Finding a morning routine

I did something funny the other day - I went shopping for a clock radio, which made me feel like I was in high school again. I ended up getting this one, and after it was set up, I moved my phone charger into the lounge room. 

Now my phone doesn't come into the bedroom, which has made more time for reading at night and has helped me get up when my alarm goes off in the morning. The switch took a little getting used to - I always think of a million things before bed, like Christmas present ideas for friends or something I could do on the weekend. So I've put a small notebook by my bed to capture any end of day thoughts or things I want to look up later.

I've been curious about setting up a morning routine ever since I had a week off work, because I wanted my weekdays to feel less rushed and include some creative time too. So far there are only two things I do every day - I wake up to classical music (Tony's idea!) and make myself a hot drink in my morning mug. 

I'm not waking up any earlier but without the distraction of my phone, I have time to brew tea or coffee (I used to only have time to wolf down my breakfast), plus time to do one good thing before I have to leave for work. 

The thing changes day-to-day but lately it's included a few chapters of my book, a short yoga sequence at home, a yummy breakfast (I've been scrambling lots of eggs lately), a bit of blogging or coffee at a favourite cafe. Exercise always perks me up (and keeps worries at bay) so I'm keen to try a mountain walk and a morning class at a new yoga studio some time soon.

It might sound crazy but limiting my time on social media has helped me focus on what it is I want to be doing at any given time. Aside from deleting the Facebook app on my phone (I check in when I'm at a computer), I've turned off notifications on Messenger and Whatsapp too. It's surprisingly freeing.

P.S - Because I'm a nerd, I researched other morning routines and loved this illustrated guide. Right now, a very loose routine is working for me :)

My go-to green smoothie

There's something really lovely about coming home after a solid period of travel. After packing my bag every few days for the last fortnight, I've been enjoying really little things about being back home, like making food for myself.

On slow weekends, I love to make a batch of peanut butter and honey granola for the week ahead. And after many delicious meals out, I've been craving fruit and veggies. I've been making this green smoothie, which is sweet, refreshing and not too spinach-y :)

Green smoothie
Adapted from New York Cult Recipes.

Makes one giant smoothie, or two medium-sized ones.

You'll need:

1 ripe banana, peeled and broken into pieces*
100g frozen mango pieces
1 cup mineral water, chilled
A large handful of spinach
1/2 tsp of your favourite honey
A few sprigs of mint (optional)

Here's how:

Pop everything in a blender and blend until combined. Add more water if required. Done!

* The banana can be frozen if you like your smoothie extra cold. My blender isn't the strongest, so I add a ripe room-temperature banana to speed things up.

P.S I've stopped looking at social media in the morning and it's been great. I feel far less rushed and have been using the spare time to make a proper breakfast - like porridge or scrambled eggs on avocado toast. Some days there's even time to make and photograph a smoothie ;) Here's another favourite morning smoothie, which I make a lot in summer.

Coconut and cherry muesli with almonds

We've just come out of a mini heatwave (it was 39 on Friday!) so I mixed up a big batch of muesli for the week instead of baking granola. Homemade muesli is super quick to make and a bowl keeps me full until lunch time, which is a very rare thing :)

Coconut and cherry muesli with almonds and extras
Serves 4

You will need:
2 cups of rolled oats
1/2 cup of shredded coconut, dried cherries, almonds
2 tbsp pepitas
2 tsp bee pollen (optional, we have a jar in our pantry from making these smoothies. I add it for texture and colour, plus it's meant to be really good for you too!)

Here's how:
Roughly chop the dried cherries and almonds. Place all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Serve with a generous dollop of greek yoghurt, half a sliced banana, a small handful of raspberries and a drizzle of maple syrup or honey. Store the remainder in an air-tight container.

I'm excited to try different combinations of fruits and nuts in the coming weeks, like dried apricot and hazelnut. If you have a nice jar on hand you could easily give this as a gift to new parents or a friend with a lot on their plate.

P.S Five recipes to make for friends