Movies and Memories.

When the word family comes to mind, one thing I think of is: watching movies. My family (and friends who have become like family!)  seem to have always bonded over moments on the couch, munching popcorn and laughing at a favorite movie. It sure seems fitting I ended up marrying a filmmaker (Am I right? Hahaha!)!

My best friend recently visited. We did some NYC exploring and ate at cool restaurants, but some of our best moments were spent at home sitting on the couch eating Indian take-out,  talking, and watching special movies.  

After she left, my buddy told me this was one of her favorite NYC trips because we just chilled in front of the TV and talked. 

For Thanksgiving I went home to our Illinois farm.  During the day we explored the country roads and hillsides.  During the cold nights, however, we settled in front of a blazing fireplace, ate a lot of popcorn, and watched our favorite movies. Oh how I love home! 

My little sister and I watched throwback movie favorites like "Passport to Paris" and "To Grandmother's House We Go"  (Wonderful Mary-Kate and Ashley movies pre The Row days). We watched a favorite family movie every night without fail. 

I also loved sharing some new movies with my parents. My favorite thing was to watch their faces during a suspenseful scene, a tender scene or a funny scene (hoping they actually laugh). 

There's something special about movies. Aaron and I have even given movie adventures as Christmas gifts! One year, we took all our nephews and nieces to see Stars Wars. I loved seeing their little faces light up as the bright lightening-fast action bounced off the screen.  

Closeness and sharing are key elements to watching movies. Sitting side-by-side in a cozy room is super. Sharing movies which spark discussion brings families together. Good movies evoke memories, emotional reactions, thoughtful talk and, in the end, forever family ties.

I'm popping corn and getting ready for Christmas bonding with some special movies!   

What are your favorite family movies? Let me know!

This Post is created in conjunction with the ladies of The Refined Collective. Be sure and read the other articles today by: Yvette JainCorie Clark and The Refined Woman.  Also, join us over on instagram today under #therefinedcollective to see what everyone else has to say on this topic.