Getting Sh*t Done, Perfecting Mashed Potatoes, & Binging Summer House | The Weekly Reset

Fresh inspiration for your week and life

The Weekly Reset

This Week’s Intention, The Weekly Refresh, Something to Try, Seasonal Note, In the Kitchen, & Hobby Hour

This Week’s Intention

I thankfully have a short work week because I’m going on a trip, but that also means I have to squeeze 5 days of work into 3.

That means this week’s intention is getting sh*t done.

This week I don’t have the time to be slow and intentional like I normally try to be. So temporarily, I’m allowing myself to let go of perfection and just do the things that need to be done, as fast as I need to.

That might mean less time upfront spent on my hobbies or free time, but that translates to going on a trip carefree because I got all my stuff done.

Do a little more this week so your weekend can be freer.

The Weekly Refresh

Last week’s deep dive on my food systems had me very focused on my kitchen.

I try to clean out my fridge pretty thoroughly week to week, but it had been ages since I properly cleaned out of my freezer and pantry.

So this weekend I finally did it.

I was surprised to find several things I fully forgot about, and between 4 family sized boxes of spaghetti noodles and all kinds of chicken I now have meals figured out for the next week.

Here’s how you can do it too:

Action Items

• Pantry

  • Empty + wipe down

  • Check for expired items

  • Rotate old items to the front + reorganize

• Freezer

  • Empty + spot clean

  • Check for expired/freezer burnt items

  • Rotate old items to the front + reorganize

• Optional: give your fridge a quick clean too if it’s been a while

Once you’ve cleaned them out and made note of what needs to be used ASAP, keep those ingredients in mind for upcoming meals. That’s how things get used instead of sitting until it’s too late.

Something to Try

I’ve been really struggling with my mornings lately. I never want to get up, and it takes me too long to get into the swing of the day.

And I know it’s because of my morning routine (or really, the lack thereof).

But instead of trying to totally revamp my morning I’m just going to try adding one good habit to my mornings.

I considered a lot of different ones: walks, reading, journaling, yoga, waking up earlier, etc.

I think the most realistic one for me is morning walks outside. I used to do this all the time but got out of the habit once the weather got bad. But I don’t really have that excuse anymore so tomorrow I’m starting my mornings with walks.

I remember the days I used to walk before work I would feel so much better all day. It’s the fresh air, the exercise, the time to myself — all important things to our well-being and the perfect way to start your day.

This week, try adding one good habit to your morning routine.

Seasonal Note

This time of the year I’m soaking up every ounce of good weather I can before it gets too hot. Where I live I get about 4 months of pleasurable weather where it’s not too cold but not too hot either.

Here’s how I’m enjoying all the outside time I can (featuring the main character: the cute outdoor patio my partner built me):

• having friends over for Friday happy hour on the patio

• reading outside after work

• gardening (forces you to get outside even when you don’t want to)

• dinners on the patio

• weekend mornings spent on the patio with tea and a book

• trips centered around outdoor activities (hiking, camping, boating, fishing, etc)

• lunch hour walks

• windows open 24/7

In the Kitchen

In last week’s post I stressed the benefit of simple dinners during the week.

How I Keep Meals Simple During the Week (Without Overplanning)

But I got to thinking, simple meals are probably only going to keep you coming back if you know how to cook.

You may know how to throw together a recipe but what if you only know how to perfectly cook like two different vegetables?

Simple meals almost require you to be a better cook because there are less components distracting you from the taste.

That’s why I’m on a mission to find my go-to recipes and techniques, so I can have simple meals but keep them delicious.

This week’s focus? Mashed potatoes.

I scoured different recipes until I found the key.

What’s the key to perfect mashed potatoes?

Warm your milk and butter before you add it into the potatoes. And add fresh minced garlic!

I never chose to do this extra step because I thought why dirty another dish but it somehow makes all the difference. If you haven’t tried it this way, I implore you to try it the next time you want mashed potatoes. You’ll never make them the old way again.

Hobby Hour

In last week’s Weekly Reset, I mentioned ordering Lena Dunham’s new memoir, but I also ended up ordering another book I’ve been seeing all over socials, Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke.

Yesteryear is a satirical take on the “tradwife” influencer culture, with it’s plot showing a “tradwife” influencer transported to the true time of her aesthetic (1855).

I saw the plot one time before I bought the book, that was all I needed.

I’ll be diving into that this week and I’m so excited — I’ve seen nothing but rave reviews. I’ll also be tandem reading the Lena Dunham memoir. If you’ve read either please leave your general reviews in the comments! Hopefully by next week’s weekly reset I’ve finished both and can give a true recommendation.

This next one might be controversial, but I think that in moderation, watching tv/movies can be considered a hobby okay! Sue me!

So I’ve hopped on the Summer House train since the Scamanda of it all. Since the news dropped it’s been the only show I’ve watched and I’m currently on Season 9 hoping to catch up before the Season 10 reunion drops (next month I think?).

If you’re a Bravo person, I would love to hear your Summer House takes in the comments. I unfortunately have no one in my life to talk to this about.

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Okay, and I’m off to the races! Gotta get sh*t done! Hope you all have a productive and inspired week.

- The Living Standard