Cleo Wade's Must Haves: From Cosy Pajamas to a $12 Lip Balm Set

For Wade, coffee and alone time is a crucial component of her A.M. routine — "especially if you have kids," she says. "I've gone through coffee times in my life and tea times in my life; lately, I don't know if it's because I'm writing, but I'm in a real coffee time. So I've been trying some different ones." More specifically, she's been cycling through a few favourites like the La Colombe Coffee Medium Roast ($14), as well as Brooklyn Roasting.

Pro Tip: Wade recommends carving out an allotted amount of time each morning to dedicate to yourself. What you do, then, is up to you: put on relaxing music, pour yourself a cup of coffee, journal. "Just having 10 to 20 minutes every morning in your own energy with something warm and cosy — it's a recipe for calm," she says. "I don't look online or open emails. I just enjoy being in my own thoughts. There's so much in the world that can make you feel stressed and anxious throughout the day that to claim your time in the morning is so helpful."

When Burt's Bees approached Wade about curating the Burt's Bees Cleo Inspired Lip Balm Collection ($12), available at Target, it was a no-brainer. "The quality is amazing," she says. "With tinted lip balms, sometimes they can be a little too lipstick-y or they can be too lip balm-y where they're not tinted enough. [Burt's] is the perfect match of both, where you feel like you have a strong, pretty colour on, but you're not sacrificing moisture and have to reapply a bunch of times during the day."

Pro Tip: Because the lip kit includes four tubes of lip balm flavours (original, Watermelon, Sweet Mandarin, and Cucumber Mint), that means you can stash one in every purse or pocket you have so you're never left without. "As a mom, you forget everything everywhere," she says. "The likelihood that you're leaving the house and forgot your entire purse and don't have any lip balm is high, so the set is great. I use it so much."

The resolve to be comfy at all times is a common thread in Wade's life, and this extends to what she wears — and why she loves pieces like the La Ligne Stripe Oversize Cashmere Sweater ($295). "I'm a sweater person," she says. "My whole day is about being cosy."

Pro Tip: Be choosy about your fashion splurges. "What makes something worthy of being an investment piece is that it holds up," says Wade. "If you're going to spend hundreds of dollars on a sweater, you don't want it to fall apart quickly or not be able to be cleaned or be a high-maintenance piece in your life. I looked in my closet and thought, 'What have I had for a long time that's really held up well?' For me, that's a lot of my La Ligne sweaters I've had since the day they launched, which was five years ago. I've had them for five years and they look just as good as they did the day I bought them."

First, Wade wants to be fully transparent: "I'm not really a sneakers person. I am someone who walks around barefoot all day, and since I work from home and there's no shoes allowed in my house, that's probably why." Still, she does like a good basic you can pair with jeans or a dress. A go-to Wade reaches for everyday are her high tops, specifically the Vans Glitter High Tops ($120). "My daughters and I all have the same ones."

Pro Tip: The brand also offers sneakers in toddler and child sizes — and come in an array of colours and designs — so you can match. "Vans are just a great shoe for kids because they get a little wacky," Wade says. "Both my kids have glitter high tops and pink-and-white and rainbow [shoes]. I don't have the kids that are in chic outfits. They're in tutus and weird sweatshirts and bucket hats and mismatched socks. And so the reason I like Vans is because they're not crazy expensive, so you can get a pair and match your kids and you can all have your cool, weird shoes and weird outfits."

"Have you ever seen the meme where one person in the couple wants the room to be 80 degrees, and the other who wants it to be 60 degrees?" asks Wade, because she can relate. "My partner likes to sleep in a freezing cold room." That's why she asked for the L.L.Bean Scotch Plaid Flannel Pajamas ($79) for Christmas. "I also have a matching robe, and they are just everything to me. They're so comfortable. Before bed I like to get very warm and cosy; I bring a tea to bed with me every night."

Pro Tip: It's not just tea that's part of Wade's bedtime routine, but rather setting the pre-sleep mood completely: getting cosy, dimming the lights, and snuggling up in bed with a cup of tea and a book, any book, before turning in for the night. "One of the things I try and do is read five pages of any book. Reading helps calm our brain and switch gears in such an amazing way, but a lot of times we're like, 'I need to read 30 pages or a chapter,' but five pages is really attainable."