“How to Create Meaningful Friend Meetups Without Stress”

I honestly couldn’t remember the last time I made time for friends. After the holidays and settling back into my work routine, I realized how much I missed seeing some of my favorite people. Life gets busy—with kids, the house, work, and even trying to take care of myself—and friendships are often the first thing to slide.

I sometimes wonder why I’m usually the one to reach out and make the plans, but the truth is, we’re all juggling a lot. So I did it anyway. I invited a few friends over for a low-key, creative hang—vision boards for the 2026 new year. Once the invite went out, everyone was in and genuinely excited. It was a good reminder that making time for friends matters, even when life feels full.

Some friends are easy to be with—you can text them on a Friday night and they’re excited to come over. Others need more notice, something planned and penciled into the calendar. And that makes sense. Everyone has a lot going on. Even when I don’t have every hour scheduled, life still feels full and busy most days.

Still, I know friendships matter. I want to be the kind of woman who’s still spending time with her girlfriends when we’re older and the kids have moved out. I want both—the spontaneous “let’s just hang” moments and the planned get-togethers where we think about the details and make it special.

Right now, I’m learning that doing just enough is okay. Sometimes that means inviting friends over for tea, going for a walk, or doing a simple, creative project together. It doesn’t have to cost much or take a lot of planning. Connection can be simple.

We can do this, ladies.