Weekend Picks for Quiet Reading and Small Adventures
Even a low-key weekend has a shape: a few focused pleasures, a short list of things to read or watch, and small outings that feel like discoveries. This roundup gathers compact recommendations—books, shows, useful products—and a location guide to the places filmed in the series How to Get to Heaven from Belfast. Scattered notes on beauty, design and community events give quick, actionable ideas for a calm, curious break.
What to read, watch and do
- – Tackle a modest TBR. Pick two short books or one longer title and break reading time into sofa sessions and a visit to a neighborhood bookstore or café. A change of setting refreshes attention and stretches enjoyment.
- Design inspiration: a recent feature on a tiny English cottage offers clever bedroom layouts, storage hacks and lighting tips that make compact spaces feel airy and deliberate.
- Kitchen pleasures: a new colorway from a well-regarded pottery maker—sculpted mugs and simple tableware—turns routine cups of coffee into a small domestic ritual.
- Style shortcut: when someone asks for denim advice, a quick link to a trusted classic fit (in blue or black) is often more helpful than a long list of options.
- Beauty basics: current trends balance bold accents with pared-back finishes. Mascara remains popular; parallel interest in natural-looking skin has lifted clean serums and multiuse body oils. Black-owned brands frequently surface in best-seller lists for their nourishing oils, standout lip colors and leave-in conditioners for textured hair.
Filming locations: How to Get to Heaven from Belfast
Lisa McGee’s six-part series leans heavily on real places across Ireland and the UK, a choice that gives the show a tangible sense of place.
Key locations:
– Belfast: much of the series was shot here. Interiors were filmed at Titanic Studios; exterior shots show St Patrick’s Church and the Dockers Club (used as a hotel ballroom).
– Belfast City Airport: used for travel and transit sequences.
– The American Bar on Dock Street: the neighborhood pub scene.
– St Mary’s Christian Brothers’ Grammar School: school flashbacks.
– Grand Central Hotel (Belfast): interior hotel scenes.
– County Antrim: stood in for the fictional town of Knockdara; Harbourview Hotel in Carnlough appears repeatedly.
– Galboly (the Hidden Village): several climactic sequences.
– County Louth and a former country club near Ravensdale: rural roads and suburban venues.
– Dublin: select scenes, including some angles at Christ Church Cathedral.
– Malta: for sunlit, Portugal-like segments—Westin Dragonara and Salini Resort were used; RTÉ Television Studios also provided brief live-taping access.
Using real sites helps the series convey regional detail and mood. As someone who once worked in a professional kitchen, I notice how location, like texture in a dish, shapes the viewer’s experience.
AViD 25th Anniversary Season: What to know
Des Moines Public Library’s AViD series turns 25 this year. The celebration brings a mix of bestselling and literary authors to venues around the city, with many events free and open to the public.
Confirmed appearances:
– Julia Quinn — Hoyt Sherman Place, Tuesday, April 7
– Maria Semple — Central Library, Thursday, April 16
– AViD at the Des Moines Book Festival — Saturday, May 2
– Shannon Chakraborty — Central Library, Thursday, May 14
– Tayari Jones — Central Library, Monday, June 15
– Patrick Bringley — in partnership with the Des Moines Arts Festival, Saturday, June 27
Most sessions will be at Central Library or Hoyt Sherman Place. Check the library’s official channels for ticketing details, accessibility information and any last-minute updates.
Community moments and reactions
Readers and attendees have been quick to connect the program to local life. Panels often produce warm laughter and offhand kitchen anecdotes that tie authors to regional tradition. A few recurring themes from feedback:
– Tonal continuity: viewers sometimes compare new shows with creators’ earlier work, noting how a familiar voice can mature without losing its thread.
– Everyday ritual: small domestic moments—children repeating family phrases, a remembered recipe—resonate in audience responses.
– Public conversation: critics and scholars have praised several series for blending humor with social observation, helping entertainment surface community issues in approachable ways.
These responses help organizers refine programming and make future sessions more responsive to local interests.
Weekend inspirations to try
If you want a simple weekend that feels both restful and invigorating, consider this short list:
– One short book + one episode each evening of a new series.
– A walk to a nearby café, bringing a single favorite mug or the new pottery piece you’ve been enjoying.
– Try one small design change at home (swap a bedside lamp, add a narrow shelf, replace a throw).
– Pick one beauty step that’s new but manageable—like a nourishing body oil or a leave-in conditioner—and let it become part of your morning routine.
– If you’re local, add an AViD event to your calendar and treat it like a neighborhood outing: short, social and nourishing.
A note on links and selection
Lisa McGee’s six-part series leans heavily on real places across Ireland and the UK, a choice that gives the show a tangible sense of place.0