Morning rituals + a giveaway
I absolutely love my mornings with Livi. She’ll wake up happy as can be singing in her crib, and I’ll go upstairs to get her. Usually she’ll hand me whatever doll she slept with last night and we’ll sing the “Good morning” song before going downstairs to begin the AM rituals. Breakfast is probably our favorite meal, and we’ll have a mix of fruit, eggs, and oatmeal or pancakes most mornings. While I make our meal, I’ll usually pack up our snacks and water if I haven’t done so the night before. This way, as soon as we’re done, we can get dressed and set off on the day’s adventures. This is usually our routine, unless groceries are getting low… then we’ll have a little breakfast date together. 
Panera is one of our standard options. We frequent there for lunch – especially on the days they have black bean soup – but we also love the breakfast menu. Bagel and smoothie for the little miss: 
and egg sandwich for me.
We share everything. 😉 
I especially love the fact that the ingredients are fresh. The breads are baked that morning by a baker and they crack the eggs as the breakfast sandwiches are ordered. (No microwaved eggs!) Even though I love the food, the company is even better. 
Looking around the restaurant most mornings, you’ll see many types of people. Families, students, professionals, grandmothers, athletes, and in our booth: a mom and her baby laughing with some friends.
Panera was kind to offer a $100 gift card to a lucky reader. Here are the details for this fun giveaway:
Sweepstakes Rules:
No duplicate comments.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
Leave a comment with your usual morning rituals. What is your favorite way to start the day?
Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: “#SweepstakesEntry”; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.
This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winner will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
The Official Rules are available here.
This sweepstakes runs from 11/13/13 – 12/8/13.
Be sure to visit the Panera Bread’s page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win!
<3 xoxo Gina
Thank you to our friend Matt (Sasha‘s husband) for taking these photos!
This post was sponsored by Panera through a campaign with BlogHer. To learn more about the fresh meals at Panera, check out Panera’s head baker backstory. You can also enter The Panera Breakfast Backstory Challenge, which allows you to learn about Panera’s passion for baking while you gain chances to win great prizes, including a chance to win an all-inclusive, culinary experience trip to New York City for two. Thank you so much for supporting my blog and the sponsors who help make it possible. xo
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Unfortunately my morning ritual is mostly me running around like crazy trying to get out the door. I’ve got to find a better system! But coffee is always part of the morning, even if I end up drinking it in the car. LOVE Panera btw!
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My morning route is up at 7:30 am feed and change my twins and they go back to sleep for 2-2:30 hours. I get my son up and dressed for school. Get breakfast for him and his sister. Finally use the bathroom and give myself a once over in the mirror. Get my sons shoes, coat and bag and send him off with his dad to school. Then, I get to eat my breakfast and watch Live with Kelly and Michael. 🙂
My morning ritual varies, depending on whether I am working that day or not…But always includes coffee! Panera Bread is a favorite stop for breakfast or lunch…Or, for a Skinny Caramel Latte <3 !
I wake up and get ready for classes or work. Then comes my favorite part of the morning- I make a big bowl of oatmeal and enjoy it while reading blogs!
My morning ritual always includes coffee and taking my pooch out. The other things that I do vary on my work schedule. Some days I workout and some days I have to leave by 6 AM so that doesn’t leave much time for much of anything else!
My morning ritual is coffee + breakfast everyday during the week. On weekends, I workout before my coffee and breakfast!
coffee and 10 minutes of silence (no technology allowed) while I drink it 🙂
A good workout, a big breakfast, and jamming to the radio on the way to work.
Mornings usual involve getting the boring stuff out of the way quickly aka getting dressed, putting in contacts, drinking a glass of water, etc. and then I get to make myself a hot cup of coffee and browse the internet while drinking it. Then I’ll make breakfast but the relaxing coffee time is my favorite 🙂
a) oh my gosh so cute
b) I always like to wake up, start coffee maker, hop in the shower, get dressed, pour coffee and eat either eggs or yogurt, head out the door.
I’m still at the point in my life where mornings are the enemy (my roommate bought me a shirt that says: I hate mornings. It has a roaring lion on it!). I normally roll out of bed, shower, get dressed, pack my lunch if I didn’t the night before and drive to work. I drink my giant mug of coffee while checking my email and readying myself for the work day!
I love panera I would love winning this! I rush out the door but I always have my coffee first thing in the morning to get me rolling!
I usually wake up when my alarm goes off and love staying in bed for an extra 30 minutes. It’s my quiet time before I have to get up and start doing hw -___-
My morning ritual includes a workout, then breakfast with what also amounts to a bowl of coffee!
Goingto yoga then wallking the puppy and coffe before work if im lu
cky!
I always start the morning off with a hot cup of coffee with my favorite seasonal coffee creamer (right now, salted caramel mocha is my fav!)
demureprincess7(at)gmail(dot)com
Our morning ritual consists of making breakfast smoothies, packing lunch for the day, (and in my case) getting a workout in before heading off to work! Gotta love those endorphins….
My ritual is getting ready, making breakfast + coffee, watch some TV, then truly start my day 😉
The first thing I do is read the paper. I live huge quiet before everyone is up.
My morning ritual is about 40 minutes and has me eating breakfast at my office desk. I could definitely use an excuse to get into Panera early!
Oh Panera, my love <3
Every day of the week is different for me, but in general my morning routine includes waking up to three alarms, getting the basic getting ready stuff done, and pouring a big coffee to-go 😉
No matter how early or late in the morning my alarm goes off, I always have to grab a book from my nightstand and read ten or so pages before getting out of bed. It helps to wake me up slowly, and is a peaceful way to start the day.
our morning ritual revolves around feeding the 2 little monsters and hopefully getting everyone clean and dressed before noon. usually mom is the last to eat and shower but mornings with my boys are my favorite time of the day especially since everyone usually wakes up HAPPY!
My morning ritual starts with meditation and ends with a yummy bowl of oatmeal, topped with AB of course 🙂
My routine: get up & out of the house within ten minutes (need all the sleep I can get when I’m working in the hospital!), eat my breastfast and drink my coffee in the car.
My mornings are always a huge mug of coffee, hot boiled egg and homemade spent grain toast with peanut butter followed by another huge mug of coffee and a three mile hike. I feel off if I don’t do this during the weekdays.
My morning ritual involves making breakfast for 2 boys and then seeing if I still have time for me!
I go to the gym with my husband and then we come home and make eggs before work. 🙂 starts the day off right
My weekday morning ritual is down to 38 minutes: makeup, hair, get dressed, let dogs out, feed dogs, feed self. I shower and lay out all my clothes and work bag the night before so I can sleep in until 5:52- ugh.
I wish I had a morning ritual! My mornings usually involved trying to hit snooze the maximum number of times without being late to class!
I adore my mornings! They begin with a very early wake up call, a run, and breakfast and coffee while reading blogs or the paper!
My morning routine differs depending on day. A) Get ready for work, pack the bf’s lunch, take the dog out, and make a big cup of coffee to-go for my 1 hour commute to work. Or B) Have a big cup of coffee while watching the news, then workout before a big breakfast. Coffee is the best part of both mornings 🙂
My morning ritual is wake up at 645, breakfast, workout, then off for for the day!
Usual morning routine: I wake up around 5-5:30, do some housework and light stretching/yoga or I’ll read for a few minutes. Around 6ish, make a pot of coffee and cook breakfast. Relax a little, get ready to head to school and out the door around 7:15 (I teach).
You two are SO cute! My morning rituals include giving Kay a bath and eating breakfast together. We also bring Josh breakfast in bed every morning 🙂
My morning routine starts off with me getting up an hour or two before my husband. I check the computer and anything on there I need to see. When my hubby gets up, we have breakfast together and then sit and talk over coffee for an hour or so before it’s time for him to head off to work and the kiddos to get up. Even though I’m not a morning person, I love our time together in the morning! 🙂
Cute pictures =). I wake up, drink coffee while I watch the news, workout, quick shower/get ready, eat breakfast and start the day!
My husband and I always wake up 15 minutes before we NEED to be up for the day and enjoy a cup of coffee in bed together with our dogs. It’s nice to spend a few calm moments together before the busy day begins.
My morning routine involves getting up and working out, than getting the older children out the door for school. After that, shower and my youngest is up by then. Breakfast is next than work on the computer.
I usually spend about 15 minutes reading the morning blog posts and looking through Pinterest to relax before the hectic day. Once I arrive at work, I make sure to take a 10 minute break after about an hour of hard work to eat my breakfast-right now I’m hooked over overnight oats with pumpkin butter!
P.S. Huge Panera fan over here!
I try to get my workout in first thing in the morning – then breakfast, getting ready for work, and reading the paper on the metro commute. Also, I LOVE Panera!!
Just a heads up…I used to love the Black Bean Soup at Panera until I read somewhere that is has MSG. I’m not sure if that’s a fact (I didn’t investigate further) but just thought you’d might like to know!
It depends on the day of the week, but all of my morning start w/ a good balanced breakfast, a morning run or pilates reformer class, and then I love to have quiet time, drinking my coffee, reading a daily bible verse, and catching up on social media/blogs 🙂
Hi Gina!
My son is almost 2 years old, And is getting big! So i am Trying to take advantage of this morning ritual:
Normally I wake up and I take a little time to myself either do a little yoga or meditation… Then Mason will wake up and we will cuddle on our favorite chair drinking some milk and either reading or watching a little cartoons :). We don’t move from that chair for quite some time probably a good hour or so! I am taking full advantage of the fact that he likes to cuddle now because I know when he’s a teenager he won’t want anything to do with it? Plus, he wont fit onyvlap!!
My mornings consist of oatmeal, exercise, then work
My morning ritual involves a workout+packing breakfast and lunch for me and the hubby…then off to work! Oh yeah, I <3 panera!
My morning ritual is a 5:30am departure for the gym for some ‘me time’. I usually arrive back home at 7:15am, a sweaty mess, and am greeted by two girls with huge smiles and fuzzy pajamas. On the rare day they sleep in, I try to grab a cup of coffee before the crazy starts.
always read the paper.
My morning ritual involves lots and lots of coffee! I cute up veggies and always pack a healthy lunch to take to work. I basically have my workday routine down to a science!