Although October is a month of change, as leaves whirl in riots of colour, it is also the month when monotony sets in, at least for me. My days rush by, one following the next with little to distinguish them. The excitement of a new school year changes to the tedium of routine. And as comforting as routine is, after a point, it becomes dull.
This past January, I decided I was through. Like Alice I was “beginning to get tired of… having nothing [new] to do.” I felt like I was repeating the same cycle over and over again, my brain mindlessly spinning like a washing machine, and I needed just a dash of the madness and adventure that Alice had in Wonderland.
So I concocted a simple plan: I would try to have a celebration or a gathering every month, no matter the size. I wanted something that I could look forward to and plan. I would bring Wonderland to me and sprinkle in the spice of change I needed.
It’s October now, and so far, it’s been a success. Surprisingly, I haven’t even had to plan some of the celebrations – they happened naturally on their own, but the mere act of writing them down helped me savour the experience more. It made me realize that I actually did have something exciting and novel to look forward to every month – perhaps the monotony was half in my head.
Although I attended a few more elaborate parties, most of the celebrations were simple, unassuming affairs. I can’t spend hours preparing food or setting up decorations, but even the simplest celebrations can bring joy and novelty to an otherwise lackluster month.
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To give you a bit of inspiration, here is a bit about each of the 9 celebrations I’ve had so far this year:
January – Harry Potter party
One of our friends hosted this marvelous party. She decorated one section of her house as Hogsmeade, another as the Great Hall, and a third as Gringotts. We had a scavenger hunt, were sorted into houses, and were supplied with gold Galleons from Gringotts to purchase chocolate frogs and jelly beans at Hogsmeade.
February – Valentine’s Day gathering
I hosted this party along with two of my friends. We invited about twelve people from our ballet class. We decorated with pink and red balloons and streamers, ate pizza, and decorated heart shaped sugar cookies. Everyone brought a treat to share – two favourites were homemade chocolate covered strawberries and oatmeal cookies. We played musical chairs and some party games with plastic cups.
March – Al fresco dinner
This was a simple outdoor dinner with eight of my friends from ballet. We had chicken, beans and rice, and tortilla chips. Even though it was so simple, it was really nice to just spend an evening together!
April: Picnic at the park
One of my friends invited four of us to a local park for an outdoor streaming of Ratatouille. We brought a picnic blanket and a basket that held cheese, grapes, an assortment of crackers, and a baguette, and watched the movie on a computer while having an evening picnic.
May: Pizza party
Two of my friends and I watched a movie, played cards, and made pizza together! This was a fun but simple way to finish off the school year.
June: Garden tea party
This was a delightful little party we had to celebrate a birthday in our family. We had an outdoor table with an assortment of teas, pretty teacups, and dined on sliced fruit and little cakes with whipped cream and strawberries.
July: Eve Anderson tea
This was a tea at the Charlotte Mason Institute Conference. While I loved the whole conference, the Eve Anderson tea was one of my favourite parts! We painted with pastels and learned a lively folk dance. We also had a selection of drinks and delicious refreshments.
August: Birthday tea
For my birthday, we celebrated with a tea featuring a lemon and whipped cream layer cake I baked. The decorations were simple – a pretty tablecloth we already had, teacups, and pink and white candles left over from past year’s Advent wreaths.
September: Evening at the Theatre
Our local ballet company was performing a selection of contemporary works. Several of my friends and I went together to watch the opening night performance!
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Some other ideas I considered doing are below.
- A Book Swap – everyone brings one wrapped book and swaps with someone else.
- A Favorite Things party – if you don’t know what this is, read Everyday Reading’s blog post about it.
- An Ice-Cream Social – this would be a simple summer celebration. Just get two or three types of icecream, waffle cones, and toppings like sprinkles or chocolate chips and you’re set.
- A Cookie Swap – each person brings copies of their favourite cookie recipe and enough of the cookies for everyone to try.
- A Gingerbread Decorating Party – a good one for December. You could use the pre-made gingerbread house kits or make gingerbread cookies to decorate.
- A Board Game Night – if you have a good collection of board games, you could just use yours or have each person bring their favourite.
- A Watercolour Painting Night – all you would need is painting supplies and light snacks.
I hope these ideas inspire you to add in novelty by having celebrations with friends and family. They don’t have to be complex – after all, the people you gather with are the most important part!