Throughout the years, my morning routine has changed, based on the different stages of life I’ve been in. When baby bottles and late night feedings took place, just keeping my eyes open took precedence over anything else during the morning hours. That and lots of coffee. Some seasons I’ve slept in, others I’ve rose early. But lets be real- there has been much more sleeping in than the latter. Recently, I am finding myself in a new stage of life. Most nights, Emersyn sleeps through the night, and there is no baby waking up in the wee’ hours of morning to feed and cuddle. Bittersweet, yes, but I can honestly say I am ready for my next stage of life.

As the girls have grown and changed, so has my morning routine. This year, I have discovered a morning routine that I cherish – something I truly look forward to most mornings. I am proud to say that more days than not look like what I’m about to share with you. Some days the order may be different and some weekends I may choose to sleep in but for the most part I stay true to this schedule.

• Time With God. My Christian faith plays a large role in my life. Are there times I get lazy, distracted, frustrated or simply not disciplined and do not do a good job of spending time with God in the mornings. Yes. But I do really try to make it a priority to talk to Him, read a devotional and journal. Some days I spend 5 minutes with Him, other days it is 30. And other times I take a few seconds to ask Him to guide me through my day. All I know is I’m a mess without Him and if I consistently quit spending time with Him, my life goes backwards and I struggle.

• Yoga. If you would’ve told me a year ago that I would be doing yoga on a consistent basis, I would’ve laughed and said, “mmm no”. I’ve done a few yoga classes here and there over the last 10 years but nothing that I’ve loved. One of my goals this year is to work out on a consistent basis. The first few months of the year I was lifting weights and doing cardio classes online but after having some ongoing shoulder issues I realized I needed to pivot. I’ve found 2 yoga instructors who I love on You-tube and every morning I GET EXCITED to do their class. The classes are only 20-30 minutes long. I think this is key. Find something you enjoy doing when it comes to exercise and it doesn’t have to be an hour long thing. Whether it’s taking your dog for a walk, running, lifting weights, playing golf, etc. Find what brings you joy and you will be more apt to actually do it! Moving my body every morning definitely brightens my mood and gives me more energy for my day.

• Makeup & Out of Pj’s. In my early stay at home mom days I really struggled in this area. The majority of the time I stayed in my pjs, no makeup on and felt like crap about myself often. I had no desire to go anywhere, my energy was low and I just didn’t feel the best about myself. FOR ME, I have found that in order for me to feel the best about myself, doing my makeup, hair and getting out of pj’s is very important. After I had Brielle was really when I implemented this into my everyday morning routine, and I have kept it since. Of course there are days where I do stay in pjs and put no makeup on every now and then; but this is few and far between and I don’t make it the norm. Also, I truly enjoy the routine of doing my makeup and hair- I usually put a good podcast on – something I like to do!

• Diffuse Essential Oils. I was always skeptical of the whole “oily thing” until I caved in and tried Young Living Oils. The Aria mist diffuser is beautiful and I wanted it for our home. Since then, I have become a mildly obsessed oily person. I get the hype. Every morning, I get excited to pick what scent I want to permeate through our home every day. Sometimes it’s citrusy, woodsy, or spicy scents. I love eucalyptus, lemon and rosemary. These scents are different from a candle; they aren’t artificial and have many health benefits attributed to them. I could go on and on and on but I wont. I love a good smelling home and starting my day off by diffusing my oils makes me happy!

• Empty Dishwasher/Clean Kitchen. Every night I do a load of dishes in our dishwasher and every morning I empty it. After it is emptied, I do any dishes from breakfast and then clean our kitchen up. The kitchen is where I spend a lot of time and is literally central in our open concept home, so when the kitchen is tidied, the house feels more serene. Even though the kitchen continues to get messy throughout the day, over and over again, starting out with a clean space in the morning brings me a sense of peace.

Life changes. People grow and evolve. Circumstances are always different. At this point in time, this is what works best for me and are 5 things that truly help me make the best out of each morning I am given!