As a mom now in my 50s with young adult children, I finally have a little space to pause and reflect. Dangerous, but true. Having older kids — and realizing how quickly our family dynamic keeps changing — I’m more aware than ever of the importance of creating memories while we’re all still under one roof.
Someone once said they realized as an adult that all their favorite childhood holiday memories were actually work for their mom. FACTS. Yes, we love doing it — but it’s also effort and intention: planning, organizing, shopping, cooking… all the things. It doesn’t “just happen,” no matter what the recipients (or sometimes even our husbands) might think.
Let’s be honest — most of the time, moms are the creators of holiday magic and family traditions. We’re the ones adding the extra touches, keeping the calendar full, and curating the moments that become memories.
Starting a Simple Tradition
I truly love family traditions, and we’re coming up on some of my favorites — fall, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s!
Last year, I hosted a neighborhood ladies’ pumpkin-painting afternoon — a little southern fall hospitality at its best. We had a few pumpkins left over, so I planned a family pumpkin-painting night after church one Saturday (we attend Saturday services instead of Sunday mornings).
I rolled out brown paper across the dining table, set out all the acrylic paint pens from my ladies’ event, ordered pizza, and let the painting begin. It turned out to be so much fun — and goodness, the kids really excelled at pumpkin painting!
Making It a Memory
So this year, I planned another ladies’ event and made sure to grab extra pumpkins for our second annual family pumpkin-painting night. I even made the invite on Canva — because I like to be a little extra and have fun with it.
This time, I was ready. I ordered fall garland and hanging decorations from Amazon, picked up themed paper goods and tabletop pumpkins from Hobby Lobby, rolled out the brown paper, set out the paint pens, and of course — ordered pizza. I also made a big bowl of pumpkin fluff with graham crackers and gingersnaps, because honestly, it’s not a fall party without pumpkin fluff.
After church, we ate dinner together around the table, then it was on! Some of the kids browsed Pinterest for ideas, others just created their own. The result? A table full of unique pumpkins and another beautiful tradition to add to our list.
From the Porch🍃
As I watch the seasons change, I’m reminded that our kids won’t remember every detail we planned — but they will remember how it felt. The laughter, the love, the joy of being together. That’s the kind of memory I hope they carry with them long after the pumpkins are gone 🎃 ❤️.