I’ve been a morning person for most of my life. I love having a morning ritual and now that Annabelle is here, it makes mornings even that much more precious! There’s something about waking up next to a smiling, happy baby that sets off your day to be brighter. Doug’s Grandma recently sent us this book and it has had such a big impact on how we start our day over the past few months. It’s about how if you are slightly better today than yesterday, and slightly better tomorrow than today, your life will be more meaningful and impactful.

1. Now that I’ve had a baby I’ve learned the true meaning of prioritizing my time and energy. I used to be able to leave the most important things until the end of the day and be totally fine because it would still get done, but by the time night rolls around I’m exhausted from the day so doing my most important task first is key! This starts with getting fully ready before Annabelle wakes up. This step is critical to my job since I’m on camera all day! If I rolled out of bed and stayed in my PJ’s, then I wouldn’t be able to create any content…or I guess I could, it just wouldn’t be very nice to watch;)

I am absolutely in love with the new Clarins Double Serum. You guys know the one beauty category I like to splurge on is skincare (okay, and eyelashes;) so finding a serum that helps increase firmness and elasticity while reducing dullness and texture bumps is a win win for me! It also targets fine lines and wrinkles and doesn’t have a sticky residue like most serums so you can wear it day and night.

This is after Annabelle woke up! It’s my favorite thing ever when she clings onto me after first waking up! She does this after all her naps and it never gets old.

2. During the week, I like to take Annabelle on at least two walks a day to get out of the house. It’s usually before her first nap of the day at 8 am, but on this particular, day she fell asleep early in her stroller. After I snapped the first pic she woke up! It’s so important for us to get outside and breathe fresh air since we live in an apartment.

3. Completing my most important task first always starts my day off on a positive note. Whether that is cleaning the dishes from the night before (I’m not always good about finishing them after dinner!), answering pressing emails, or filming a video, crossing one thing off my list before Doug goes to work is a must! On this particular day, I filmed 3 hair tutorials!

4. I love to have a nutritious breakfast every day! It’s not always this big, but Doug ate with me so we went all out. I used to never be a breakfast person until having a baby. It must be all the breastfeeding! I also pureed together oatmeal, blueberries, apple, and cinnamon for Annabelle’s breakfast and it was so yummy even I wanted some!

5. The last thing I like to do each morning during her first nap is listen, read, or watch something motivational. For a while, I was listening to Dave Ramsey’s radio show while we were in the process of becoming debt free and saving for our emergency fund. Now that that chapter has closed (hallelujah!) I’m open to other forms of inspiration so lately I’ve been watching this channel for tips to start a new business with Doug. This guy is so motivating!

Robe c/o | Dress c/o | Gerard Cosmetics Liquid Lip in ‘Vintage Rose’

*A big thank you to Clarins for sponsoring this post!