Why does the world move so fast? 

Watching my children, I notice how they live FOR every day. The last question every night seems to be, “What are we doing tomorrow?” And they’re excited for what the new day will bring. As an adult, I sometimes find it frustrating because I’m thinking, tomorrow is Thursday and it looks just like every other Thursday. We have our routine, we stick to it, and we’ll make some progress on X project that you or I are working on. 

As your kids get older they start to notice patterns, so every once in a while you’ll hear a question like, “How many days until Halloween?” Or “How long until my birthday?” And they start to recognize reoccurring events that excite them. 

As an adult, I’ve noticed that it can be far too common to measure my time in projects finished, finally making it to bedtime, or focusing solely on the next “vacation.” And over time I’ve realized, what am I doing?

As my children have been getting older I’ve faced the reality that I only have so many summers, Christmases, and Halloweens left with each one of them. And we haven’t had that many! And I’ve wondered more and more: how do I not take these experiences for granted?

He gives them the seasons, each season different yet every year the same, so
that spring is always felt as a novelty yet always as the recurrence of an
immemorial theme.

C.S. Lewis (The Screwtape Letters)

But more than this, I didn’t simply want to focus on “just the next holiday,” I wanted to find a way to change, improve, and find joy in every single day. And that is when I decided to take seasonal living far more seriously. Let’s talk about it.

Applying the Science of Nostalgia to Seasonal Living

There are many studies done and researched performed that suggest that family traditions give us a sense of nostalgia that can improve our lives in many ways. Some of these ways include strengthening family bonds, providing a sense of identity and belonging, and offering emotional support. Studies show that families that engage in family traditions experience better communication, higher levels of happiness, and lower levels of stress.

One of the beautiful things about seasonal living is that it encourages us to slow down and savor the special moments with our families. Whether it’s picking apples at the orchard in the fall or watching fireworks on the Fourth of July, these traditions help us to recognize and embrace the passage of time. 

Why is it that we’re fascinated by fairytales of “seasonal faeries?” We watch Tinkerbell movies that embrace the changing seasons, showing our strong emotional tie to the passage of time, but often, this sentiment rarely translates to how we live our daily lives. 

By infusing our lives with the magic of each season, we not only create cherished memories but also teach our children to appreciate the beauty of the world around them. And we create optimal childhood experiences that benefit them so much over the course of their lives. 

Organizing Your Life Around the Seasons | Where Do We Start?

As moms, it’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day chaos of raising a family. But by intentionally incorporating seasonal activities and traditions into our lives, we can create a sense of rhythm and routine that helps us to connect more deeply with our loved ones. Whether it’s baking cookies together in the winter or planting a garden in the spring, these rituals give us something to look forward to and help us to make the most of each season.

Luckily I’ve already created a jumping off point for you to explore all of the ways that you can START TODAY in whatever season you are in, and begin living seasonally immediately. Start small, take baby steps, and before you know it, you and your family will be enjoying the benefits of seasonal living (and become addicted to it very quickly.)

When I began on this journey, I had no idea how to properly explore the seasons and experience them properly. I live in Arizona and our seasons consist of a cool spring, warm summer, extremely hot summer, and a return to a warm summer. We don’t experience the change of seasons really unless I make a concerted effort to expose my children to the traditions of the season. You will not see falling leaves until Christmastime, so during Halloween season, the only thing tying my children’s mind to the season is the house decor, pumpkin carving, and apple cider. 

Luckily, the world is full of creative people who have put their minds to work in finding and creating wonderful ways for us to concoct a seasonal experience, no matter our living situation. So I started on Pinterest and made a board for every season, then further broke it down into the following areas: patterns, breakfasts, snacks, dinners, desserts, drinks, tablescapes, decor, style, books, movies, music, games, art, crafts, and activities. I’m sure there are so many more ways that we could embrace the season, but I had to start somewhere, and this already gave me so many options!

Imagine the Possibilities

I want you to imagine yourself five years from now, sitting in your kitchen, and your child running in with excitement in their eyes. “Mom! Remember that kiwi lemonade we made last spring? Should we do that again?” While they’re asking that, you are eyeing the framed pressed flowers that you created with your children last spring (and that you get out every spring now to use as decor). 

You can smell the hummingbird cake baking in the oven. What’s the special occasion? Nothing more than it being spring. Your favorite spring tunes are playing throughout the house, and you’re excited to introduce your family to a wonderful new spring inspired movie that you loved as a child. And in the next room over you can just make out your oldest child crocheting flowers, or your son in the backyard watering your small flower pot.

Not only can seasonal living improve and inspire your every day life, it can tie each year to the next by the decor, crafts, recipes, and activities that find favor in your family’s life and get repeated year after year, and long after your children leave home. You can leave a legacy of the appreciation of the passage of time, and the connection that comes with tying yourselves through time and experience to your family members.

Why Seasons? Why Me?

Seasonal living inspires me in so many ways, but one of the ways I felt drawn to it was when I started writing an epic novel (querying to agents as of May 2024). The fantasy race of creatures that I created are deeply tied to the season of their birth, and as I pondered and imagined all of the ways that they would use their magic to embrace the seasons of their world I began to wonder why I wouldn’t, with my own abilities, try to do the same. I realized that every organic material that they used or connected to in their season ultimately tied to a spiritual manifestation of power and connection to those around them. 

The beauty of the idea of that became my reason to pursue it in my everyday life. Why couldn’t flower bouquets elicit emotion instead of simply looking pretty? Why couldn’t food inspire us and bind us to our neighbors and friends? 

When do we turn into adults who are not enthralled by finding cool rocks? Think about your kids. They love and value the dandelions growing in your front yard. They love the pebbles they find on the street and assign value and meaning to them. And at some point we decide that if it isn’t a diamond, it holds little value. 

The Key to Planning

To get started, it’s great to have the right tools. A great tool to start with is my digital planner, and although I LOVE my deluxe planner, the only one you really need is the free version, which I have linked to below. I love using the monthly pages and just filling in everything I need. If you would love to inspire yourself in the season we are in, I currently have spring and summer stickers available in the library that you get full access to when you purchase my planner, with autumn and winter stickers coming later this year. 

In the future I would love to do a video specifically on how I plan for seasonal living in my digital planner to optimize my time and take some of the mental load off of my mind and put it on paper. 

Before you go check out the digital planner though, please click that like button, it helps my channel so much, and don’t forget to subscribe to my channel and ring that bell so you can join my on these fun adventures. Before I get to my final words, I would also LOVE if you could put in the comments below your favorite season and a tradition that you love and associate with that season. I’d love to hear your stories and feedback.

Final Words

So, having illustrated the beauty of the seasonal living and the impact that it can have on your family, I do not plan on leaving you hanging. As much as I’ve tried to apply this to my life more, I’ve got a long way to go and I’d love for you to join me in the journey, share your ideas, and become inspired by my experiences. 

This is an endeavor that I’m deeply committed to for the sake of my family and the joy that we can find together in this experience. There is nothing, to me, more important to our lives than the loving connection that we can find in our families and, as a mother, I feel that I am well suited to foster this love for God’s creations and tie us closer to the earth and each other through creativity in our daily lives. Stick around ladies, I can’t wait to see you in the next video.