I’ve been trying SO hard to plan less on weekends, particularly less OVERplanning on weekends and leaving things more loose.
This is hard for me, because I love summer, and love to make plans, to enjoy the outdoors, cookouts, beach, pool, lake, you name it, I wanna do it.
But this weekend, I did my best to NOT plan much else except one thing: Restaurant Week in Boston and a night at the Liberty Hotel (also? I love scoring hot deals at hotels like this one!!). And what unfolded was just the most incredible, perfect weekend. One that made me realize that I really need to stick to this rule of thumb: Simplify. Plan one thing, leave the rest open.
What unfolded? I’m gonna keep it simple and share my unplanned weekend in pictures.
Pre-dinner drinks at the Liberty with my sherpa <3
Ready for our night out, one that would turn epic, quite quickly 
Theme of the night? “That third bottle of champagne…was it *really* necessary?”
Sisters having *far* too much fun enjoying aforementioned champagne, and a late night, 12:30 am! #whoarewe
Fast forward to Saturday, waking up with oh, a titch of a hangover (that lasted me almost all day, damn!), and finally working up the nerve to have a glass of wine (#hairofthedog!) after an afternoon shopping on Newbury, just flitting around, no schedule. The best!
Impromptu trip to the beach, you say? Sure, why not! Nothing else planned! And a perfect top 10 beach day, and only my second (!) trip to the beach this year. Perfection.
…capped with a surprise run-in with my sister Jen, my mom (Isabel’s ‘mimi!’ She is absolutely in LOVE with my mom these days, love!) at the beach, playing, watching her ‘clean’ up the beach of seaweed (she loves to clean, just like her aunties!)
The weekend concluded with dinner with M’s parents, last minute, again, unplanned. We finished the night on the couch, tv in the background, just being. Utterly perfect. And completely unplanned, save for Friday night, with the rest falling into place as the weekend went on. And ya know what? It felt like the longest weekend in awhile…funny how that happens, isn’t it? I’ll close with M’s response to my saying just that, on Sunday morning (over oatmeal on the patio! yummy!).
“Happiness makes time slow down”
Amen.
August 27, 2012 at 12:30 pm
LOVE unplanned weekends!!!! I agree – I often overplan too much on the weekend and then get bummed / pissed off if there is something that doesn’t get done.
So glad that you guys had a great weekend!!!!
August 28, 2012 at 10:27 am
Right?? I get pissed too when something doesn’t get done on those overplanned weekends and then realize it’s my own fault! This was a lesson learned in awesome unplanned weekends!
August 27, 2012 at 12:31 pm
I love planning to and it’s hard for me not to plan everything! I’m such an overplanner.
It’s great you have enjoyed your weekend
August 28, 2012 at 10:27 am
I am SUCH an overplanner, so I am glad that I gave myself a lesson in how NOT to do it and how much fun it can be!
August 27, 2012 at 1:11 pm
Scott and I were reminiscing about this weekend during our run this morning, both agreeing that it was probably one of THE best weekends ever…and mostly because so much of it fell into place without intention. SO much of our lives are filled with intention that to do something intention-less and have it turn out to be utterly incredible? Kinda awesome if you ask me.
PS. I could go for some champagne right now
August 28, 2012 at 10:27 am
It REALLY was, wasn’t it? Totally fell into place and loved that so much of it was spent together
I could go for champagne too!
August 27, 2012 at 2:56 pm
Awesome weekend! Isn’t it funny how much nicer unplanned weekends can be sometimes? You just go with it and soak it all in. I was going to say drink it all in, but that part was obvious teehee
August 28, 2012 at 10:28 am
Ha! Right?? Drank it all in literally I do believe
August 27, 2012 at 5:09 pm
i am also a big fan of the unplanned weekends. we try and mix it up though because sometimes, unplanned turns into lazy and while everyo once in a while a lazy weekend is just what you need, it can also lead to a rut! but i think you’ve found the perfect combination!
August 28, 2012 at 10:28 am
Lazy weekends are needed! and you are so right, there is a balance between zero plans (lazy) and some plans, some not, to keep it fresh!
August 27, 2012 at 6:12 pm
wheeeeeee!!! looks like an amazing weekend!
August 28, 2012 at 10:29 am
It really was!
August 27, 2012 at 6:37 pm
those are the best weekends. sporadic, joyful, fun, and full of good company!
August 28, 2012 at 10:29 am
sporadic and joyful! Yes, absolutely
August 27, 2012 at 9:00 pm
It does sound like a great weekend, minus the hangover!
August 28, 2012 at 10:29 am
LOL yeah I could have done without the hangover, but it was a reminder of a fabulous evening hehe!
August 27, 2012 at 10:46 pm
What a fab weekend! I love when that happens. And what a great way to spend the summer!
August 28, 2012 at 10:29 am
I love when that happens too! I totally thought of you, actually, and living the shit out of summer, last weekend
August 28, 2012 at 3:31 am
What a great weekend, love the element of unplanned, I always find they’re the best weekends and just going with it. Glad you had the best time and love the saying happiness makes time slow down.
August 28, 2012 at 10:30 am
Isn’ it a great quote? So simple, yet perfect!
August 28, 2012 at 7:47 am
I had a hangover on Sunday – it’s been awhile!!
And I love that quote SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 28, 2012 at 10:30 am
ha! Glad we could share our hangovers virtually
Sometimes it’s just gonna happen I guess hehe! And the quote is really perfect, I love it!
August 28, 2012 at 7:50 am
Y’all are twinkies. Super cute sisters.
Champagne, dang that’s how to do it!
Why is it that the best weekends always seem to be the ones where you try to do nothing. I love your picks. Ah, the beach. This looks pretty darn perfect:)
August 28, 2012 at 10:31 am
Why thank youuuu
Champagne IS the way to do it!! The best weekends ARE the ones where we try to do nothing! the best!
August 28, 2012 at 9:44 pm
Sounds like a pretty damn perfect weekend. Unplanned weekends are the best and I need to get better about doing those too. And the beach! Love the quote at the end –> truth!
August 29, 2012 at 9:01 am
It WAS perfect!! Hoping for another this weekend
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August 29, 2012 at 9:18 pm
some of my favorite memories ever are those weekends when we had nothing planned, yet everything came together! I love that you got in beach time, family time, and some delicious champagne! (it gives me a terrible hangover, but I can never resist it if it’s offered – and a MUST at wedding receptions!)
August 30, 2012 at 9:26 am
Me too!! Just means the world when it all comes together naturally, doesn’t it?! Funny re: champagne, never happens to me, but I guess 3 bottles, 4 people, it’s inevitable