The parent coach, writer and speaker explains why a big mug of tea, getting outdoors and painting make for a great weekend
The best time to get up at the weekend is?
Usually weekends are a game of two halves. Saturday mornings I normally have to get both of my teenage boys to their football matches, which is no mean feat as a single mum and given the matches might be at the same time in different places! But we are nothing if not creative, us mums, so somehow it all gets sorted.
Sundays are a more leisurely affair entirely. Everyone has a bit of a lie in and then I usually make us brunch and we might sit and watch a TV show while we’re eating it. No one gets out of their pjs too early and we enjoy the slower pace.
Breakfast or brunch?
I’ve been skipping breakfast for decades and much prefer to start the day with a vat-sized mug of Earl Grey tea. During the week I might eat porridge with stewed fruit and seeds mid-morning or a good old smashed avocado on toast with a fried egg. On Saturdays I fuel the boys with omelettes and bananas and off we go. I’ll grab a coffee and a pain au raisin if I can when I’ve dropped them pitch-side. On Sundays we brunch like kings and have the full Ulster breakfast minus the black and white pudding, which none of us care for.
What does an ideal Saturday look like?
It’s always ideal if I can get the boys to their matches without too much stress and logistical nightmares! Once we get home in the afternoon we tend to chill out and I’ll usually head into my studio to paint. I took up painting a while ago and I’m literally obsessed. I might follow a class or tutorial or just let rip and fling some paint around onto canvases and see what emerges!
What would your perfect Sunday be like?
Sundays are slow and mostly spent at home before the kids head to their dad’s in the afternoon for a couple of days. If the weather is reasonable I’ll often head out for a walk or relax with a book or paint. As in introvert, I need quiet time to recharge and Sunday afternoons afford me that pocket, although I also make sure to leave hours of unscheduled time peppered throughout my week. Time to meet friends or walk or go to my Pilates classes, which I love, or have a nap or read a book.
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Do you prefer to be indoors or outdoors? What do you enjoy doing and where?
I love to be outdoors in nature but equally, home is my sanctuary. Most days I walk a couple of miles along the river that runs behind my house. The sounds of the birds and of the water flowing are very soothing. While at home I like to light candles and play music or listen to a podcast while I cook or paint.
How have weekends changed as you have got older? Did you/do you go out on the town? Where was your favourite haunt?
In my twenties and thirties I was a bit of a party animal. It’s good to get that out of your system before you have kids because once you do, I don’t think you ever regain that energy! I spent my late twenties and thirties living on The Isle of Man and a favourite haunt was a nightclub called Paramount City.
If you could eat out anywhere tonight in NI, where would you go and why?
Yugo is by far my favourite eatery in Belfast. If I go there with a friend we usually eat our way through most of the starters and sides! I prefer that way of eating rather than having one main course. If I’m eating out with the kids in Belfast it has to be Little Wing. We’ve been going there for years and it always delivers. I always have their extra thin pizza with nduja and chillies.
At weekends you’ll always make time to…
At weekends I’ll always make time to paint. Having a creative outlet uses a different part of the brain and gives my monkey mind a well earned break!
Brilliant by Design speakers, from left Yvonne Smyth, John Kelly, Eileen Beamish
Do you sometimes work at weekends?
I rarely work at weekends. Occasionally if a parent is desperate and can’t make a weekday appointment I will but I prefer to switch off and be present with my boys.
Who would you most like to go for a drink with and why?
Jen Pastiloff, who is an American writer. Her book On Being Human deeply moved me when I read it some years back and I hold this quote from it close to my heart; “when I get to the end of my life and I ask one final ‘what have I done?’ let my answer be ‘I have done love.”
Are you a weekend cook?
I cook pretty much every day. Mostly I enjoy it, unless I’m under time pressure which can happen on the school nights that I have the kids and they have homework they might need help with and football training or gym. Then I keep it simple which is usually something pasta based.
What’s your dream Sunday dinner?
I actually enjoy really simple food. Salads, vegetables, potatoes, chargrilled chicken or fish. If the quality is good and it’s well seasoned with spices or herbs I’m happy.
Who do you normally eat Sunday dinner with and where?
I usually eat alone on Sunday evenings and I often just have a snack plate of whatever odds and ends I fancy. Crackers, cheese, smoked salmon, guacamole, some nachos, maybe some fruit. Often in front of the TV.
Too tired to cook – what are you ordering from the takeaway?
We enjoy Indian food and are lucky to have a great takeaway in Galgorm Village.
Heading for the cinema? What are you going to see?
I rarely go to the cinema. I did go and see the movie about Amy Winehouse a while back. I’m a huge fan of her music and her talent was off the scale. Like many deeply feeling artists, her life tragically ended too early.
Staying in… what TV is on the menu?
I rarely watch movies or TV. Currently the kids and I are watching LOST. I didn’t watch it first time around and I’m glad because it’s something the boys and I are really enjoying watching together.
What are you reading?
I’m currently reading The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker which is a book about how to bring people together in a meaningful way, whether that’s a work meeting or a wedding!
Bedtime is…?
During the school holidays it’s usually midnight or a bit later when we get to bed. I usually listen to a guided meditation as I fall asleep. Bedtime can be a time when my monkey mind decides to come fully to life and the meditation works like a dream.