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To love pottering around.

60 replies

AuntieAunt · 04/07/2025 13:10

I think I’ve just had bit of a eureka moment on something I haven’t been able to put my finger on.

I really like just pottering around. Not in a hurry, not having a plan, feeling a bit productive but not exhausting yourself. Just going with the flow and enjoying the day. Might dead head the flowers, tidy up the dumping chair, reorganise a cupboard.. As I’m in no rush, I’ll get started whenever I fancy it, put on comfy clothes, have a few tea breaks and at the end of the day the house will be more presentable and I usually feel the sense of achievement.

However DH is the complete opposite, he wants the jobs done as quickly as possible for us to ‘relax’. It’s the same in the evenings and especially at the weekends. He’s always asking me what he can do to ‘help’ and how much longer I’ll be etc. These are days we’ve got no zero plans/planned to ‘relax’.

It’s bloody obvious now I think about it. It makes me feel tense that I’m on some sort of clock and being asked to what I’m doing. I can be happily repotting some plants outside and DH will come out and remind me that we ‘planned to relax’. DH says he can’t relax whilst I’m doing jobs.

We spend a lot of time together, we’ll do ‘fun’ things at the weekend too. It’s just when we’re having ‘lazy days’.

Anyone else a potter?

OP posts:
Goldenphoenix · 04/07/2025 13:13

I love a potter about too, it's so relaxing!

CosmicCuppa · 04/07/2025 14:00

I love to potter too. Maybe it’s because my life and job are so structured on the whole but pottering IS relaxing to me.

Bridport · 04/07/2025 14:57

Pottering is my relaxing. Tidying the shed, sweeping the path, handwashing my bras, painting the gate, cleaning the shed window, organising my sewing cupboard, dead heading the roses.

My ideal day is having nothing in my diary, my comfiest jeans, a dozen little nothing jobs, preparing a nice meal and not stepping one foot off the premises.

What does your husband do when he relaxes OP?

BigDahliaFan · 04/07/2025 15:00

I find pottering so relaxing! It's why I love gardening which is just a licence to potter.

Doing literally nothing all day does my head in!

I'll occassionaly have a day off work which is basically a day for pottering and I feel brilliant afterwards.

Brenda34 · 04/07/2025 15:01

100% with you there.

GreenGully · 04/07/2025 15:14

I get the boring jobs out of the way as quickly and efficiently as possible to allow me to potter around. I love tending to the garden and being outside this time of year.

fireplaceembers · 04/07/2025 15:24

I love a potter!

perfect day is early Aldi food shop, a mooch around home bargains or TK maxx, home to do some cooking (find it relaxing) and a potter about doing some tidying/cleaning, a nap, bath and a few episodes of a TV show

I find it makes me feel more prepared for the week ahead

Tomatocutwithazigzagedge · 04/07/2025 15:36

Yep. It's why I'm happy to go self catering on holiday. I love a potter round the kitchen, then a snooze on the sun lounger followed by rinsing my smalls and hanging them out. Then a coffee and a read. A late afternoon potter round an Italian supermarket.

So sad to some, but it's my holiday downtime.

My brother is the same with camping. He loves pottering round the tent, checking the guide ropes...😂

Bridport · 04/07/2025 15:46

Camping is a pottering heaven - fetch water, dustpan and brush out tent, wander to the washing up station, hang your bathers out to dry on the little washing line you made, light the BBQ, pour a beer, hot water bottle in to warm up the bed, put the fairy lights on and crash in a deck chair to watch the birds fly home.

coxesorangepippin · 04/07/2025 15:48

I'm the same as you op

Love a bit of pottering

Ilovemyshed · 04/07/2025 15:49

I’m looking forward to retiring and just … pottering.

Newmeagain · 04/07/2025 15:50

Me too!!! I have a stressful mentally draining job so really enjoy doing a few jobs around the house, organising a cupboard, etc. Often listen to podcasts while doing so!

Emotionalsupporthamster · 04/07/2025 15:55

What does he want you to be doing during the specified relaxing time OP? I’m the same, pottering about is my idea of relaxing. I don’t do very well sitting about, which is what my DH thinks relaxing at home is.

TwoBigNoisyBoys · 04/07/2025 15:58

Oh absolutely agree! Pottering = Relaxing 🩷

Brownbearwhitebear · 04/07/2025 15:59

That would drive me bonkers, I adore a day with no plans pottering around but it would completely defeat the object if someone was hassling me. This is why I dont live with my DP - I can potter to my heart's content without answering to anyone.

LunaTheCat · 04/07/2025 15:59

Me too.. life is busy. I tend to be a productive potterer .. if I make a list of things to do I just get stressed!

theemmadilemma · 04/07/2025 16:00

Unless we have plans, my weekends are for pottering.

DH prefers to get out and about and then chill. But he's perfectly happy doing his thing while I happily potter about.

Little potter, little sit and survey the results, little potter more...

Sourisblanche · 04/07/2025 16:11

Love to potter, bit of gardening, put a wash on, some baking, a little sit down with the dog, wash up, have a cuppa. I could do this all day.

I once did some gardening with my neighbour for our mutual benefit. She went at it for 4 hours, no breaks, got it done then went off to shower and have lunch. I had suggested a tea break after an hour with a wander around the rest of the garden and got short shrift!Grin

Dorunrun · 04/07/2025 16:18

Oh god, I hope my DH doesn't turn into one of those men that needs to follow me round asking me when I'm going sit down with him and do nothing...my idea of relaxation (weather permitting) when DH is sat down being a lazy arse, is to go outside and potter!!

How unrelaxed would you feel if you being told to come in and sit down?!!! I can feel my nerves in edge just thinking about it! 😬😬

Happyher · 04/07/2025 16:19

Yes I love a pottering day when I have no commitments. Give your husband a list of jobs to do and tell him if he finishes before you he has that time to do his own thing and leave you to get on with you pottering

Tomatocutwithazigzagedge · 04/07/2025 16:21

Bridport · 04/07/2025 15:46

Camping is a pottering heaven - fetch water, dustpan and brush out tent, wander to the washing up station, hang your bathers out to dry on the little washing line you made, light the BBQ, pour a beer, hot water bottle in to warm up the bed, put the fairy lights on and crash in a deck chair to watch the birds fly home.

And carrying a washing up bowl to an outdoor sink, rinsing, drying and chatting is much more fun than loading and unloading a dishwasher for some reason!

doggydesperado · 04/07/2025 16:24

I love a potter! I love a potter in the house and I love a potter in the nearest town while needing absolutely nothing but enjoying the no pressure vibe. There should be a new law -a day in the work calendar each year designated to pottering- a potter day for mental health 😄

frozendaisy · 04/07/2025 16:25

If I am pottering and H gets bored of relaxing he usually joins in or happily gets given a potter “put this in the wormery”

Kellywiththelegs · 04/07/2025 16:33

I love pottering! Absolute bliss, I wonder why so many of us enjoy what are basically mundane tasks!

FloofyBird · 04/07/2025 16:56

I'm a bit of both really, if things need doing like cleaning, washing, shopping etc I'd rather just get them done then relax. But sometimes I get bored quickly when relaxing so then I'll potter and do the less urgent type jobs like declutter a drawer or wash some pillows or something equally as exciting. I find if I do nothing it makes me feel a bit crap so it's a happy medium for me.

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