What’s the first thing you do when you get out of bed in the morning? A well-rounded morning routine sets the tone for the day and gets you prepped—both mentally and physically—before diving into a packed schedule filled with emails, chores, happy hours, workouts, and more. Our series Morning Person profiles those who have mastered the art of the morning routine. Tune in every Monday morning here and on our Instagram to learn exactly how the pros get it all done before the sun comes up, from their go-to breakfasts to their a.m. workouts.
Fans of clean beauty will know about Saie, the buzzy beauty brand that launched on the scene in 2019. Its founder and CEO, Laney Crowell, a former fashion editor and beauty exec, knows a thing or two about setting your day up for success. And even though her routine has changed now that she’s pregnant with her second child and working from home, Crowell is still a master at creating a well-balanced and productive morning routine.
See how she starts her day below.
I wake up when my 2 1/2-year-old daughter wakes up. In an ideal world, I would sleep nine to 10 hours a night. Since I’m pregnant, I need as much sleep as I can get. This is very different from my pre-pregnancy, pre-quarantine routine. I used to get up around 5:15 a.m. and go to the gym before anyone else was up. But now, I’m trying to be easy on myself and remember that this is all a phase.
My husband, Isabella, and I make breakfast. I’m not a big breakfast person, so usually, I just sip my matcha after making them oatmeal, eggs, or pancakes. I have a few breakfasts that I rotate and that I can make quickly and if I’m half asleep. My matcha is essential to my morning ritual: a splash of almond milk, 2 cups hot water, 1 teaspoon matcha powder (I like MatchaBar, and it ships quickly), and a big spoonful of Anima Mundi Coconut Cream powder. Then I blend it on high in my Vitamix until it gets frothy. When I do eat breakfast (maybe around 10 a.m.), I like a smoothie with almond milk, a scoop of chocolate protein powder, a handful of kale, a spoonful of chia seeds, a big spoonful of almond butter, and a little coconut oil for sweetness. It’s a recipe I learned from nutritionist Kelly LeVeque years ago, and it never fails to keep my blood sugar stable and my hunger at bay until late afternoon. (Honestly, I view it as a time saver.)
My daughter and I do a mini meditation. I place two pillows across from each other, and we read a passage from the Thich Nhat Hanh book. Then, we close our eyes, count, and breathe. It’s a far cry from the 20 minutes two times a day mediation practice I had before, but it’s still grounding. Afterward, I spend an hour exercising and getting ready for the day. These are both essential to my mood, especially now. I either do a Tracy Anderson routine or I go for a long walk. Since we’re quarantining in Sag Harbor, I get to take walks in nature, which has been such a blessing. I listen to the podcast How I Built This and get inspired by über-successful entrepreneurs. I find my mind moving and swirling in ways it wasn’t just a few minutes before.
I shower in two minutes, I do my makeup in two minutes, and get dressed in two minutes. I’m not joking! I can get in the shower and be walking out the door 10 minutes later. For my makeup routine, I prep my skin with a Vintner’s Daughter face oil. Then I apply a little Fit Glow concealer under and on top of my eyes. Next, I rub Super Glowy Gel all over my face for super-glowy skin. I do quick fluff and tint of my brows with Brow Butter in Medium Brown, and then curl my lashes and coat them with Mascara 101. I finish with a swipe of Liquid Lip Balm and a couple of dabs of Dew Balm in Rosy Gold along my cheekbones. When it comes to getting dressed, I wear a uniform of exclusively Hatch Collection clothing right now. It makes me feel so good to have chic, comfortable clothes to wear when I have a bump.
I open up my journal that I keep at my “desk” and answer four questions: Who do I want to be today? How do I want to feel today? What do I want to receive today? And what do I want to give today? It doesn’t take long, but it’s a mini form of grounding that I look forward to every day.
If I have time, I make a second matcha, fill my glass water jug with filtered water and lemon, and settle in for my Saie team Zoom call. We chat for 15 to 30 minutes at the beginning of each day to catch up and connect. It’s such a nice way to start the day since I spend the majority of my day alone in my home office (aka bedroom!) jumping from call to call. After we sign off, it’s off to the races.
Next up: I Founded a Clean Supplement Brand—Here’s What I Do to Stay Healthy and Focused
