Most of the time I play either with premades or I play Random Legacy style (either with one household or several following their own rolls).
If I'm playing premades, I don't create any sims in CAS, I just makeover them.
If I'm playing Random Legacy style, then I create the founder in CAS. I might also create the helper(s) as sibling(s).
I rarely create the spouse as I like to find them in game. I might bypass spouse-hunting in the first gen if they have to have a lot of kids because it gives upto an extra week of baby making time. In this instance, I would make the spouse in CAS.
I never normally create kids or pets in CAS. Except for "alien" pets, perhaps.
