The Holiday season reminds us of the many joys of family. Sitting by the fire watching endless Christmas movies, dancing and drinking Rumchata or eggnog in the kitchen. Baking cookies with nieces and nephews and sitting around the dining table sharing laughs. There are so many opportunities for connections to happen and memories to be made.
But the traditions that come along with the holidays can be implemented all year long. We may not be lounging on the couch watching Christmas With the Kranks for the 100th time, but there are other ways that we can enjoy intentional, quality time together in every season.
Since getting married, I've tried to incorporate weekly traditions that help keep us grounded, happy, and connected in our marriage. So today, I want to share with you some ideas for weekly family rituals that you can include in your home life, to keep the Christmas magic all year long.
Sunday Morning Pancake Breakfast
My first suggestion is actually what inspired this post. Pancakes. There's something so familial and traditional about having a big breakfast or brunch on a Sunday morning. In college, this usually meant bottomless mimosas with friends at a swanky restaurant in the city. Now, I find it comforting to wake up while my husband sleeps in, and make our favorite pancakes.
This little ritual brings us so much joy. We love being able to have a delicious treat on the weekend while we discuss our schedules for the week ahead, watch an episode of our favorite show, or enjoy them outside when the weather is nice enough. I'll change up the pancakes depending on the season - pumpkin spice for autumn, gingerbread for Christmastime, lemon and blueberry for summer and spring. But Sunday morning pancakes are a treat we both look forward to each week.
Friday Night Date Night
This one is probably pretty obvious, but we love to enjoy Friday night date night as often as possible. Of course this doesn't always happen every week. Sometimes one of us is working or has plans with another friend or colleague, but we always do our best to make up for it.
Our date nights have become not only an opportunity to connect, but to discuss the highs and the lows of our week. What we liked, what we didn't like. What went well and what could've gone better. It's a chance for us to have a little luxury during the week and keep the romance alive and well.
This past Friday night, we ended up in the Marina District of San Francisco. A place I haven't frequented since my early 20s. But we sat in the back of a Tiki Bar called Mauna Loa, drinking mocktails, surrounded by adolescents and had a blast. Afterwards, we managed to snag two seats at Bar Crenn, the bar associated with the Michelin star restaurant Atelier Crenn, which is right next door. We experienced the best service, the most delicious drinks and unique food choices. And I was reminded how important it is to get out of the monotnous rut of always staying in. There were so many people out and about, going to holiday parties and wearing Santa hats, and it was electrifying to be around so much fun!
Date night doesn't always have to include spending money or going out, but I've always hated the idea that once you get married you immediately turn into an "old married couple" and lose any sense of fun. So for us, it means finding a cute bar or restaurant, ordering apps, people watching and laughing together.
Sunday Supper with Extended Family
I started my Sunday Supper series a few years ago, and while I haven't documented each one we've had since then, I still maintain that it is an important tradition to have! When we lived close to my in-laws, my sister-in-law and I would try to plan at least one Sunday out of the month where the four of us got together for dinner. We would trade off cooking responsibilities, but it was so nice to be together and talk about life over a warm meal.
If you are fortunate enough to live near extended family, seeing them once a month can be so rewarding! Now that we have new little ones in our family, it's even more important to make the time to see them as often as possible, so that my nieces can grow up knowing their Auntie and Uncle.
Game Nights with Friends
We absolutely love doing game nights with our couple friends. This is a great way to create community and have good, wholesome fun.
Some of our favorite games are Monikers and Heads Up. And our friends have games that connect from your phone to the TV screen! It's always a good time and a great way to maintain relationships with other couples.
I hope you enjoyed these ideas! Feel free to add some of your own weekly traditions in the comments. For more exclusive content, click here to support the blog.
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