I love making plans and having things to look forward to, but there are times in life where you might find that your weekends are not always packed with plans to meet friends for brunch or evening drinks at the newest bar in town. Not having plans can seem daunting, make you feel lonely or that you are missing out on experiences. For me, having moved up north, I do not have a lot of friends up here and in all honestly, haven’t particularly wanted to hit the town and try all the best restaurants and bars in Manchester as I normally would.

Being able to find pleasure in the simple things is something that I now consider a very healthy thing to be able to do. Finding pleasure in the every day can really help with regards to being present in the moment and appreciating the smaller things and tip your overall mood from meh to zen. This is especially true on days where you may be bored or feeling a little low, doing something small like walking for 20 minutes on a crisp but sunny day can make you appreciate the fresh air and the ability to move your body, boosting your mood.

I thought I’d share a few things that I did last weekend as I had zero plans and just went with the flow. Doing a few things small things spontaneously, which made for an enjoyable well spent weekend and one to look on, with a smile on my face.

Friday afternoon – the weekend has officially started!

Starting off strong, I got a fresh set of nails on my lunch break. Having not booked an appointment, I got lucky and only waited 2 minutes before getting my nails done. The experience was pretty good to be honest. There was not too much small talk (which was I wanted) and the nail technician was very diligent, doing quite a good job. I actually had no complaints! This is quite rare for me. I hadn’t been to that salon before but I went on recommendation from a colleague and I have no regrets. Going to the nail salon can be a place of both pleasure or pain depending on the service, final result and waiting time. However, I can attest that the feeling of being put together when nails are done does indeed outweigh the potential negatives of not being 1000 percent happy with the whole experience when getting nails done.

Getting nails done can really boost ones confidence and this was a really great way to start my weekend and get me a positive mood.

Friday evening

I met A (my partner) and my brother after work. We went to M&S, treated ourselves to some film snacks, wine and a few bits for a full English breakfast in the morning!

We spent the rest of the evening watching films and I had some fresh ravioli from pasta from M&S for dinner, not homemade but still fresh! It might have only been a night in, but still very much a great relaxed evening.

Saturday

I started the morning off very late after sleeping in by listening to smooth jazz in the shower. For me, the music is relaxing and is a great way to start the day. I was then treated to a full English made by A, which was such a treat as he is the a brilliant cook!

I normally do a run to our nearest baker to get a loaf of sourdough on Saturday morning as it’s freshly baked, real bread that tastes brilliant.

I spent the rest of the morning doing a cleaning blitz at home. It was nice to finally get around to doing some of the cleaning bits that I have been avoiding and it was really nice to freshen up my home and declutter.

In the afternoon I put on some soft country music and then baked a lemon, elderflower and poppyseed loaf which turned out delicious!

I spent the evening relaxing and cosied up under the blankets with A watching some more films with popcorn. A made us burgers for dinner with some good quality beef burgers from Daylesford. We also had a glass of cremant with dinner and then relaxed the night away.

Sunday

With another late start to the day, I had a shower listening to a great chillout jazz house music mix which really lifts my sprits.

To seize the day, I started the morning with a walk, going to the only park in central Manchester, Mayfield. I was pleasantly surprised! The park is pretty small but it’s a really well thought out space. There was lots of interesting plants and flowers, a space for children, cyclists, runners, dog walkers and adult groups were strolling, chatting and taking in the scenery. I treated myself to cheeky a PSL for the walk. Bliss!

After the park, we decided to go exploring and check out some nearby brewery spots I’d seen on instagram. They turned out to be really great! The first brewery we went to was the Track brewing company.

The staff were great with offering tasting and advice on drinks based on your tastes (I’m not a beer drinker so tried a few fruity ones). I was able to find a couple that were actually quite nice! If you’re like me and don’t drink much beer, the good news is you can buy 1/3’s so you don’t have to drink huge pints of beer or anything. It’s a great experience, you can see the beer tanks, they sell merchandise and there’s seating both inside and outside.

The next stop was the Cloudwater brewery company.

Again, here you can try the beer before you decide what you want to drink, based on your preferences. Bar staff are more than happy to help. Pop upstairs from the Brewery to the taproom for a cosy seating area where you can play connect four whilst enjoying a few tipples.

Once we got home, A made us a roast dinner. Another great homemade meal with quality ingredients and someone to cook for me, I am feeling grateful!!

After that we watched the F1 and a few other things whilst finishing our bottle of cremant before bed!

So there you have it, no real plans but still a great weekend.

Writing about it and thinking through it does make me even more grateful. The sun was shining, the air was crisp and it was nice to get out and get some fresh air, enjoy being at home and not spend huge amounts of money! I feel refreshed with good sleep and ready to take on another work week in a positive mindset.

The take away from this is that whatever you are doing, just try to find a small bit of bliss and you will find that the day goes by with your overall mood on a 6 rather than 5 perhaps. And if that’s the case how fantastic is that!! 😀

Take care and I hope you enjoy your week ahead!!