Morning Routine - Perfected?!

Oh, mornings. Did I just hear a collective sigh? Well, at least this isn't a Monday morning!

This past year, starting our brand and making hustle a very relevant and useful word in our household, I've been trying to call a truce with mornings, make peace with them, maybe even start to like them just a little tiny bit.

Maybe that's why for our very first editorial photoshoot a few months ago, I just asked a bunch of friends to come over and we acted out a girls' morning day out rather than a night out. We started in our apartment, with coffee (essential!), manicures and nail art all around, then got into our favorite clothes and Hot Crown jewelry before heading out to the park on bikes, cupcakes in toe. Is that my usual morning routine? I wish! But isn't it a great fantasy?

Another part of my truce with mornings was starting a whole new hashtag dedicated to it on Instagram! You may have noticed I'm slightly obsessed with the app - it's just so fun to peek into the more photogenic side of life, and I just love being in touch with people and seeing how they wear our jewelry. So I started the hashtag #hcmorning, to get a peek into the mornings of my friends and customers and maybe also get a little insight into the morning routines of some other Hot Crown princesses.

@maibug's #hcmorning featuring HC mini band ring

How about my own morning routines? Some of them are more photogenic than the rest, and some... well, let's just say it’s a process. On my days out of the studio, the morning is always a little more hectic, with takeaway coffee, but they also bring people and the lots of Instagram photo opportunities. On my days at the studio, the mornings are much calmer, with something light and sweet for breakfast - like yoghurt with berries and granola. In both cases, though, I try to fit in a workout - because otherwise it would never happen, and I have a wedding coming up! (also: fitness is important, you guys.)

from our #hcmorning stream... featuring hot crown rings

But as long as we’re acknowledging it’s a process, here are my morning goals:

-Make something delicious and healthy for breakfast at least once a week (maybe also a green smoothie?!)

-Follow Alicia’s steps for a better morning: Take my time, hydrate, plan the day (before checking my Instagram feed!), exercise, nourish.

-Look as rested and pretty as Ashley Madewke while doing it! (Hey, a girl can dream, right?)

1 Garance Dore Weekly Planner | 2 Hot Crown Candy ring | 3 YES affirmation banner | 4 Ban.Do thermal mug | 5 VBook bookmark | 6 HC Adele ring | 7 Glossier moisturizer | 8 The Art of Eating Well cookbook | 9 Princess Drop ring by Hot Crown | 10 Kate Spade iPhone 6 case

How about you? Do you have your morning routine down pat? Or are you still in the process like me? Any tips?

PS Jump in and start sharing your mornings using the #hcmorning hashtag on Instagram!