At the beginning of this year, Ian and I created specific goals and intentions for our family. Things like: being more present, going outside more (we are doing the 1,000-hour outdoor challenge!), and spending more time with the ones we love. When we first created these intentions, we didn’t know how important connection and quality time would become to us over the course of the next month.
As most of you know, Ian’s grandfather passed away on January 26th, and even though we knew it was coming, it still shook the entire family. Although it has been a tough process, it has also brought our family a lot of goodness. For example, as I mentioned above, it has taught us how important connection is. We are closer than ever now, we are appreciating time with each other (and with others) more, and we are more intentional with what we do with our time. These are just a few examples of some of the many great things that have been born from going through this hard experience as a family, and I definitely feel blessed to have learned these things at a young age.
What it all boils down to is making memories with the ones you love. Hence, this blog post about how we Cherrish Every Moment with the help of Cherries from Chile. Because of the past few weeks that we have lived, I believe that it’s more important than ever to live your life to the fullest, be fully present, and cherish the moments. After all, the days might feel long, but the years are short. Don’t let them pass you by quickly, without making precious memories that will last a lifetime. If you want to start cherishing moments in your life more, here are a few ways that I am Cherrishing Every Moment in the months and hopefully years to come. Maybe these ways/tips will help you, as well!
Cook with family
Sometimes, cooking can seem like a chore, but when you cook with family, get creative with your ingredients and recipes, and make it fun, it can turn into a really great way to spend time with the ones you love, while making memories. Ian does most of the cooking in our house, but one thing that I love to make? A charcuterie board!
This may sound strange, but Ian and I are known for our love of cheese, and charcuterie boards, in general. If you ever take a peek in our fridge, you will understand what I mean. It’s typically filled with tons of cheeses, meats, and “extras,” to make the perfect charcuterie or snack board. They just always hit the spot and you can never go wrong with one! But, want to know the real reason that I love a good charcuterie board? Charcuterie boards are not only tasty, but they bring people together.
Seriously – think about it. With a typical dinner, you sit down, eat, and maybe chat a bit…but eating always takes priority. With a charcuterie board, it’s easier to make talking and spending time with the people around you more of a priority, while you snack. To me, it’s more of a thing that you want to do with the people you love, compared to sitting down for a meal that you need. Does that make any sense? Maybe not, but that’s how I view it, and it’s why I love charcuterie boards so much. Plus, they are so much fun to make! Here are a few tips when it comes to making the charcuterie board of your dreams:
+Choose high-quality ingredients:
First of all, choose high-quality ingredients. I love starting with fancy cheeses that I find at local farms, or Whole Foods. Then, I choose a meat or two, a fruit (my favorite part!), and all of the “extras” like honey, nuts, chocolate, etc.
Right now, Cherries from Chile are my go-to fruit option for any charcuterie board, because they are always so juicy, sweet, and they pair perfectly with cheese, meat, and a glass of wine for the adults. In addition to looking beautiful on a charcuterie board and being incredibly delicious, cherries have a ton of health benefits, are rich in antioxidants, and packed with melatonin for a good night’s sleep. This is HUGE for Avery, since we’ve always had to battle sleep with her.
Cherries are also a great source of natural Vitamin C (great for the winter months!), they have tons of fiber in them, and also include potassium, B vitamins, copper, magnesium, and more. I’ve even heard that they help with teething, as well. That is another bonus for us, since Avery is currently cutting her last 4 molars. SO many benefits come with eating Cherries from Chile.
Over the next few days, if you are creating a Valentine’s day charcuterie board, or hosting a Valentine’s day party, Cherries from Chile would be the perfect addition!
*One thing to keep in mind about eating cherries with little ones: since there is a pit in the middle, make sure you are cautious and get it out before they eat the cherry, if needed.
+Create layers, height, and texture:
When making your board, think about creating layers, height, and texture. Stack up your ingredients to add layers and height, add in things like honey with a honey dipper (again – it adds height and some texture), and for more texture, you could add in nuts, popcorn, or even different chocolates to add depth and make your board look more appealing (trust me – when it looks better, it tastes better).
+Don’t worry about perfectionism:
My best tip? Don’t worry about being perfect. Just have fun with it! If the point of a charcuterie board is to create memories, stressing about it won’t help with that. If it doesn’t look perfect, that’s okay! You can try again at a later time and keep practicing, OR you can just enjoy the board, because I promise you that it will still taste amazing. Charcuterie boards are meant to be personal and different. No two boards ever look the same, just as no two relationships are the same. Each one is perfect in its own way, so just have fun with it, and stop trying to re-create that “perfect” board that you saw on Pinterest.
+Stick with a theme, when possible:
Another great thing about charcuterie boards is that it is so easy to stick with a theme! As you can see, my theme was Valentine’s day, but you can get super creative with this, depending on what you are celebrating.
Spend 1,000 hours outside in 2022
As I mentioned before, one way that we are being more intentional in order to Cherrish Every Moment this year, is by spending 1,000 hours outside in 2022. This is for a few reasons. Kids are in front of screens WAY too much, in my opinion. Getting outside is a great way to get away from that constant screen time, while also getting natural Vitamin D, playing in dirt (so good for immune health), and spending quality time with the people around you, without every day distractions like dishes, laundry, and work, sitting right in front of you. I’ve also noticed that going outside instantly boosts my mood, so when we spend hours outside vs. inside, I’m a much more positive and happy person, which helps me be a better wife and mother. There’s a lot of science behind this and I definitely urge you to read it, if it will help you get outside more. Needless to say, going outside has so many benefits, and thankfully, we’ve had pretty mild winter weather here in Atlanta recently, which makes it so easy for us to do so.
The other day, we were able to make a charcuterie board (our Valentine’s Day themed board), pack up a blanket, and head to the park in our neighborhood. It was the PERFECT day. We ran around, played on the playground, ate our charcuterie board, fed each other Cherries from Chile and chocolates, and spent so much time chatting and laughing.
Now, I know that not everyone is as fortunate enough to have mild winters like we do (for the most part, at least). If at all possible, pack on the layers and get outside. But, if it’s not possible, being intentional about your time inside is so great, too. Even if you just have fun making a charcuterie board together, like we did, and then work on an art project or play with toys while eating the board, that’s great too! Quality time over everything. That’s how you Cherrish Every Moment.
Say “yes” to adventure and travel
If you read my 2022 goals post, or if you follow me on Instagram, you should know that we are in the beginning stages of moving to a new home. We want more space – more house, and a lot of land. But, that’s expensive, especially here in Atlanta. So, we are saving as much as possible and I’m also taking on as much work as I can (when it’s a good fit). Since we are focused so much on saving, we originally told ourselves that 2022 would probably be a year where we didn’t travel as much (kind of follows suit with the past couple of years due to the environment). We were really bummed about it because travel is a huge passion of ours, BUT we knew that the temporary sacrifice would be worth it, once we get land!
Well, our plans quickly fell through the cracks. We are still saving as much as possible, but after Ian’s grandpa passed away, we realized that we need to live, make memories, and travel as much as we can now because 1) our time is not always guaranteed and 2) even if we live until 90-years-old as he did, we do not want to look back on our life with regrets.
So, we are saying “yes” to adventure, even if it sets our home buying journey back a little bit. It’s bittersweet because I’ve been looking forward to land for so long now, but it is definitely the right move for us, and I’m really looking forward to it. Our summer is filling up: New York in April, a trip to Ireland (!!!!!!) in May to celebrate my 30th birthday, a beach trip for Avery and me in May, a golf trip for Ian in May, and a trip to New York again in June. Whew!
I’m really looking forward to all of our upcoming travels, and it will actually be Avery’s first time flying (that is a story for another day), so it will be interesting and so great. I will keep all of you updated on how it goes. All I know is that we are bringing TONS of snacks with us. Luckily enough, bringing a bag of Cherries from Chile with us is super-convenient, healthy, and easy to just throw in our carry-on. 🙂
Put down your phone more
This is something that I really struggle with, but I’m working on it. Since I work from my phone a lot creating reels, taking photos, responding to comments, emails, and more, it can be super easy for me to get wrapped up in my phone, while “playing” with Avery. I’m making it a priority to put my phone down more, so that I’m able to actually live in the moment and be present with my family. Want to join me on this hard, but rewarding challenge?! I bet it will make a difference in your stress levels and your connection with the people you love.
Make mundane moments matter
Not every moment in life will be as exciting as a trip to Ireland. Every single day, there are so many mundane moments that might seem boring or typical, but are actually special…if you make them matter.
For example, dishes. It’s something that nobody loves doing, but if you turn on some music and have a dance party with your family, while cleaning the kitchen, it can make it more special.
You also have to think about the fact that cleaning, doing laundry, and running errands are things that need to be done. You are tending to your family, taking care of your home. It’s a great way to teach your children the value of hard work and the value of taking care of your family and home, too.
Every moment matters – even the mundane ones. Make them into fun and teaching moments & you’ll see what I mean!
Love hard
Last but not least, just love your family and your friends hard. I guess this isn’t really a way to Cherrish Every Moment, but instead, it is just a good reminder. We don’t know what tomorrow looks like for anyone. Live in the moment, love hard, and be kind. It is so important to do so!
When you Cherrish Every Moment, you are present, you are living to the fullest, and you are HAPPY. Life is so short in the grand scheme of things. Choose happiness, adventure, and random charcuterie board afternoons. Material things (even a new home with land) will always be here, but one day, there will come a time where we won’t be able to do things like we can now, so take advantage of the time you have and make the most of it, with the ones you love. Grab some Cherries from Chile while you’re at it, and slow down enough to actually enjoy them, while soaking in the sights around you. THAT is how you truly live life to the fullest.