Midst Mornings - Amy Cuevas Schroeder

Wake-up time: 6 a.m. if I’m lucky (if my Shih Tzu-Chihuahua doesn’t wake me.)

City: Phoenix, where it’s 110 degrees in July

First thought: I try to think of things I’m grateful for, but if I’m being honest, I tend to think, “What’s my schedule today? When’s my first meeting? Am I taking my daughter to school/camp, etc.?

Between my three glasses of water, half-caff coffee, morning meds, and showering, I didn’t realize how many products I use in the a.m. until I wrote them down. I won’t bore you with an exhaustive list — just some of my must-haves to rise and shine.

My Laptop. You’ll find me here on weekdays: in my home office, on Zoom, Slack, and email.

Oikos Triple Zero Vanilla Nonfat Greek Yogurt with no added sugar. I wish this stuff had healthy fat, but I love that there’s no added sugar or artificial sweeteners. The vanilla flavor disguises the bitter taste of kale in smoothies.

NNABI Peri Essential 5 I try not to eat until about 8:30 a.m. (so that I’ve fasted for 12 hours), which is hard sometimes but helps to manage my weight.

A few minutes after eating a smoothie with Oikos, berries, kale, and carrots, I take two NNABI Peri Essential 5. In the morning, I do not take the CBD version. I tried that and it made me very sleepy, which is why it’s great for perimenopausal women who need help sleeping all night. The non-CBD version gives me more energy during the day.

OUAI Leave In Conditioner & Heat Protectant Spray. After conditioning my hair in the shower, I apply Ouai Leave In Conditioner. It smells so good and it adds just the right amount of moisture to tame my curls, which I let air-dry. Because I live in a dry climate (and maybe because I’m in perimenopause), if I don’t use a double dose of conditioner, my hair is usually flat and fly-away. Ouai smells so good.

Clinique Take the Day Off. When it comes to removing waterproof mascara that’s still there from the day before, the greasier the product, the better. I wear so much mascara that I usually can’t remove it all the night before. I go at it again with Take The Day Off in the morning.

No. 7 Menopause Skincare Protect & Hydrate Day Cream with SPF 30No. 7 had me at “co-created with menopausal women.” I slather this all over my face; the formula is a lovely creamy consistency that doesn’t cake up when you apply makeup.

Supergoop! Glow Screen Sunrise SPF 40. Supergoop makes me feel good — it’s a pretty sunscreen with a bit of color and shimmer.

Systane Complete dry eye relief eye drops. The wiser, more experienced I get, the dryer my eyeballs become. Enter: Systane. Pairs well with my bifocal contacts.

Systane Complete dry eye relief eye drops. The wiser, more experienced I get, the dryer my eyeballs become. Enter: Systane. Pairs well with my bifocal contacts.

Maybelline Great Lash Waterproof Mascara for my lower lashes. I’ve been using this drugstore cult fave for years. I use Great Lash for my lower lashes because the wand bristles are petite, making it easier to slightly coat my lashes instead of going super thick like I do with my upper lashes with a separate, thicker mascara. Because it’s waterproof, I’m less likely to get raccoon eye.