My mother throws a huge Christmas eve party every year so I'm hoping to continue that tradition! I also can't wait to make stockings for my little family!
Every Christmas Eve we make cheese & chocolate fondue. My son LOVES it. Then we give him a Xmas eve box with pajamas, a Christmas movie, a Christmas book, hot chocolate, and 'reindeer food'. We watch the movie in our pjs, then when it gets dark he puts the reindeer food in the yard & we take hot chocolate in the car to look at Christmas lights before bed/books. I wouldn't have it any other way & can't wait to include our second in all of our traditions.
Anything and everything Christmas! I am so excited my baby boy will be here in time for the Holidays. The only tradition SO and I have right now is driving around looking at Christmas lights, but I am sure we will incorporate our own when Henry arrives.
I discovered a new one last that my big kids LOVED, and can't wait to do it again!!
I think I first saw it on Facebook, but the basic idea is you wrap up a book for each day from Dec1 to Christmas Eve (so 24 in total) and every night before bed, the kids got to take turns picking a book to unwrap and read as their bedtime story. I mixed in some old books (ones that we hadn't read in a while), some new books (mostly the ones from the school Book Fair in Nov), and some Christmas-themed books. It was so much fun seeing what book we got each night.
As a nice bonus, I was so excited about the idea last year that I told everybody about it, and MH's aunt came over one day with a bag of books all wrapped up, so I don't have to do anything to get it ready again this year!
I discovered a new one last that my big kids LOVED, and can't wait to do it again!!
I think I first saw it on Facebook, but the basic idea is you wrap up a book for each day from Dec1 to Christmas Eve (so 24 in total) and every night before bed, the kids got to take turns picking a book to unwrap and read as their bedtime story. I mixed in some old books (ones that we hadn't read in a while), some new books (mostly the ones from the school Book Fair in Nov), and some Christmas-themed books. It was so much fun seeing what book we got each night.
As a nice bonus, I was so excited about the idea last year that I told everybody about it, and MH's aunt came over one day with a bag of books all wrapped up, so I don't have to do anything to get it ready again this year!
I discovered a new one last that my big kids LOVED, and can't wait to do it again!!
I think I first saw it on Facebook, but the basic idea is you wrap up a book for each day from Dec1 to Christmas Eve (so 24 in total) and every night before bed, the kids got to take turns picking a book to unwrap and read as their bedtime story. I mixed in some old books (ones that we hadn't read in a while), some new books (mostly the ones from the school Book Fair in Nov), and some Christmas-themed books. It was so much fun seeing what book we got each night.
As a nice bonus, I was so excited about the idea last year that I told everybody about it, and MH's aunt came over one day with a bag of books all wrapped up, so I don't have to do anything to get it ready again this year!
I love this! I'm a reader and I plan on reading to baby boy from day one. I might have to steal this
I discovered a new one last that my big kids LOVED, and can't wait to do it again!!
I think I first saw it on Facebook, but the basic idea is you wrap up a book for each day from Dec1 to Christmas Eve (so 24 in total) and every night before bed, the kids got to take turns picking a book to unwrap and read as their bedtime story. I mixed in some old books (ones that we hadn't read in a while), some new books (mostly the ones from the school Book Fair in Nov), and some Christmas-themed books. It was so much fun seeing what book we got each night.
As a nice bonus, I was so excited about the idea last year that I told everybody about it, and MH's aunt came over one day with a bag of books all wrapped up, so I don't have to do anything to get it ready again this year!
I do this in my classroom with my students! They have always loved it and I would like to do it at home too when he is a little older.
Our 5 year old loves her elf on the shelf. The elf arrives the day after thanksgiving and returns to the North Pole the night of Christmas Eve. We are debating whether or not to buy another elf for our new born. Then each child could have their own elf and it could be their tradition to pass on to their children.
I love Christmas! I can't wait to start a Christmas box that she will get on Christmas Eve each year... I want to put a book, movie, snacks, and some new Christmas pajamas each year So excited for this new family tradition!
My siblings and I are all in our 20s and we still spend the night at my parents Christmas eve and wake up before the sun to start opening gifts. Our son will be the first grandchild so it'll be that much more fun to have a little one to be excited to see what Santa brought. We got gifts from Santa as well as other characters so that will be a fun tradition to carry on. (for example, mrs Claus, Rudolph, Yukon Cornelius from the Rudolph movie, etc.) my husband and I also want to start a tradition since his birthday will be close to Christmas of donating his old toys and things to children in need. I figure this will be a good way to clean out his toys before he gets more for the holidays and to teach him about helping others. This thread made me so excited, i can't wait!!!
I discovered a new one last that my big kids LOVED, and can't wait to do it again!!
I think I first saw it on Facebook, but the basic idea is you wrap up a book for each day from Dec1 to Christmas Eve (so 24 in total) and every night before bed, the kids got to take turns picking a book to unwrap and read as their bedtime story. I mixed in some old books (ones that we hadn't read in a while), some new books (mostly the ones from the school Book Fair in Nov), and some Christmas-themed books. It was so much fun seeing what book we got each night.
As a nice bonus, I was so excited about the idea last year that I told everybody about it, and MH's aunt came over one day with a bag of books all wrapped up, so I don't have to do anything to get it ready again this year!
Now I want to find 24 Christmas books.
Some people in our neighborhood/playgroup do this and use (at least some) library books. Heads up: start early if you plan to use library books. Not sure if they return them soon after opening, but if not, the library would have a shortage of Christmas books starting in November.
One thing that we are going to start doing with our toddler is to have her make a Christmas list with only up to 3 things on it. Then she is going to have to ask Santa for gifts for other children. This year, we will likely just have her ask Santa for a present for her new baby brother. And then when she is a little older (she is only 2 right now) we are going to have the kids ask for presents for children in need. So when Santa asks mommy/daddy to help him out a little bit, we can take the kids to the store, buy the gifts, and donate them to Toys for Tots or another toy drive. We want our kids to enjoy Christmas but not get so caught up in the selfish/materialistic side of the holiday that they forget about other people.
We started the tradition last year after moving into a new place (a big tree isn't practical here) of making a tinsel tree each year. I made a frame out of coat hangers and attached various battery powered LEDs. Then we just wrap it with tinsel garland until it's full. It came out so pretty. This year we're hoping to add a few more lights and garland.
Then we watch a Christmas movie each night starting Dec. 1 and on Christmas Eve we did a little craft with DS's handprint (this year we'll have two). I look forward to seeing each year how they've grown. Christmas morning I make cinnamon rolls to eat as we open presents.
Putting up the Christmas Tree, wrapping presents, making traditional Czech kolaches with DH's mom and watching Rudolph! DS found the control switch for the Christmas Tree and keeps begging to put the tree up everyday. He starts to head downstairs, and when we ask him where he is going, he tells us he is getting the Christmas Tree. )
Married 05.19.07 | Together since 03.11.00 | Dom Born 02.06.12
Oh and I can't believe I forgot this! Zoo lights! Dom was around for the first year they started doing it, even though he was almost sleeping the whole time we enjoyed it, and have taken him each year. We took him to see the spongebob ice sculpture world at Moody Gardens, and hopefully they'll do something like that again! Of course baking cookies at Nana's house.
Also, just decorations in general. Now that we are almost all the way moved in to our new place, it'll be more fun!
Some photos from our old house, and then our new house. It's funny to see how we were really trying to move in at the time, and how we moved the tree around to accommodate furniture I finally put together.
*bumping because Christmas*
There are two family traditions that I want to continue with LO when she's old enough. The first is opening one present on Christmas Eve. The second is having a yummy Christmas breakfast.
I like the idea of starting our own family traditions too. Having LO unwrap a book every night for 24 nights and then reading it to her sounds like a wonderful idea!
There are two family traditions that I want to continue with LO when she's old enough. The first is opening one present on Christmas Eve. The second is having a yummy Christmas breakfast.
I like the idea of starting our own family traditions too. Having LO unwrap a book every night for 24 nights and then reading it to her sounds like a wonderful idea!
We do the book thing!! I've slowly started wrapping mine!
Re: What Christmas tradition?
Next big thing.
I discovered a new one last that my big kids LOVED, and can't wait to do it again!!
I think I first saw it on Facebook, but the basic idea is you wrap up a book for each day from Dec1 to Christmas Eve (so 24 in total) and every night before bed, the kids got to take turns picking a book to unwrap and read as their bedtime story. I mixed in some old books (ones that we hadn't read in a while), some new books (mostly the ones from the school Book Fair in Nov), and some Christmas-themed books. It was so much fun seeing what book we got each night.
As a nice bonus, I was so excited about the idea last year that I told everybody about it, and MH's aunt came over one day with a bag of books all wrapped up, so I don't have to do anything to get it ready again this year!
Not sure if they return them soon after opening, but if not, the library would have a shortage of Christmas books starting in November.
Then we watch a Christmas movie each night starting Dec. 1 and on Christmas Eve we did a little craft with DS's handprint (this year we'll have two). I look forward to seeing each year how they've grown. Christmas morning I make cinnamon rolls to eat as we open presents.
DS found the control switch for the Christmas Tree and keeps begging to put the tree up everyday. He starts to head downstairs, and when we ask him where he is going, he tells us he is getting the Christmas Tree.
Zoo lights! Dom was around for the first year they started doing it, even though he was almost sleeping the whole time we enjoyed it, and have taken him each year. We took him to see the spongebob ice sculpture world at Moody Gardens, and hopefully they'll do something like that again!
Of course baking cookies at Nana's house.
Also, just decorations in general. Now that we are almost all the way moved in to our new place, it'll be more fun!
Some photos from our old house, and then our new house. It's funny to see how we were really trying to move in at the time, and how we moved the tree around to accommodate furniture I finally put together.
There are two family traditions that I want to continue with LO when she's old enough. The first is opening one present on Christmas Eve. The second is having a yummy Christmas breakfast.
I like the idea of starting our own family traditions too. Having LO unwrap a book every night for 24 nights and then reading it to her sounds like a wonderful idea!