Zooey Deschanel shares her slow morning vacation routine

Zooey Deschanel‘s most popular projects run the gamut from her most recent role in the 2024 film adaptation of Harold and The Purple Crayon, years as the star of the sitcom New girls (which earned her a few Primetime Emmy nods, btw), and — maybe it’s the holiday spirit — but our favorite and most iconic will always be Deschanel as Jovie in Elf. We caught up with the actress to unpack her mornings, which she says are rooted in consistency to make the most of her busy schedule.

She starts most days at 5 in the morning

“I have young children and I like to get up and get things done before they wake up. So I usually wake up early – like four or five in the morning. I love trying to get some time before I take the kids at school, so in that window I’d definitely have some coffee, catch up on the news, send a few emails or write in my journal, which I do daily – those kinds of things, I always have different creative projects I’m working on, likes music and sewing, so i I always work early in the morning to get things done.”

After that, she trains with a trainer

“I work out with a trainer a few times a week, and on days I’m not with my trainer, I get at least 10,000 steps in a day to stay active. I use a Garmin watch ($300) to track my steps I make those morning times pretty consistent because so a lot of different things happen during the day, so I like to have a consistent morning routine.”

Then she gets dressed

“When the kids go to school and I’ve worked out and done my personal stuff, it’s time to get dressed. When it comes to personal style, i really like the autumn and winter season. I love cozying up in sleeves and sweaters and in long pants, long sleeves and tights. Summer is hard for me because I don’t love being in beach clothes, so it’s definitely my time of year. I have everyday things that are my go-to, but if I have to go out or do something particular I want to try something else.

I love Vera Bradley for this because there are very casual items that are great for travel or everyday use, but there are also many beautiful evening bags now that work well for a more elevated look, like the Taber Dumpling Bag ($155), which is a really beautiful option for vacation. I’ve found it really easy to store all my essentials in the large bag ($115) and then pop the bag into my bags as I switch them out – just an easy way to stay organized.”

And slow holiday mornings are welcome

“Holiday mornings look a lot slower and lazier to us. We are probably make pancakes or waffles and watch a movie. My kids love watching movies and my son can watch the same movie over and over again. He really exists Jawsso we’ve looked at that a lot.”