Sundaze 293: A Bank Holiday, London twice and prioritising balance

Happy Sundaze, my loves!

It’s my perfect sort of Sunday: it’s 18°C – although I’d prefer it to be even warmer really – the skies are blue, the big sycamore outside our home is heavy and swaying with new leaves, the house is clean, and I’m watching the London Marathon coverage. (I’ve teared up three times so far.) Eddie and I started our day with breakfast at our favourite café, and I’ll probably take a nap later. It’s the perfect way, really, to round off a week where I’ve really prioritised balance in every way that I can.

What’s more, I reached 17,000 words in my novel manuscript this week! I’ve been working on a first draft for a few weeks now, and have finally been able to enjoy a stretch of great writing days. What I’m learning is that it’s hard to easily switch from writing blog posts and essays to really-big-bits-of-writing. Slowly but surely, I’ll get there.

Our Bank Holiday weekend

Easter was a quiet affair this year. We don’t celebrate Easter and so I ended up helping to look after my eight-year-old cousin – we read, journaled and coloured! – and pottering with more house errands. (At last, our walls are fixed and the curtains are up!) Eddie and I squeezed in a farm shop and breakfast date. Then, on Monday, I had my sister ‘round for a girls’ craft date. We picked up ceramic blanks from Hobbycraft to paint, then picnic essentials from M&S, and enjoyed a dreamy day offline, painting vases and watching all the best coming-of-age films. It reminded me how simple and joyful life can be when you just pop your phone away, just for a day.

Prioritising balance

After a cosy Bank Holiday Monday, I did my best to prioritise balance this week. First, I made sure to place a Planthood meal kit order ahead of time. You’ll all know that I’m typically a cook-from-scratch person, but there’s no denying that Planthood is great for weeks where you know you’ll be time-poor but want to eat delicious, chef-made meals. You can get £15 off your first order when you shop with my customer referral link! Next, I booked a Reformer Pilates class for Thursday evening, knowing I’d need a good workout before two imminent days in London. And, throughout the week, I stuck to my guns of one house task and one book/TV/writing activity per evening, if that.

It’s been great. I feel restored and balanced, even with two days in London, and I must keep at this sort of planning.

London, twice

It was a rare twice-in-London week for me. I can hardly believe I used to commute in for five days at work in London! On Friday, I popped in for a team day with work. It was relaxed and fun, and it felt so nostalgic to head out for after-work drinks in the April sunshine. I’m not a drinker, or a socialising human, but there’s just something about being sat outside a classic London pub with a condensation glass and about 50 other Londoners.

Then, yesterday, I headed in again to spend the day with friends. And I just love a no plans mooch in the city. We ended up having lunch at Bancone, browsing Hatchard’s, enjoying a matcha at Compane, then strolling down Charing Cross Road – my ultimate blend of East Asian supermarkets, K-beauty shops and secondhand bookshops. Of course I came home armed with new-to-me books and endless snacks!