Recently, my husband (Jon) made some big changes in his career.

My husband "working"

Always the entertainer, Jon's a fun-loving guy who puts his whole heart into everything he does. Here he is creating some new flavors and sporting some "new hair" at his old job.

Those of you who know us in real life probably thought Jon’s former job was a perfect fit with his fun loving personality. He got to be creative in the culinary field in a way that he’d never been able to before, and worked with a company that’s pretty well-loved in our community. For us, though, the biggest issue was scheduling and his free time.

At this point in our lives, we’re reminded constantly that our kiddos won't stay little forever. Time has become a hot commodity for us and, unfortunately, my husband's old job kept him on the road often while also working nearly every weekend. The long hours and extra pressure meant his stress level was through the roof, so even when he was home, he couldn’t let loose and be the fun-loving husband and father we all knew he was.

About a month ago, after tons of prayer, he switched to a more family friendly position with a new company. With weekends off and more time to spend with the family, this leaves the Sirons living for Saturday.

With our new-found Saturdays free to venture out as a family, we often find it hard to choose what we want to do. Last Saturday while trying to plan the day, my daughter suggested a "Summertime Saturday Jar." Her suggestion was that we fill a jar with little slips of paper that give fun and simple ideas for activities we can do together as a family each Saturday. Isn’t she so smart?!

If you’re anything like us, choosing an activity (or god forbid -- a place to eat) can be the biggest struggle…

I don’t know how little Paisleigh thought of it, but she’s really come up with the solution to all of our problems. This jar idea could potentially save marriages across the globe. I mean, my husband is rarely more frustrated with me than when I refuse to pick a place to eat. So, technically, you could have a dining jar too! Indecisive people, unite!

When putting this together, and when making a selection, make sure to include your children. Kids will LOVE reaching in the jar on Saturday morning to see what the day holds.

Also, keep your entertainment budget in mind. The jar definitely doesn't have to be filled with costly trips and activities. Actually, the ideas that my daughter wanted to stick in our jar were the cheapest ones that any of us came up with.

For our jar, we simply jotted the ideas down on strips of paper and tossed them in. Give the jar a good shake, and you’re ready for Saturday!

Here are some of our ideas – note that a lot of these are specific to where we live in the Ozarks of Missouri. You may need to do some research to see what’s fun and popular near you.

-Get Snow Cones

-Daytrip to Bentonville

-Wonders of Wildlife Museum

-Go to the movies

-Sonic Happy Hour and Thrift Stores

-Water Park

-Go to Grandma's House

-Mini Golf

-Silver Dollar City (Theme Park Day)

-Garage Sales

-Donuts and Drive-In Movies

-Staycation (Set a rule on how far you’ll go – book a hotel, and it suddenly becomes “special.”)

-Orange Leaf / Frozen Yogurt

-Go to the Park

-Water Balloon Fight

-Try Bubble Tea

-DIY Slime day

-Discovery Center

-Skyzone Trampoline Park

-Incredible Pizza

-Try a New Restaurant

One thing we learned afterwards was that we should have categorized our ideas and used different slips of paper for different activities. It might be helpful on a rainy Saturday to know that you should pull out a BLUE slip for indoor activities, or a PINK slip for free things on weeks when money is tight.

I fully plan on using the jar as a form or discipline as well. If our kids don't have a helpful heart and a great attitude throughout the week, they don't get to pull an activity on Saturday.

Try making a new jar for each season. Not only is the jar encouraging good behavior, but it also gives the chance to interact with my kids in a new way.

I hope that you guys can find a way to incorporate something similar in your own house this summer. Do you have ideas that we should toss in our jar? Send them my way!

xo,

- CHASITY

Living For Saturdays

What can you do with a weekend to bring your family closer together?

Living For Saturdays