I had the pleasure of interviewing Jaycie Dotin over on the podcast I cohost, Hallmark Mysteries and More! Jaycie recently reprised her role in the second installment Hallmark’s Mystery Movie, The Curious Caterer: Grilling Season as Marla the sassy and funny sidekick. Jaycie has starred in other Hallmark movies, and also various Netflix productions. It was great to learn about her early days singing and acting on cruise ships, and her father (who is part of super groovy disco band with a major hit). Make sure you check out the podcast episode!
7:00AM
On days that I’m not up around 4am to head to set, 7:00 is the time I try to get up but let’s be honest, I usually lay in bed for a bit reading the news, checking my social media, and sharing funny dog videos with my friends before actually rolling out of bed. (just keeping’ it real) My husband and I recently moved into a new condo that has hardwood throughout and the floors can be a little cold in the morning so my new favourite way to start the day is slipping my feet into these amazing fuzzy slippers I found on Amazon. They are cheap, machine washable, and super cozy. Can’t beat ‘em.
7:15AM
I shuffle my way into the bathroom and after a shower and brushing my pearly whites, I start my skincare routine. I have extremely sensitive and reactive skin so I keep things pretty simple with my products and my whole routine takes no more than 5min. I use SkinFix Foaming Oil Cleanser that I swap out every couple of days with Dermalogica’s Microfoliant. I prefer to exfoliate in the AM because while you sleep, your skin regenerates and the dead skin cells will slough off and sit on the top layer of your epidermis. Morning is the best time to scrub those suckers off and spend the rest of the day with super clean and smooth skin. But don’t over exfoliate because you could damage your lipid barrier! It’s a fine line to walk. After cleansing and/or exfoliating I use Laneige’s Cream Skin Toner and I layer SkinFix Barrier Cream over that. I finish off with the most important product of all: SPF! Currently I am living for Laneige’s Hydro UV defense SPF50+ sunscreen.
7:45AM
With super hydrated/protected skin (and warm feet), I head off to the kitchen to feed my dog and make my morning tea. My day’s schedule will determine which varietal I brew but usually in the morning, it’s a green. I really love Mighty Leaf’s Tropical Green Tea. It’s light and fruity and gives me a nice subtle kick to start the day. Then it’s time for breakfast. My current go-to is a hardboiled egg, half an avocado and a side of kimchi for probiotics. If I’m lucky and have actually gone grocery shopping that week, I’ll also have a pressed juice to get my fruits and greens in. Loop Juice is my favorite because they take the ugly fruits and veggies that grocery store customers pass over and turn them into delicious and healthy drinks. Ugly produce needs love too…
8:15AM
I throw in my headphones, turn on a podcast and my dog and I head out the door for our morning walk. These look a little different nowadays because my dog, Rolo, is over 13 years old and his little joints can’t handle long distances. Even though we are a bit slower moving than before, we still try to get at least 30min in on the trails outside my home. I’m a lover of science based and true crime podcasts (which is very on-brand for my character Marla Maguire in Curious Caterer). Some of my favourites include RadioLab, Chameleon. Overheard at National Geographic, Invisibilia, and TED Talks Daily.
9:00AM
Once we return, Rolo goes back to bed and I start my work day. If I’m not on set or preparing to shoot a project this can look like a lot of different things: answering emails, working on scripts, preparing auditions, filming auditions, researching current productions, writing, etc. I am also an interior designer and owner of JayBird Interiors. I really love creating curated spaces for my clients and over the last several months I have been busy project managing the design and install of multiple updates to my own space. Getting to work with an array of trades such as millworkers, painters, and furniture fabricators to bring my designs to life keeps me creatively active but in a totally different way than the entertainment industry. I’m so thankful to be a busy, working actor but I also really enjoy my time between shoots to explore my other hobbies and interests.
