Who doesn’t love the weekend!

A chance to relax and rest after a long week, spend time with the family and clear your mind – the only problem is they should be that little bit longer!

I really do enjoy the weekends. I never used to though! I used to find them so stressful and would much prefer to go to work and get out of the house away from it all. There would be arguing every morning, kids screaming and crying, tantrums over breakfast, me and their daddy rowing, ugh! The weekends were just living hell.

But I found a way!  A way to enjoy the weekends again, and spend them how they were made to be spent – with my family. It took some time, but we are finally there … in our happy place.

Now, I didn’t sit everyone down and say “right, I’m adding some rules”. I had just had enough of dreading waking up at the weekends and needed to find what worked for us. I needed to know what worked for me. To be happier in the mornings and have a good day enjoying my family.

For some, rituals are all about getting out and getting active, which we love! Yet for others the weekend is a time to unwind and de-stress at home with meditation, which we also love! Whatever the case may be, or however you’re feeling at the weekend the key is to regularly implement and practice those weekend rituals that help you make the most of time away from work and to keep you from stressing come Sunday night!

I am not in one slightest little bit a morning person. Mummy needs her minutes in the mornings! However, I am quite lucky here as my partner is awake a lot earlier than us throughout the week, so his body-clock-alarm-clock wakes him up early at the weekends too, but late enough for him to have a lie in. This means, I get the bed to myself for anything between 10 minutes to an hour – if I’m feeling lazy! These are my minutes. To wake up slow, meditate, check the news and come to life …. usually whilst he makes the coffee. (Gosh he’s good to me!)

I love coffee! Coffee is my weekend drink. Although I have a few cups to keep me going throughout the week at work, I always have a green tea to kick start the day Monday – Friday. Saturday and Sunday is full fat, frothy milk, chocolate sprinkles on top, whipped cream coffee time! Having that one little piece of, well, heaven, to kick start the weekend is just bliss!

Weather it’s tending to the plants and vegetables in the garden, sitting with a coffee outside, strolling through the forest or hiking up a rocky mountain. Getting some fresh air in your lungs surrounded by nature is guaranteed to make you feel de-stressed and relaxed. I never realised how much I’d actually love going for a walk with the kids. If you can’t get out and about at the weekends (in fact I do this every morning) try opening the windows in the morning to let some fresh air flow through your house, dress the beds down and let them breath. It’s amazing how fresh and clean your home will feel!

Life is busy and many of us feel like we just have no time for reading. However, reading for pleasure is a wonderful way to unwind. I, myself am not a big reader, I don’t read many books, (if any!), but just taking the time to relax with a glossy magazine for half an hour, is still a pretty good ritual to have. Maybe treat the kids to a magazine and a walk to the local shop – half an hours peace, sorted! 

One great way to set you up for the week ahead is to plan ahead.
A lot of people like to batch cook their meals for the following week. That’s not my cup of tea, but why not try planning your meals, it seriously saves so much stress and time trying to figure out what to cook during the busy week.

Sundays call for music. No morning tv on a Sunday in our house, we just pop on the radio. It’s amazing how the children can actually do something else other than stare at the tv screen — without being asked! Some kind of voodoo magic!

Whether it’s the simple pleasure of a frothy coffee in the morning, a fancy cocktail with lunch, a massage or splashing out on some new clothes. The weekends don’t have to just be about the children. Whilst their at sports club or dance rehearsals, go grab a brew and a read a magazine at the local cafe. I’m all for being a supportive mum and being  there for your children, always, but half an hour at the weekends for yourself isn’t going to harm anyone – In fact, it just might make you feel a whole lot happier! 

Try it and see!

Do you have any weekend rituals? How do you like to spend your weekends? What advice would you give to the weekend haters out there?
Drop me a comment below!

happy adventures

nay nay x