family fun

Start an Annual Holiday Tradition with Friends

December 7, 2019 by Cassie

Every year I look forward to our annual outing to see the Nutcracker with my daughter and one of my best friends and her daughter. We all meet for lunch and see a matinee on one of the Saturday or Sundays in December. Beyond the Nutcracker being a beautiful show and a perfect way to ring in the season, it is a really meaningful time every time to get to see our daughters grow up (they make fun of us now) and get some quality time in my friend. This year will be our fourth time, and I hope to one day be celebrating our 50^th.

Despite the holiday season being hectic, it’s actually really easy to factor in a nice little tradition. You all know it’s coming in advance and can plan far ahead, and have something awesome to look forward to.

Who will you start a holiday tradition with?

Start Carpooling

April 7, 2018 by Cassie

Carpooling has preserved my sanity, reduced stress, helped strengthen relationships, and decreased my carbon footprint. I have always been someone who enjoyed carpooling with friends to work but this last year I became a hardcore carpool proponent.

I came to it by necessity. I couldn’t figure out how I was going to make it work without massive stress and changes to our schedule to get our daughter to Kindergarten. But finding a nearby family that lived in walking distance of us, and was on our route, changed my life. Each Sunday we’d text and divide up the days. Sum total for the school year, that meant 50 less mornings my husband and I had to divide up to drive. For me, more than a month’s worth of work mornings back was a massive gift of time! In addition, we had fun getting to know another family, saved us money and made the drop-off line a little less hectic.

For many, I know it isn’t something you’d consider because it sounds like a hassle and/or you don’t need to save the time or money. But I would highly suggest you try it, even for one time to see what you think. And then if you like it, make it work for you in whatever way or cadence that might make sense.

When you do, you’ll be doing the world a favor and enjoying lots of benefits including:

Protecting the environment. Carpooling cuts down on the number of cars on the road which means there is less carbon and other gasses and pollution getting into the air. This protects the environment by keeping the air, water, and land cleaner.
Connection with others. I have a better relationship with anyone I/we carpool with. It gives you more time to get to connect and have someone else in your life that makes it all work.
Joy. Carpooling is more fun. For my daughter, she loves laughing all the way to school with a friend her age and I get a kick out of listening to them. For me, it’s more fun to share even an obnoxious commute with someone else you can talk and laugh with.
Better health. There are numerous benefits of less air pollution caused by car emissions to reduce health issues such as asthma, allergies, lung cancer, etc. Research data has also suggested that carpooling can be far less stressful.
Saved time and money.

Happy carpooling!

Photo by Tim Foster on Unsplash

Rekindle a Childhood Tradition

January 6, 2018 by Cassie

When I was a kid, probably somewhere after the age of eight and before the age of fifteen, I can remember watching the same movie every New Year’s Eve: The Sound of Music. It would always be on TV, timed to end in the New Year, and I’d get to lie in bed with my mom and watch it.

At the time it didn’t seem like a big tradition, it was just something we always did. I can remember my mom always being delighted each year that it had returned (“oooh, the Sound of Music is on tonight!”)

This year, a theater by our house was having a Sound of Music sing-a-long the week leading up to New Year’s Day. We went as a family on New Year’s Eve and it was the best!

Not only does that movie make my heart sing, seeing it connected me back to all of those New Year’s with my mom. I lit up telling my husband and daughter all about our old tradition, and suggesting that this may be a new one for us. (Fast forward to me being delighted next year, “oooh, the Sound of Music sing-a-long is back!”)

What childhood tradition could you rekindle?