LUI Ritual: Ash Pollard
Here at LUI, we love the idea of rituals: those little everyday practices that help you feel calm, centred and whole. We believe shaving deserves to be part of this self-care routine. In celebration of mindful moments, the LUI Ritual series asks friends of the brand about their own positive habits and how they elevate their day.
HI, MY NAME IS… Ash Pollard.
BUT EVERYONE CALLS ME… AP, Ash, Polly, Ashes.
WHEN I WAS GROWING UP I DREAMED OF BEING… a famous actress.
BUT NOW I WORK AS… content creator/reality TV personality.
THE FIRST THING I DO WHEN I WAKE UP IS… hug and kiss both of my toddlers who have been standing next to my bed saying “mummy wake up!"
THE LAST SONG I PLAYED ON SPOTIFY… Mozart for Babies: Piano Sonata No. 16. It’s a playlist I put on during our family dinners so we can all relax. It’s supposed to help build neural bridges and create feelings of calm.
MY MORNING ROUTINE IS…
At present I don’t have a set routine. Sometimes the kids wake up earlier, sometimes later, sometimes Pete (my partner) doesn’t go to work early so he stays behind and gets the kids so I can go to the gym then return home to take the kids to kinder. But this is how my Thursday went…
1. 7am: up, showered and into my activewear.
2. 7.05am: get the kids dressed for kinder.
3. 7.20am: breakfast for all.
4. 7.30am: make kinder lunches.
5. 8am: clean up all the mess the kids just made.
6. 8.15am: kids' teeth cleaned, toilet, sunscreen.
7. 8:30am: OUT THE DOOR.
8. 8.35am: drop the kids to kinder.
9. 9am: gym.
10. 10am: home for a second shower and get stuck into work!
THE PERFUME I SPRAY ON RIGHT BEFORE I LEAVE THE HOUSE IS… truth be told, I RARELY wear fragrance. I have many, but I always forget! Diptyque Do Son is my most recent select… I'm over it though.
MY COFFEE ORDER IS… usually a ¾ HOT latte but recently an iced matcha with oat milk.
THROUGHOUT MY DAY I FIND JOY IN… being alone. How utterly sad that sounds but, really, it’s quite glorious. I like quiet and calm in my brain lately.
MY LUNCH ORDER IS… a ham and salad sandwich with the addition of alfalfa (this makes it) and a freshly squeezed OJ.
MY 3PM PICK-ME-UP IS… gelato, chocolate, cake or sweets. A total glutton!
AFTER A LONG DAY I SWITCH OFF BY… streaming a thriller on telly. I’m trying desperately to get back into reading.
THE LAST BOOK I COULDN’T PUT DOWN… Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman. Now I'm onto The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides. So far, so good.
MY NIGHTTIME ROUTINE IS… from the moment the kids get home we stick to routine. We have been doing this for four years and it works. I love it, they love it.
1. 5pm: bathe the kids.
2. 5.30pm: dinner (yes, it’s early! But it’s the best thing when you become a parent!).
3. 7pm: kids to bed.
4. 7-9.30pm: watch telly. Some Scandi thriller is always my pick.
5. 9.30-10pm: meditate in bed. Then sleep.
THE LAST THING I DO BEFORE BED IS… meditate for 10-15 minutes (in bed). Religiously. It changed the way I sleep.
YOU CAN FIND ME ONLINE AT... @ASHPOLLARD__.