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July 2014 Moms
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Christmas addicts: report here
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Re: Christmas addicts: report here
We buy our tree the day after thanksgiving and decorate it. We hang stockings, and pretend that it's cold outside, even though it's usually still in the 80s here.
Christmas Day I'm up so early, I'm basically like a little kid. DH and I open gifts together and then we go to visit both sides of the family. This year, since DS is here we will be having the families over to our house.
I'm looking forward to watching movies, and reading books with DS as he gets older. Christmas will be so awesome!!
In years past, we went to my parents' house on Christmas Eve and Santa came there but now with him getting older and having two kids, we're probably going to stay home so Santa comes here and then we'll go up to my parents' house afterward. We always leave a note with cookies and carrots for the reindeer, but since this is the first year we'll be home on Christmas Eve, I'd like to start a new tradition. Just not sure what yet. I'm thinking ordering Chinese and watching a Christmas movie.
I also use this site for a customized video message from Santa. Last year DS watched it probably no less than 100 times. https://www.portablenorthpole.com/
I also already bought matching Christmas PJs for the boys. DH gave me grief but damn it, I will do it for as many years as I can get away with it.
Oh, and new Hallmark ornaments every year! I try to find one that represents what the child interests are that year. This year I brought DS1 with me and so we now have Lightning McQueen for the second year in a row so hopefully he'll marry a woman that thinks it's cute that they have 13 different Lightning McQueen ornaments on their Christmas tree some day.
Can I hijack a little bit and see if anyone can help? I wanted to buy DS1 a really nice fire truck for Christmas. My brother had one when he was little that was gorgeous. It was steel and it had lights and sounds but not obnoxious. My mom thinks my dad donated it and she's upset because she had purposely kept it for grandkids to play with one day. So I've been looking for one similar but all I'm turning up are plastic ones that get so-so reviews. Does anyone have one they like or can suggest somewhere I might look for one besides the usual TRU, Amazon, etc, etc.? I even checked eBay but didn't see what I wanted, or any that were nice were out of my price range for a used toy.
I can't wait for decorating, shopping for toys, matching Christmas pajamas for all 3(!) kids, a big Christmas morning breakfast, and putting DD in a cute holiday dress/outfit. My boys are 5 and 3 so we're officially in the very fun era of Christmases.
DD born 7.27.2014
BFP 09.2015 - m/c 10.21.2015
@litera DS is getting a radio flyer wagon for Christmas. DH is so excited about it, I love seeing how excited he is to celebrate the holidays with DS.
I also can't bake very well, but it's something I hope to get better at. I want to be able to bake every year with DS and have that be a part of our Christmas traditions. I do make some delicious red velvet crinkle cookies though!
I love hearing how other people celebrate holidays and their traditions. In my home we usually watch Christmas Vacation and It's a Wonderful Life on Christmas Eve. Last year was the first time I watched Polar Express and my son and I really enjoyed it so I think that will be a new tradition.
My husband's work always does a cookie/sweets exchange and I usually make fudge and enjoy participating in that.
We love holiday trains and have a few set up, one under the tree. There's a passenger train in my area that does holiday rides with Santa. It's really cute to see my son light up when Santa comes around to say hi. It's beautiful to see the lights from the houses as we pass on the train.
My mom always displayed her doll collection from around the world on our stairway each Christmas, and I've continued this tradition. It feels even more special now that I have a daughter to share this with.
I don't do elf on the shelf, I think it's kind of creepy. I love eating a huge breakfast and opening presents slowly. I love advent calendars and want to make my own for both children this year. I really look forward to bringing special memories to my children at the holidays, it was always a very special time for me growing up.
I'm planning salt dough footprint ornaments (did them with a friend last year as a test run and she's bringing her baby over to make more this year!) and an ornament with the hat and bracelet from Adelinde's birth. We'll put up the tree and decorate the day after Thanksgiving. And that's when Bing Crosby becomes a regular in the house and car
I made an advent calendar last year that'll hold small things (chocolates for me right now but maybe tiny gifts when LO is bigger). And I plan on making stockings for DH and LO. My Aunt made an embroidered stocking for my brother and I as babies and I treasure it. So I want similar ones for everyone!
I'd like to start a tradition of having the family over either for Christmas breakfast or Christmas Eve dinner but I haven't figured out what my in laws' traditions are yet and don't want to step on toes.
And I'll watch all the movies. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the original) has always been one of my favorite movies. And I know this one is oddly unChristmas-y but my mother and I always watch all the Harry Potters and all The Lord of the Rings over Christmas break so I'll be doing that too!
I totes upon totes or Christmas decor that gets put up slowly after Christmas. I make homemade candies starting a week or so before Christmas.
We go to my family's Christmas on Christmas Eve then do Christmas morning at home before going to DHs dad. So far DHs dad has gotten DS a silver coin every year for Christmas and if there is ever a year he doesn't than I plan on getting them the coins.
We do a friends Christmas party at our house each year, so we will probably do that again. And then I have a huge Christmas village that I set up, and of course the normal tree and decorations.
November 1st-dancing Santa comes out of storage. He's a 5 foot tall singing, dancing machine. We also start decorating for "winter" around this time (snowflakes, red plaid blankets, etc). Every week from Novrmber 1st onwards we bake one thing (cookies, meringues, something....). Last year I let H decide what we made, but he was clueless. I'm hoping this year he will "help". The week before Christmas we package up cookies and deliver them to our neighbours, a local animal shelter (along with homemade dog treats and donations we have collected) and a local retirement home.
We all have special homemade stockings that go up December 1st. Mine is a carousel horse, DF has moose, DS1 has a raccoon and DS2 will have a fox.
We cut down our own Christmas tree. Usually around December 1st we head up into the mountains for a day of snow and sledding and finding our perfect tree. It sits outside for a week and then we decorate it on the 6th. We typically have a special dinner on the 6th and of course there are treats and presents in your shoes.
Every Sunday we watch Christmas movies before bed. And we read a Christmas book in bed. The Christmas Jammie's come out December 1st. The weekend before Christmas we drive around with hot chocolate looking at lights and listening to carols. There is a local park that does a huge light up and we go every year. Every year everyone in the house gets a special ornament (it was how I told DF we were expecting Ds1).
We have an advent calendar with little boxes in it. I have a stuffed reindeer that "hides" with the little box every night (like elf on the shelf, but not as creative or creepy). Every morning Ds1 has to find his reindeer, unwrap his treat or small gift and put the box in the calendar.
Santa photos are done at our local greenhouse. It's a huge display and DF went there as a child for his photos. Ds1 haaaaaated Santa last year. So we will see. I do cheesy Christmas photos myself at home (baby sleeping in a giant basket of non-breakable Christmas balls anyone?!).
We do Christmas Eve with the inlaws. Christmas morning with just us and later Christmas Day with my family. Santos's gifts come in a sack, but they are all wrapped (DF claims his were never wrapped as a child, but I need them wrapped!). Each boy has their own sack. Stockings sre opened first, in bed. Followed by some type of food (usually candy!) and unwrapping of presents.
I'm also huge on crafts and baking and decorating! There are some Xmas movies (die hard, elf, bad Santa) that I insist on watching with DF and a bottle of baileys).
There is honestly a hodge-podge of traditions. So with DS here now we will pick which ones to keep and new ones to start. It's hard living 5+ hours from family so I'm not sure how it'll all pan out. But ideally DH and I discussed having Christmas morning for just us and DS but the other time with family. I'd like to do an Advent calendar with DS when he gets older, so definitely not this year. As a kid we would go to the "tree farm" and cut down a tree each year. I haven't done that with DH because it was always a "family" thing, but now with DS, I think we may start that this year.
One present from us is opened on Christmas eve, typically jammies to wear that night, or a new outfit for Christmas day. We are planning to do one bigger present to be from Santa (unwrapped and without tags) and then smaller ones from us (wrapped), probably clothes though since family tends to buy an unearthly amount of toys. Christmas Eve is always at Chuck E Cheese with DH's family. I don't know why, but they've been doing if for like 30 years. So, it's typically a lot of fun, filled with pizza and games and all of the kids love it. It'll be nice to see a large portion of DH's family and have them meet DS for the first time. Christmas morning has been and will continue to be presents and cinnamon rolls. It's tradition in our house. Then we typically visit family.
I typically do lots of Christmas things, make cookies, breads, fudge, and homemade noodles. I like to do some homemade gifts too, such as the cookies in a jar, hot cocoa, photo calendars, etc. So, we'll see what I come up with this year.
And Christmas movies... yes, yes, yes to all of them. I love the old time animation ones like Rudolph. Polar Express, Charlie Brown, both Grinch movies, Christmas vacation, Home Alone, Santa Claus, Elf, oh my... the list goes on.
https://www.thriftycraftygirl.com/2013/12/lilys-first-christmas-ornament.html
Ok this thread is amazing. We use Christopher Popinkins which is like elf on the shelf but for younger kids. Ours does not do stuff. I was just moves place to place every night and DD number one likes to look for it.
We also do the matching Christmas pajamas and the first night that they wear those is Thanksgiving night.
I also like to use the Santa videos from portable North Pole. DD one was two years old last year and just loved it!
We make reindeer food and Christmas eve and threw it outside in the front yard. It's mostly just made of oats and glitter. She loves it.
We also cut down our tree and take pictures with it before cutting it down!
In years past I would just go have dinner with the parentals.
Now that I have a family of my own I feel I need to let my Martha Stewart flag fly. I'm picking up a Christmas tree, decorations, ornaments, and whatnots over the next couple of weeks. I'll get my son and I stockings to hang on the fireplace. We'll watch Christmas movies, I'm sure. I'll be doing that pinterest ID bracelet ornament, too (thanks for the idea!). I'll do some baking, we'll go see Christmas lights around town, and we'll do Christmas pictures.
I never heard of the elf on a shelf until I became pregnant and still don't get it, so I'll skip that one.
I did that yesterday at hobby lobby. All their Christmas decor was half off so I picked up stockings and am now trying to decide the best way to personalize them. The little letter charms won't work since three out of the four of us have names that start with the same letter.
Yep, started November 1st. Already dressed in holiday outfits and pics taken. I think she's going to out grow a lot of the holiday clothes before December.
No excuse not to get them out on time this year, I guess!
I ordered stockings this week.
I ordered the elf stocking for LO and the Long John ones for DH and I (MIL gave me a weird look when I showed her but I think it's because it's not the "traditional" stocking. I'm sure she's going to buy LO a "traditional" one for her house but whatever)
I also couldn't pass up the santa plate set...loved it