anatomy of a perfect weekend

a lesson on embracing life's simple pleasures

#WednesdayWisdom

“fall in love with the life you’ve been given. nurture it with mindfulness, gratitude, and intentionality. find causes worth fighting for. find goals worth pursuing. remember that every moment is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. remember that your existence is a miracle.” ~

Michell C. Clark

---

Morning Musings

At the Christmas tree lighting on Central Street in Evanston.

On our way home from a Christmas tree lighting on Saturday, I was grateful for yet another Payton Family Fun Day in the books. Truth be told, the entire weekend was pretty phenomenal, in the most low-key way (which I feel like many memorable moments are).

On Friday, Violet and I joined our neighbors for the international festival at their son’s school. Everyone had fun, but V was especially living her best life when she discovered rice crackers. She also loved dancing to the music and playing with her friend, SJ.

On Saturday, we had Violet’s swim lessons and went to brunch. While she napped, I did a workout (that completely kicked my butt) and showered. That evening, we went to the Christmas tree lighting and, despite being late, found front-row parking and arrived just in time for the countdown. Afterward, we supported a few small local businesses before heading home. And on Sunday we stayed in our jammies and chilled.

You may recall I dissected a similar weekend in my “perfectly imperfectly weekend” post from earlier this year. In an effort to recreate the magic, I started to notice some trends:

• Each time, these were what I called “true Evanstonian” weekends where we got of out of the house, explored our neighborhood and made the most of (usually free) family-friendly outings. It reminded me of this

  Culture Study
  post by
  Anne Helen Petersen
  about how living near our friends makes us happier.

• Both weekends also required a sense of going with the flow, which I’ll admit has come more easily to me since becoming a mom compared to my pre-parent life. You can have an idea of a schedule, but ultimately the rest of the family and everyone’s mood will determine what actually happens.

• Both weekends were about embracing life’s simple pleasures, such as dancing, laughter, family time—whether in person or FaceTime.

On Monday, I continued the vibes by meeting my personal trainer for this session and then coworking and coffee with my friend Nia of

Nia’s Nest

. And then the whole fam met up with some former coworkers of mine turned friends for dinner at Portillo’s. I truly do believe getting out of the house during daylight hours and having something to look forward to some evenings will be key to surviving fall/winter around these parts.

What does your perfect weekend look like? Let me know in the comments!

---

ICYMI

I’ve been reading xoNecole for a while now, so I was super excited when subscriber Abesi Manyando introduced me to her friend and fellow journalist London Alexaundria. Check out the full interview below.

---

Replay: Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone

If you missed my Masterclass with The Mom Project, you can check out the recap below. We talk about navigating obstacles in our career and personal life, as well as motherhood, career ambitions and, of course, my book.

---

Breakthrough Fear to Freedom

I recently chatted with life coach Jackie Kannier for her FREE online interview series, Breakthrough Fear to Freedom. In this series, I and other top experts me share practical ways we’ve overcome fear to create lives we love and help you do the same. My interview drops Dec. 1, but you can sign up to get all the goodness below starting now.

---

Links I Love

• My Routine: The Autumn/Winter Edition: If you read last week’s newsletter, then you know I’m embracing some new routines with “tired season.” Here’s some more inspo from

  Tiffany Philippou
  of
  Tough Love
  .

• The Women’s Magazines of 2023 Are in a Facebook Group and Your Inbox: Where, oh where, are the women’s magazines? Let’s be real, media has always been an unsteady industry. But the recent shuttering of feminist sites such as Bitch and Jezebel leave a lot to be desired. (New York Times)

• How to Check on Someone Without Being Weird About It: The holidays can be tough for a variety of reasons. I love this guide on how to check on your “strong friends,” your long-distance friends, and everyone in between. (Wondermind)

---

Now Hiring

1. Senior Writer, Health Conditions for SELF

2. Assistant Editor for Time Out Chicago

3. Senior Communications Coordinator for Northwestern University

4. Principal Content & Editorial Manager for Sonos

5. Communications Specialist for For The People

6. Grants Manager for Chicago Reader

7. Social Media Manager for Wondermind

8. Copy Chief for HuffPost

---

Stop Waiting for Perfect is Out Now!

---

Thank You

A special thank-you to April, Cait, Amanda, Harleen, Megan, Najja, Jessica, Priti, Cat, Jenna, Mallory, Rachel, Angel, Sarah, Camesha, Vix, Anna, Stephanie, Dominique, Tiffany, Emily, Mabinty, Lindsey, Casey, Lynnae, Dani, Amanda, Raina and Abigail for becoming paid subscribers and helping to fuel this newsletter. I truly appreciate your support!

---