Weekend Rituals

I thought I’d share some of my weekend rituals. Although I don’t particularly enjoy them while I am actually doing them, I actually cherish these activities after they are done, every weekend.

1.  Mandatory Hike

Arizona has one of the harshest climates that I have ever lived in. I am not a big fan of the heat at all. But, one has to look at the brighter side of things. We have a good life here. Also, you can actually hike through out the year (needs a little bit of planning). So, for the past 1 year, we’ve been trying to go on a hike every weekend. Every time, it is a new mountain, or at least a new trail on our favorite mountains. It is not about the miles, elevation or inclination. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good challenge and thoroughly enjoy strenuous hikes. But the part I love is just being able to enjoy the nature and glimpses of wild life that one catches on an early morning hike.  It is also a good time to bond with my husband. Sometimes we just reminisce about our 20s, how we met, and all of those sappy details.  There are days when I feel like giving up half way through the hike. There are also days when I hate getting out of bed at 4:00 am to climb a mountain. But then, my strong willed partner somehow drags me out of bed and gets me through the hard parts.

2.  Meal Preparation

I am not the most domestically inclined person out there. There is no Domestic Goddess that is lurking in the shadows to come out one of these days. But, I like a domestic life. I am a home body. My husband and I have hectic jobs. So, we share daily chores. A big part of our belief system is maintaining a healthy diet and a healthy environment. We take the old adage ‘Health is Wealth’ very seriously.

The weekends are spent mostly taking care of the home,  ourselves, and our modest spice garden. One chore that is deeply satisfying is preparing vegetables and fruits for the weekdays, on the weekend.  We both believe that the biggest luxury of life is being able to afford healthy food. As much as we love a good dinner or lunch at a beautiful restaurant, that is not our daily routine. Don’t get me wrong, there are still days when we just get lunch at the office or step out for a lunch with a work colleague. But 4 out of 5 work days, we pack lunch. It also helps that quite a few folks in my team bring lunch. So, I don’t feel isolated.

On the weekends, we turn on a Podcast, a TV show or an Audible book and just slice and dice all our groceries. That is the only way I can turn this chore into happy ritual. Doing meal prep on the weekend allows us to spend less than 20 to 25 minutes in the Kitchen on week days. Salads, Dals, Lentils, Wholesome Pastas with Greens are our go-to choices.  I use vegetables in all of them. Chicken and Lamb are reserved for the weekend meals now. We have been actively trying to cut down our meat intake.

2.  Shoe Cleanup

I’ve been streamlining my shoe collection a lot this year.  Shoes have always been a weakness.  There are so many new styles in flats that are very, very tempting, but I am turning a blind eye. I already have a good collection and I can wait to find the next perfect pair that works for me. All that is needed now is taking care of my existing ones. I spend about 20 to 30 minutes, inspecting and cleaning up all my shoes once every 2 weeks. Most of my work wear are patent leather and they work well with my wardrobe. All I need to do is give the patent ones a good wipe down with a slightly damp cloth and then a dry one.

With the pebbled or calf leather ones that need a little more attention, I use BlackRock leather cleaner. It goes on clear and a pea-sized goes a long way. I clean out any extra product with a soft, dry cloth after letting the shoes to sit for about 15 minutes.

My husband thinks that I bring out all my shoes every other weekend, just to admire them. He might not be completely wrong 🙂

Question: What are your weekend rituals? Do you have a standing coffee date with your friends?  Do you visit a place of worship and enjoy the peace and quiet? Do you play a sport or work on your hobby? I’d love to know!!