April Blogging Challenge Day 2: Morning Routine

I find that there’s something comforting in a routine.  A predictable sequence of events that are so ingrained that we barely have to think about them.  I found it funny because as automatic as it is, to write this post I actually had to stop and think about what I was doing this morning.

Of all of the routines that I have, the one that happens in the morning is, I find, the most important one for me as an individual.  It sets the tone for the day.  I’m not saying that if I deviate from it I’m going to have a bad day or that I’m guaranteed to have a good day if I follow it, but it definitely helps me start my day on the right foot.

Obviously, no two days are exactly alike (weekends and weekdays have a different beat), but there are three elements that always stay the same and these are the elements I’ll be concentrating on.

I wake up when Adrien does – anywhere between 5:45 and 6:30, nurse and change him.  I really enjoy the days where he wakes up earlier as it allows me to have a quiet moment alone before everyone else gets out of bed at 6:40.  I find that the days where I am up before everyone else are the days where I am the most productive and am in the best mood because I had some time to wake up in a silent and calm environment.

I make the bed pretty much as soon as my husband is out of it.  I spent years not making my bed, because I felt it was a waste of time.  But now that I have kids, a made bed makes me feel like I’ve got something under control.  It makes my room look tidier, puts me in a good mood and gets me motivated to actually stop procrastinating and get stuff done around the house.

I have breakfast.  You know, some people need their coffee, I don’t drink the stuff.  I do, however, need to eat.  Most days, my breakfast is a smoothie.  The reason I enjoy drinking a smoothie for my first meal of the day is that it is portable (which means I can eat and tidy up / take care of Adrien / play with the kids…), it helps me eat at a slower pace because I end up taking sips here and there as I do other things around the house) and, lets face it, it’s downright delicious!

How do you kick start your day?