Chrissy Teigen Has a ‘Non-Negotiable’ When It Comes to Her Morning Routine

Chrissy Teigen’s life is a whirlwind of glamour, creativity, and chaos, especially during the holidays. Balancing her thriving career, motherhood, and the festive demands of the season, Teigen somehow makes it all look (mostly) effortless. Her secret? A morning routine that sets the tone for her busy days. While most days start in a hurry —think toddler requests, photoshoot prep, and holiday to-dos—Teigen’s blend of humor and mindfulness keeps her grounded.

We caught up with Teigen amidst the holiday hustle to hear how she finds balance between her many roles and embraces the holiday spirit along the way.

She starts her day with snuggles

“It’s usually very different if [husband John Legend] is in town or if he’s not. Life changes dramatically having four kids. If he’s out of town, I probably get woken up around 4:30 in the morning by [my kids] Luna and Miles. They snuggle with me and we watch TV, in and out of sleep for a bit.

If John is home, then the door is locked until around 8:00 am. He’s really thoughtful about sleep—he works so much, so good sleep is really important. I’m a little bit more relaxed about it, and of course, I have better sleep when John is home. But I also like those moments a lot because the kids are still little and it’s fun, as long as they’re not fighting each other.”

Showering is her favorite form of self-care

“I have to shower before I go downstairs—it’s a non-negotiable. I have better days when I take a shower. I’m a crazy hairwasher. I have to feel fully clean to have a good day.  It’s all about the essentials—hair washing, face washing, pits, and I’m in and out.

And then at night—if I have time to take a bath with the kids—that’s when it’s nice to really soak. We use a lot of John’s Loved 01 products of course. His exfoliator is great because I usually have a spray tan to the nines. And I get them so often that I have to scrub them off pretty often to get a fresh one. I also use an iS Clinical face wash.”

• Loved 01 Exfoliating Cleanser ($18)
• iS Clinical Cleansing Face Wash ($45)

Then it’s time to prepare breakfast

“The kids go down for breakfast, and we usually make something like waffle sticks with my baking mix. I bought this amazing waffle stick maker and they just live for it, they love it so much. We make waffles in the morning or sometimes we order something fast depending on my energy levels. They appreciate both of those things just the same.”

• Cravings by Chrissy Teigen Pancake and Waffle Mix ($23.20)
• Babycakes Mini Waffle Stick Maker ($24.47)

From there, it’s time to develop delicious recipes

“Writing a cookbook is really fun because it takes over my life in such a good way. I’ve been using Boursin Cheese for twenty-plus years now. I’ve used it in my cookbooks, and I’ve used it in a lot of my recipes on the Cravings site. I’ve fallen in love with it over the years, which is why it’s so nice to collaborate with them. I naturally love the product and the recipes I’ve created with it.”

• Boursin Garlic & Fine Herbs Cheese ($5.46)
• Cravings Cookbook ($16.07)
• Editor’s note: Teigen has a current partnership with Boursin Cheese. 

And, of course, she has to taste-test her creations

“The cheesy dip is my favorite because it’s a piping hot dip made with the garlic and fine herbs Boursin Cheese. There’s also some shredded mozzarella in it. It’s really creamy. You put it in a little ramekin and it bubbles up to the point that the top gets a little bit crispy. Then you drizzle this hot chili crunch honey on top, so it’s sweet and savory.

I really enjoy cooking of course, but I just love the whole act of feeding people. And as I’ve grown older I’ve come to realize that these moments shouldn’t be stressful. You should appreciate those around you, and appreciate the small moments that happen in between those big holiday moments. Really take a breath and look around and appreciate how blessed you are…to see everybody together and to really take that in is a beautiful thing.”

• Cravings Chili Duo ($19.50)