calls and try to see each other as often as possible, but it can be really hard some days. That said, Barcelona feels like home now and raising a baby here has been a really, really wonderful experience so far. We have lots of expat friends here doing the same, so feel free to message me with any Qs!

  21. Where can I find your recipe for your mint ice tea??? It doesn’t seem to be on your website.

    Thanks! Looks soooo refreshing!

    • Hi Margiemi, I typically just steep some fresh mint in boiling water and then serve it over ice with a squeeze of lime. It is definitely refreshing! :)

  22. Love your blog, and THANK YOU for giving us a peek into your life! I must say, I am glad to know that the dishes are non-stop at other people’s homes too……

  23. Hi Ali,
    I have been reading you blog and trying out your recipes for a couple of years now – they are all amazing and they work!
    I will be visiting Barcelona for a few days in October, and was wondering if you could guide me which cooking class to enroll in as there are so many options to choose from on the internet. We will be staying in the Rambla Catalunya area and would love to have your advice on any dining places that are frequented for their local food; by locals. I have been to Barcelona a few times – its been five years now though – but its always nice to get a local perspective!
    Your little one is adorable – enjoy him, they grow up too fast.
    Thanks so much, Nuvaira

  24. Ali, this was so much fun to read! I missed you guys when you were here. I hope to see you soon. I love the fact I am now learning Spanish! I am going to start marking down these words. Barclay – we should talk about how our chorus can help you raise funds. Not sure what that looks like in my head yet. Also, still think you should arrange some of your songs for us to sing!! I think you would be pleaseantly surprised by how they sound in the barbershop style. Anyway, Love this and look forward to maybe chatting via FB or Zoom sometime in the next couple of months. Love, Shaunna and Ed Schlag

  25. Love this writing, thank you! All 3 of you look wonderful. Can’t wait to make this soup and the popcorn. I know you are so careful with your baby but please be careful when he is around your washer and dryer that he could climb in, I hope those machines have a lock. My nieces friends little girl jumped in their dryer last week and the machine came on with her in it, the little girl is fine thank goodness. The parents never used the locks, they do now. Happy Fall😊😊

  26. I adore your thoughtful updates! This day in the life post is so much fun 😊And you’ve inspired me to try that soup recipe. Yum!

  27. Love the updates!! I’m also in love with Dr Becky’s podcast!!! And hope you had fun with your KC visitors!!

    I’m from KC myself (though living in Ireland the last 10 years). We’re going to be in Barcelona over the Halloween break, do you know if they do much stuff for kids for Halloween there? I know All Saints’ Day tends to be the bigger holiday.

    Anywho, keep up the great work on the site. I love your blog and hope T settles into montessori soon enough!

  28. I just finished Carrie Soto yesterday and I really liked it. I also really like your wild rice soup. We’ve made it many times and it’s always a favorite.

  29. Hi, this is my first foray into the world of blog. I’m 81 so a bit late here but anytime is the right time for something new. I like your site, however did get a bit hungry looking through the recepies, especially the soups my favorite. Will try the garlic one tomorrow.
    I live in ND and am waiting for snow, sorry but my favorite season is winter and all the brisk fun it brings.
    So, thank you for letting me begin my blog life, hope to have a site of my own at some point.
    mikiel

  30. Ali, thank you so much for doing a “Day in the Life” post! I have been wondering how your sweet little family is doing. I’m so happy y’all are enjoying your life in Barcelona, and it looks like you guys are killing it at being parents. Keep up the good work ♥ Best, Anna

  31. I know this is super belated on this post but I wasn’t sure where else this kinda comment fit — I just wanted to say as someone who went through fertility struggles and IVF over the last year, I found so much comfort and relatability in you sharing your story. I’m newly pregnant from that experience (all the fingers crossed!) and have also found so much joy in reading your updates with Teo. I know you’ve taken a step back from IG, and I fully respect that, but if you ever wanted to go back to sharing on there (and/or sharing more of these Day in the Life and Currently posts in your blog), I would absolutely love them. Would also love to hear more about your travels and tips for traveling with Teo at various ages (e.g., your Portugal trip last year and Italy trip this year!) if you’d feel comfortable sharing that. Hope all is well and just wanted to let you know if you ever wanted to go back to sharing more personal stuff, you’d have at least one very big fan. And thank you so much for all you’ve shared so far – definitely helped me feel less alone ❤️ Happy Holidays!

  32. Love your website. You made me miss Barcelona, I spent 2 amazing summers there exploring life and loving every minute.

  33. Any chance (if you haven’t already) of you sharing your salmon cake recipe? Those looked SOOO BOMB! :)
    Thanks take care!

  34. Your life is so much cool, I wish I can have the opportunity to show the world what I can do ❤️❤️❤️

  35. I just loved your comment how sweet and tender your child is to his little animals. A peleche. Which I guess means so term of affection. Love your site I’m new but am trying your oatmeal cookie recipe right now. Just took the first sheet out of the oven. Yummy….