Welcome to Waking Up Well, a column where we hand-select people we admire and ask them to share how they start the day. We think morning routines are a crucial part of an intentional wellness journey and weโ€™re fascinated by the practices of our favorite figures.

If you like interior and home design, you’re likely familiar with Hati Home, the California-based sustainable furniture brand that specializes in handcrafted, heritage pieces made from conscious materials. (Our editor loves her Hati pieces โ€” check out her dining room chairs!) Founded by Kallie Thomson and her husband Adam, the brand reflects their time living in Bali, where they learned to make their own furniture using time-honored Indonesian techniques, using thoughtful materials in designs that were built for quality and performance.

Most mornings, you’ll find Kallie, Adam, their two daughters, and their French Bulldog Jelly at their beautiful Costa Mesa home โ€” where you can see much of Hati’s aesthetic roots on full display. (Check out their personal edit on the brand’s website, too!)

“As the designer behind Hati, Kallie is an early bird who builds in extra time each morning to make space for creativity, movement, and connection with her family.”

As the designer behind Hati, Kallie is an early bird who builds in extra time each morning to make space for creativity, movement, and connection with her family. Kallie knows that giving herself a little extra time before the rest of the house comes alive completely changes the tone of her day. Those first quiet hours are when she can move intentionally, taking care of herself before shifting into mom mode and eventually stepping into her creative work for the day.

While not every morning goes perfectly to plan (“Kids have a way of keeping you humble,” she says), having a simple early bird routine helps her feel grounded no matter what the day brings.

4:30 am | Gentle, slow rise and a treat ๐ŸŒ…

Adam gently wakes me up by turning on the bedside lamps. He’s naturally an early riser, and I’m incredibly grateful he’s my “alarm” instead of a blaring phone. Our training session doesn’t start until 5:30, but I love having a full hour to wake up slowly rather than rushing out the door. The first thing I do is splash my face with cold water โ€” it instantly wakes me up and signals that the day has officially begun.

I start a pot of drip coffee and make my favorite pre-workout snack: A rice cake with Toonie Moonie Organic Vanilla Marshmallow Creme and almond butter. It’s such a simple little ritual, but I genuinely look forward to it every morning. It sounds funny, but knowing I get to eat that snack actually makes getting out of bed easier. Sometimes it’s the little things.

Unmade bed with white pillows and sheets in dim lighting. Two water bottles are visible on a nightstand beside the bed.
A stream of coffee being poured into a white mug on a wooden table.

5:00 am | Pre-workout rituals ๐ŸŒฟ

I lace up my trainers and rub a little dลTERRA Rosemary essential oil on my chest. The fresh, herbal scent immediately wakes up my senses and helps me shift into workout mode.

Adam and I arrive at the gym a little early to stretch and warm up together before our session. I love that this has become something we share. It gives us uninterrupted time together before the day gets busy.

A 15 mL bottle of doTERRA Rosemary essential oil lies on a gray and white striped cloth, with the cap removed and placed nearby.
Two people stand in a green field with tall grass, palm trees, and clear blue sky in the background.

5:30 am | Challenging movement ๐Ÿ‹๏ธ

Our trainer, Dave Prizer, officially takes over and gives us a full-body workout that always pushes us a little harder than we’d push ourselves. It’s challenging, but starting the day with movement gives me so much more energy and mental clarity.

A gym with dumbbells, weight plates, squat racks, treadmills, stability balls, and artificial turf for functional training.
Rows of dumbbells on racks in front of a large mirror at a gym, with people working out and gym equipment reflected in the background.

6:30 am | Family breakfast ๐Ÿฝ๏ธ

We’re back home just as our girls are starting to wake up. It feels like the house shifts from quiet to joyful chaos in a matter of minutes.

Breakfast is one of my favorite family moments. I usually make myself a big bowl of egg whites and oatmeal with blueberries while the girls enjoy their usual fruit and avocado toast. Sitting down together, even briefly, helps us all ease into the day.

“Sitting down together, even briefly, helps us all ease into the day.”

Because then it’s lunch-packing, backpack-checking, hair-brushing, and “where are your shoes?” time. Like every family, our mornings get a little hectic here, but I try to embrace the beautiful chaos.

I kiss the girls goodbye as they head off to school.

A modern kitchen with wooden cabinets, a marble island, four woven bar stools, flowers in a vase, and sunlight coming through a window and skylights.
A family of four, two adults and two children, stand together in a doorway, smiling at the camera.

8:10 am | Transitional time โ€” tidy and shower! ๐Ÿซง

Before I start work, I spend a few minutes cleaning up the kitchen and tidying the house. A clean space makes such a difference for me creatively โ€” it clears the mental clutter and helps me feel ready to focus.

One of my favorite rituals is showering in our outdoor shower using Juniper Ridge Redwood Mist Body Wash, followed by Everyday Oil. Both scents remind me of camping, forests, and being outdoors, and they instantly help me feel calm and connected to nature. It’s a small luxury that I never take for granted.

A bottle of Juniper Ridge Redwood Mist body wash stands next to a tan bath sponge on a bathroom surface.
A blue surfboard leans against an outdoor wooden shower wall with a black wetsuit, next to a small table holding bottles and a green duck.

9:00 am | Inspo and puppy love โค๏ธ

I give our Frenchie a quick smooch and head into the office.

I always begin my workday with inspiration before opening emails or tackling technical tasks. Whether I’m flipping through design books, looking at architecture, or collecting references, I like to give myself permission to dream first. As the designer behind Hati Home, protecting that creative headspace is one of the most valuable parts of my routine.

A woman sits and smiles while talking to three people in a workshop, surrounded by wooden planks and a partially assembled wooden chair.
A woman with long hair, wearing a blue shirt and shorts, walks through a cluttered workshop filled with wooden furniture and tools.

Thanks to Kallie Thomson for providing images for this piece. Additional imagery from Unsplash, Hati Home, Hati Home Instagram, Society, dลTERRA, and Juniper Ridge.