The last time I blogged about my morning routine things were very different. I was still trying to figure out what on earth I was doing with my life, professionally speaking, and in the midst of wedding planning. And take my morning routine two years ago, when I had a corporate sales + marketing job and was a live-in girlfriend. I realized that year over year morning routines are vastly different, it’s kind of neat to think about.
Today, I’m sharing my current morning routine as a wife, cat mom (that’s new from last year!), and a self-employed chef.
6:00AM
Alarm clock goes off, and it’s the cat’s cue to start purring. They know when they hear the alarm they’ll get food within 3 minutes, so they need to ensure I actually get up. I walk down two flights of stairs to the basement, where we keep their little food mat. I come up to the kitchen and boot up the Keurig. As I’m making coffee, I put away clean dishes / pots & pan from either the dishwasher or ones drying on the counter from the night before. I made myself a small breakfast. Either a cup of yogurt, bowl of cheerios, or a piece of toast with peanut butter.
6:10AM
With coffee and breakfast in hand, I head over to the kitchen table where my laptop seems to live these days. I open up my steam of consciousness journal and type for however long I feel like. Sometimes it’s 10 minutes, other times it’s two sentences. I check emails (I live for a zero’d out inbox), complete a few admin tasks for my business, a bit of online banking, a 5 minute meditation session, and write up a quick to-do list for the day. After that, I begin typing out a grocery list for whichever client I’m cooking for that day, and print out their menu and invoice.
7:15AM
I go back upstairs and change into barre clothes; black or grey yoga pants, a workout tank, barre socks, and a cozy sweater. I brush my teeth and wash my face before heading back downstairs. I straighten up the kitchen and the living room before lacing up my sneakers. I’m out the door no later than 7:35AM to head to the metro.
7:58AM
Three quick metro stops on the green-line and I’m in Chinatown for my 8AM barre class. If I’m lucky, the train cooperates and I’m not rushing into class 5 minutes late. 8AM is typically their express class, which is a 45 minute full-body workout and I love it. I’ve been doing barre for about 6 months now.
9:15AM
I’m home and in serious need of a shower. After showing, I quickly put on makeup and throw my hair into a ponytail. I change into my ninja outfit: black yoga pants + black long sleeved top. I head to the basement, where I keep my chef’s bag. I pack up my client’s folder, repack my tools, apron, hand towels, and grab whatever spices I need. I make another cup of coffee, this one is to go.
9:35AM
Alex and I are out the door. Since we are a one car family (city life problems), we carpool in the mornings. Most of my clients are in Northern Virginia, which means Alex’s office is a quick 2 minute detour for me. Dropping my husband off at work is my first stop of the day, and lucky for us, heading from DC to NoVa in the mornings is reverse commute, which is ah-ma-zing.
10:05AM
My second stop is at a grocery store. Each client has their preferred grocery store — whether it be Giant, Safeway, Harris Teeter, Whole Foods, or Trader Joes. Depending on what day of the week it is, I’m at a different grocery store. I shop for fresh produce and all other ingredients I need for my cook date. I’m usually able to get in and out within 20 minutes.
10:40AM
I pull up to my clients house and begin unloading groceries and unpacking my tools. I set up and settle in for the next 3+ hours of kitchen time. I boot up an audiobook — I’m currently listening to The Handmaids Tale and Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, I alternate each day — and get to work.
That’s what my typical weekday morning looks like! Since I work with two clients on Tuesday, I end up having Thursdays off, which I very much enjoy. But rest assured I’m still up at 6AM for a morning barre class!