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4am starts, a go-to breakfast and lockdown with three kids: A day in the life of Chrissie Swan.

Want to know how your favourite celebs spend their days? Yep, us too. In Mamamia’s A Day in the Life series, high-profile people share everything from what they eat for breakfast to their pre-bedtime rituals. 

This week, we find out what life is like for Chrissie Swan during Melbourne's fifth lockdown.

Chrissie Swan is a busy woman, even in lockdown.

Right now, the radio host, Priceline ambassador and soon-to-be Celebrity MasterChef contestant, is living through her fifth Melbourne lockdown, with her husband Chris Saville and their three children: sons Leo, 12, and Kit, nine, and eight-year-old daughter Peggy. 

While some aspects of her day have changed, Chrissie's morning routine has stayed the same.

Watch: Things you never say in 2021. Post continues after video.


Video via Mamamia.

On a typical weekday, Chrissie's up early. She's awake between 4am and 4.30am, depending on what she has on, then she'll quickly put her face on.

"First stop is [to] put on some makeup," Chrissie told Mamamia. "I used to do it at work but I do it at home now. It takes me about five minutes, I'm absolutely a pro. It makes me feel like I'm ready for the day."

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She has a couple go-to products that make her look awake so early in the morning.

"I use the Revlon Youth FX Fill + Blur Concealer for the bags, the Maybelline Fit Me Foundation - I love that - and the Maybelline Great Lash Mascara - the good ol' pink and green one," Chrissie said.

"My absolute bargain buy is the Revolution Duo Brow Definer in medium brown. It's unbelievable," she said. "I also love the Nude By Nature bronzer and the Luma Just A Touch Lip and Cheek Tint. 

"That's the kit that I put on every morning."

Once makeup's done, Chrissie is quick and out the door.

"Then I go downstairs and I make a coffee - a triple shot flat white - in a Keep Cup to take on the way in. Then I drive into work, read the paper, catch up with the gang and then go on-air."

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Thankfully for Chrissie, radio's considered an essential service, so she and her co-hosts, Sam Pang and Jonathan Brown, can continue their show in the studio from 6am to 9am.

"It's been really great to have that routine because the rest of the day is pretty full-on," Chrissie said.

During the show is when Chrissie squeezes in her everyday breakfast: two scrambled eggs and a whole tomato.

"I have that every single morning," she said, before explaining how she fits it in: "I cook it during a song and then I eat it in the next song."

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Once the show wraps, Chrissie is out of the studio by 10am, and depending on how she feels, she'll usually head out and get some fresh air.

"I try to get my mental health walk in before I get home, because once I get home, I'm mum, teacher, cook and cleaner," she said. "The day just really gets away from me and it's harder to leave the house.

"So if I've got any energy after work, I hit the road and whack in a podcast or playlist and just quickly get my walk out of the way. I’ll [even] put on a bit of my lippy on (100 per cent of profits go to the Priceline Sisterhood Foundation) and at least look a million dollars even if I don’t feel it!"

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As Chrissie and her family are currently living through their fifth Melbourne lockdown, she's found homeschooling gets a little easier each time round.

"We've sort of hit pro level now. You know, the kids are used to it," she told Mamamia.

"When we first hit lockdown last year it was an absolute nightmare - we couldn't work out any [school] logins and there were [internet] dropouts. It was incredibly stressful. But now it's the fifth time, it's easier."

During the middle of the day, they keep lunch simple.

"We're really enjoying homemade salad rolls, like what you get from a country bakery," she said. "Don't forget the grated carrot, beetroot and onion! They're really great."

By the afternoon, Chrissie (understandably) hits a wall. She'll either disappear for half an hour for a nap or just hang out with her kids. Otherwise, if she has the energy, she'll cook something elaborate for dinner, do the shopping, or find an excuse to walk to the supermarket. 

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"Just anything to break up the monotony of the day," she said.

Chrissie's also ditched a routine she used to have pre-lockdown.

"I used to be a big online supermarket shopper and have it delivered but I stopped that during lockdown because going to the supermarket was a) allowed and b) an adventure," she said.

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"My supermarket is within walking distance, so instead of just walking aimlessly, if I can walk to the supermarket with my backpack and buy a few things and then walk it home, it's three birds with one stone in a way."

In her household, there are three dinners they have on high-rotation.

"With avocados being $1 at the moment, we're doing a whole lot of loaded nachos. We're really having a good feed of those," she said. "And the refried beans, which are essential and not many people use in their nachos."

"Chicken wraps are always good... and a lamb shoulder. I put that on really, really early and then we make our homemade souvlaki." 

At the end of a long day in lockdown, Chrissie has found some new nighttime rituals before bed.

"I haven't really been cognisant of sleep for the last 20 years and I just got tired of being so tired. So this year, that's really been my focus," she explained. 

"Pretty much everything I do during the day is because I want to sleep well at night," she continued.

"I try to make my day end in terms of parental duties at about 8.30pm. I say goodnight to the kids, go upstairs and then I have my shower, use some lavender oil and I take magnesium during the day.

"That's why I started walking to try to make my sleep better. That's [also] why I gave up booze. And of course, a little bit of meditation here and there as well, I've found has been really helpful."

Then she tries to read her book (even if it's only a few pages), before she hits the hay.

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"I usually get to sleep around 9.30pm. I wish it was earlier, but it never is," she said.

Feature Image: Instagram/@chrissieswan.

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