A Recipe Developer, Mom-of-Two, & Business Owner’s Sweet (& Simple) Nightly Ritual

You know the feeling: ping-ponging from work to kids to life admin and back, only to question if you’ve taken a deep breath all day — or realized that you are, in fact, on planet Earth. For Nicole Berrie, author, recipe developer, mom-of-two, and owner of Bonberi Mart in New York City, it’s always some version of the above, so she relies on self-care to recalibrate.

Once the sun goes down and the kids are in bed, Berrie takes a beat and indulges in some well-deserved “me” time to unwind and clear her mind. As someone who enjoys fueling her body with healthy habits inside and out, you can be sure her three-step evening routine is good for the body and mind. This time, she took Bustle along for the ride.

Step One: Indulge Your Sweet Tooth

For Berrie, self-care is all about balance, and that includes treating herself with an indulgence that also keeps her healthy and physically thriving. “You can have both!” she says.

Her go-to is creating a DIY sundae bowl using Too Good & Co. Zero Sugar† and whatever toppings she’s in the mood for (chocolate chips, granola, dried fruit, you name it). It has no artificial sweeteners and packs 13 grams of protein to hit the spot while keeping you satisfied. “I love how creamy and thick it is — it feels like a velvety French dessert!” Berrie tells Bustle.

Part of the joy in treating herself to a nightly snack is the process itself. “I find it to be such a moving meditation,” she says. From recreating flavor combinations inspired by her travels to assembling the sundae to that first eye-shutting bite, “It allows me to unlock my creativity,” Berrie shares. As someone who develops recipes for a living, it’s more than a nightly treat — it’s a satisfying process.

Step Two: Habit Stack The Scroll

Because her time is limited (who can relate?), Berrie packs multiple feel-good moments into the same timeframe, stacking her habits to fit more in. That means cozying up and scrolling through social media for recipe inspiration and a good old-fashioned brain break, treating her skin to a de-puffing gua sha practice, and wearing a collagen-boosting red light therapy mask while doing all of the above. When building your own routine, lean into what feels good to you. Maybe that’s some light stretching, an hour of reality TV, and putting your phone on Do Not Disturb.

Step Three: Clear Your Energy And Shake Off The Day

To prepare herself for deep, restful sleep, Berrie shakes off the day, literally and figuratively. She notes how important it is to clear your energy each night. For her, that looks like lining up energy-supporting crystals, saging her space to rid it of negativity, rebounding on a mini trampoline to get her lymphatic system moving, and then settling into meditation.

“I’ve used meditation in so many ways to help expand and grow deeper spiritually,” she says. “Any practice that helps you find peace of mind in an ever-changing and challenging world is something I recommend embracing and leaning into.”

If this sounds like a lot, don’t worry. “There are plenty of nights when I don’t get to do my full self-care routine, and that’s OK” Berrie notes. “It’s about dipping into a menu of tools that you have time for and using them whenever it feels good.”

The key is to make self-care work for you, not the other way around. If you have late-night dinner plans but want to stick to a routine, make time for those feel-good moments throughout the day. Meditate with a red light mask while sipping your morning coffee. Grab a Too Good & Co. Remix as you’re running out the door. It’s about finding calm within the chaos, knowing that a little good goes a long way.

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