For Julie Bowen, mother of three teenage boys, an ideal Sunday would come with loads of “me time.”
“My whole family calls laundry and dishes my ‘hobbies,’” she mentioned. “No, no, my hobbies are reading, going to museums, hiking and playing pickleball. Those are my hobbies. They’re like, ‘No, it’s not. It’s laundry and dishes, Julie.’”
In Sunday Funday, L.A. individuals give us a play-by-play of their very best Sunday round city. Discover concepts and inspiration on the place to go, what to eat and easy methods to take pleasure in life on the weekends.
Bowen, who received two Emmys for her efficiency within the beloved long-running ABC sitcom “Modern Family,” is each bit as family-oriented as her character Claire Dunphy. She is at the moment filming “Happy Gilmore 2” in New Jersey, however when she’s residence she prefers to spend time outdoor together with her youngsters close to Laurel Canyon.
After spending time in Baltimore, Rhode Island and New York, Bowen grew to become a reluctant Angeleno. “I’m not sure I ever really thought of L.A. as my ‘home’ — in giant capital letters — until I had kids there and realized this is their home,” mentioned Bowen, whose new thriller collection “Hysteria!” is now streaming on Peacock. “L.A. is like a choose-your-own-adventure. You can go to some cities like Boston and really feel that it’s uniquely Boston, but L.A. has so many communities, cultures, corners of it. There’s no central Los Angeles. So at first when I moved here, I thought, ‘This is hard.’ But once you find your people, your places, it can really be a magical city.”
On the agenda for Bowen’s good Sunday are climbing, antiquing and a cease at Joan’s on Third.
This interview has been frivolously edited and condensed for size and readability.
8 a.m.: Me-time with selfmade ginger photographs
In my fantasy, I may sleep in actually late after which stand up and go have brunch. Or make espresso and get again into mattress with a ebook. That’s so scrumptious. However the actuality is I get up early and I’ve come to adore it as a result of that’s my quiet time. That’s my alone time.
On Sundays, I get a complete bunch of turmeric, ginger, lemons and apples after which placed on gloves — as a result of the turmeric will flip your fingers orange — peel all of them up and bake my very own ginger photographs for the week as a result of I’m low-cost and might’t stand spending $5 on them at Erewhon. I really like Erewhon, however I don’t wish to pay for the ginger photographs so I like to do this within the morning whereas I’m having my espresso.
I normally get the groceries that morning. There’s a Dealer Joe’s close to my home that’s unbelievable. I really like Dealer Joe’s. I don’t know what I’d do with out Dealer Joe’s. And on Sunday, L.A.’s genius for the entire farmer’s markets which can be round. They’ve them in Hollywood, Studio Metropolis, Toluca Lake, Burbank … so I can hit any of these and get what I would like.
10 a.m.: Pickleball with the ‘life-wife’
My actually good pal, I name her my life-wife, Rachel, was all the time into pickleball. Her mother began taking part in years in the past and [Rachel] began getting me into it a bit.
Then after I moved right into a home that had this bizarre concrete area within the yard, I believed, “I guess I could dig it up and make it a garden or something.” After which we measured it and I used to be like, “Or it could be for pickleball,” and that was that. So now I’m obsessed.
There are additionally nice pickleball courts close to my home. There’s the Burbank pickleball [court at Larry L. Maxam Memorial Park] proper close to the airport. That’s the place you may get a extremely good aggressive sport, however since I had sufficient room in my yard to have a pickleball court docket, I normally simply play singles there with my pal. I’m too scared to play doubles. Additionally, it requires extra individuals.
Midday: Noon refuel at Joan’s on Third
Finally, when my youngsters stand up, they’re all in favour of going to Joan’s on Third within the Valley for brunch.
My youngsters like all of the pastries. They go loopy for the chocolate croissant. They’ve an important berry muffin. Certainly one of mine loves to take a seat down and get the avocado toast. I really like simply shopping and snacking in there, as a result of they’ve such scrumptious issues. And I prefer to get some stuff to throw collectively for dinner. I’ll let you know one factor that’ll make my youngsters come collectively earlier than dinner is if you make up a charcuterie plate from the stuff I get from Joan’s within the morning, that’ll deliver them in.
2 p.m.: Knowledge Tree hike
If I may actually have the best day, I’d throw a Knowledge Tree hike in there, as a result of that, to me, is the best hike in the midst of L.A. You get an important view of the Hollywood signal, and it’s enjoyable to recollect [that] this can be a magical, enjoyable place to dwell. Folks journey from all around the world to see that signal.
I’ve two sons [who’ll] go climbing with me, whereas the opposite one likes to go play basketball. And with Knowledge Tree, it will get sizzling in L.A., so it is best to both go early or late. But when that is my good day, it’s February and I can hike all day.
4 p.m.: Antiques purchasing at Ventura Place
Ventura Place is the very best. I all the time love popping into Conceal & Search. It’s a little bit classic store. I don’t suppose I’ve ever left there with out shopping for one thing.
I’m all the time on the hunt for the factor I didn’t know I needed. I do have sure obsessions that I’m all the time on the lookout for: folding vintage sport tables that begin little after which you possibly can fold it out. I really like furnishings that does double obligation. At Conceal & Search, specifically, they all the time have lovely furnishings however I’ll simply discover an incredible serving spoon or a little bit statue or a bit of artwork. It’s simply all the time value sticking my head in there.
I’m not an excellent garments shopper. I’m fortunate sufficient to rent a stylist for large occasions, and the remainder of the time, I’m afraid that my household says I costume like Derelicte from “Zoolander,” which isn’t one thing I’m pleased with, however I get it collectively after I have to.
4 p.m.: Bonus hour to go to the Final Bookstore
In my very best Sunday, I’d have so as to add on additional hours to go right down to the Final Bookstore in DTLA. That’s one other very, very particular place in L.A. that you simply sort of should see to grasp. It’s three-quarters artwork set up, one-quarter books. I nonetheless love the odor of a ebook. I do learn issues electronically more often than not, however I really like a bookstore, and that’s one of many best ones in L.A.
I’d say literary fiction could be my favourite style. I don’t love pulpy, soapy seaside reads. I don’t love thriller. I like actually form of inside sort of items. Proper now I’m studying Adam Johnson, who wrote “The Orphan Master’s Son.” I feel he received the Pulitzer for that. I’m studying his first ebook of quick tales referred to as “Emporium” that I discovered at a used bookstore in New Jersey, and I couldn’t imagine it as a result of I believed I’d learn all of his stuff. And it’s not out there electronically so far as I do know so I used to be very excited and have been studying it as slowly as attainable, as a result of every web page is scrumptious.
7 p.m.: Household dinner
I grew up having dinner with my complete household each night time. As a result of various schedules, [my kids and I] can assure that we’ll all have dinner collectively just one night time per week, and that’s Sunday night time. It’s humorous with teenage boys, should you eat too early, it’s important to make one other dinner later.
I’d by no means prepare dinner only for me. However when cooking with youngsters, I attempt to make every of them do one thing totally different. I’ve bought one who’s nice at grilling, so there’s normally grilled rooster or grilled fish. I all the time make the salad. Certainly one of my youngsters loves pasta, so he’s all the time making pasta — from scratch today, I would add. Loopy. I don’t understand how he realized that. I’m going to say TikTok. And the opposite one just isn’t a lot of a prepare dinner, however we’re like, “You set the table, you clear the table,” he has to do the dishes.
8:45 p.m.: Motion pictures and video games
Proper now, my youngsters are actually into mind-bending motion pictures, that’s what they confer with them as. So I’ve been introducing them to classics like “The Usual Suspects” and “Memento.” They prefer it when now we have to cease each 10 minutes and so they’re like, “Wait, what’s happening?” Ordinarily, that will not be my favourite factor. However you do what it’s essential do to get alongside together with your youngsters.
Or else we’ll play a card sport. I really feel like you possibly can inform the whole lot about an individual by the way in which they wager in a hand of poker, whether or not they’re model new or not. I’ve bought one child who will go all in on the whole lot. I adore it, however that’s not me. I’m a nerdy pupil. I get out my little cheat card, as a result of I can by no means keep in mind the palms, and I sit there and determine roughly the chances after which I wager accordingly.
10 p.m.: Wind down and prep for mattress
I really like a Sunday night time putter: cleansing out a drawer in my rest room or giving myself a manicure, as a result of I by no means go and get them. Just a few wind-down time after which fall asleep. In actuality, my youngsters are most likely up for some time after I’m however they’re sufficiently old that that’s on them now.
It’s outstanding how a lot late night time laundry I find yourself doing. I’m like, “I am going to bed. It is 10.” My very best time to go to mattress, to shut the door to my room, is 10 and to be asleep round 10:30, that will be superior. I can’t keep in mind the final time that occurred as a result of there’s all the time, “Mom, I need my uniform,” and I find yourself doing laundry or dishes till midnight.