Holiday plans

jmama1611

Anyone have fun holiday plans? Special outfits for their little ones? Neat traditions?

This board is getting awfully quiet!

SandNStarsNJ

We're reinventing traditions this year because so much has or is changing. Our in laws usually host Christmas Day but sold their house and are moving to another state and we usually have a little something Christmas Eve with both our families because it's the only way to get them together but most of my family has become vegabonds and aren't around. So we are having just my extended family over for Christmas Eve and my mom is staying for Christmas morning... With DD so excited his year we have a handful of ideas up in the air for Christmas and have currently decided we will be leaving her stocking on her bed for her to find in the morning and are brainstorming a few other ideas. 

Would love to to hear what those of you with toodlers are considering. 

kristah2

This is our first Christmas as parents! Needless to say it means baby has way too many outfits and we went overboard with gifts when we really didn't want to. 
its also our first Christmas in 5 years back to my hometown (we moved here last January) so we have my family again! 

Christmas Eve day we will build a gingerbread house! It's been a tradition since we got together since it's what we did on our first date just before Christmas! The evening we will make an appearance at my aunts. They always do a big open house Christmas party and my whooolleee family goes! 
Then we will make a pile of nachos and watch a Christmas carol (what we watched on our first date!) 

the next morning we will exchange gifts. DHs tradition is a big Christmas breakfast so we will have that. Then head out of town to my dad's to see all my family there including my grandparents and sister who is 8! 
Then back home to get the turkey in so my mom and step dad can come over for supper! 

The 27 we also have "family day" where my moms side gets together. About 40 of us. Santa comes an so gives gifts to the kids. 
SO EXCITED!!!! 

leighry

I've always wanted to get into making gingerbread houses but just never seem to get there.

We don't do much Christmas eve. Watch Christmas movies and do hot cocoa. Christmas morning we will do at home with the kids then head to my parents around lunch time and likely spend the rest of the day there with family.

rspalding001

We bought matching Christmas pj's for DS and DD. Hopefully we get some cute pics in laws are visiting us this year because of the LO.

jmama1611

Christmas Eve is new pjs, Christmas movies, and treats at home just us.

When baby is older on Christmas Eve the kids will exchange their gifts to each other Christmas Eve. Was a childhood tradition with my siblings and I and was always exciting. Even if gifts is siblings and I exchanged were cheap or what we already owned. 

Christmas morning at home.

Christmas day at my parents. Nice big dinner and more gifts.

28th out of town about 2 hours drive away for visits with extended family. 

Another tradition is each year getting new special ornaments for each person symbolizing the year - from a trip, if someone started a new hobby, new characters they like, etc.

jmama1611

@leighry this year I bought a premade gingerbread house (just assemble with icing and candies provided) and my toddler has so much fun! Easier than I expected. He's 3.

m6agua

We had friends-mas this last weekend. Just hung out, decorated cookies and did a white elephant exchange. We are going to repeat next year but the kids will do secrect santa (4 kids) and the adults will do a as-seen-on-tv themed white elephant.

my parents and half brothers will be over this Thursday to celebrate. We normally do Christmas Day but this year they are spending it at their step dads. We just hang out all day and play board games and have a surf and turf dinner.

Christmas eve we will be watching the Packer game and then have dinner with my husbands family (immediate and aunts, uncles and cousins, about 20 people. There are now 3 grandkids and they are the only ones people get gifts for.

christmas evening we will go to my aunts for dinner. My mom has 2 siblings in town. Our families always get together for dinner and do a brown bag ornament gift exchange.

The weekend after Christmas is at the farm (where my mom grew up). She has 12 brothers and sisters so with all the aunts, uncles, cousins and now cousins children there are about 50+ people. It lasts the whole weekend. We just visit and play games. The family goes to Sunday mass and sings as the choir for that day. We do a brown bag gift exchange.

we don't really have anything special planned for Amelia's first Christmas because she is so little. 

MollySm

We host a Christmas Eve party at our house,  just like my parents always did.   The tiny one will be 3.5 weeks,  so I am not feeling especially on top of things this year

kvruns

We might go look at lights Christmas Eve if B cooperates. Otherwise plan to read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas and that's it. Christmas Day we will do presents at home and go to my parents around lunch time. It's always low key here. 

jsmai

Mom is here for two weeks and we've been binging on holiday movies. 

Christmas day we have a pajama brunch and secret Santa swap with our friends and their kids. That evening we'll do Chinese food takeout with my SIL.

hoosiermama-2

A coworker bought her a couple of Christmas outfits a few days before I went into labor! Super cute stuff too. To my mom's dismay, I told everyone to not buy her any more Christmas clothes, haha.

I love Christmas so much and our families have a bunch of traditions, but this year we are milking the newborn excuse—we ain't going anywhere! DH will make us a bunch of goodies to eat tomorrow, and then Christmas Day our parents and other extended family will come here to see the little one. We're super lucky in that all of our family is here in Indy, so saying no to the usual festivities doesn't feel too bad since they can come over any time!