Start the Day Right

Who knows how it happened, but becoming a mother has made me…

A morning person.


No, I don’t spring out of bed with the energy of Anna on coronation day, but do enjoy getting up before everyone else and getting some me time before I start my day.  Mr. O can’t understand why I would want to get up a minute earlier than in absolutely necessary, but for me, starting my day with a little me time is worth it.

But earlier this year my mornings would always hit a big snag.

You see, at Mr. O’s last job he woke up before me.  (He left the house before me, got home after me, and went to bed later than I did.  That job sucked.)

However, even after he left that job and started sleeping later than me, the alarm clock remained firmly planted on his nightstand.  It’s one of those horrible little things that just beeps at you.  No music, no talk radio.  Just beeps.  It’s a terrible way to start your day, really.

On top of this, my husband is both a heavy sleeper and a snoozer.  Not only did he not wake up until the alarm had been screeching at us for what seemed like forever, he would quiet it by hitting snooze, meaning it would beep at us again in 9 minutes.  The process repeated itself until I turned the alarm off.  It was infuriating.

But that’s not the worst part.  That’s not the part that really got my eyes rolling and heavy sighs going.

The problem was that now the alarm was off, but Mr. O was still asleep.  Ugh.  So now it’s my job to wake him up.  I’m now the freakin’ alarm clock!

And did I mention that Mr. O is a snoozer?  So can you guess what would happen next?

Yep.  He fell back asleep.

I dreaded mornings.  Not only did I have to get our then toddler up and ready, I had to wake him up, too.  Multiple times.  All of which made me late out the door, which is hugely frustrating for a (generally) timely person like me.

So this year my school supply list included a shiny new alarm clock.  I have it set to a classical music station for a lovely, gentle waking and I let Mr. O get woken up by the wannabe-smoke-alarm clock.

Sure it was $20 I didn’t want to spend, but here’s the thing; I don’t get to see my husband a lot during the school year.  We work.  Sometimes a lot, and often opposite hours.  I don’t want to spend what is sometimes our only 20 minutes together being annoyed.

In my book, that was $20 well spent.

What sort of small changes have had an impact on your life?  Share in the comments.

On the first Monday of the month I write about small changes that have had a big impact.  If you have a suggestion of a small change that you’d like me to write about, or would like to write a guest post about small changes, contact me at stacey@creatingmyhappiness.com.

Start the Day Right 3

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