Welcome to The Sunday Reset, our new series brought to you by the legends at My Food Bag where well-known Kiwi women tell us how they actually spend their Sundays. The fridge clean-outs, the wellness rituals, the shortcuts they swear by, and the stuff they happily ignore – it’s all up for a yarn. Some are wildly organised, some are running on vibes and dry shampoo, but all of them are real, candid and a fab insight into how Kiwi women prepare for the week ahead.
First up in conversation with Capsule is Tima Savea, mum of three, full-time worker, and the woman keeping the Savea household running while her husband Julian transitions out of professional rugby. Between basketball trainings, netball games, open homes and a fridge that requires military-level organisation, Tima’s Sundays are equal parts reset and survival mode!
Capsule x My Food Bag
Kia ora, Tima! So, what does the average Sunday look like for you and your family?
Sundays are very much our family days, we like to just spend time at home. It’s also our cleaning day and the life admin day, and getting all the kids’ school stuff ready for the week. Our My Food Bag delivery arrives on a Sunday afternoon, so it’s really nice to get that delivered, sort out the fridge, and then know what to make for dinner for the rest of the week
So it really is a reset day for you guys.
It is. I don’t like to do much on Sundays, just being at home with the kids and the family. We usually go for a walk down the local dairy or we chill at home.
Do you crave Sundays throughout the week?
Oh yeah, because our week is so hectic with kids’ activities every day – basketball trainings, netball games. Saturdays are taken up by sports too, so Sunday is the only day where we can just sit back and relax at home and actually spend some quality time together. Every other day of the week we’re just on the go, it’s pure hustle. I also work full time during the week, so we really cherish that time together.
It must be even more heightened during rugby season with Julian playing for Moana Pasifika – having to juggle that when it’s not a regular nine-to-five job!
Exactly. His weekends are usually games on Saturdays, so Sundays are really his only time in the weekend with the kids.
What does your realistic Sunday morning look like? When you get up, what are you doing first?
I like to have a bit of a sleep in on a Sunday, so I usually get up about 8:30.
Wow, you rebel.
[Laughs] I know right, but when you’ve got three kids, that’s a luxury. I get up and usually just make my husband a coffee, and we just chill and debrief.
Debrief on the week?
Yeah, debrief on our week that’s been, but we also brief about the week ahead and the kids’ schedules. Oh, and I give him tasks that he has to do during the week!
Are you quite an organised person by nature?
Yes, I am, in terms of having the house organised and my calendar organised. But at the same time, I’m also quite a last-minute person. It’s like an organised kins of chaos?
I’m the same. You organise up to a point, but life happens. There’s no point being 100% rigid about stuff.
Exactly. I have to be organised in terms of knowing all the kids’ training schedules, because every day there’s training, there is something on. But sometimes the house can get a bit chaotic, because having three kids at home, it’s not easy. Especially when they’re messy.
Was it you that posted that meme this week of a mum turning into all these different professions?
Yes! Man, I was cackling at that. It’s so true. Even my husband comes to me the other day… he crashed his car last week. He comes home and he’s like, “Oh babe, I hit the car, it’s not that bad.” I go outside and I’m like, “Julian, it’s actually really bad.” And then he says, “Oh, so what do we do?” I’m like, call the insurance, take it into the garage. And then he says, “Oh, can you do that?” So now I do everything for the family.
The mental load is such a thing… and your mental load sounds exceptionally high.
It is, especially for someone my age, because I obviously had kids really young, I feel like I grew up a lot quicker than a lot of people my age. I’ve had these responsibilities for such a long time, and sometimes it’s hard not to crash and burn. I do have weeks where I’m really off, and it’s about communicating it to your partner. If you’re having a bad week, then they just need to pick up the slack. But the mental load is hectic, especially since I started working.
I guess this is why Sundays are so cherished by you. The mental load might even be higher in some ways, because you’re prepping for everything – but at least it’s prepping as opposed to reacting to a crisis?!
Yeah, that’s it exactly.
Do you have a life hack that you swear by, something you do every Sunday that makes life easier throughout the week?
Yeah, it’s how I organise the fridge. We get the My Food Bag for six people to feed our big family, so it comes with quite a lot of groceries. I organise each meal into a little group, so it’s easier if Julian’s cooking. He can just grab it out and know what the meal contains. Sometimes our 14-year-old likes to cook some of the meals too, so it’s just easy if everything is in one place for that certain meal. I like cleaning out my fridge every Sunday and knowing what we’re going to have for the week.
With My Food Bag, you know the meals are sorted. Do you also plan other stuff for the week, like outfits, that kind of thing? Or is that when you let life be life?
I deal with it as it comes. I don’t plan my outfits. I think that’s added stress onto my already stressful life!
Are you one of those people that sees a “try this one thing and it’ll change your life” on TikTok and actually tries it?
I do have my moments. I watch this lady on TikTok who does Sunday prep, you know, she bakes and makes all these foods for the week. So I tried it. One week I bought a whole bunch of organisers and food containers and I was like, yeah, I’m going to be great, I’m going to start prepping and doing all that. But then very quickly I realised that it was a big no for me. I made muffins and all this stuff, and then it just disappeared within two days! Yeah. The idea is nice, but it’s just not for me.
We’ve talked a lot about the practical stuff. Is there anything you do for yourself, mentally, to prep for the week ahead?
I don’t do a lot for me. But self-care is quite important, so I’m trying to be a little better at it. I’m concentrating on doing my skincare routine and putting on a mask on a Sunday evening, and just chilling in bed. That calms my mind. Skincare and just going to bed early is what keeps me grounded!
In a dream scenario, what would your dream Sunday look like if you could pick anything and not have any of life’s pressures get in the way?
I would love to be able to go to a Pilates class. It would be to take the morning for myself to just go get some self-care, get a facial, go to a Pilates class. In reality, I’ve just got kids running around. It’s all about the kids.
Do you not even let yourself fantasise about it, like, “oh man, it would be nice to be at lunch with my girlfriends after a facial right now”?
Not really. I’m grateful that I was a stay-at-home mum for such a long time, but now our life is changing, and Julian is transitioning into that next phase of his career, so not working is not really an option!
It’s just the reality of life for a lot of people.
Yeah. I’m grateful to have such an easy-going job. I work for my parents, so they understand my life. I work school hours and then I pick up the hours at home. It is nice working for my parents because they’re an understanding employer!
If you could outsource one single part of your Sunday to someone else forever, what would it be?
Cooking. My kids eat more than I do. I have snackaholics at home. Every minute it’s like, “Mum, I’m hungry.”
Do you just feel like your kitchen’s never clean – like you’re either cooking in it or cleaning it?
Yeah. And we’re selling the house at the moment, so on a Saturday and Sunday trying to keep the house clean is actually something. It has to be free of clutter, looking a certain way.
So your dream is basically Nadia coming to your house and cooking everything for you?
Pretty much – can you ask her for me?! [Laughs]. And my kids are very picky. My eight-year-old daughter is a very beige child. But I feel like with My Food Bag, it’s opened up her palate a little bit more and it made it easier on us. She’s kind of forced to eat what’s there. So now she’s learned to start trying new foods, which is really nice. That’s why I give props to My Food Bag for having kid-friendly options on the menus as well!
Wanting to refine your own Sunday reset? Tima’s My Food Bag of choice is 5 nights for 6 to feed her large, hungry family. Check out myfoodbag.co.nz to find the perfect bag for your whānau! A special offer for Capsule readers – receive up to $329 off all your first four deliveries with promo code CAPSULELAUNCH at checkout. 50% off your first delivery, 20% off your second and 30% off your third and 10% off your fourth. Valid for new or returning customers who haven’t had a delivery in 13 weeks. TsCs apply.Valid until 30 June.
