My Favorite Morning Routine

This week on the podcast, we will be discussing our favorite morning routines. Although we mostly talk about morning routines regarding self-care and getting ready for the day, the idea of the discussion made me think of an activity that gets me out of the bed on a weekend, which is a challenge to say the least.

Lately, Reyna and I have been going on a weekend “adventure”. One of the things I learned early on about Reyna is that she loves doughnuts. I could easily say that she is obsessed. She is very particular about her doughnuts, and she likes them in a very specific way –  chocolate with sprinkles. And not just any doughnut will do; it needs to be fresh from a doughnut shop, and preferably eaten inside so that she can people-watch as she eats her treats. I found this to be a fun way to bond with her as our relationship developed. We would go early in the morning and have our treat on a Sunday before going back home to do our household chores. 

When COVID struck, we lost the ability to dine inside the doughnut shop. We started to take our doughnuts to the park and eat them at various playgrounds near us. Checking out a different park each week for the perfect hang out spot became a new part of the routine. 

Over time, our Sundays have evolved into meeting one of my friends for brunch, too. Sometimes after our brunch or doughnut run, we will head to one of the local craft stores or the pet supply store to get some much needed dog treats. Once I mentioned the dog, that introduced a whole new level of activities. Reyna has really taken to my Shih Tzu, Arya, and she enjoys anything that has to do with her. So, sometimes on Sundays, we will grab our doughnuts and head to the nature trail with the dogs in tote. This year for Christmas, Reyna asked Santa for a dog stroller. Although I thought they were absurd at first, the dogs really seem to enjoy riding in it, and Reyna really enjoys it. 

If we can manage to get out the door early enough, we can get a couple miles in with the dogs, eat a sweet treat, spend time together doing something we enjoy, and still have plenty of time to make it back home to jump on my Sunday Zoom call with my mom.

We don’t get to go every weekend. Sometimes we just have too much going on, or we sleep in too late. I find that when we make a plan, it tends to become a reality more often than not. I generally don’t get doughnuts myself, but the doughnuts seem to be a good incentive to get Reyna up in the morning. If I promised doughnuts, she was not going to let me skip out on them, and she keeps me accountable, which ensures that I don’t stay in bed, being lazy all day, when we could be spending quality time together. We look forward to our Sundays together, whether it be getting some doughnuts, taking a stroll in the park, or going to run errands, just the two of us. 

What is your favorite morning routine? Do you have one that involves someone else that you cherish? I’d love to hear your story in the comments below or on MMC Chat.