A Day in the Life: Beth Navarro

Beth Navarro writes young adult and children’s picture books. She has published two picture books, Kiko the Hawaiian Wave and Grambo, with an innovative new publishing company Be There Bedtime Stories. She also authors a comedic, raw and sometimes controversial mom blog, Mother-naked. She is a proud member of California Readers, a wonderful organization that connects authors and artists to students and staff. She is a teacher in an after school enrichment program, LEARNs, in Pasadena. She is a member of SCBWI and the co-editor of KiteTales, Southern California’s Tri-Regions newsletter. She is a member of The New Hollywood, a philanthropic women’s goal group and is a 2012 nominee for the Los Angeles Business Journal Women who Make a Difference Award. Beth lives and writes in Los Angeles. In her spare time, when not playing with her two daughters, Frankie and Zoe, she makes cool stuff and sells it on etsy.

www.bethnavarro.com
https://twitter.com/#!/BethNavarro76
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mother-naked/111636188964108
http://www.etsy.com/shop/craftbybeth

6:15 I wake up to Mr. Bees in my face and Frankie singing: “You look like a monkey and you smell like one too. SMELL HIM MAMA!” Today I detect a whiff of of kid sweat and gummy worms. Not bad.

6:18 Zoe screams from the other room UP! UP! UP! She will not stop until I get her, so I do.

6:45 Waffles for breakfast. I’ve discovered if I put their food on sticks they’ll clean their plate.

6:51 We all burp at the same time. It’s awesome. Synched! I cannot wait until we have our periods at the same time.

7:00: I check my email. Word of the day: Notorious. I read these like my horoscope daily. I’m taking “notorious” as an awesome sign. I realize I’ve left the girls alone with a bottle of syrup...

7:15 Bath time. “Quit waterboarding your sister.”

8:30 We make a rocket ship. (It’s torn in half by Zoe, but I got killer tape skills)

8:45 Zoe successfully imitates the kid from Parenthood (the movie) I think I have my next Mother-naked article.

9:00 The girls are picked up by their dad. Let my work day begin.

9:05 I take a quick shower and throw on my comfy clothes (Totally as sexy as you are imagining)

9:15 Work on YA rewrite. The consistent note from my writing group: He needs to say this out loud! Apparently I accidentally made my main character mute. Oops.

11:00 Lunch break. Warmed up Panda express leftovers.

11:15 I spend a few minutes fantasizing about living in The Game of Thrones world. I really would be willing to trade the peace of mind of living in a time and place where I won’t get beheaded with the chance to check out The Wall and hang with the Dothraki.

11:30 There is a Firefly marathon. I allow myself one episode. One.

12:30 I consult with my writing partner about the next chapter I’m rewriting. She concurs with my notes.

12:35 Continue with YA rewrite while listening to Pixies and Band of Horses to get me going. One more chapter to do today...

1:30 Whoopie Pie break (I fully believe in rewarding myself after I write) and play Lorax

1:40 Play Drawsomething. I’m pretty happy with my Picasso.

1:50 Review proofread articles for the next Kite Tales issue

2:45 My head itches. I go into paranoid mode that one of the kids gave me lice. After a through examination, I realize I’m fine. (This happens at least once a week)

2:50 I stay glued to my couch with Firefly in front of my face. Damn Mal and his charming little quips.

4:00 I go over my notes for the next two chapters of my rewrite with the only pen I can find. Ugh.

4:30 My friend texts me: “I’m at Lucky Baldwins. Wanna come up?” Umm yeah. I walk up into town for a quick beer.

6:15 Come home and go over my author visit presentation I’m giving at an elementary school this week. It’s even funnier with a beer in my system.

6:45 Dinner: Frozen Trader Joe’s Mac and Cheese. Delicious...

7:15 Read The Maze Runner by: James Dashner

8:00 Missing the girlies and our “Crazy Story Time” we do every night.

8:15 Talk on the phone with my lovie

9:15 Check my email and waste some time on fb.

9:30 Brainstorm the next craft kit I’m going to make. I think it will involve cut up dictionary and music pages.

9:45 Research book blogs to get to review my latest picture book, Grambo.

10:00 MAD MEN!

10:30 Too tired to stay up and finish the episode.

10:35 Write in my log book

10:45 Go to sleep in my fave stolen teeshirt (Don’t ever let me near your teeshirt collection)