The Sunday Sanctuary With Brittney Levine
A weekly series that profiles the most fabulous, hard-working, 24/7 hustlers and how they spend their Sundays.
Q: What time do you wake up or does the alarm go off ?
A: I really try to not set an alarm for Sundays. I hate alarms in general, probably because I set a million during the work week to keep myself on task throughout the day. I’m probably up by 10 AM at the latest.
Q: What is your morning routine (specifically the first 15 minues)
A: I like to try and take it leisurely on Sunday. If I don’t have any QVC shows and if I can stay in bed with my hubs as long as I can, even though he likes to “get up and go,” I’m good with it. Leisure does not come in the form of my skincare routine though, haha. I always wash my face, tone and moisturize before doing anything else. If I can workout or do some sort of movement before eating, great!
Q: What is your Sunday mantra?
A: Sundays used to really scare me - I sometimes still get the “scaries,” but am trying to not let them get in the way anymore. I guess my mantra would be to “take the time to decompress.” I truly feel that if I don’t spend some time not working, I am not functioning at my best during the week when things can get a little crazy.
Q: What’s your go to breakfast/brunch?
A: We’re big breakfast/brunch people. I guess we’re big ‘every meal’ people too :). Lately I’ve been on a big pancakes with peanut butter kick, and we can’t not have bagels on Sundays- my go-to is toasted whole wheat everything, scooped out with scallion cream cheese, or plain cream cheese and lox. All. The. Gluten.
Q: Do you give yourself any Sunday self-care treatments?
A: YES! I love a steam shower, so if I can get to one, great! I also dry brush and do a peel.
Q: What song is a good representation of your Sunday?
A: Anything Bon Iver, The National, And if it’s a Sunday-Funday- country.
Q: How has your Sunday routine changed over the years?
A: Even if I was out till 3 AM the night before, I somehow can push past the hangover and do at least something on Sunday. I semi-try to get organized for the week, whether that’s going through all my emails from the week before to try and clear out my inbox or look at my calendar to map out the week ahead.
Q: Do you exercise?
A: We always try to do a big walk on Sundays. If I’m out with my family, they live 10 minutes away from the beach and the water is my favorite thing. It just calms and relaxes me in a way that nothing else can.
Q: Do you like to spend your Sunday alone or with family/friends?
A: Generally with my husband and family.
Q: Do you use any apps or products for relaxation?
A: I love my Conair facial steamer and my Baby Quasar light therapy wands. It feels
Q: What is your ideal bedtime?
A: I am a real night owl - I try to get into bed around 11, but sometimes my body doesn’t wind down until 12, 12:30 AM, which is a tougher wake up on Monday. I love sleep and totally get the importance of it, so definitely trying to work harder at actually doing it, haha.
Q: What are some of your favorite Sunday activities?
A: Getting the actual NYT on Sunday is my favorite, and reading it with my iced coffee. In the fall, we love watching football - a game will always be on in the background. In continuing the carb party, we always love our pasta Sundays. Max’s in Tribeca or Il Brigante in the Seaport are our go-to’s. Ryan also makes a mean Sunday sauce - it’s ridiculous.
Q: How do you prepare for the week ahead?
A: If I don’t have any QVC shows, I try to always spend a little time prepping for the week ahead - at least for the Monday barrage of emails. If I can make a list of what I still owe to people, get a head start on some outlines and make a priority list for my girls on what to accomplish, I always feel better going into Monday AM.