Some of the best marriage advice I’ve ever received was also the simplest: Don’t schedule anything on Friday evenings.

Saturdays? Of course! Sunday afternoons? Fair game. But Fridays are free.

There are exceptions, naturally, but they’re limited to events we can’t change, such as weddings or parties. If friends want to get together, we make those plans for Saturday night. If we want to see a show or concert, we get tickets for Saturday. Family dinners are usually Sunday dinners, so those work out perfectly, too.

We keep Fridays free, and we usually spend them on the couch, catching up on television or movies, listening to jazz and reading, or simply talking (my personal favorite). Our dinner for the evening is delicious and beautiful: wine, apples, cheese, and crackers.

I make these cheese trays to various degrees of complexity, usually based on how tired I am at the end of the day! We call this little tradition Friday Wine & Cheese, and it’s something we look forward to every week.

I am a firm believer in little traditions. It’s great to have big holiday traditions with family, a favorite restaurant where you celebrate birthdays and anniversaries, and a special vacation spot you enjoy with those dearest to you. Those traditions can bring us great happiness. But our everyday happiness can come from the smallest of things, and little traditions like this one remind me of the gratitude I have for time spent with my husband.

PS: The leftover cheese contributes to another little tradition: omelettes after church on Sunday!

What are your favorite little traditions? In what ways do they bring you joy?