I used to think weekends had changed irrecoverably when Freddie was a baby- as an early riser there were no more long lie ins, plus no more lengthy Saturday pub sessions, and no more all day Sunday sofa sessions. Whilst all that is true, and of course your life changes forever when you have a baby, fast forward 7 years and 3 children later, and those weekends with just one small person look positively serene.
Weekends these days are hectic- the older two have numerous parties, there are early Saturday morning swimming lessons, Adam plays football every Saturday afternoon during the football season, and Freddie is about to follow in his footsteps come September having joined a local team.
Whilst it’s nice to be busy at times, and I never mind the children being into sports for the health and social side, there are times when I do long for the good old days of not having to do much, or having just the one portable baby who would at least let you have a pub lunch and a drink or two whilst they napped.
I particularly miss long lie ins, and whilst Adam and I do let each other snatch a lie in when we can, I’m writing this and realising that due to various trips and activities we’ve had on, that I haven’t had a lengthy snooze for WEEKS.
No wonder I’m looking a WEE BIT TIRED.
I’m really making an effort to keep Sunday mornings free for myself (even if I’ll be a football mum some weeks), and indulge in a bit of ‘me time’. It’s a cliche, but doing some of these things really revives me, and feels like a bit of a treat at the same time. They might not always happen, but when they do it feels SO good!
Breakfast in bed
I love slower weekend brunches on a Saturday once the big two have been swimming, but there’s something really decadent about breakfast in bed. Strong coffee ALWAYS has to happen, and I’d have fresh orange juice too. Poached eggs on granary with cooked tomatoes are a big favourite of mine, and then I’d add fresh mango for afters and maybe a pain au chocolate to have with my third cup of coffee a bit later. I did say my breakfast in bed would be decadent after all…
Reading
I’m guilty of forever flicking on my phone, so if I ever have time in bed to myself (and this goes for the evening too), I try and ditch the phone and pick up a book or magazine. Adam has bought me a subscription to RED magazine the past two Christmases, and it’s such a great present. I can tell I don’t have that much relaxation time these days, as it takes me a whole month to finish it!
Fresh bedding
Clean sheets on a weekend are SO lovely, and I love the fresh smell. I never used to think too much about the quality of our bedding, but since being gifted some rather nice bed linen from Laura Ashley a while ago that I’m sure has a ridiculously high thread count, I’ve noticed a difference- it just feels softer. Definitely going to be more selective when buying in the future.
Listening to music
I listen to a lot more music again since we had our Amazon Alexa, and often I’ll select something chilled for a morning in bed. Without sounding like a pretentious dick, I actually enjoy jazz music now for background listening, and also BBC 6 Music on a Sunday morning has some interesting stuff too that you might not normally hear.
Planning for the week ahead
One thing that makes me happy is feeling organised and knowing that everything is as it should be and I’ve planned for the week ahead. No nasty surprises = chilled mum on a Sunday evening. I have a fabulous filofax now that I write my various lists in and also meal plan. Having time alone to do this in bed feels like a weird treat (even if it probably shouldn’t feel like one!).
So this is what I would like to do on my fantasy weekend morning (before hitting the gym and then spending the day hanging out with my family).
What would your fantasy weekend morning involve? Or maybe you already get your perfect weekend morning?!
