I get up to make coffee for my husband and I. His is "to go". Then it's off to ebay saved search emails and checking the rest of the net that I follow. Like here for example. :) I try to make some progress in any ongoing craft project during my second cup and then I'm up and at 'em for the rest of the day.

It's rush to get out of bed, get ready and get to the office. Once there, I have a standing morning conference call, so I have my coffee and read blogs, search Craigslist and try to get my mind ready for the day ahead. Which is what I'm doing right this second.

I'm not a morning person but I like to wake up early. I need a good hour of varied stages of idleness to fully come alive. I'll make coffee, read, or sometimes make coffee and then exercise. But if there's no time for reading in the morning at all, I always feel cranky and not quite ready for the day. I'll happily leave the house with dirty hair, but never without reading.

Two eggs over easy and coffee. Make the bed.

I will never understand those who purposefully rush around like maniacs every morning. I get that if you have small kids this is pretty unavoidable, but otherwise? Nope. I need time to stretch, eat a leisurely breakfast, drink my tea, choose an outfit, and just basically start my day calmly- thus preparing me for the chaos I'm sure to find once I get to work.

Roll out of bed, rush around getting ready, check email, twitter, blogs, etc. on my way to work, get coffee, check some news sites and then start my actual work.

oh man i agree with the few sane people here ;) i need that extra time in the morning to wake up slowly and calmly, otherwise i feel stressed and grumpy. i've never been a morning person so i get up an hour early to drink coffee in bed and either read the paper or watch a show. then, once i'm coherent i get washed and dressed and go to work, usually bringing breakfast with me.

My morning ritual usually involves hitting snooze a couple of times, taking my pup out for a quick potty break, and a large tumbler of coffee. Things usually feel so hectic that I didn't really think about it being a routine until I read this post. Makes me think that I need to change my morning approach this year.

I'm a morning person. And I hate rushing around--it just gets the day off to a hurried start that feels wrong, somehow.

So I get up at 6, feed the cat, make a cup of tea and a bowl of oatmeal, and read for an hour while eating breakfast. Then I shower, dress in the clothes I laid out the night before, grab the lunch I packed the night before and my work bag, also packed the night before, and I'm out the door.

I usually get to work 20 minutes early, so I check my personal email and the headlines before the workday starts, as well as review my schedule for the day.

One of the keys to a peaceful morning for me is to limit the electronics. I don't turn on the computer or TV at home.

Of course, I'm single, no kids and I live alone, all of which makes this routine possible. And my evenings are pretty busy getting ready for the next day.

I have a 35 minute driving commute, so generally I get out of bed, rush around getting ready, grab a Nature's Valley Almond bar, head to work switching from NPR and ESPN radio, swing into Starbucks for the Venti Pike, and get to my desk 10 minutes before starting time. It's all a mad dash that slows down once I get to work.

I'm usually racing around in the morning because I try to sleep as late as possible yet work with people who are in the office by 6am.

However, my commute is a wonderful 25-minute walk-- with views of the U.S. Capitol, the Washington Monument, guys rolling out pastry dough in a bakery window, a lush garden center with friendly cats lolling around, and lots of interesting Victorian houses, among other things. Even though I could easily drive to work I would not want to give up that moment in my morning.

Every night I go to bed thinking "wouldn't it be nice to wake up early and go for a leisurely walk, eat a hot breakfast, and catch up on a little reading?"...

And every morning I snooze 'till 7:25 and race to be out the door by 7:40 (and that includes letting the dog out, makeup, getting dressed...)

I blame winter. When it's actually light outside at 6 am I get up and run, take a shower, curl my hair, put thought into my clothes and usually get to work early. I just can't shake the winter doldrums and the need to stay snuggled up as long as possible.

I get up between 4:30 and 5, feed my birds and take care of the dogs, then I get ready for work.

It's not on purpose. I get up really early to begin with, and I'm not a morning person. It's even worse now during the winter because it's pitch black when I get up (before sunrise) and I have to go through a checklist of turning lights on and off as I use them and turning on the heat. Most of the time, my mornings are structured around efficiency. Get up, get out. I would love to just to sit and have coffee but that would require getting up even earlier and that's not happening.

In a perfect world my routine would be
-Wake naturally (without alarm)
-Yoga
-Shower
-Cook healthy breakfast

In real life, my routine is
-Wake to alarm
-Hit snooze a few times
-Rush to get self and daughter ready for day and straighten up house so we don't come home to a mess

I am hoping I can start to make the transformation in 2013!

Tumble outta bed and I stumble to the kitchen
Pour myself a cup of ambition
And yawnin', stretchin', try to come to life

I sleep until the last possible moment, often making deals with myself between snoozes about how quickly I can get ready. Most mornings I don't even remember how I got myself ready and out the door. I ease myself to wake reading my book on my commute and on a good day I get a seat and have a 2 minute nap. I finally wake up over my 80 stair climb out of the subway and into a coffee house.

Well we will never understand you lazy wierdos who have the luxury of taking their sweet time in the morning to get their ass in gear.

Name calling sure is fun when you're then one calling it.

After hitting snooze once I usually lay in bed for a bit and catch up on Twitter. Then get ready, grab my breakfast and lunch and out the door, usually within 15 minutes.

If I'm on top of things the night before: I've straightened my hair, picked out my clothes and have my breakfast and lunch packed. If not, it's ponytail and whatever I can find.

If I get up earlier I find it harder to make myself get to work at a decent time. I do much better when I just roll out of bed and go without thinking.

On week days I get up, make a fresh pot of coffee, and hit the shower. After that I eat breakfast reading a novel or comic books. I watch the weather channel a bit to know what to wear outside.

On weekends, I get up and have breakfast watching a recording of any primetime show I missed during the week.

Never any tv news or newspapers before breakfast. It's not healthy ;-)

i get up between 5-5:30, shower, feed cats, make coffee & breakfast, eat/drink while checking on the internet and listening to news radio, get dressed, do dishes, pack lunch, do hair/face, scoop litterbox, leave for work (hopefully before 7am).

i used to be a sleep until 7:45 and be at work at 8:00 person, but now i just don't have time in my life for that kind of stress. leisurely mornings is where it's at!

Alarm goes off at 5. Two snoozes, and my husband and I take turns getting up to shower first. Coffee, breakfast, some quiet time on the internet for email, blogs, Facebook, I put on my bare minimum makeup and pack our thermoses and lunches, and we're out the door at 7 for a 10-minute drive to work. I have to arrive before my start time so I can get my schedule and day's priorities set before I put on my headphones and start programming at 7:30.

I wake up on time every morning, but always end up getting out of bed 10 mins late after checking my email, instagram and fb (in my defense, my family lives in a different time zone so I get messages in the middle of the night). I walk to work and get to my desk 7 mins late pretty much every morning, luckily its a very laid back team. I open my work emails and programme, grab a latte and a Rachels forbidden fruit yogurt (theyre the best ever), then turn on my podcast and start to work. Im a creature of habit (even bad ones).

@iriedesign, we are kindred spirits. If you see a half-awake zombie girl reading or lazily checking her haphazardly applied makeup on the train next to you, it's me.

snooze x 2 or 3, run from bed to bathroom, wash face, brush teeth, get dressed in outfit decided on the night before, pull on shoes, kiss sleeping fiancee, grab phone, out the door. then hopefully catch a bus to the train station to then hopefully find a seat and sit for 45 minutes.

I would be much more inclined to do some sun salutations and brew a hot cup and take a stroll but unfortunately relying on public transit means the less time you spend at home, the more time you have to offer to accommodate for the inevitable lateness that comes with the subway. Oy.

Routine items: up between 4 and 6 (depends on how late I was up reading), put on a pot of tea, turn on the radio, get dressed, create then devour breakfast, check email and blogs, start in on the day's projects
Daily optional add-ons: shower, lounge about and read if the book makes me, hit the rec centre pool by 6 (in and out before the disco drill sergeant starts the exercise class that shatters the peaceful mood), go for a sunrise walk

Wake up an hour before leaving the house, shower and stuff, walk the dog and pick up a cup of coffee, read AT and a couple of other blogs while drinking the coffee and having a smoothie or yogurt.

Unfortunately, I am a train commuter. My day is so tightly controlled, I lack time for any real "wake up" time. It's all a morning to me.

Fall asleep by 12:00 am.
Awake at 4:00 am.
Hit the door by 4:15 am (NO Later) to catch the train.
Parked and on the train ay 4:46 am.
Back to "sleep" by 4:50 am. (Fitfully tossing and shifting behind my dark sunglasses in the poorly-supportive seats.)
Pulling in by 6:15 am.
On and off the Metro, and walking through the office door by 6:32 am.
Jacket off, electric kettle on. Aeropress coffee.
"Something something" Until I run back out to catch a 3:02 pm train home.
Home at 5:00 pm.
Wash, Rinse Repeat.

JetSmooth, I do not envy you. I wake up at different times each day as the library opens at different times each day (my employer) but I always check email and Facebook before I roll out of bed. Go downstairs and eat breakfast. Go to work. But I always always sit down, even if it's for 5 minutes, and eat.

In winter I first put those warm slippers on! Then open the shades to get warm sunlight into the rooms. Then I make breakfast for the cats - yes, we cook for them. Sometimes I'll toss the birds some nuts and popcorn. Then it's coffee time for us.

Also note this is on my days off. Working days are not anything like that!

Retired one week ago after 36 insane years of shift work. Still in bed, reading AT & emails, watching the news, reading the paper, chatting with hubby. Slowly revving up to face a vaguely-planned day. Absolutely loving it.

Sorry if I sounded accusatory (I don't recall any name calling though). The "I will never understand" part stems from the anxiety I would feel if there was even the slightest chance of being late for work. I tend to be a pretty anxious person so I need my mornings to be calm, otherwise the whole day is shot. I don't really see that as being lazy, it's really just knowing what works for me. And if a hectic morning works for others then more power to you!

The morning is the one part of my life I do right!

Wake between 5:45 - 6 on weekdays. Make coffee, read on computer & in books for about 30-45 minutes.

Do home yoga, stretching and weights for about 20 minutes.

Make breakfast (oatmeal and fruit). Pack my lunch for work. Think about possibilities for dinner.

Do a 20 minute sweep through the apartment--make the bed, pick up clothes, wash dishes in the sink and wipe the kitchen counters.

Do a 5-10 minute chore (I have a pack of cards for these), might be anything from paying bills to cleaning a ceiling fan.

Meditate for 5 minutes (it's enough, really).

Get ready for work and GO.

The good thing about this routine is I come home to at least a semi-orderly house. That's a big deal.

Until now:
wake up 6:30/45 am,
make coffee, oat meal,
watch news whilst reading emails,
shower,
get dressed,
by 8am leave the house to get the bus.

From Feb 2013, when I move to an apartment just for me...yay! I'm hoping for:
wake up 6:00 am,
exercise,
shower,
get dressed,
make coffee, oat meal,
watch news whilst reading emails,
by 8am leave the house to get the bus.

My husband is an early riser (around 4 am by nature). At around six, he brings me a cup of tea and a ginger snap (I can't drink tea on an empty stomach). I sip tea and try to wake up until 6:30, then it's into the shower and get dressed. I always eat breakfast--usually an egg and toast--pack lunch and am out the door by 7:20-7:30.

For me the thing that makes mornings work is giving myself enough time to get up and get going slowly. I refuse to rush in the morning; it makes me really tense, which counteracts any benefit a few extra minutes of sleep might provide. I would far rather get up a half hour earlier than later.

Coffee & Cigs, music, check emails, fb, etc. Then I generally check news with a quick scan. Then look at pretties, like Apartment Therapy and other design blogs. Pet the cat. I take 2 hrs for all this and then either go to work or if I'm off bring my apartment "back to ready". Then see daily binder and start crossing off responsibilities!

I do some stretches before getting out of bed. Then while I'm doing oil pulling, I open all the curtains and blinds, make a pot of coffee and turn on the computer. By then I'm done with o/p and I wash my face and sit down to a big cup of coffee and my favorite news sites and apartmenttherapy/theKitchn.

Dotparker, congratulations on retirement! Enjoy your leisure . . . you deserve it!

I wake up anywhere from 3:30 to 5:30AM. I like to get up before the rest of the house to have quiet time.

Make coffee and breakfast for myself. Get the kids up an hour later so they can shower and make themselves breakfast.

Shower myself and dress and drive to work listening to book on CD or NPR.

Do my hair and make up in my personal office bathroom while reading New York Times and other newspapers on my Kindle.

As most others my morning also involves a nice cup of coffee. I try not to rush in the morning, I like taking things slow, and so I usually give myself about 45 minutes to get ready. After I'm ready - lunch packed, shoes on, I head to my favorite coffee shop, "La Coppa", where I grab a cup of their Mill Valley Blend or on some mornings a Soy Latte. Then it's off to work!

4:45 wake to alarm, curse the cold, get out of bed
5:00 gym
6:00 shower
6:12 dress, dry hair, get the cat's toy out from under the couch
6:30 smooooothie time! and make coffee "to go"
6:45 clean up smoothie mess, gather lunch and snacks for the day
7:00 clean litter box, fill food and water bowls, get distracted by sticky stain on the floor
7:13 say "shit!", grab keys, high tail it to my car where finally relax, sip coffee, and sing my little heart out all the way to the office

i love mornings! favorite part of my day.

I typically woken up by my infant daughter crying at around 7 am. I am usually too sleepy to wake up because I am still doing at least one night feeding at around 3 am. So my husband fetches her and brings her to our bed for a side-lying morning "snack" feeding. My daughter is a very happy morning person. Slowly I'll wake up while nursing her. Then I gulp some water from my bedside Nalgene. Hubby takes her to change her into her daycare clothes while I shower. My husband or I will then make green smoothies and cups of tea for breakfast. I drink my smoothie while I pack my daughter's daycare food. Then hubby walks the baby to daycare while I finish up getting myself ready. If I am a good girl, I'll also make some time for some bible reading while I finish off smoothie/tea. If not, I just chuck the tea into a takeaway mug and do my bible reading and prayers on the subway to work. On a good day, I make it to work by 8:30 am.

I loved reading all of the leisurely morning routines. I think I feel more relaxed just thinking about it.

I don't have a job, but three kids, two of whom are homeschooled. Our mornings are anything but leisurely, and we don't even have to leave the house!

I tend to start my mornings by hitting the snooze buttons, (I have two alarms that are set 7 minutes apart) about 6 times. Then peaking out of my eye that I actually HAVE to get up so I pop the tv on and start trying to find clothes. Then I rush to feed the cats while trying to put on make up and brush my teeth. The last thing I do is grab my purse and all the books I need for classes and work that day while running out the door.
I normally have about 30 minutes to do all that from the time I actually roll out of my bed.

I hate to rush in the morning so I get up an hour and a half before leaving. But this is also due to my dogs - they get 1/3 of their food in the a.m. and I feel it would be unfair to eat and then be locked up for 9.5 hrs.
Alarm goes off at 6:30. First order of the day - let the dogs out to pee.
Feed the dogs.
Let the dogs out again for another #1 and #2.
Make a pot of coffee
Read or watch TV while having my coffee and breakfast (I NEVER leave without brekkie).
Leave for work at 8 am. I have an approx 20 minute commute by car but it depends on weather and traffic.
Back home at 5:30 pm.

Temptations treats for the cats so they won't pester me for pettins before I'm fully awake. CBC Radio. Coffee and cigarette. E-mail and texts. Banana and hard boiled eggs. Wash, brush teeth. Make-up. Hair. Clothing. Make bed and deliver pettins, unless I'm in a rush.

This is practically mine, minus the cat! Up at 4:45, hate life. At gym by 5:20, home by 6:40, shower, smoothie, pack lunch, say "shit!", look for my keys, and finally make it out the door by 7:25 to grab the bus....

I love all the people who mention " Im not a morning person so I wake up EXTRA early" .
I always considered myself a morning person, but I hit snooze like 10 times each morning....lol

6AM : Alarm goes off
*****SNNNNNOOOOOZZZZEEE****
6:30AM Husband gets home from work, say hello, jump up to get ready
7 AM Wake up daughter, get her ready for daycare
7:30 Out the door
8 AM walk into office
Check FB, Email, AT,
Work Day begin....

I have become accustomed to mornings since I run a busy Park Slope coffee shop, but I am not by nature a morning person. Years of waking up at 4:30 has conditioned me so.

I usually roll out of bed, shower and change, remember to put on earrings, and then head out the door. My commute to work is via "Dollar Van," which is something probably familiar only to those who live off Flatbush Ave in Brooklyn.

When I arrive at the cafe just before 6:00, there is usually a motley posse of reitrees awaiting me. I get my first sip of coffee around 6:15, and what a sweet nectar it is.

Crawl out of bed . . . bathroom . . . dressed . . . litter box . . . coffee if hubby made it or make it myself . . . swallow a gazillion pills . . . test my glucose . . . shoot up my insulin . . . drink coffee . . . look at calendar to see if anything is scheduled for the day. Being retired is wonderful!

5:15 Alarm
5:20 Crawl out of bed, put on gym clothes, and throw breakfast/lunch that were prepared the night before into my backpack
5:45 Bike to the gym
6:05 Exercise
7:15 Head to gym locker room, shower, dress, hair/makeup
8:10 Bike to work
8:15 Catch up on emails/blogs at my desk while I eat my breakfast, then start work for the day!

7:30 crawl out of bed (hubby gets up with toddler at 6)
7:30-8:10 in a hurried fashion, dress self, dress baby, pack up premade lunches, grab purse, kiss husbandgoodbye, 1/2 drive to daycare then work.

i dont think i even wake up before im sitting at my desk.

I have two separate morning routines. Weekdays typically involve getting up at 5 or 5:30 (although this is much harder in the winter), grabbing breakfast, pouring coffee to go, a quick shower, getting dressed, and throwing together a lunch. Out the door by 7 or 7:15. Music or a book on the bus to work. On the weekends, I wake up without an alarm, make a fresh pot of coffee, make a leisurely breakfast, and go to pilates or tennis. Feels great to start the day with a workout.

I have recently started using an iPhone app to wake me up. It gradually wakes you within a 30-minute window, using your body movements to determine when you are in a lighter sleep. I honestly feel I am awaking more refreshed and rested with this.

I have four kids in three schools. Mornings are hectic and stressful - for the first hour. Then everyone is out and I refocus with a cup of coffee, and sometimes a walk.

i remember the days of am showers, makeup and browsing the net n breakfast *sigh* children hey thanks kids!

I wake up every morning at 7:40 because that is when my twin toddlers wake me up. If I haven't gotten to sleep early enough the night before then let the boys play with tablets while I catch an extra 20-30 min. Then a full glass of water first, breakfast for the boys and I. If its warm enough we go for a walk, if not we play catch or chase around the house for a while. Hubs comes home from the overnight shift and plays with the boys while I shower and get dressed then he goes to bed, I get the boys dressed and then we really start our day around 9:30. I love being a SAHM/grad student. This morning routine is perfect right now.

Cuddle with the cats, head to the kitchen, make the coffee (French press), let it cool while I dress, then do my 20' or so commute to the office. Check my fun sites like AT and Cracked while I sip the coffee, then ease into the working by checking my Squidoo lenses. I figure that if I used to take about an hour to get ready in the morning and another hour to commute to work, I can have a nice slow start to my mornings now that I work from home!

Retirement makes the mornings so much more enjoyable. Every morning can be a sunday unless I have an early appointment. Then I count the mornings until I'm free again. This is what I do, I make my bed, feed the cat, push the button on my electric hot water heater, make a cup of coffee, pour hot water over oats or make a green drink, turn on the TV and have breakfast. I straighten up,try to do 30-35 minutes of cardio,shower and then off to whatever I have planned. When I worked, I would get up 30 minutes before I had to leave and be half asleep till 10 or 11.

My alarm goes off at 4am but I am usually awake laying in bed anyway. I take a shower, get dressed, makeup. I usually have a glass of water and eat a bowl of cereal. Run out in the cold to warm the car up. While the car is warming up I check e-mail and blogs and such. 5 am I wake my toddler up change his diaper and clothes and take him to daycare which is only a 5 minute drive. Then I meet my coworker at the park and ride and we carpool to the office. She is only 21 so hearing her stories about her life is pretty entertaining to me. THats it Monday through Friday.

oh, I love mornings! I usually wake up early, have tea and putter around - sew a little, do some little pleasant job, or read the paper. I make breakfast, wake up the family,and THEN the rush is on! But I almost always have the first few minutes in a quiet house and that makes all the difference to me.

I have a routine that is not "morning" routine. I work in the afternoons and evenings so I set my alarm for around 10am (or an hour before I need to leave). An hour is about all I need to shower, dress, grab a granola bar and check my email. Some days are more difficult than others to wake up and I am a notorious snooze-button hitter. My goal for this year is to establish a morning in my day. Maybe I will see more than one sunrise this year.

I get up early to run to yoga class with my dog, she loves to watch and we both get in a few miles.. Stop off at the corner coffee shop for tea and the newspaper on the patio. Then home to shower and put makeup on while eating wheat toast with avocado, watering plants, and tug of war with fidoMake a bagged lunch and review any information for the day. Grab my bags and haul my bike down the stairs then I'm good to go.

Wow I'm surprised by the number of early risers here! My previous job had me up at 530-during the year and a half I was there I never adjusted-no matter how early I went to bed I always felt groggy. Now I have a normal 9-5 job and I finally feel like my internal clock is back on track.

I shower in the evenings, and I normally pack up as much of my lunch as possible the night before so in the morning it's just a matter of grabbing things out of the fridge.

A typically morning for me starts at 7:30-I get out of bed, wash my face, do my hair while my coffee is brewing in my french press and I'm checking my emails, get dressed, do my makeup, and pack up my lunch. 8:25 I'm out the door to catch my bus, and I'm at my desk by 8:45.

I like to eat my breakfast at work because it gives me a lot more time to sit and enjoy it. Plus when I get up early to eat breakfast, I normally find I'm hungry again by the time I get to work.

On the weekends it's roll out of bed (normally around 9), feed the dog, eat breakfast, and watch Netflix while I catch up on my blogs.

Mine is sleeping in until the last minute then rushing out the door. I guess it counts as a ritual, because it's so hard to get out of the habit!

I would love to have more time or make more effort to sit down for a cup of tea and have a simple breakfast (no more skipping). Maybe read a few pages of a book I'm trying to get through, read the morning paper online...

* Stretch, roll out of bed and roll up the black-out-blinds to see what the weather is like outside.
* Grab the newspaper
* Turn on the espresso machine
* Feed the cats
* Make a double cappuccino
* Read the headlines
* Email, shower, get dressed and then off the day sending out good juju to hope it is a good one!

I'm a morning show radio host, so time is very critical and before hitting snooze I need to make sure another alarm is set. I usually wake up by 4:30am to jump into the shower and wear my brightest clothes to reflect into the day. My MacBook Pro and iPad mini would still be sleeping on the desk so I put them gently into my backpack. I have an Nespresso machine but I can't bear the taste this early, so I grab a banana and a bottle of water on my way out instead. Banana is gone before I get to the studio which is a 15-minute drive, but the water would stay to the end of the show (9:30).

My show prep and everything we'll talk about on that day is all prepped up the day before, so it's all jumping up and down, and setting that brain on the right mood before we hit the airwaves at 6:30 to wake Kuwait up to another beautiful day.

After the show, I'd indulge in a good breakfast while reading some blog posts and Twitter/Instagram timeline.

i live in budapest in hungary and i get up one hour-one and a half hour before go to work. i make breakfast for my boyfriend and a cup of oatmeal with milk for me, check the news in the tv and go! in wintertime i prefer to have a warm shower in the evening but as the weather gets warmer the morning shower is the basic.

That sounds so lovely!

After having hit the snooze button once, I roll out of bed just before 7am. I could probably sleep a little longer but I don't like to rush in the mornings. I like to take my time having breakfast and preparing lunch whilst listening to the news on the radio before getting dressed and heading out the door at 8am. Its a short 15 minute walk to the railway station, and I do the usual email and Facebook checks on the 40 minute train ride into work.

Like a lot of those who've commented already, I too am a not morning/morning person and need a little extra space between myself and the rest of the world. Usually I'm up by 6:30 to do yoga if it's a cross training day (am a runner) or 6:45 if it's not, to make coffee, shower and have time to sit and eat breakfast with S.O. We usually watch morning news shows and make snarky comments. after he leaves for work at 8, I make my lunch and try to get to work some time before 8:30 or 9.

I'm a night person with insomnia, so I like to sleep as late as I can to compensate.

But normally, I get up with the alarm at 7:30, hit the loo, feed the cats and bunny, make a cup of Maxwell House International Flavors Orange (instant) coffee -- I know, but *I* love it!) -- and a bowl of Kashi cereal while watching Headline News so I don't miss out if there is some shocking news event going on..., (on the two days a week I work the evening shift, insert here: half hour workout on the elliptical), shower, dress, makeup, then off to work (45 minute commute) by 9. (Monday and Wednesday, I use the extra time after my workout to run errands and hit places like Home Goods and Goodwill plus lunch out before arriving at work for 12:30.)

If I am lucky enough to have a day off when I can sleep in, the cats walk across my face repeatedly after about 8 am, rendering the idea futile!

The orange coffee and cereal (with almond milk) pretty much do constitute a ritual to me, though. The coffee disappeared form store shelves around me, and I'm not sure if it was a temporary displacement for icky holiday flavors (Pumpkin Spice and Eggnog) and will return, or if it has been discontinued entirely around here. So I ordered a ton of it online! I Am Stocked! ;^)

I love reading about morning and evening rituals. Mostly because I'm watching less TV late into the night, and also not punishing myself at the gym (and instead, raising the heart rate but being a little kinder to myself), many more of my mornings are looking like this:
up by 5 - pee, then stand in the cold outside waiting for the dog to pee, while I drink a cup of warm water with lemon.
5:15 - 7 min. drive to gym
6:15 - back at home, shower, brush teeth, moisturize, etc., put on nice warm robe and slippers, make bed, blow dry hair at bedroom vanity (just a table with a mirror, but so much more relaxing than the bathroom)
6:40 - make breakfast (generally oatmeal) while putting away any dishes on rack from night before
6:45 - eat breakfast while reading, mostly blogs on a wide variety of topics but no hard news (not ready for cold, hard reality just yet)
7:15 - make-up at the vanity, dress, dog out one more time and settled in the bathroom with bed, food, water, and radio.
7:35 - 12 min. drive to work, where I get that first great cup of tea, and read the news before starting at 8.
On those days once in awhile where I just don't pull myself out of bed in time, I skip the gym, and bring my oatmeal to eat at my desk, but I seem to have a much better day when I take this time for myself in the morning, and get my butt out of bed.

Does anyone else start their day with The Daily Show/Colbert combo? I record it the night before, then watch it in the morning while lingering over coffee. Recently I've been taking baths rather than showering. Not the long-soaking kind, but it warms me through before I have to face the Chicago winter:) Before I head out of the door I look over my lecture notes and head to class.

Some of these rituals sound so nice! As a college student, I tend to keep a late night schedule and thus a late morning rush as well. I tend to *try to* wake up between 7:30 and 8 to get to class at 10. This usually involves getting homework printed and together, figuring out what books I need for the day, packing my bag, making a lunch, having breakfast, and attempting to pull myself into a decent state of dress.

During finals, strangely enough, my schedule shifted more to the morning and I would get up at 5:30 to work on problem sets for math, drink some tea, and give the cat some extra love and attention.

Winter is difficult though because it's dark and cold, and my fiance is so warm!

Everyone is so organized! I've been meaning to go to the gym between when the cat wakes me up super early and the time when I need to be up for work. But it's just so cold and dark outside....

I usually set my alarm to go off in 15 minute increments starting an hour before I'm supposed to be in. Wake up usually with 30 minutes left, check the weather, get dressed and feed the cat, attempt makeup, grab a slice of bread and leave (super nice to live 5 minutes from the office). Once there I read the paper, update all our social media, grab a coffee and by then hopefully, sometimes, I'm ready for the day.

@marlee, what's the name of this app? I am curious to try it!

Lately, I have been sleeping until the very last minute, but I would LOVE to end this newly acquired habit. I thoroughly enjoy waking up early enough to read through my blog roll, enjoy a cup (or two) of coffee, and do some light stretching, as I look over my day's demands. I always feel more organized and ready for the day, this way.

I am so ready for the days to become longer and for the sunshine to actually impart some warmth!!! I have resolved to hit the gym this Monday morning, so that I can break the sleep-in-until-the-last-minute routine.

I jump out of bed at 615am and pour 4 bowls of cereal and wake up 4 kids for school.
Set my coffee to brewing and make sure lunches are ready to be packed by the kids.
Check to see if my husband has gotten out of bed.
Keep the kids on schedule: dressed, teeth brushed, lunches packed, homework in backpacks, no fighting...
Drink some coffee while answering kids' questions and helping husband locate lost keys/badge/etc.
730am, out the door to drop kids off at their 3 different schools.
800am, back at home and now I can enjoy my breakfast, have another cup of coffee and head to the gym!
Whew.

After hitting snooze 4 or 5 times I drag myself out of bed at 7:30 and make a triple shot cappuccino with skim milk and since I must dunk in morning I grab a pack of Belvita cookies which I buy in bulk ( I'm obsessed). For the next 30 minutes I read my email, skim the news online, and watch In The Papers on NY1. Then I quickly splash water on my face throw on my dog walking clothes and take my adorable pit bull mix out for a long walk and a game of catch and head back home. At that time I feed the dog, shower, then knock out a quick household chore like dishes or sweeping and start my day at work (I telecommute). Some mornings I start the day an hour earlier so I can squeeze in a yoga class. I do enjoy my mornings much more now since I don't have to deal with the crowded C train to head to the office. Thank god for Skype which makes telecommuting now possible for me!

On a weekday, it's all about jumping out of bed and getting ready for work. While my hair is towel drying, I am packing up my bag for the day, doing dishes, picking out clothes to wear and then it's off to work. Sometimes, I walk 15 min to the subway instead of taking the nearby bus to relax a bit before getting to the office. On weekends, I love making a cup of Earl Grey and curling up with a book or magazine while everything around me is quiet.

Early alarm to give time for checking in with God before it gets all crazy. In fact, that helps me not to get all crazy with it!

Always make my bed as soon as I get out of it. Somehow if I come back and have to do it it seems more daunting!

Coffee is a necessity and a pleasure. Quick view of national and world headlines and local weather then I'm ready to go.

As a writer with Fibromyalgia, my morning ritual is pretty much set in stone, not unlike the stiffness in my back, which causes me to literally roll out of bed each morning. A strong cup of coffee is first and foremost to help clear the morning fibro fog. While the coffee is brewing, I power up my heating pad and my computer, so that I can wake up my mind and my body while reading my email. That is probably the closest I get to multi-tasking these days, but without that ritual, the result would be no-tasking!

alarm goes off, sleeping cat yawns, we get out of bed
turn on bbc radio 3
feed one cat, check food for other cat
make espresso - wash face, brush teeth etc
heat milk and combine to make latte
sit with latte and cats and enjoy
pack lunch
dress and out the door

all that takes about an hour. one goal this year is to wake 10-15 mins earlier each week until one hour earlier - to add exercise to morning routine. starts next week !

Alarm goes off at 5.30am, I get up 15 mins later (never) to an hour later (most days). Shower most mornings, then makeup and putting on clothes etc. Tea will have brewed by this point and I drink it while eating granola. Grab lunch from fridge and run out of the door by 5 to 7. I used to read on the train but my new job is all bus commuting and reading on the bus makes me feel sick. I'll need to find a new way to wake up!

Alarm goes off at 5:45 a.m. I reach for my hubby's hand and he reaches for mine. We hold hands, say good morning and then comment on whatever NPR story is on our alarm/radio. He heads for the closet to dress as I pull up the bed covers and head for the kitchen. We own a plumbing and excavation business that we run from our property with my office in our home. I start the coffee, fix my honey a lunch to take and then get his and our employees jobs set up for the day. Say good bye to all and head for the shower. I give myself 1/2 hr to shower, dress, make up and blow out my hair. Make myself a cup of tea head for the office and check my e mails. The day is on!

This all works everyday except for a day like today. It's freezing cold here in Kuna Idaho and the business phone started ringing at 6 a.m. with plumbing emergencies. UGH!!

I wish I could be one of those people who relaxed and ate breakfast at home before work, but generally it's a rush to get out the door to get a parking spot/ catch a bus/ get on the road.

Once I get to work, however, I have a number of rituals. My favorite is the walk to the break room to stock up on water and tea, and make my morning latte. The time spent making the latte is almost as important as the time spent drinking it, so it's something I cherish.

I love reading all the replies! I'd been mulling over revamping my morning routine to make it less hectic and here are dozens of people whose lives I get to learn from!

Last week (ahem..the last 8 years) my routine has been to sleep as long as possible (until 6 or 7 AM) then rush around getting ready (shower, wash face, brush teeth, get dressed, do makeup, do hair - look presentable), make a breakfast smoothie to go and rush out to my car by 7:40 AM for a 16 minute commute to work. (the "extra" 4 minutes in there covers slow drivers ahead of me and a possible stop at a train crossing)

This morning I tried something new. I got up with my alarm at 5:30, was showered and trying to wake up by 6 AM, made a smoothie and watched a show from the DVR until 7 AM, finished getting ready and left at 7:30 for work...arrived early.

Now I see the appeal of waking up early to have time to wake up before going to work - instead of waking up at work and being fully functioning by 9 or 10 AM.

Kissanminttu, my husband's morning ritual always involves Daily Show/Colbert, and mornings I work later/on my days off, I'll watch it with him. It does make for a pretty fantastic start to the day.

When it's just me in the morning, I usually wake up between 5 and 6 (depending on what time I work that day or how late I went to bed the night before), hit the start button on the coffee maker (for the coffee I prepped the night before) and brush teeth etc. while the coffee's brewing. Sit and drink coffee on the couch with my cats while I catch up on blogs and pinterest. Wait to get dressed until just before it's time to leave (black dress clothes and cats do not get on well), grab more coffee to go and the smoothie I made the night before, grab purse, lunch (sometimes), gym bag (sometimes), out the door to (hopefully) catch the bus. Morning routine lasts anywhere from half an hour to an hour and a half, depending on how much time I allowed myself.

My evening routine is as important as (maybe more important than) my morning routine-- preparing the coffee, refilling the cat feeders, making a protein smoothie, packing some semblance of a lunch, making sure I have bus money in my purse, loading the dishwasher, generally picking things up and putting them away. The more productive my evening, the better I'll sleep and the more calming my morning will be.

Digsapony, I get sick reading on the bus, too :( Right now the half-hour bus part of my commute involves sitting and staring while I drink my coffee, unless it's a day my friend catches the same bus as me, in which case we try and cram everything we've missed in each others' lives into 15 minutes. I love reading-- maybe podcasts/books on tape...?

I snooze the alarm several times, over the course of two hours, then slither out of bed like a half-dead thing, shower, get dressed, grab my Jimmy Dean sandwich, and head off to work. I'm usually at least slightly awake by the time I get there (about an hour later than I wanted to get there), then it's time to check work email, check Facebook, check Google News headlines, eat my Jimmy Dean sandwich, and pretend that this whole "getting up in the morning" thing isn't slowly killing me inside.

Seriously, someday, I will magically become a morning person.

Before I was laid off I would do everything @ nite so I could sleep until the last possible second then I would roll outta bed & grab a triple venti latte on my way 2 work. Now I usually get up make coffee, play with my cats & surf my ipad before I start my day.