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I never used to drink coffee. Funny what getting older does to you because now, I love to start my day with a cup. Truthfully, otherwise how does one get through the entire day?

Given that I’m now all about the cup of joe and I have a pretty hectic schedule every single day, I thought I’d share how my mornings go and the routines I have in place so everything goes smoothly and I feel my best.

Somehow, since stepping away from my full-time job to freelance and work on this blog, I am even more busy. I have recipes to test, deadlines to meet, endless stops at the grocery store to make (I love every bit of this part). If I don’t start the morning off right, I can feel all out of sorts. Here’s what I found I can do to have the best day possible:

WAKE UP EARLY

This could be very hard for most. It was hard for me at first, and sometimes still is, but I notice a major difference when I start my day early. For me, this could be anything – this could mean I’m taking some time to myself to be in bed and read a book or it could mean I actually get out of bed and complete a task that I meant to do the day before.

Do you ever have that one task that just gnaws at you until it’s completed? For me, it’s the dishes. Seriously, I hate going to bed with a dirty sink so I rarely do, even if it means staying up late, but there are those days where I just cannot and so I get up early to do the dishes and start the day off feeling productive. Pro tip: It helps to listen to an audiobook or some music!

STRETCH

I have a dream of being a yogi, but so far all I’ve got in me is some intense stretching. I start my day with some stretches and feel this cathartic relief as if I had unknown tension just sitting in me and building overnight. This is another reason I get up early.

Silent stretching is the best. You know, before the complete chaos of the day.

DRINK COFFEE

Coffee gets me energized for the day! When I’m out and about, I’ll order an iced coffee, but making it at home there’s something so smoothing about a hot coffee. The 1850™ Pioneer Blend Medium Roast Coffee has been my jam lately. Purchased at Publix (my go-to grocery store for sure), I love this coffee because it’s really smooth and not bitter like a lot of other coffees out there. 1850 Brand coffee fire-roasts their beans to get a taste and texture that’s unique to them, and with even roasting, you also get a more consistent coffee flavor.

Sometimes I switch it around because 1850 Brand coffee comes in four blends of Ground and K-Cup coffee, and what’s really exciting is it’ll also be available in three Ready to Drink flavors too! More options for on-the-go is always a win to me.

Now if I can get up in enough time to read, stretch, and drink coffee before anyone else wakes up, that always turns into the best day. I guess having relaxing me time to prep for the day mentally, physically and emotionally, is a big factor.

TURN UP THE MUSIC

…and dance! I may very well be the world’s worst dancer, but that doesn’t stop me from doing it. I am dancing all the time. Like a maniac. Sometimes I dance around the kitchen while I’m making dinner. I sing and shake when I’m washing those dishes. I listen to music and bob in my seat when I’m writing a blog post (like right now). I love catchy music and I’m not ashamed to admit that my most frequently listened to station on Pandora is Nsync Radio.

There’s something about dancing to my favorite music that just puts me in a good mood. All I have to do is put on some feel good music and you can’t help but sing and dance along, it’s just that simple.

So that’s it! It’s a simple, yet effective routine so jumpstart my day. To jumpstart my evening, I drink a smoothie while walking around the neighborhood. It’s the little things that can make all the difference.

What does your morning routine look like?