Morning Routine with Carrie from Carrie On Living

Good morning, friends! We got such a great response from the morning routine I shared last week that I thought I'd invite my friend Carrie from Carrie On Living to share hers. Carrie is a warm, inspirational, super smart woman I had the pleasure of meeting last summer in Santa Barbara, and I know you're going to love her as much as I do. Today, she's sharing her morning routine. Hope you enjoy. xo Candace

Mornings are such a sacred time of the day and my routine gives me a sense of security. I'm an early bird and often wake up in the 5 a.m. hour. If I'm not up by then, I have a certain furry companion who meows relentlessly until I feed her. So, I suppose you could call the first (and totally unglamorous!) part of my morning routine taking care of the little one you see above.

The second part of my morning routine is drinking coffee or hot tea, always caffeinated, and lately I've been experimenting with a blended grass-fed butter version.

The next part of my morning is probably my most significant, and it only takes a few minutes. It's literally just sitting and becoming aware of the moment. Usually I'll turn on some meditative music and light a candle to create an ambiance, but mostly I just try to breathe and let myself feel whatever I'm feeling. I know I'm ready to move on when I have a gentle smile on my face.

Another must to my morning routine is movement. Lately I've been going to an early yoga class, but with the longer days of spring, I also like to go for walks on the beach. With views like this, you can see why, right? :)

The conclusion of my morning routine is breakfast. Leftovers from dinner with a combination of protein and veggies is sometimes on the menu, but I also like a my Coconut Buckwheat Cereal Mix served with a homemade coconut beverage.

Another more unique breakfast recipe that I make a lot is my grain-free Chocolate Cauliflower Porridge served with fresh blueberries that tastes a lot better than it sounds! 

Many thanks to Candace for inviting me to be a part of this series and I can't wait to be inspired by the routines of others!

Carrie Forrest, MBA/MPH is the author of the food blog Carrie On Living. A survivor of thyroid cancer and chronic disease, Carrie writes honestly about her journey to find health and balance.

Carrie lives with her husband and tabby cat on California’s Central Coast. When she’s not washing kale for a green smoothie, she can be found looking at food porn on Instagram or attempting not to hurt herself on the yoga mat.