Learning English Podcast | Talking About The Weekend Plans | Learn English Leap Podcast | Ep. 25

English Le podcast from speak English with class hey there everyone welcome to the English leap podcast hi friends I'm Evan and we're thrilled to have you with us today absolutely whether you're sipping your morning coffee or taking an evening stroll thanks for tuning in so Aaron let me ask you and our listeners a question sure what's on your mind do you ever feel like your weak just disappear in the blink of an eye oh all the time one moment it's Friday night and the next it's Sunday evening it's like someone hit the fast forward button

haha exactly I think many of us can relate to that feeling so today we're going to chat about how we spend our weekends and maybe find ways to make them more fulfilling sounds great but before we dive in just a quick reminder we've got a free PDF with all the key points from today's episode yes you'll find it in the description below it's perfect if you want to follow along or revisit our tips later awesome so Evan walk me through your typical Saturday morning well as you know I'm up bright and early at 6:00 a.m.

I start with a quick stretch and then head out for a jog around the neighborhood you must know all your neighbors by now pretty much there's Mr Thompson who always Waters his garden at 6:30 pretty sharp and Mrs Lee who walks her dog muffin muffin that's adorable yeah and muffin tries to race me Every Time spoiler alert she usually wins I can just picture that meanwhile I'm probably still dreaming about flying or something equally Whimsical speaking of dreams do you ever keep a dream journal I tried once but then I couldn't read my own handwriting

in the morning classic so after your luxurious sleep in what's next well once I finally roll out of bed around 9 or 10 I make myself a big breakfast lately I've been experimenting with pancake art pancake art like making shapes and Designs yep last week I made a pancake that looked kind of like a unicorn or maybe it was a llama impressive either way I usually stick to my standard avocado toast you and your avoc toast do you ever get tired of it not really but I did spice it up last weekend by adding a

poached egg on top living on the edge I see hey for me that's wild but seriously having a routine helps me feel grounded I get that for me variety keeps things interesting like sometimes I'll decide on a whim to drive to the countryside really just like that yeah one time I ended up at this charming ing little Farmers Market they had the best homemade jam I've ever tasted that sounds delightful maybe I should be more spontaneous maybe or maybe we balance each other out true so after breakfast what's next on your agenda H if the

weather's nice I might grab a book and head to the park there's this big oak tree that's perfect for reading under that sounds peaceful I usually tackle some chores after breakfast laundry cleaning that sort of thing ah the productive citizen do you ever take a break well funny you should ask last weekend I decided to try something different I took a pottery class no way how did that go let's just say I have a newfound respect for ceramic artists my bowl looked more like a lopsided hat hey it's abstract art did you enjoy it surprisingly

yes it was relaxing to get my hands dirty and create something see stepping out of your comfort zone can be rewarding you're right maybe I'll make pottery a regular hobby that's awesome I've been wanting to pick up a new hobby myself like what I've been thinking about joining a dance class maybe salsa or hip hop that sounds fun I've got two left feet so dancing is probably not for me oh come on every everyone can dance it's about feeling the music if you say so maybe you can teach me some Moves Challenge Accepted you know

this reminds me of how important it is to try new things and keep growing absolutely Hobbies can really enrich our lives and reduce stress speaking of enriching experiences spending time with family and friends is so important too how do you usually connect with them on the weekends Evan that's a great question family and friends are super important to me on weekends I often organize get togethers last Saturday for example I hosted a game night at my place oh fun what games did you play we started with some classic board games like Monopoly and clue but

things got really competitive when we switched to charades let's just say my acting skills leave a lot to be desired I can imagine I'm terrible at sh I always end up laughing too hard to act anything out same here but that's part of the fun right lots of laughter and memorable moments absolutely I think those shared experiences really strengthen our relationships couldn't agree more do you have any favorite activities with your friends or family well my family loves cooking together on Sundays we have this tradition where everyone contributes a dish to a big family dinner

that sounds wonderful any signature dishes my mom makes an incredible lasagna and I usually handle dessert last week I attempted a chocolate lava cake ooh ambitious how did it turn out let's just say we ended up having ice cream instead the center was more like a solid rock than molten lava haha hey it's the effort that counts plus ice cream is always a good backup true it was a good laugh and we had a great time regardless you know cooking together is such a great way to bond maybe I should suggest that to my family

you should even if the meal isn't perfect it's about the time spent together exactly sometimes I feel like we're all so busy that we forget to just enjoy each other's company so true that's why I try to unplug and be fully present when I'm with love ones that's a good practice I admit I'm guilty of checking my phone too often aren't we all maybe we can both make an effort to minimize screen time during social Gatherings deal speaking of socializing do you ever host movie Nights yes in fact I'm planning one for this weekend thinking

of doing a themed night maybe 80s Classics nice I'll bring the popcorn if I'm invited of course course you're invited the more the merrier awesome I'll dust off my leg warmers and neon headband haaha now that's commitment it'll be a blast you know these kinds of activities really recharge me which brings me to another topic self-care ah yes self-care is so important what's your go-to self-care routine lately I've been getting into mindfulness meditation just 10 minutes in the morning helps clear my mind that's great I've heard good things about meditation I might have to give

it a try you should it's surprisingly effective what about you for me it's all about pampering I love taking long baths with essential oils and I've recently started using those fancy bath bombs bath bombs I've seen those but never tried one oh you have to they make the water all colorful and smell amazing it's like a mini vacation in your tub that does sound relaxing maybe I'll pick one up next time I'm at the store do it self-care isn't just about the physical though I also try to journal to process my thoughts that's a good

idea getting thoughts down on paper can be very therapeutic exactly it helps me reflect on the week and set intentions for the days ahead speaking of the days ahead how do you usually plan for the upcoming week well I try to set aside some time on Sunday evenings to look at my schedule I'll jot down any important meetings or events that's smart I do something similar I use a planner app to organize my tasks and set reminders oh I prefer good old pen and paper there's something satisfying about physically checking off a task I get

that maybe I should switch to a paper planner give it a try it might change your life mhm perhaps do you also meal prep for the week I've tried but I usually end up eating all all the prepped food by Tuesday same here I have no self-control when it comes to snacks glad I'm not alone maybe we need to find better strategies agreed perhaps prepping just a couple of days at a time might work better that's a good idea less overwhelming and less temptation to eat everything at once exactly so any big plans for next

weekend actually yes I'm thinking of organizing a small picnic with friends at the park that sounds lovely Count Me In if there's room always room for you I'm planning to bring some homemade sandwiches and maybe try baking cookies again fingers crossed they turn out better than the lava cake hey now but yes let's hope so I'm sure they'll be delicious I'm planning to visit my grandparents next weekend that's wonderful family time is so precious it is my grandma promised to teach me her secret apple pie recipe oo that sounds like a family heirloom definitely I'm

excited to learn it and maybe surprise everyone at the next family gathering you'll have to bring some to the picnic if all goes well I'd be happy to Great seems like we both have some nice plans lined up indeed it's nice to have things to look forward to absolutely well this has been a fantastic chat it really has I always enjoy our conversations they're both fun and insightful that's right before we wrap up we're excited to introduce Charlotte who will help us break down some key vocabulary and phrases from today's discussion H stay tuned for

that but first let's hear from Charlotte hi Aaron and Evan hello everyone thanks for having me on the show I'm Charlotte and I'm here to help you understand some important words and phrases we use to today let's Dive Right In in the blink of an eye meaning very quickly almost instantaneously example the weekend was over in the blink of an eye hit the fast forward button meaning to speed up a process or skip ahead example during the boring lecture I wished I could hit the fast forward button walk me through meaning explain something step by

step example can you walk me through how to set up this new device Whimsical meaning playful and imaginative fanciful example the artist's Whimsical paintings were a hit at the gallery on a whim meaning spontaneously without planning example she bought the dress on a whim while shopping living on the edge meaning taking risks being adventurous example he's always living on the edge trying extreme sports two left feet meaning clumsy in dancing example I avoid dancing because I have two left feet pampering meaning indulging in comfort and luxury example after exams she spent the day pampering herself

at the spa unplug meaning disconnect from electronic devices to relax example they decided to unplug for the weekend and go hiking Peak Interest meaning to arouse curiosity example the mysterious book title piqued my interest I hope these explanations help you understand today's episode better remember building your English vocabulary is a great step towards boosting your confidence thanks for joining me and see you next time wow that was so helpful thanks Charlotte absolutely Charlotte We Appreciate You clarifying those phrases and to our listeners don't forget to check out the free pdf we've put together it includes

all the key points and vocabulary we discuss today you'll find it in the description below it's packed with with tips and ideas to help you make the most of your weekends and enhance your English skills we'd love to hear from you all how do you spend quality time with your loved ones what are your self-care rituals feel free to share your thoughts and stories with us your experiences make our community richer well I think it's about time we wrap things up agreed it's been a pleasure as always absolutely until next time everyone keep learning and

keep leaping towards your English goals bye for now your progress doesn't end here to continue advancing your English skills click on the next video or explore the additional videos we've thoughtfully selected for you