Weekend best practice, ring parties and chic plant pots
Overthinking weekends to make the most of weekends.
I’ve just returned from a couple of nights with Unyoked. Living off-grid for 48 hours is a lesson in celebrating the small things – Penguin Classics, campfires, Falconware mugs, tropical-strength mosquito repellent.
I was very lucky to be a guest of Unyoked (watch out for my article in T Australia soon), but I will definitely be booking in an annual retreat to this little slice of paradise. I also saw more of the Scenic Rim than I’ve seen previously, and I’m obsessed. What an incredibly lush part of the world!
In this week’s edition, I share my weekend planning routine, some chic plant pots (and lessons learned) and my recipe for guacamole (if it can even be called a recipe). May your week be full of The Small Things that make life so beautiful.
Joining the ring party.
I wear very little jewellery, which I’ve decided is a party I no longer want to miss out on. I love the look of a couple of fine rings with a short, red manicure. I love basically every piece by Natalie Marie Jewellery ($$$), and Mejuri ($$$) has some beautiful options at a lower price point. Etsy has beautiful designs by smaller artisans ($) too.
Pot it up.
I learned the hard way that a pot plant without a catch tray (internal or external) is a no-go. Non-vi.
If a vessel isn’t enclosed, no matter how beautiful it is, protocol now demands either a matching plate or a hidden insert. I’ve found that being able to remove the plant from the pot is handy for maintenance, so my favourite solution (now…) is to pot up indoor plants with a liner ($), then place it all in a nicer vessel (outdoor plants I just let drain freely). Spend the 60 cents and thank me later.
In terms of pots themselves, I’m finding many pots right now are either too shiny, too whimsical, or outrageously expensive. But here are some designs I’m loving:
This gorgeous fluted and flared design is top of my list ($)
This vintage-inspired design is minimal and chic ($)
I love the shape and finish of the Rogue Medium Zaria Pot ($)
These modern metal pots have gorgeous lines to the handles ($)
I love the burnished metallic of this style ($)
I also thoroughly recommend repurposing weird and wonderful vessels found at op shops, junk shops and markets – old trophies, goblets, ceramic tureens. And if you want to fake some ageing on your brand new shiny terracotta vessel, here is a great tutorial.
Q&A.
Question: my weekends always seem to slip away without me even being able to explain what I did with all that time – except for supermarket shopping. How do I make the most of my precious hours offline?
There’s 60 hours between that Friday night beer and that Monday morning alarm – and most of it seems to go by in a blur. I like to sit down with a drink on Thursday or Friday and plan out a fun weekend intentionally.
In Laura Vanderkam’s What The Most Successful People Do On The Weekend, she introduces the idea of “anchor events”. These anchor events aren’t to be anything chore-related – “taking your car to get repaired isn’t an anchor event unless you collect antique cars”, she writes.
Instead, a weekend of anchor events might look like:
Friday night: meeting friends for dinner at a local restaurant
Saturday morning: taking an online course on something that interests you
Saturday afternoon: meeting a friend for a tennis match
Saturday night: seeing a show or movie in town
Sunday morning: going for a hike
As with many things, creating traditions or rituals (such as Sunday morning pancakes, or Friday night yoga classes) is a proven way to elevate your weekends. I also personally find that if I have something on either Friday night or Sunday night, it seems to make the whole weekend feel longer.
Make a list of 100 things you’d love to do, and ask your significant other and/or kids (if relevant) to do the same. When planning your weekends, pluck an item from the list and assign it one of your major weekend spots: Friday night, Saturday day, Saturday night, Sunday day or Sunday night.
Put your favourite things in the diary first each week and plan your washing, shopping and life admin around them. In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey talks about “putting first things first”. If it means you need to have your groceries delivered so you can play that tennis match, call Telstra on your lunch break during the week, or hire a cleaner to help out once a month, isn’t that worth the time spent doing the things you really love with those 60 hours?
DO | Start a herb garden, whether its a pot on the kitchen windowsill or a full-blown garden bed. Everyone could do with easy access to flat-leaf parsley, at the very least.
MAKE | guacamole. I make mine with two avocados (coarsely chopped), three coriander roots, a handful of coriander leaves, and the juice of two limes – blend together until smooth and season to taste. Stir through a small finely chopped red onion, and add a serrano or poblano chilli, if you love the heat. Serve with corn chips and an ice-cold beer.
READ | The Secret Garden – Frances Hodgson Burnett
WATCH | Chocolat (2000)
LISTEN | Astral Weeks – Van Morrison