My Morning Routine

I just finished listening to the Salt & Light podcast about routines and it has me wanting to post about my morning routine. I know I've done instatories on it before, but I'd like the chance to write it out for  you :)

I am up typically an hour before the kids wake up (5:30-6:00). This is MY time. If Andrew happens to wake up, he's content with snuggling up on the couch with his iPad and staying quiet for the first hour. Screen time = golden time for mama!  First and foremost, I make coffee. This is essential to my day. Sometimes, if I'm really on the ball, I prep it the night before (but haven't figured out how to set the timer) so I can just push the start button. We use to use Keurig for that instant cup of goodness, but found it to be getting too expensive as we were drinking 6 cups between the two of us in the mornings, so it's back to good old pot coffee.

The next thing I do (which isn't the healthiest, I know!) is I have my morning smoke. I don't have a smoke in the last couple hours before bed, so the morning one generally delivers a pretty good head rush. It's the only one of the day where I get a rush so it's my favourite smoke. Like I said, not very healthy, but still important.

Once coffee is ready, I sit down at my desk area (which is also the end seat of the dining room table). I have a small table set up with all my readings, books, journal and day planner. On the dining room table is Bath and Body Works candles which I like to light. Then begins "the teachings" (as Mike and I like to call it). I start with affirmation cards. I have two different boxes. One is by Louise Hay and I'm not sure who the other one is by but it has a picture of a rabbit riding a unicorn on a rainbow and that was all I needed to see before I bought them. I shuffle each deck seven times and then split the deck to a card. There have been days where it's been scary how bang on the cards have been for reflecting my life's current mood!

After affirmations, I read from Max Lucado's Pocket Prayers. I generally read one or two prayers and focus on those for a few minutes. After reading the prayer, this is also the time where I pray my own prayers...asking God to watch over my family and friends and thanking Him for all the blessings in my life. I also read from God Hears Her, sometimes before I pray, sometimes after.

After prayers, it's time to delve into The Secret Daily Teachings. I read a few passages and set my intentions for the day. It's a time for visualizing my intentions and putting it out there to the Universe whatever I would like to happen. It has worked for me before in the past (even within the last two weeks!) and I continue to believe that you get what you put out there.

Next, it's time for Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy. This is a year's worth of essays about discovering your authentic self and how to carve out joy in each day. I've had it for a few years and still haven't read it completely as I've missed days here and there if I'm away or sleep in. After this, it's time for some OPRAH! Her Wisdom of Sundays book is an easy read and I read a few passages to motivate me for the day.

Once all my readings are finished, it is time to journal. I have two journals that I use regularly (besides my travel journal, holiday journal and my mental health ward journal). One is Start Where You Are. I do one page a day and since the pages are so long, I draw a line underneath my passage and date it. I have intentions of doing each page several times throughout the years and see how I've evolved. Then it's time for my regular journal...where I get to dump all my thoughts and fears and wonders. Some days, it's just a recap of the previous day. Other days, it's a long meandering of thoughts. Super therapeutic!

At some point in the morning, I will have washed my face and done my skin care routine. I have one age spot on the left side of my face that's driving me bonkers and am trying to attack it with special essential oil blend. Also? I take my morning meds which are blister packed for me so I don't have to even think about how many of what do I need. It's a life saver.

Also in the morning, I put on my essential oils. I have about eight different blends from Healing Hollow that I routinely put on. Always in the same order, on the same spots on my body. I have them lined up in the order I use them. If I happen to knock one over, it turns into a game of dominos with each one falling over and creating a ruckus.

So there you have it...my morning routine in a nutshell. What do you do every morning that sets you up for goodness in the day? I'm curious...

And so it goes...