1.24.2026 | 🫐 Slowing down with Alisha Ramos of Downtime

Happy Saturday!

I’m delighted to welcome Alisha Ramos as the guest curator for this edition of The Weekend Edit. Alisha is the voice behind Downtime, a beloved culture newsletter with the warmth and familiarity of your favorite group chat.

Her newsletter is my first stop whenever I’m looking for what to read next. She’s introduced me to so many authors and novels I might have otherwise missed.

Over the years, I’ve admired how Alisha prioritizes real connection with her readers over quick scale or a career of outsized ambition. Downtime feels less like a brand and more like a shared sensibility, a place to slow down, pay attention, and enjoy.

I’m so happy to share her reflections with our wonderful community today.

xx
AmyAnn

💛 Welcome, Alisha!

Hi! I’m Alisha Ramos. I’m a culture and lifestyle writer. I also like to call myself “a recovering girlboss-era founder” of a venture-backed media company. It grew quickly, was profitable, and looked like a success by most measures. But…I was burnt out. After the pandemic, I did the unthinkable: I downsized everything and stepped away.

These days, I write Downtime, a newsletter about books, culture, and how to live with a little more intention in a very loud world. I’m a natural recommender, whether it’s a good novel, a TV show, or the perfect elastic-waist pant.

I have an adorable two-year-old girl, thanks to IVF. I struggled with infertility for a few years, and I feel so lucky to have access to this type of treatment that allowed us to become parents. My entry into motherhood was not the smoothest ride (the IVF cycles, the preeclampsia, the bone-tired newborn days), but I’m so glad we made the decision to become parents. Motherhood cracked something open in me, especially a renewed sense of awe. Watching my daughter learn how to string together full sentences (she confidently says things like, “I want waffles, please.”), develop her preferences, and explore her independence in real time has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I’m now in my third trimester with our second, a boy, and another result of IVF treatment.

Our weekends look a little different now! My husband and I are homebodies, happiest on the couch with popcorn and a shared show, or wandering to the library, bookstore, or bakery with our daughter in tow. I’m learning how to fold my child into my life — and my curiosities — rather than disappearing inside parenthood. I’m especially interested in models of family life that leave room for boredom, creativity, and community, not constant optimization and filling calendars to the brim with activities and extracurriculars. I’ve heard European countries are much better at this than Americans (can anyone confirm?).

To transition from the workweek to the weekend, we usually designate Friday as a cozy carry-out night to treat ourselves as a family (and give my husband and me a break from cooking). I try to block an hour or so every Friday to write down on paper what my next week will look like. What are my top three priorities going into the next week? Can I cancel or move any meetings around? Do I have too many things on my to-do list that it’s unrealistic (a common misstep I make; oh how time can go by so quickly these days). This way, I won’t feel anxious over the weekend and ruminate over “all the stuff I have to do” on Monday. I can just sit down at my desk and look at my list.

I tried to write down goals for 2026, but it hasn’t happened yet. Instead, I’m going in with intentions. Am I working in line with my values, and am I succeeding by that measure? It was helpful to list out my specific values and what I no longer value. This is especially important to me as a Capricorn overachiever preparing to have another baby this year. I love my work and I love working. The reality is, though, that not much is going to get done this year, and I have to surrender to that fact. I’m in awe of new mothers who are churning out work left and right in their first year postpartum. I’ve learned that I am just not that person. In my first newborn phase, I learned that it is all about surrender. Surrender to the chaos. Surrender to the unproductivity of it all. Surrender to the fact that postpartum is about resting and healing your body after a massive, massive physical, emotional, and mental change. So this year, I’m focused on ease, giving myself a break, and staying clear on my intentions.