A Morning Way of Life

Photo by Vincenzo Pistritto

What does one do when they’re invited to experience a salt cave, a suite at the Windsor Arms Hotel in Toronto, and wake up to the scent of fresh Nespresso coffee and healthy breakfast bars? Erm, say yes wholeheartedly and hope that no one notices you inhale some tasty caffeine.

While a short time ago I tried to quit coffee (don’t ask why, it wasn’t anything rational), I’ve come to appreciate the finer things about the treasured morning beverage. For one, it has notes just like wine. It’s hard to claim a refined palette enough to taste every last note, but surely, you notice its absence.

It’s funny how you can experience something worldly in a small thing like a bite of food or a sip of a beverage.

Design yourself an Experience

It’s a celebration to wake up each day, so treat it that way. It’s a new opportunity to make a difference, in whatever you do, to make slight changes. Someone once told me that he looked up to waking up to coffee, that the process itself gave him so much joy that it was worth waking up earlier. While I may not have the patience to grind beans and use a full espresso machine (not much of a barista), my Nespresso brews capsules pretty nicely. And without sounding too promotional, they have a nice little release of two breakfast coffees – Solelio and Giornio (sounds fancy).

Satisfying both a light and medium intensity, the two flavors have toasted cereal notes and fruit aromas. And you can feel well travelled knowing that the high quality beans are from Kenya and Colombia. If that isn’t enough to get you brewing…you aren’t awake yet.

Whatever you do, don’t skip Breakfast

They say to gently wake up your body with the right foods to fuel your day. With breakfast bars that included dark chocolate, healthy oats, fruits, and the right amount of protein…it’s hard not to wake up right. It didn’t hurt that our breakfast bars for the Nespresso event were prepared by Ricardo Larrivée of the Food Network.

Of course, breakfast takes preparation, whether you’re buying these items or preparing it yourself. But whatever you do, don’t skip breakfast. You’ll find yourself sluggish throughout the day, coffee or without.

It Starts Small

Habits take time to build, and they say that it’s about making small decisions daily to do it. It’s not necessarily about waking up 6am every day, from here on out (though I would love to be a morning person). It’s about finding the joys that get you up in the morning, consistently, and the routine that relieves stress before you get on with your day. Or if you’re like me, it’s about your 8 step skincare routine that seems to keep burgeoning (haha, age).

Photo by Vincenzo Pistritto

Do it in Good Company

I love having breakfast meetings – it gets you up earlier and has you looking forward to spending time and learning about someone’s day / life / happenings. It’s a simple obligation that has you feeling like you’re getting the most out of your day, and adds a little energy into your step.

Enjoy

Savoring a moment is something we forget to do, often. Whether it’s warm sunshine pouring through your window, the delight of waking up with someone or alone, or the joy of looking outside and remembering that you have so much to look forward to…enjoy your time. Save it, make it, and don’t forget that it’s limited – time is precious.

If you’re in need of a pick me up in the Toronto area, Nespresso is giving out free coffee from May 30 to June 3 at RBC Wellington Square.