Fifty Two Shades of Shay: A Morning Person

I found this sign in a little shop on our town square last summer...and I knew it needed a home in my office.  I really do believe that the early bird gets the worm :).

Today's Shade of Shay is about being a morning person.  Here's the thing, many of you have emailed and asked me about my morning routine.  I get up early every morning (even on the weekends) and several of you want to know more about that.

Let me be clear...I don't think I was born a morning person, I think I taught myself to be one.  If that sounds like something you would like to become...then come on, here are my tips...

Good morning!  My alarm goes off every morning at 4:30 am.  Sometimes on Saturdays, I'll sleep to 5:00...but for the most part, I'm a 4:30 girl.  This is me getting coffee at 4:36...in my opinion, no morning is ever good until there is coffee :).

Back in high school, I could sleep.  Rarely did I ever wake up before 10:30 on a Saturday.  Rarely.  I was a great 12 hour sleeper.  I loved my sleep.  

Then, I went off to college and got all ambitious and decided to graduate in 3 years plus have 2 jobs at the same time.  I also started running long distances and had a boyfriend...that's a lot to do in 24 hours, so I realized it would be kind of impossible to sleep so much and attain everything I wanted in life.  So, I started waking up early (at 5:00), so that I could run, shower, eat and commute to school.  This began my routine as a morning person.  It's amazing how much more can be accomplished in life with those few extra precious hours in the morning.

Over the years, I have done different things in the morning.  Before we had kids, I woke up every morning at 4:50 and went to the gym before going to work.  I always knew I would be too tired after work and that there was too great of a chance of me putting it off after work, so I made mornings my time to exercise.

Now, I wake up and work before my kids wake up.  When my kids are up and awake, I like to be engaged with them and not just sitting in front of my computer all afternoon.  I also like how quiet and still my house is that early in the morning.  It's just me, my coffee, my thoughts, a little laundry, a little Pandora on my phone...just peacefulness.  Then when my kids do wake up, I'm ready and waiting.  I don't feel rushed or panicked, I'm awake, alert and ready to tackle the day (and more than likely, have my dishwasher emptied, a load of laundry going and have already made my bed).  Just little things to kick off my day.

You know...it doesn't take long to start enjoying waking up early.  I think you become addicted to it.  Here is what you get addicted to...the extra hours in your day.  If you wake up early often enough, you'll start really enjoying that extra time.  Even if that time is just spent with a cup of coffee and flipping through a magazine for a few minutes before heading off to work...it's such a peaceful time that you will really crave it.  This is why I get up early on the weekends...I just really enjoy the quiet time and I enjoy the little things I can get done when my house is nice and peaceful.  I know I'm trading sleep for that time...but to me, it's worth it.

My hubby is a morning person.  He's up every morning at 4:15.  We're two peas in a pod.

My dad has always been a morning person.  When we were younger, he was always up and at the gym early in the morning.  He's a get up and get at it kind of guy.

My mom is a relatively new convert to being a morning person.  Growing up, she did not rise and shine that early.  Then when I was in college, my mom started getting up early to sit at the kitchen table, enjoy her breakfast and coffee and do a little reading.  And now, you'll find her there every morning.  I think she thought my dad and I were nuts...but then she realized...there is something really sweet about getting up with the birds.

And my brother...no.  When we were in college, we would laugh because I stayed with him a lot while visiting Andrew (because they went to the same college) and I would be waking up to run just about the time he was going to bed.  No joke.  That is true.  Night Owl and Morning Person personalities sharing an apartment...it actually worked out great!

I go to bed around 10:30.  I like to have a few kid-free hours before bed (and they go to sleep at 8:00), so I'm usually asleep between 10:15 and 10:30.

Sometimes...I'm sure I'm tired for a lot of reasons.  I am a busy mom with two small kids who runs her own business...there are a multitude of reasons why I should be tired...but I'm not overly tired.  I don't ever sit around and think "gee, I'm so tired".  If that were the case, I'd get more sleep.

Listen, when I was pregnant and had small babies at home, all of these points went out the window.  Those are the periods in your life when you're just trying to survive.  If I ever don't feel well, I'll sleep.  If I ever really feel tired, I'll sleep.  There are always exceptions in life.  I just know that if given the choice on a perfectly normal day, I would pick waking up early over sleeping in a few hours.

 So there you have it...I'm an early bird.  It's not for everyone...but I do think it's for some.

You know what is for everyone???  My Pot Roast.  It just is.  It's for everyone.  Click here to find the recipe on my foodie blog.

And then yesterday, I posted my Rodan + Fields giveaway...click here for details.

Happy Tuesday people...tomorrow, the first edition of Ask Away with Shay :).