A Day in the Life of Digital Diva Lori Hawthorne

Digital Diva: Lori Hawthorne 

Occupation: Events Executive, mom to child model Zoey, and uber-fab wife

Location: Brooklyn, NY

Being a working mom in today’s society seems complicated but Lori Hawthorne makes it look so effortless. This former model and Events Executive days and nights are full, but thank goodness, she is armed with the proper digital tools to navigate even through the busiest moments. Between executing major events, scheduling appointments for her model daughter Zoey, managing the family’s finances and ordering food & baby supplies, Loris knows, that with a tap from one of her well-manicured nails, everything is under control. Let’s take a glimpse into an ordinary day of an extraordinary ‘Digital Diva’!

6:45 am: iPhone Alarm app goes off, and I’m up! Plug in my iPad so that it can charge during the day.

7:00 am: My life is all about multi-tasking and time management. Thank god for apps and smart devices. While I brush my teeth, I’m checking Weather.com app, so I can properly dress my daughter for school (I also squeeze in one round of Candy Crush before I get dressed). I check my email quickly on the phone, as I am a member of number of neighborhood parent listserves. I also check Instagram (my go-to social network). A few quick “likes” and then I’m in the shower.

7:30 am: My daughter Z is out of bed, getting dressed, and has requested to use (and I quote) her iPad (which is actually my iPad, but I’ve given up on that argument). iPads are only for after school and the weekends, and she gives me a side-eye! She is now eye-balling my phone, so I quickly hide it in my purse.

9:00 am: At work. Start my day by reviewing Outlook for conference calls and meetings, as well as checking email. I receive a text message from my husband regarding a play date with his cousin’s kids in a few weeks. I check our availability on my phone’s calendar app. Every family activity (weekend playdates, ballet class for my daughter, school activities, etc.) is in this app. I’m able to manage our family’s schedules that way, and send him invites to calendar items as needed. I also love having everything backed up on the “magical Apple iCloud” ( in case I lose one of my devices).

11:00 am: Quickly check my personal email again on my smartphone. No castings for Z (my daughter is a child model) so far this week.

12:00 pm: I receive a sale notification from the Gilt.com – prompting a quick scan of their daily deals. I am an avid online shopper, and it is SUCH a time saver, so having notifications are really helpful. I also suffer from “mommy brain” and need reminders for almost everything (lest I forget). Got a notification from Candy Crush- apparently my free lives have been restored, so during lunch I play a few rounds. I’m a Candy Crush addict.

12:15 pm: That item that I put in my Gilt shopping cart is still available. I try to call my BFF to talk me out of it…I’m on a budget…but she doesn’t answer. Shoot. Now I’ve hit “purchase”! I should turn off these push notifications.

2 pm: Quick trip around the corner to Duane Reade, and input my expenses into our family budgeting app, Homebudget. A quick check of Instagram while I grab lunch and head back to work.

4:30 pm: Put my earbuds on and click the Pandora app; have to send out a slew of emails and could use some musical distractions for the next hour. Just remembered I have to order baby wipes and pull-ups; log into the Diapers.com app, and after two clicks, the goods are on our way to our house. Love this app because everything arrives next day, and it stores a list of your frequently purchased items. And I don’t live remotely close to a Walmart, so it’s a big timesaver.

6:30 pm: Home from work. Z goes immediately for the iPad and scrolls between her favorite apps (Nick Jr., Disney Jr., Buzzle) as we watch a little bit of TV together before getting her ready for bed. I also log into the FreshDirect app on my phone to purchases a few items that I’ve realized we need (veggies, pre-made kids meals, etc.). Add my purchases into the GroceryIQ app, as well as Homebudget.

8:00 pm: Z is finally in bed. After another quick check of Instagram (like, like, like again) and Tumblr, I play a few more rounds of Candy Crush (I’m THAT addicted). Get dinner ready for myself and my husband. While I’m cooking, I’m typically planning dinner and lunches for the next few days (always have to plan ahead). Some of fave apps are Allrecipes.com and Yummly. Yummly literally has the best food photos I’ve ever seen.

11:00 pm: Phone on the charger. Hit the sack (but turn on my phone’s alarm first). Good night!

Top 5 Apps I Can’t Live Without:

1. Instagram

2. Candy Crush

3. Calendar app

4. Weather.com

5. Diapers.com

6. Fresh Direct

Apps Every Working Mother Needs:

1. Yummly

2. Homebudget

3. Open Table

4. Fresh Direct

5. Seamless

6. Soap.com

7. Disney Jr.

Apps to Use When Traveling for Work:

1. Delta.com

2. JetBlue.com

3. Kayak.com

4. Hotels.com

5. Trip Advisor

Which apps do you wish existed in a perfect world?

I’d love an app that would automatically set up date nights- find the place, make a reservation or buy tickets to something, and put it in our calendars. I’d also love one that would aggregate all of the local events/outings for kids, organized by age, and automatically populate it in my calendar, so I wouldn’t have to check out as many blogs and parent listserves to find activities every month for my little one. Anything that saves time- is LITERALLY a lifesaver.