Now that we are officially into November (I was very ready for a new month after the business of October) I feel like it's about time for me to feel like I am in a routine of some sort. The truth is that no two days are the same so routine may not be the best word for it. Regardless, I had received some requests to share what a typical school night looks like for me so that's precisely what I am doing. The time frame of each part of my night routine isn't exact since I get home at a different time each day but the progression through the routine remains about the same.
Depending on when I get home showering is typically the first step in my progression into my evening. After a long day at school it's nice to be somewhere completely alone and quiet. Before I hop in the shower I like to take off my makeup. Most of the time I don't want to wash my face before getting in the shower if I can avoid it so the solution I found to remove my makeup but not have to worry about keeping products at my sink and in my shower is the Beautycounter Cleansing Balm. I have recently been trying to implement some safer skincare products into my routine as products run out and this is a definite winner. Since it's a balm it goes on a bit thicker and a little bit goes a long way. I spread the product over my face and rub in a circular motion with my hands to start the process of removing my makeup. I like that I can wait and rinse it off once I'm in the shower since I don't have to worry about the balm dripping and getting into my eyes like some oil based makeup removers do. Sometimes when I get out of the shower I'll use Garnier's Micellar Cleansing Water to get any leftover mascara off but the Cleansing Balm tends to do a great job on its own.
Since this summer, I've been loving Cuvee's shampoo and conditioner. It smells amazing and makes my hair really soft. I wash it and then leave the conditioner on the ends of my hair for a bit before washing it all out. In the shower is also where I actually wash my face after rinsing away the makeup remover. I've used a Clarisonic since high school and think that it does make a big difference when it comes to the way my skin looks. Lately, I've been using it with their Blemish Fighting Foaming face wash. Washing my face is typically my last step before bracing reality and finally turning off the hot water and drying off.
For a while after I've showered I leave my hair wrapped in a towel to dry. During this time it's not uncommon for me to make myself dinner, try to get some school work done, or if I'm lucky, get to some blog work. When I get to a natural stopping point with any of those tasks is when I tend to decide to finally tackle drying the rest of my hair. This summer I discovered what a difference a good round brush can make on how my hair looks post blow-dry and I've never turned back. The Medium Sized Dry Bar one is my personal favorite and allows me a bit more control over the the end result.
After catching up with my roommates and getting to some other tasks (aka laundry, more work, attempting to be an adult) I'll finally head to my room in an attempt to wind down for the night. More often than not this results in me working from my bed instead of our living room but it begins to put me in the mindset that bedtime is approaching. I wish I could say I'm super great about going to bed at a decent enough hour for my 5:15 alarm, but that is usually not the case.
Once I've finally closed my computer and snuggled up in my pajamas I spend a little bit of time reading Jesus Calling and completing a devotional. I mentioned this devotional that I got on a whim a few weeks ago in this post and have really been loving this quiet time to myself at night. It's nice because it's set up for each verse and encouragement to be looked at for about a week and it gives different sections to complete and reflect upon. Sometimes I work my way through a couple of different sections and other nights I add to what I've already done. I love that I don't feel pressure to do a certain thing each night and can instead take it at my own pace. It's also interesting to see the parts of the passage that I pick up on each night based on what I've dealt with that day (or how alert and engaged I am when it comes to my pre-bedtime routine).
Then finally it's time to turn down my covers, turn out my lights, and go to sleep. My goal as of late has been to be asleep by 10:45 which really isn't all that great. This week I've been trying to move that time up a little each night so that waking up isn't quite as hard.
I'd love to hear if you have any nighttime rituals that help to keep your routine relaxing but efficient that I could attempt to add into my own! Also, let me know if you'd be interested to see a morning version of this. I'd be happy to try to put that together for y'all.