My Daily Morning Routine (And A Giveaway)
As I get older, I’m quickly learning the importance of a morning routine. In my 20’s, I’d set the alarm, hit the snooze about 5 times, and then scramble and panic to get ready in time. I wouldn’t leave myself anytime to just slowly wake up, enjoy a morning cup of coffee, and just relax and think about the tasks I wanted to accomplish that day. I now have a solid routine that allows me to set the tone for the day and have full control over my mood. I find getting up at the same time each morning, allows me to set goals for the day and organize my schedule, which helps me stay productive throughout the day.
Over the past few years, I’ve been tuning into my internal clock. I have the luxury of working from home, so I don’t necessarily need to be up at a certain time. With that comes the slippery slope of lying in bed all morning and waking up mid-afternoon. I’ve been listening to my biological clock, as it knows when my body has had enough sleep and when it’s time to get up. I no longer rely on an alarm clock, and I’m still usually up before 6AM. Although this may seem early to some, especially if you don’t have to be into the office until later, listening to your body will ensure you’re more alert and attentive throughout the day. My body knows when it’s time to get up and when I’m well rested.
Speaking of waking up, I was never that person to be able to bounce out of bed with a ton of energy, but over these past few years, this has all changed. It no longer takes me a few minutes to fully wake up, when I’m awake, I’m awake. I no longer reach for my phone first thing and spend the next 30 minutes scrolling social media. I now take a few moments in the morning to reflect on the previous day, what I want to accomplish that day and even think about the things I’m grateful for. This is usually done while I’m washing my face and brushing my teeth, multi-tasking at its finest. I allow my mind to wonder, without stress, and just focus on me.
Let’s be honest, if you’re a coffee lover, the first thing on your mind when you wake up, is caffeine. This is the thing I get most excited for in the AM, and for many of us, our reality doesn’t start before we have our first cup of coffee. I can’t start to function, or feel human for that matter, without a good cup of Joe. Whether the boldness of a black espresso, a somewhat diluted Americano, or even a slightly sweetened cappuccino, there’s nothing quite like a freshly brewed cup of coffee to kick-start the day. Although I’m no coffee connoisseur, I do think of myself as a somewhat “coffee snob” and can appreciate a high- quality cuppa coffee.
Although you can’t make an excellent coffee without understanding the beans and the various roasts, how it’s brewed is just as important. The espresso method emulsifies the coffee oils, while quickly extracting the solids to create that perfectly thick consistency to make a more flavourful espresso drink. A few months ago, we were introduced to the Breville Black Stainless Steel Luxe Collection, and to say it’s been a game changer to our morning routine, is the understatement of the year. Not only does it add a touch of sophistication to our kitchen, but I also love that all 4 pieces are colour-coordinating, making a bold statement, while being aesthetically pleasing.
With so many different brewing methods and machines on the market, choosing and knowing which machine is best for you, can be a bit tricky. If you’re like myself, looking for a more “authentic” brewing experience, and looking to get away from those K-cups and pods, let me introduce the Breville Bambino Plus. This is not your average everyday espresso maker, it’s designed and created to provide café quality coffee from the comfort of your own home. This professional espresso machine offers up the correct dose of freshly ground beans and ensures the precise temperature control and optimal water pressure to make it easy for anyone, even aspiring baristas, to brew coffee-shop quality drinks in their own kitchen. In combination with the way it looks, the way it functions, and its ability to make a darn good shot of espresso, is just a few reasons why we’re obsessed with it.
Constructed with a sleek stainless-steel case, the Breville Bambino Plus has a large water reservoir, that holds up to 67 ounces of water, meaning you won’t have to fill up after every cup. It has a 54mm porta-filter with a 19-gram dose, allowing you to get a full dose of flavour with ease. We all have those days when one shot isn’t enough, so luckily for us, the pre-infusion function gradually increases water pressure, allowing the grounds to expand and create even extraction, whether that’s a single shot or a double. The water heats up in approximately 3-seconds, making it easy to make cup after cup of espresso. If you’re looking to turn your espresso into a latte, it has a built-in steam wand. This offers you a convenient all-in-one way to steam and make milk foam. You can use the automatic steam wand to adjust both the temperature and texture, completely handsfree, depending on your wants and needs. Besides the machine itself, the only 2 things you’ll need to make an amazing shot of espresso at home, is the fresh coffee beans and a grinder to turn those beans into coffee grounds. From there, you can easily make a variety of other espresso coffee drinks.
Speaking of a grinder, do you really need one? As surprising as it may sound, I never thought I needed one, until now. I’ve always bought freshly, pre-ground coffee bags, and I thought that was good fresh/ good enough. Turns out, if it came from a bag, chances are it’s stale and a tad bitter. They say you can’t consider yourself a coffee lover, unless you have a coffee grinder at home and after using the Breville Smart Grinder Pro for a few months, I can say, I taste the difference. It’s transformed my coffee experience from the inside out. My coffee is more flavourful and delicious. It features grind intelligence, allowing me to adjust and program the grind time, in 0.2 second increments, giving me total control and perfect dose every single time. No matter how fine or coarse I want my beans, the grinder allows me to do it with ease. I’m able to make it taste how I like, even mixing beans if I choose, creating my own flavour palette. If the beans are heated up, it will actually change the taste of the coffee, but this grinder is designed to minimize the grinding heat, to help protect the essential oils in the coffee beans. I love that I now get the unique experience, and freedom to grind my own coffee beans at home, and I find the process of making the coffee a relaxing and satisfying experience.
Now that fall is just around the corner, I’m excited for all the hot chocolate drinks. Not going to lie, I may have already made a cup using the Breville Smart Kettle Luxe. Tell me this isn’t the sexiest kettle you’ve seen. I know what you’re thinking, it’s just a kettle, but it’s so much more than that. For all my tea lovers, it features 5 unique settings, a button for each Black, Green Oolong and White teas, it also has a French Press coffee option. How cool is that? You can have full, and easy control over the optimal brewing temperature, which allows for the best taste and flavour for each beverage. Its large 7 cup capacity comes in handy when preparing hot beverages for multiple people. It also features a slow release, soft opening lid to help prevent steam escaping all at once, and to also help with hot water splashes. The one-touch ‘Keep Warm’ button can be activated before, during or after completion to help maintain the temperature of the heated water for 20 minutes. Love having this option to keep my water warmer for longer.
Last, but certainly not least, we need a little toast or waffles with your morning coffee, which is where the Breville Toast Select Luxe comes in. If there’s one thing I hate the most, it’s burnt toast. Just ask Derek, I can’t do it, I’ll even be wasteful and toss it in the trash if it’s burnt and too crispy. Although selecting the toast shade, or brownness isn’t anything new, this toaster takes your type of bread, and thickness, into consideration when toasting. That’s right, with 6 bread settings, whole wheat, white, bagel, waffles, pastries and English muffin, you can now adjust the toasting time for each type of bread. Simply toss in your bread, into one of the 2-slice slots, which just so happens to be slightly wider to fit all thicknesses of bread, select the type of bread you have, and then select your desired brownness. Once selected, the toaster with do its magic. It also features 2 other handy settings, the “A Bit More’, which is just what it sounds like, perfect if you want your bread toasted a little more. The “Lift & Lock’ is perfect if you want a sneak peek at your bread, mid-cycle, to check the progress. No more burnt toast in this house.
After my morning coffee and toast are in hand, Derek and I usually spend a solid hour, chatting about current events, planning future goals, coming up with some fun plans for the day, and just enjoying each other’s company. I really look forward to my morning cup of coffee and some quality time with the hubby, before the day gets extremely busy, and I don’t have time to even blink. What does your morning routine look like?
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Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Breville, but all opinions on this blog are my own. I also want to thank you for supporting the brands that support my blog.
