It’s easy to get caught up in the busy hustle & bustle of Christmas, and end up feeling stressed and and not-so-merry. Here are a few Christmas traditions we have tried to keep for our little family to keep this season simplistic and truly focused on each other and the Reason for the season. ❤
—Cookie Baking Day! Most years, all the girls in the family gather at my Mom’s house for a Cookie Baking Day… this year, her house was under-the-weather (boo!), but that doesn’t mean we haven’t been doing plenty of cookie baking on our own. We are gifting them to neighbors and friends, and I let my toddler help me as much as she wants. My kitchen is trashed, and I’ll probably still be sweeping up sprinkles in March, but we have the sweetest time baking (and taste-testing!) in the kitchen together each year.
—Christmas Movies, Christmas Movies, Christmas Movies! We loveeeee Christmas movies, and try to settle down a couple evenings/week to watch one… some of our new family favorites on Netflix this year have been Curious George’s Very Monkey Christmas and Winnie The Pooh’s Very Merry Pooh Year. Of course, popcorn makes everything better. 😉
—A Christmas Bedtime Story Each Night! We wrap 25 Christmas books and let our toddler open one each night in December leading up to Christmas. I don’t buy new books every year… i scour Goodwill, search our library (just remember to read the books and return them before the due date), and save the Christmas books we already own. Such a festive and simple way to wind down each night with our sweet girls. Even though it’s the week of Christmas, you don’t have to miss out on this one… go ahead and do it as this week’s big countdown!
—Christmas Eve Lights & Hot Chocolate! This is something we have been doing since our first married Christmas. It’s even more special now that we get to enjoy it with our children. Here’s the rules… put on your pajamas, stop to get your favorite coffee/hot chocolate (bonus points if you skip the drive-thru and go inside the coffee shop in your pajamas!), put your car radio on Christmas music, and drive around looking at Christmas lights. It’s our very favorite way to spend Christmas Eve. ❤
What are your family’s favorite traditions, and ways you keep the holidays simple?
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