Celebrating the Little Things

Do you have any traditions that you are so glad you started? Maybe it’s Friday night pizza parties, getting together for family birthdays, or taking a girls trip every summer. For me, it’s celebrating the lesser celebrated holidays. Early in our marriage, I decided “Why not celebrate Fat Tuesday, St Patrick’s Day, and Cinco de Mayo?” So, even though it’s just the 2 of us, Jay and I try to celebrate all of the “smaller” holidays.

At our house these aren’t the “all out” events like Christmas or the 4th of July, but a low-key excuse to spend time together and make memories. The next holiday on our list is Cinco de Mayo, and I want to share a few ideas for celebrating the day that can work for any special occasion.

• Embrace the theme.
• Take a few minutes to think about the holiday. Do a quick search on Google or Pinterest to get overall ideas.
• Settle on a color scheme. 
• Decide on your menu.
• Set the table.
• Using your color scheme, look around your house. What do you have that will work with those colors? The goal isn’t to spend a small fortune on dinnerware or a fancy centerpiece you will only use 1 time. The goal is to create a special backdrop for your memories. Think outside the box and don’t be afraid to pull something you’re using in another room into your tablescape for the occasion.
• Now that you’ve exhausted your collection, what do you still need? Maybe it’s a colorful napkin, a fun serving bowl, or a fresh floral bouquet. (Because we all love to have just a little something new on the table!) 

• Enjoy a festive meal.
• It doesn’t matter if you cook something or order takeout from your favorite restaurant. Remember, just like the decor the goal is sweet memories not an elaborate spread. (Unless, you’re like me and that elaborate spread brings you joy!)
• Don’t forget the desserts & drinks!

• Have some fun.
• What does your family or group of friends love to do? For Jay it’s all about the movie nights. So we pick a themed flick for the evening. If you’re hosting your book club, read a book that correlates with the event. If you love game nights, look on Etsy for themed, print at home bingo cards.
• Take some photos. I always forget to take pictures when it’s just us doing things at home. Don’t forget to record the special times. These are the occasions you want to remember!

Now that we have the overview, here’s a peek at what I’m thinking for Cinco de Mayo at our house…

• Theme: An outside dinner with bright colors inspired by beautiful papel picado bunting. (You can find similar bunting on Amazon, just search for papel picado.)

• Decor: 
• Papel picado bunting strung over our table with string lights.
• I’ll use a blanket from Mexico, folded in thirds, for the table runner. Mason jars, some filled with bright gerbera daisies and others with tea lights will serve as the centerpiece.
• Our everyday plates are white, so we’ll just use those with a festive paper napkin to coordinate with the bright colors.
• For serving pieces, I plan to bring out all of my Mexican themed Mud Pie dishes and supplement with other bright colored bowls as needed.
• I’ll probably find a Mariachi band playlist on Apple Music and have that going for a little ambience, too!

• The menu:
• Grilled chicken fajitas with refried beans and Spanish rice. 
• Tres leches cake for dessert.
• Entertainment:
• We’ll have to wait and see if I can talk Jay into it, but my vote is for the movie Coco. If he protests, then our backup will be Nacho Libre.

What are you planning to celebrate next? Are you jumping on board with a fiesta for Cinco de Mayo or will you just head to your favorite Mexican restaurant for the night?

See you soon!

Rachel