SLOW LIVING: 5 Fall Family Rituals

If I haven’t said this already – happy fall! It’s such a great time of year. This year I am taking a different approach to fall with a big focus on SLOWING DOWN. That’s my biggest goal for myself and for our family.

It’s probably in part a reaction to coming off a summer of selling and buying and moving. Mr. Seasons and I lived under stress like I had not previously experienced. It was hard on me emotionally and physically.

We are in a better space now, literally and figuratively. Life isn’t perfect by any stretch, our garage is still full of unpacked boxes and one of my kids is sleeping on a mattress on the floor. BUT, we are together under one roof in a home and neighborhood we love. I feel ready to slow down and enjoy it.

Back in the spring, my oldest told me that she had ‘too much on her plate’ when she was participating in piano, band and choir (in addition to school work and home chores). I was blown away at her ability to self-realize what was troubling her and vocalize it to me. If only we could all look at our own lives so clearly. Since then, my goal has been to avoid putting my children in a place where they feel like they are doing ‘too much.’

This fall, instead of signing up my kids for ‘all the things’ we took a bit of a step back and are maintaining just a few activities (soccer and piano, and not each activity for each kid). This means that most days after school we get to come home and stay home. And it feels so good.

Building on this rhythm of slow living, I’ve been dreaming up how I want to spend this season with my family. I’ve created a list of fall family rituals that we hope to do more of in the next few months. They are all based around the idea of slowing down and enjoying being together. They don’t involve a lot of hurrying around town, driving or spending money.

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5 Fall Family Rituals

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1. Friday Night (Halloween) Movie and Popcorn

Family movies nights = classic family time and they are one of my favorite ways to hang out all together. I like doing it on Friday because we are all pretty pooped from the week and it’s an easy and relaxing activity. My kids are 5, 8 and 10, and are at the ages where we can watch some movies we all enjoy together (think: the Goonies, Indiana Jones, Marvel movies). I particularly like it because I end up with some extra snuggle time with my kids who are often busy doing their own thing. We recently ordered a new and bigger couch (this one) and I’m hoping the five of us will be a good fit on it.

For popcorn we always use an air popper (this one) because I like a little more control over my topping. We usually melt butter or smart butter and add some sea salt and nutritional yeast (my fav!). Movies on our docket for this month: Hocus Pocus (I’ve never seen it!) and E.T.

2. Soup and Football

Mr. Seasons and I caved and got cable this fall so we could finally watch some football. We both went to the University of Oregon and we love our Ducks. I love the simplicity, comfort and relaxation of watching a good game of football and eating a tasty bowl of chili. I prefer vegetarian chili and this is my very favorite recipe.

The likelyhood of the kids participating in this ritual is truly 50/50. Sometimes they are into watching the game, other times they want to talk all the way through it. Sometimes we let them watch a movie downstairs so we can get some serious football viewing in (and then it feels like a mini date with Mr. Seasons too!).

3. Nachos and a Movie

Can you tell I like food and TV? I am a sucker for a good story, and I love a good TV show or movie, though I don’t actually watch a lot because I don’t have the time. So when I do, it feels like a treat. One of my favorite date night activities to do with Mr. Seasons is to put the the kids to bed a little bit early and make a big tray of nachos and turn on something from our watch list. It’s pretty much my zen place to be. And I think Mr. Seasons feels that way too. This particular ritual doesn’t involve the kids obviously, but I will contend that happy, rested, connected parents makes for a better overall family dynamic. :)

Note: we haven’t seen a movie in ages, so if you have any must-sees, I’d love to know in the comments!

4. Crossword Puzzle + Coffee (Comics for the Kids)

A few months back we had a Sunday subscription to the Oregonian. There’s something about a physical newspaper in my hands that just feels so good. And with a once per week delivery, I didn’t feel like the papers were piling up faster than I could read them, which was nice. But our very favorite parts of the paper were the NYT crossword puzzle and the comics. On a few particularly lovely and lazy Sunday afternoons Mr. Seasons and I sat by the fireplace and drank coffee and worked on the crossword. The kids would spread out the comics and read them and look at the drawings. It’s a great chance for being together and being entertained without screens.

We don’t currently have a paper subscription, but I want to try out the Sunday edition of the New York Times, because I always love their long essays and in-depth articles. Do you still read a physical newspaper?

5. Walk to the Park, Listen to the Crunch of Leaves

Full disclosure: I have not slowed down my pace enough yet to do this one, but I hope to soon. Going for walks is one of my favorite leisure activities. I love looking at things from street level, and observing homes, businesses and people as I pass them. We live within walking distance to a few parks and I hope to shelve my unpacking for a bit and visit them soon. There is something so nostalgic about walking through beautiful, tawny trees, and hearing the crunch of the leaves underfoot.

I hope this post inspires you to embrace your downtime, and create time for slow, meaningful activities in your days this fall. If you have anything to add to the list, I’d love to hear!