For Julie Bowen, mother of three teenage boys, an ideal Sunday would come with loads of “me time.”
“My entire household calls laundry and dishes my ‘hobbies,’” she stated. “No, no, my hobbies are studying, going to museums, mountaineering and enjoying pickleball. These 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 excellent Sunday round city. Discover concepts and inspiration on the place to go, what to eat and how you can take pleasure in life on the weekends.
Bowen, who received two Emmys for her efficiency within the beloved long-running ABC sitcom “Fashionable Household,” is each bit as family-oriented as her character Claire Dunphy. She is presently filming “Blissful Gilmore 2” in New Jersey, however when she’s dwelling she prefers to spend time outside together with her children close to Laurel Canyon.
After spending time in Baltimore, Rhode Island and New York, Bowen grew to become a reluctant Angeleno. “I’m undecided I ever actually considered L.A. as my ‘dwelling’ — in large capital letters — till I had children there and realized that is their dwelling,” stated Bowen, whose new thriller collection “Hysteria!” is now streaming on Peacock. “L.A. is sort of a choose-your-own-adventure. You’ll be able to go to some cities like Boston and actually really feel that it’s uniquely Boston, however L.A. has so many communities, cultures, corners of it. There’s no central Los Angeles. So at first once I moved right here, I believed, ‘That is laborious.’ However as soon as you discover your individuals, your locations, it could actually actually be a magical metropolis.”
On the agenda for Bowen’s excellent Sunday are mountaineering, antiquing and a cease at Joan’s on Third.
This interview has been calmly edited and condensed for size and readability.
8 a.m.: Me-time with selfmade ginger pictures
In my fantasy, I might sleep in actually late after which rise up and go have brunch. Or make espresso and get again into mattress with a e book. That’s so scrumptious. However the actuality is I get up early and I’ve come to find it irresistible 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 pictures 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 pictures 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 all the 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 need.
10 a.m.: Pickleball with the ‘life-wife’
My actually good good friend, I name her my life-wife, Rachel, was at all times into pickleball. Her mother began enjoying years in the past and [Rachel] began getting me into it a bit.
Then once I moved right into a home that had this bizarre concrete house within the yard, I believed, “I suppose I might dig it up and make it a backyard or one thing.” After which we measured it and I used to be like, “Or it may very well 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 very good aggressive recreation, however since I had sufficient room in my yard to have a pickleball courtroom, I normally simply play singles there with my good friend. I’m too scared to play doubles. Additionally, it requires extra individuals.
Midday: Noon refuel at Joan’s on Third
Finally, when my children rise up, they’re inquisitive about going to Joan’s on Third within the Valley for brunch.
My children like all of the pastries. They go loopy for the chocolate croissant. They’ve an excellent berry muffin. One in every of mine loves to take a seat down and get the avocado toast. I really like simply searching 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 inform you one factor that’ll make my children come collectively earlier than dinner is once you make up a charcuterie plate from the stuff I get from Joan’s within the morning, that’ll convey them in.
2 p.m.: Knowledge Tree hike
If I might 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 excellent view of the Hollywood signal, and it’s enjoyable to recollect [that] it is a magical, enjoyable place to stay. Folks journey from everywhere in the world to see that signal.
I’ve two sons [who’ll] go mountaineering with me, whereas the opposite one likes to go play basketball. And with Knowledge Tree, it will get scorching in L.A., so you must both go early or late. But when that is my excellent day, it’s February and I can hike all day.
4 p.m.: Antiques buying at Ventura Place
Ventura Place is the perfect. I at all times love popping into Conceal & Search. It’s just a little classic store. I don’t suppose I’ve ever left there with out shopping for one thing.
I’m at all times on the hunt for the factor I didn’t know I needed. I do have sure obsessions that I’m at all times in search of: folding vintage recreation tables that begin little after which you may fold it out. I really like furnishings that does double obligation. At Conceal & Search, particularly, they at all times have stunning furnishings however I’ll simply discover a tremendous serving spoon or just a little statue or a bit of artwork. It’s simply at all times value sticking my head in there.
I’m not an excellent garments shopper. I’m fortunate sufficient to rent a stylist for giant occasions, and the remainder of the time, I’m afraid that my household says I gown like Derelicte from “Zoolander,” which isn’t one thing I’m happy with, however I get it collectively once I have to.
4 p.m.: Bonus hour to go to the Final Bookstore
In my excellent Sunday, I’d have so as to add on additional hours to go all the way down to the Final Bookstore in DTLA. That’s one other very, very particular place in L.A. that you just form of need to see to grasp. It’s three-quarters artwork set up, one-quarter books. I nonetheless love the scent of a e book. I do learn issues electronically more often than not, however I really like a bookstore, and that’s one of many biggest 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 type of inside form of items. Proper now I’m studying Adam Johnson, who wrote “The Orphan Grasp’s Son.” I feel he received the Pulitzer for that. I’m studying his first e book of brief tales known 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 obtainable 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 entire household each evening. As a consequence of various schedules, [my kids and I] can assure that we’ll all have dinner collectively just one evening every week, and that’s Sunday evening. It’s humorous with teenage boys, when you eat too early, it’s a must to make one other dinner later.
I’d by no means cook dinner only for me. However when cooking with children, I try to make every of them do one thing totally different. I’ve received one who’s nice at grilling, so there’s normally grilled hen or grilled fish. I at all times make the salad. One in every of my children loves pasta, so he’s at all times making pasta — from scratch nowadays, I would add. Loopy. I don’t know the way he realized that. I’m going to say TikTok. And the opposite one just isn’t a lot of a cook dinner, however we’re like, “You set the desk, you clear the desk,” he has to do the dishes.
8:45 p.m.: Films and video games
Proper now, my children are actually into mind-bending motion pictures, that’s what they consult with them as. So I’ve been introducing them to classics like “The Typical Suspects” and “Memento.” They prefer it when now we have to cease each 10 minutes they usually’re like, “Wait, what’s taking place?” Ordinarily, that will not be my favourite factor. However you do what it is advisable to do to get alongside together with your children.
Or else we’ll play a card recreation. I really feel like you may inform all the pieces about an individual by the way in which they guess in a hand of poker, whether or not they’re model new or not. I’ve received one child who will go all in on all the pieces. I find it irresistible, however that’s not me. I’m a nerdy scholar. I get out my little cheat card, as a result of I can by no means keep in mind the fingers, and I sit there and determine roughly the percentages after which I guess accordingly.
10 p.m.: Wind down and prep for mattress
I really like a Sunday evening putter: cleansing out a drawer in my toilet 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 children are in all probability 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 evening laundry I find yourself doing. I’m like, “I’m going to mattress. It’s 10.” My excellent 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 at all times, “Mother, I want my uniform,” and I find yourself doing laundry or dishes till midnight.