Before I got pregnant, I had my morning routine down. And it was my favorite. It got me happily out of bed, I washed my face with Cetaphil®, I got my cup of coffee, and enjoyed it in peace with the news playing in the background. I started my day off feeling productive and happy and peaceful right off the bat. It set my stage for a productive day.

And then the morning sickness (or let’s call it 24/7 sickness, in my case) struck and for weeks, my days felt like major flops. I couldn’t get out of bed, couldn’t get work done, didn’t feel as happy and productive and all I wanted to do was lay on the couch and rest. All deserved, I know, but at the end of the day, all of this left me feeling quite down.

So this is my way of committing to myself that I AM going to get back into my favorite morning routine and I will continue to push through and have happy, productive and full days. This is my written commitment to myself (and you can hold me accountable to it).

Here’s my morning routine and it’s seriously the best part of my morning, besides that pitter patter of Ava’s little toes running down the hall from her room to mine to jump into bed with me and give me snuggles. That’s my favorite part of the morning but my morning routine is pretty great too.

1. Get up early. I usually wake up around 6am when my husband gets up for work, and it’s early but it’s so peaceful to have some alone time -- it’s my calm before the toddler storm.

2. Treat my skin. Cleansing and moisturizing my face is my refresher; it’s my mini spa every single morning and totally starts my days off right. I’ve been using Cetaphil® products for years now and love love love them. They're so gentle on my skin (and I can feel it), they don't dry it out but also leave it feeling less oily -- the perfect mix and I'm never turning back!

I start with the Cetaphil® Gentle Skin Cleanser​ and move on to Cetaphil® Daily Advance Lotion to keep me feeling fresh and moisturized and ready for a beautiful day, found right at my local Walmart.

Through September 27th, you can save $2 on ONE Cetaphil® product at Walmart!

Cetaphil® Gentle Skin Cleanser is the Allure ‘Reader’s Choice Award’ winner and it’s a gentle, mild and smooth soap-free formula, the perfect cleanser for all skin types. The Cetaphil® Deep Cleansing Bar is a dermatologist-tested formula with five nourishing ingredients, helping to gently cleanse your skin without drying it out. Cetaphil® Daily Advance Lotion is a fragrance-free, non-greasy daily moisturizer that instantly replenishes, hydrates and protects dry, sensitive skin, leaving it soft and smooth as ever. Cetaphil is the “#1 Dermatologist Recommended Facial Skincare Brand” and all of these wonderful products can be found at your local Walmart.

3. A hot cup of coffee. I’m doing the no-caffeine thing through this pregnancy but despite the lack of caffeine in my morning drink, there’s just something about sitting in bed with the door open and fresh air pouring in, listening to the chirping birds and sipping on a hot cup of deliciousness. And because I make sure I get up earlier than Ava, I’m able to enjoy my special treat in peace.

4. Get dressed. Being a stay at home mom, I spend lots of my time in pajamas. But I’ve learned that getting dressed (and even getting makeup on) makes a world of a difference not only on my morning, but on my entire day. It makes me feel great and gets me into a great mood right off the bat.

5. Make the bed. The last step in my morning routine is making the bed. It’s such a silly concept to me since we’re just going to get back in that same night, but cleaning up and doing something productive right off the bat, gets me into the perfect mood for a productive and fun-filled day.

Next up - Adding some exercise to my morning routine (as you saw in my Week 10 Pregnancy update) and once that’s in there, I think my mornings will be just perfect.