Hoda Kotb is embracing retirement with open arms — and a lot less makeup.

“I have worn makeup probably three times since I’ve left the Today show and I’ve been gone for almost two months,” the former co-anchor tells PEOPLE at the inaugural Runway for Recovery fashion show in NYC on Feb. 27, which raised over $456K to support families who have lost a parent to metastatic breast cancer.

Mornings now look drastically different from when Kotb, 60, was on air. Instead of preparing for an early morning glam session, the mother of two is walking her daughters — Haley Joy, 9, and Hope Catherine, 5 — to school in a laid-back outfit, with no cameras or millions of viewers watching.

“Sometimes I go with jeans if I’m going crazy, but for the walk to school, usually it’s leggings because I either have just worked out or I’m going to. Sneaks, hat, of course, and face cream,” the TV personality says.

She adds, “I’m with 10 kids walking to school together and a couple of moms. I go, ‘This is awesome. Look at me with my sweats on and my coffee. I’m into it.’”

This shift in pace has not only altered her morning look but has also given her a new perspective. “You know what I realized? I don’t look at myself anymore,” she says. “You look at yourself at work because there’s a big mirror and camera and you’re like, ‘Oh, my hair’s a mess, so you’re constantly fussing.”

Kotb continues, “But I don’t notice anymore. My kids are like, ‘Mom, you look crazy right now.’ But you know what? I’m happy.”

Even though her daily routine has changed, Kotb has kept a piece of Today with her: a stack of friendship bracelets she wears on her arm. “They’re from my last day,” Kotb shares.

Pointing to some of the bracelets, she adds, “All these bracelets that I got are from people who gave me them on the last day. This lady gave me one that says ‘January 10, 2025’ — she gave me the date. This one says ‘Today show’. This one says, ‘Hoda. Be kind.’ Anyone who gave me one on the last day I’ve been wearing it. I can’t take them off yet.”

Amid the collection of bracelets, one gold linked chain stands out. “Savannah [Guthrie] gave this to me, it says ‘With you’,” Kotb says, referring to her longtime co-anchor.

While saying goodbye to Today is bittersweet, Kotb is excited for what lies ahead. “It’s feeling like a new dawning.”