I live just outside London. I take care of the school run every morning, commute to the City of London, and then come back in the afternoon to pick the little one from his after-school club, get him home, cook fresh for the family, read with Junior, and you get the message.
Life is fast-paced around our household, so now and then, I like to stop, switch off completely from the online world for a day or two, and take things slow. Really slow. Me-time-do-not-disturb-me slow.
These moments are rare and when they come along, I want to cherish every minute of them. Because those breaks get the creative juices flowing again. Follow me during a recent "break" and check out what switching off means for me.
8am - It's Saturday morning, wake up
For me, a Saturday morning will still kick off early. Switching off does not mean spending all day in bed. I will start with a nice Greek coffee and a couple cookies, or, if I am lucky, a croissant just baked in my oven from the Waitrose frozen pastries collection.
Chocolate croissant, obviously. The sweetness of chocolate against the light bitterness of coffee is just a match made in heaven. I will read a bit of an interiors book or magazine while the coffee is still warm, then head in the garden to check out the state of it.
11am - Trip to the Hamptons. I mean, Rye
11am because I am taking my sweet time. We follow the country roads that lead us to the sea and our new puppy has her first encounter with sand.
I am nervous. What a mess she will make of herself, I think, and why did we bring her along? But no, it is all fine and we have the best time ever. We walk up and down the beach and collect sea shells. There are people riding horses.
Camber Sands is indeed like the Hamptons and there's even a photo shoot going on, for some kind of men's clothes.
We then manage to find a fab pub down in Rye that allows dogs. This is a pretty good and relaxing day by any account. On the way back I daydream in the car (I am not driving) and it's all about coastal-themed interiors.
11pm - And so to bed
I am just a little curious about my Twitter account. I almost reach out to check my phone but then think, "it can wait until tomorrow". Instead, I grab a book and read for a bit. It's not long before the big Zzzz...
Jenny Kakoudakis likes to blog about interiors. She launched award-winning Seasons in Colour in 2014 and the luxury interior design blog All The Pretty Homes in 2024. When she is not chasing criminals out of the financial system (her day job), she gets creative by redecorating her own home.