This summer has been filled with doing… family picnics, backyard playdates, scavenger hunts (GO York), playing bluegrass, tending garden; and adventures at our favorite sites, including Lake Redman, the Rail Trail, Mason-Dixon Library and Dutch Wonderland.
As a farm kid, I guest you could say I've always lived this way. And I'm so grateful to share this lifestyle with my husband and kids. Don’t get me wrong, I cherish having stuff; but in my 30’s, I’m much more aware when I step beyond my values, to ‘keep up’ or splurge. And when that happens, I naturally realign and come back to my roots.
A recent example… my hubby, my bestie and my mom have birthdays in August. That could equal a whole lot of having (gifting, really). Instead, here's how we celebrated:
For my husband, plans included a walk down memory lane – an afternoon at the horse barn he spent hundreds of hours in growing up. As he tacked up and walked the same horse he learned to ride on around the ring with our 4yo sitting proud in the saddle, my heart melted. Sharing that time with him and our daughters in a place he loves, with friends we love, DOING what he loves… amazing.
For my bestie’s birthday, we shared a girl’s night at a local winery - to catch up, listen to live music and celebrate; all the while sipping on cran-apple wine slushies (yum!) and savoring a picnic dinner. It was packed with the help of my daughters and featured produce we grew as a family. Much less expensive than a designer label and much, MUCH more enjoyable for two busy moms.
To round out the celebrations, my daughters and I spent the day with my mom (aka Nina) this past weekend. We explored the Susquehanna River and spent the morning touring local museums and sharing in my favorite bakery. I hadn’t visited since my wedding cake tasting (6 years ago!), and it was just as charming as I remembered. We enjoyed lunch at a well-known but new to us restaurant on the water, John Wright, and capped the day off with a swim in her neighborhood pool.
All three were wonderfully memorable.
For me, these are words to live by…
It feels better to do stuff than to have stuff.
-- James Wallman
Pictured Above:
My daughters with our dog, Cosmo, on our way to tend our garden.