Simple Anchors for Busy Seasons

Fall is one of my very favorite seasons. I love the routine and schedule that fall provides, as well as the crispness that comes as the nights grow shorter and the morning chill requires a sweatshirt. Pots of chili and warm pumpkin bread replace summer salads and all things grilled; baseball caps and cozy fleeces, school supplies and Saturday soccer games, hot mugs of spiced tea and chewy molasses cookies. It’s a season that beckons you to gather around a candlelit dinner or maple cinnamon latte with friends.

Autumn is truly the best. However, for moms, this season can also be one of the very busiest to navigate. Nightly practices, activities, lessons and games have replaced the relaxed pace of summer and it’s easy to get sucked into a frenetic race of after-school snacks, throwing on sports gear, refilling water bottles, repacking lunches, and around and around it goes.

Anchors

As the season changes, it’s important to set aside time for anchors–both those that mark the season and those that are simply a weekly connection time that provide a grounding for kids who are daily navigating the demands of growing up and learning how they fit into their world. Lately, carving out time for connection has become increasingly important to keep everyone hinged in the midst of the hustle.

Friday Night Pizza 

The first simple weekly tradition that we all look forward to is Pizza Night on Fridays. We light candles, turn on a fun mix, and one of the kids helps me make a huge salad, usually a blend of baby butter lettuce and chopped romaine, piled high with toppings–celery, broccoli, shredded carrot, pea snaps, and cucumber. We bake up a couple margherita pizzas with pepperoni. Amy’s is our favorite brand and you can get them pretty much anywhere. They are organic, have incredible flavor, and don’t give anyone a tummy ache after eating them.

Yes, you can absolutely make your own dough, which is a wonderful way to go, but I’ve found that in the midst of this crazy sports season, by Friday night, it is a gift to me after a long week to have something all ready to pop in the oven with zero fuss and just as little clean up. I’d much rather be soaking up my kids’ at the end of a busy week than cleaning up the kitchen, so that’s how we roll right now, but I do love a good make your own pizza night, so maybe once things slow down a little, we will get back to that.

These little weekly traditions are something we all love so much that even if the kids are heading to a friend’s house or a football game, we all try to figure out a way to squeeze them in. If Emma is done with soccer practice at 5:30 and heading to a game at 7, you better believe that we have candles lit, pizza in the oven, and are ready to snuggle in for an hour together before she heads out for the night. This is normally also the night when I’ll bake up a gooey treat or let the kids dig into a little of their candy stash (it’s the only night of the week…so this is highly anticipated!) The boys will pick through and categorize their Nerds, gummies, and Starburst stash, and then fill a tiny bowl with their picks, while Emma or I whip up some Almond Flour Brownies. These are a staple around here. We love Friday nights.

Favorite Shows

After pizza, it’s show time. It’s a tall order to find a show that an 8 year old, 11 year old and almost 14 year old (plus adults) actually enjoy, but we’ve loved each of these on Disney+.

The Mysterious Benedict Society

The Mighty Ducks

Turner and Hooch

Saturday Game Night

Our second weekly anchor is Game Nights, sometimes this works best on Saturday and other weeks Sunday is a better night, but as the kids have gotten older, games are so much fun! Our favorite game to play together is probably Texas Hold Em (or another Poker spin off) – sometimes with M&M’s instead of chips, but other great family games to try out include:

• Five Crowns
• Code Names
• Apples to Apples
• Ticket to Ride
• Clue
• Dutch Blitz
• Carcassonne
• Sushi Go
• Settlers of Catan
• Scrabble
• Phase 10

We’ll pop popcorn and slice up some apples or set out a bowl of grapes and just enjoy being together. Some weeks we’ll do a charcuterie board dinner on game night with meats, cheeses, crackers, fresh fruit, nuts, chocolate covered pretzels, and popcorn. This is always a hit and a great night to invite other families or friends to join you!

Saturday Morning Brunch

The third easy family anchor is Saturday morning brunch. During this season, Saturdays are usually reserved for soccer and basketball games, but during slower months, the kids love it when I make a seasonal treat for breakfast–mini baked pumpkin donuts with scrambled eggs and sausages, homemade cinnamon rolls, or pumpkin streusel coffee cake are always a winner around here in the colder months. And yes, we balance out a few fun weekend splurges with lots of salads, smoothies, and veggie soups during the week!

None of these things are hard, expensive, or unusual, but there is something sacred about the regular rhythm of built in time together that everyone can count on.

What are some of your family’s favorite anchors for busy seasons?