• Home
    • Legal Policies & Disclosures
  • Start Here!
    • About Tiffany
    • FAQ
  • Health & Fitness
    • Workouts
    • Healthy Living
    • Fit Lifestyle
  • Recipes
    • Paleo Recipes
    • Muffins
    • Sweet
    • Savory
  • Personal Development
  • Essential Oils
    • Essential Oils- What are they?

A Fit Mom's Life

Fitness, Health & Well-being

Life

My New Morning Routine + A Reader Survey

January 27, 2016

How I established my new morning routine (and how you can too!). 

*This post may contain affiliate links. For my full disclosure policy, click here.* 

I’ve been staying home with Little A full time now for about 6 months.  And it’s taken me almost 6 months to get into a somewhat normal routine. I’m sure a lot has to do with the pregnancy, but a lot also has to do with the newness of being home all day every day. Little A and I have both had our fair share of challenges adapting to me being home full time; times have been hard, I’ve had thoughts of going back to work, I’ve felt lost and alone and just very tired. But I always come back to why I wanted to stay home in the first place: to be the one raising my children full time.

So I’ve finally established what will be my morning routine for the next few months. I’m sure once baby boy comes in March things will change for a while until we get adjusted to our new life with an infant.

It took me quite some time to figure out how I wanted my mornings to look.  When I was working part time I only had 2 mornings home to myself and I got up very early to make the most of not having to get ready for work. Now that I have 5 days, I still get up earlier than our daughter, but not as early as previously. I’ve found that I function better and my mood is much better when I get a little extra sleep, but still have time for myself. 

I went back to my morning rituals post because I still fully believe those 5 things can help start my day off right; waking up early being #1. The days I sleep in until Little A gets up are not our best. Making sure I have some time for myself to do whatever I want makes me a better mom. We all need time alone every so often, to recharge, reconnect with ourselves and just breathe.

Here is my new morning routine:

My alarm goes off at 6:30 (goal is 6:15…will get there soon if I can get to bed a bit earlier) and before I even get out of bed I write in my journal. I’ve shared about this journal multiple times, but I swear y’all, journaling will change your life.  All it takes is 5 minutes a day.

I then come downstairs and grab a banana, book and get to stretching. Instead of listening to something motivating, I read.  I just finished Raising Your Spirited Child (highly recommend if you have a child with a temperament you may not fully understand) and am currently reading The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up (which is seriously life-changing y’all).  I’ll read for about 20-30 minutes while I do some stretching.  

I stretch for about 10-15 minutes of my reading time, then on about half the days I make my morning coffee. I haven’t been wanting coffee every day, which is very unlike me, but on those mornings I’m extra tired I’ll have a small cup of decaf. Even the decaf makes me feel better. 

RELATED  6 Common Mistakes When Brewing Coffee

After stretching and reading I spend a little time on social media. Usually Instagram and Facebook.  I’ll check my planner for the day to see if we have anything going on, then I’ll do a little blog reading or reply to comments if the kiddo sleeps in beyond 7:15.  

After she wakes up, I make my breakfast.  Lately it’s been yogurt with granola or eggs on toast. I’ll sometimes make overnight oatmeal, which is probably my favorite breakfast, if I can remember to make it the night before.  

Little A will either watch a little Disney Jr, or we’ll play or cuddle for a bit until she’s hungry.  She likes to eat later, around 8:00-8:30. While she eats I wash my face, get dressed and do my makeup.  Now that I don’t have to go into an office every day my makeup routine has been paired down and I can do it all in under 5 minutes.  

Depending on the day we either then get dressed for school, or we have play time until it’s time to get ready for dance or running errands.

The key for making my morning routine a success is writing it down. I created a daily routine for us and detailed out what I want to get accomplished each morning. Most things are the same every day, but a few things vary a bit depending on the day as far as Little A’s schedule goes.  I also vary what I do related to the blog.  M, W, F I read and comment on blogs if I have the extra time in the mornings. T, Th I’ll usually reply to email and comments on my blog, or I’ll review my blog to do’s and try to do a bit of work on those.  

Not only did I write our routine down, but I review it every day. That has been so helpful in keeping me motivated. If you just write it down and never look at it again, how likely are you to stick with it? Not very I’d assume. 

[Tweet “Having time for myself makes me a better mom. We all need a little alone time.”]

I was in such a rut when I first started staying home. A large part of that discontentment was because I hadn’t established a morning routine. Starting your day on the right foot with some time for yourself can really change not only your attitude, but also your motivation and outlook on life.  I’m so much happier now that I’ve finally found my groove. 

 

For 2016, I’m really trying to focus in on what my readers want to see. I did a survey last year that helped me better understand my readers, and I want to do that again. I’ve grown quite a bit since my last reader survey, so I’m looking to really focus on bringing you what you enjoy to read here on the ol’ blog.  The survey is really quick with less than 10 questions.  
Thanks so much for taking the time to fill it out!

  

So tell me, what makes your morning routine successful for you?

morning routine
by Tiffany 

About Tiffany

View all posts by Tiffany

Related Posts

  • Our Weekend Off The Grid
  • The importance of plant-based laundry detergent
  • Celebrate Good Times
  • If I Could…
previous article: Tips for a Successful Road Trip with Young Kids
next article: Friday Favorites: Baby Style

Comments

  1. Biana @ Blovedboston says: January 27, 2016 at 6:14 am

    I think your routine is great and I’m so happy to hear that you’re happy with it now!! I love that you journal in the morning!! xo, Biana –BlovedBoston

  2. Paige @ An Uncomplicated Life Blog says: January 27, 2016 at 8:07 am

    Morning routines are essential as SAHM’s! I think that’s why I feel so out of place now… We’re not quite yet into a routine. Both my kiddos are on the 7-7 sleep schedule (thank you Jesus!) but sometimes I go back to bed if I’ve been up a lot and hubs is home to take both the boys for another hour. It’s just not consistent. I need to make myself get up and stay up after both are awake, but it’s so hard if I’ve been up half the night! You’ve got this down. Hopefully by the time you have baby boy, I’ll have some tips for you in the 2 kiddo morning routine schedule!

  3. chelsea jacobs says: January 27, 2016 at 8:31 am

    I love that you journal before you even get out of bed! That is impressive!

  4. Jenny says: January 27, 2016 at 8:41 am

    I’m so glad that you’ve found something that works for you. If I don’t start my morning off right, I feel like it effects my whole day. Not fun!

  5. Amanda Elizabeth says: January 27, 2016 at 10:57 am

    Having that time to yourself I feel is so important! I always try to answer a few emails with my coffee before heading out and its such a great way to start the day. That and stretching love that 😉

  6. Chelsea @ Life With My Littles says: January 27, 2016 at 1:38 pm

    I love this! We have been off our normal routine for the last two months since my husband was out of town last month and this month we have all been out of town. But we are headed home this weekend and I can’t wait to get back to normal! Thanks for sharing this! I’m going to try waking up early and maybe even journaling in the morning!

  7. Julie says: January 27, 2016 at 1:43 pm

    Creating a routine is really helpful in getting things done. I hope you get to keep some of this routine when the baby arrives, but I’m sure you’ll tweak it to make things work 🙂

  8. Kelli {A Deeper Joy} says: January 27, 2016 at 2:30 pm

    What a great routine! I wish mine was more like that! I haven’t gotten one down since Christmas and I know that it’s about to change as soon as we get kids. I can’t even imagine writing right after I wake up. I’m too groggy. I’m better at something like that right before I go to bed.

  9. Lindsay says: January 27, 2016 at 2:37 pm

    Tiffany, can I live with you and adopt your morning routine? It sounds heavenly. How old is your little one? My daughter is 1, and I’m in a bit of a weird morning sleeping situation with her recently. She used to sleep through the night since she was brand new but for the past few months gets up several times and will only be soothed by being held or nursed – like literally, you can pick her up crying in the crib and the moment she knows she’s held, she back to sleep. Anyway, so now I’ll just take her to bed with me (something I said I would NEVER do) in the early morning so we can both get sleep. Because of that, my morning routine is dependent on her. I work part-time as a teacher, so I only work 11:30-2:50, which means I get my mornings home with my daughter. I also LOVE overnight oats – did you know you can let them soak for only 30 minutes if you use quick oats? Fun fact of the day. : ) I also love that you offer a different perspective about staying home that most people don’t think about: The fact that moms may miss being at work.

    • Tiffany says: January 29, 2016 at 8:39 am

      HAHA Lindsay! My daughter is 4 1/2. We struggled with sleep the first year big time. She didn’t sleep through the night until about 15 months. It was a rough go. She still has times when she struggles with sleep (right now it’s being “afraid” of her room), but she’s much better and usually sleeps about 7:45-7:15 every day. All I can tell you is some kids go through phases and it will get better. I promise. I thought our girl would never sleep through the night! And yes to the overnight oats! Sometimes I’ll make it in the morning and heat it in the microwave a bit to get them soft faster. It’s just such a good meal.

  10. Debbie Williams says: January 27, 2016 at 9:00 pm

    Great routine. Feeling a little guilty just coming to visit you. You visited me some time back and I just found it in my waiting to be approved folder, but here I am.

  11. Jennifer | The Deliberate Mom says: January 28, 2016 at 1:47 pm

    You have a great routine Tiffany!

    We all need that time to ourselves before we get thrown into our days. I love how you’ve been able to carve out that time for yourself. I should check out that journal – it looks awesome.

    Thanks for sharing.
    xoxo

  12. K. Renae P. says: February 6, 2016 at 9:53 am

    Taking time for yourself is so important. I’ve wanted to journal first thing I wake up because of the benefits, but my mornings are so hectic… I know that’s a terrible excuse. 🙂

Hello, welcome to A Fit Mom's Life!

Be Social

Search

Join the 7 Days to a Healthier You Challenge for FREE!

Thank you! You have successfully subscribed to our newsletter.

Join the 7 Days to a Healthier You Challenge for FREE!

In 7 days you can be well on your way to a new way of approaching health and wellness.  This FREE 7 day challenge includes daily workouts, nutrition tips, time management techniques and more!

Don't miss out!

Find us on Facebook

Categories

Popular posts

  • What you can do with Wheatgrass

    March 31, 2021
  • How to teach kids good nutrition habits

    February 3, 2021
  • 7 Natural Ingredients to use as part of an Anti-aging Skin Care Routine

    January 6, 2021

Copyright

All the text, images or other content that are a part of this blog are the property of the author, unless otherwise noted. All logos and trademarks are the property of the owner.  You may not duplicate, copy or reproduce any photographs, articles, or material on this blog without my express permission.
For full copyright, see my disclosure page.

About

About Tiffany

Recent Posts

  • What you can do with Wheatgrass
    Health and Fitness, Healthy Living
  • 6 things successful homeschool moms do
    Homeschool

Subscribe to the Blog via Email

Copyright © 2023 · Prima Donna theme by Georgia Lou Studios

Copyright © 2023 · Prima Donna on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Reject Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT