My Morning Routine (Day in the Life Series)

Good morning and happy Monday! Today it’s my turn to share my morning routine with you as part of our ongoing A Day in the Life series. Amy shared hers just a couple of weeks ago, and if you missed it you can read all about it here.

As I was thinking about writing this post it hit me that my morning routine now is so very, very different than even just two years ago. With only one child left at home who drives, my mornings are now peaceful and relaxed where they used to be incredibly hectic. We all know that there are stages of life, and while I think I will have serious empty nest syndrome when my daughter leaves home, I’m also enjoying the fact that after years of busy, busy, busy, things are starting to slow down a bit.

Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a night owl, not a morning person. The other two people in the house, my husband and daughter, are up with the larks every day and before I even get out of bed, they’ve usually knocked out their workout at the crossfit box down the street and made themselves breakfast. My daughter also walks the dog and unloads the dishwasher in the morning (my least favorite housekeeping chore) and then works on homework until it’s time to leave for school. It’s her junior year and the school gave her permission to overload her schedule with two extra classes, so she’s always doing homework when she’s not at ballet or school.

I could probably get up a half hour earlier, but I love that they have that time together after my husband had the miss the last two years of her life.

Depending on the day and whether or not I have an early appointment, I get up between 7:00 and 7:30. I’ve talked before about the Sleep Cycle app that I use and still highly recommend it.

I find coffee right away and if my schedule for the day doesn’t require me to run right back upstairs to start getting ready, I hang out downstairs until my husband and daughter leave the house.

I’ll load their breakfast dishes in the dishwasher, feed the dog, and maybe fold or start a load of laundry. (The cat’s bowls are upstairs but for some reason she prefers to drink the dog’s water. Power move, maybe?)

Once everyone’s out the door, I make sure the kitchen is tidy, then head upstairs to get ready. I’m a make my bed every day kind of girl, so that’s usually the first thing I do. I haven’t shared our bedroom yet so this is the world premiere, but I do plan to share more just as soon as I finish up a few things.

| Bedding (sold out but you can find it here) | Headboard |

If you read my last Day in the Life post, then you know my dirty little secret is that I don’t normally eat breakfast. If I do, it’s usually a Perfect Bar with my coffee (I buy mine at ALDI for under $2 each).

I do get dressed and put makeup on every day, even if I’m just working from home all day. I just feel better when I do, plus we live in a small town and if I try to run out anywhere looking like I mess, I can guarantee that I’ll run into a dozen friends!  I’ll shower every day but I only wash my hair every second or third day; it takes awhile to blow dry so I have to prepare myself emotionally for it ahead of time. (By the way, I highly recommend my hairdryer; it’s here. I’ve had it for years because the motor doesn’t burn out like the cheap ones I used to buy, and it cuts my drying time in half.)

Here’s the inside of my medicine cabinet; it obviously takes a lot of products to get out of the house in the morning! I’ve been enjoying the Beauty Counter CounterTime skin care set and definitely recommend it. In my opinion, there’s no sense spending money on facials and aesthetic treatments if you’re not going to use high quality skin care, too.

| Skin care set | Clarisonic | Chanel No 5 | Aveda Texture Tonic | Makeup Brushes

I’ve been trying to up my makeup game lately. I’ve just done the same thing for years, especially for my eyes, but there are definitely some tips and tricks to make things look better when you’re in your forties and beyond. I watch YouTube videos to learn new techniques and recommend Dominique Sachse and Graceful Beauty because they’re both super stylish and over forty.

My makeup drawer looks like a mess but I promise I know where everything is!

If it’s just a casual day, I’ll wear jeans. This is a pretty typical look:

| Cardigan | Necklace (similar) |Earrings (splurge) or  Earrings(save) | Camisole | Jeans | Leopard Apple Watch Strap | Peep Toe Booties (if I’ll be out and about) or ballet flats (if I’ll be at home) |

One day a week I volunteer at our local thrift shop; proceeds go to support local families in need. I tend to dress down even more on those mornings because some of the donations we sort through can be kind of yucky.

Before I sit down at the computer to get to work, I water the plants outside. This was a daily chore throughout our long, hot summer, but now it’s usually every other day.

I’ll also take the electric blower and blow the pine needles off the porches; this is a daily job when you live in the land of the pines!

I do most of my work in this room at the kitchen table:

But trust me, it doesn’t usually look that fancy!

Thanks for stopping by for a peek into my mornings. You can see our other Day in the Life posts HERE.

 

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