A couple of years ago, Benjamin and I decided we didn’t want our holidays to be remembered because of the gifts. We wanted to create a true Christmas season experience. We want our children to look back and think about the fun things we did. We began to establish some traditions and let me tell you right now…you can start a tradition ANY TIME! Some of our traditions just started last year when our oldest, Pressley, was eleven.

I want to pause here and give a little bit of a tribute to my husband’s grandmother. She baked and baked and baked so many goodies during the holiday season. I would visit and there would just be trays everywhere. The week of Christmas she handed out so many trays, filled with all kinds of treats. It was a tradition. It’s been eight years since she passed away and I still think of her and those trays with a smile and a twinge in my heart that she’s no longer here.

So, let’s talk about some holiday traditions:

1. The Christmas pajamas. I know this is a thing for lots of people, but many hand these out on Christmas Eve. We actually open ours after Thanksgiving dinner, heralding that the Christmas season has finally begun. Everyone runs to change and we laugh as we see each other (even Dad!) in matching pjs! We enjoy them all holiday season…and all year, truth be told.
2. The Christmas Movie. We also like to gift the kids with one new holiday movie to open up with their pajamas.
3. The Advent Calendars. One year I happened to buy a Disney Tsum Tsum Advent Calendar and it was so much fun! We have bought one every year since. This year I have a Disney one that has a small book for each day and a Harry Potter Lego one.
4. The Jesus Storybook Advent Calendar. My sister made us ornaments several years ago to go along with the The Jesus Storybook and we absolutely love reading a story each day and then hanging our ornament on our little advent tree. You can google free Jesus Storybook Advent to find creative bloggers with resources on how to make your own ornaments.
5. Holiday Baking. From Thanksgiving to Christmas, we choose one holiday treat to make a week. We do this in remembrance of Nanny and her holiday baking. We have done Chex mix, Oreo ball snowmen, cookies, etc. Make extra and share with a neighbor or friend!
6. Christmas lights. We love to surprise the kids by randomly choosing a night and hopping in the van to drive around to look at Christmas lights. Pack some of those holiday treats, grab some hot cocoa while you are out, etc.
7. Drawing Names for Gifts. Let your kids draw each other’s names and take them shopping for their sibling’s gift. We let them choose, but will give a little direction, if needed. If money is tight, have a $1 budget and head to the Dollar Tree!
8. Shrimp and Grits Christmas Eve dinner. I began this tradition a few years ago and it may be one of my favorites. We have tried several recipes, hoping to find the perfect one. We make it a really special dinner with the kiddos and just love it.
9. Wrapping Paper. Each kiddo has their own wrapping paper and only Mom and Dad know which pattern belongs to which kid. They love trying to guess which pattern and gifts are theirs. On Christmas morning, their gifts are sitting next to their stocking. We have also done a neutral wrapping paper and each kid gets their own ribbon color.
10. Christmas Morning. We start the day off reading about the birth of Jesus in Luke.
11. Christmas Breakfast. We fix a breakfast every Christmas morning and invite the grandparents over to eat and watch the kids open presents.
12. The Yearly Ornament. Each kid gets a special ornament in their stocking to represent that year. When they get older and into their own home, I will give them their ornaments to have for their own tree. We JUST started this tradition last year.

I feel like I may be missing a couple, but here are a few ideas to snag to include in your own holidays! And, remember, it’s never too late to start! From my porch to yours,

XO,

Sharlie