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Post by clementine on Nov 7, 2018 14:15:36 GMT -6
What holiday traditions do you do with your family/kids? Any new traditions you want to start?
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Post by babybean on Nov 7, 2018 14:29:20 GMT -6
I love the idea of starting traditions but know I’ll get upset if I can’t stick to them so I try to go with the flow. We don’t have my stepson every year either so things change on that front too.
Our elf on the shelf arrived today! I know some people hate them but DS was excited so I’m happy.
We wake up and do presents first thing Christmas morning and do Christmas dinner that night at home. We usually invite my IL’s but my family’s coming this year and we’ll do Solstice with my IL’s.
I’d like to do cinnamon buns Christmas morning but who knows if I’ll get around to that.
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Post by mintyblueair on Nov 7, 2018 15:35:47 GMT -6
I love Christmas more than anything!!! We do everything the way I did when I was a kid. We go choose our tree the day before my birthday (early December) and decorate it on my birthday,and we have cookies and hot chocolate while decorating. My husband wants the tradition to be cutting one down ourselves, but we did that a couple times before we had kids and it was always sooooo cold and the tree was a scraggly twig lol. Maybe when the kids are older we can try that again.
I also put up a fake tree in the basement.
I make an absolute ton of cookies with my mom! We're going to start making a few things for the freezer next week. I'll be able to include DS a bit in the baking this year.
We go for a drive to look at Christmas lights one night, but with N's super early bedtime we might put that off this year.
Since having kids we started hosting christmas eve and day dinners. Because my in-laws live overseas it's just my parents, my brother and his fiancee, my sister, and my BIL who lives in california. Christmas eve everyone comes at around 3 or 4 and we have drinks and appetisers. Dinner is something easy. This year I'm making tourtieres, salad, and one veg dish. After dinner the kids open one present, which is a book and pyjamas. This year we'll start putting our milk and cookies for santa with DS.
Christmas morning we open presents with just the kids at our house, then we go to my parents' to exchange gifts with everyone else and have breakfast. Santa brings the "big" presents for the kids. Breakfast is cinnamon buns, eggs cooked in ham cups, and fruit salad. We always listen to handel's messiah lol.
Then we get Christmas Dinner ready, which is always turkey with stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, mashed turnips, spinach salad, and Brussels sprouts with bacon. Dessert has varied, but we did a buche de noel last year because that's what MH always did as a kid. I think that'll be our thing every year now.
I'm very strict with these traditions lol. I pretty much live for Christmas so I try to make the season as magical as possible. My favourite childhood memories revolve around Christmas so it's a very pleasantly nostalgic time of year for me. I'm trying to make it as sweet for my kids as my parents did for us.
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Post by mintyblueair on Nov 7, 2018 16:30:04 GMT -6
Oh, I forgot to add that we make homemade eggnog after dinner on Christmas eve. That might actually be my favourite Christmas food. The two years I was pregnant over Christmas and couldn't have any were the woooorst.
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Post by nevertoomanyshoes on Nov 7, 2018 18:31:30 GMT -6
We do elf on the shelf and DS1 just loves it, he inherited my H’s love of Christmas. For me, I’m liking it more now I have children but it’s been hard to let go of the negative childhood Christmas associations (divorced parents, feeling guilty for not being able to see both parents Christmas Day, all the fucking travel on the day etc).
DS1’s first Christmas was awful due to the expectations of us attending both MIL’s family’s Christmas Day thing and my family’s thing, the baby didn’t nap and it was just stressful and horrible. No more! We instigated the alternating plans thing and got H’s cousins and sister and my sisters and cousins to all coordinate it so that’s made everything so much better for everyone (they were all dealing with the same thing with their other families).
MIL is on her own so she always stays at our place Christmas Eve. We have a casual dinner and drinks. One day I would like a Christmas morning just me H and the kids but that’s not on the table until maybe when SIL has kids? Even then I think MIL would prefer to stay at ours (BIL is a dick).
We always do our Christmas baking Christmas Eve with DS and when he’s older we’ll go and look at people’s Christmas lights too.
Christmas Day evening H and I exchange silly stocking presents just the two of us. It’s always a nice way to relax after a busy day with who ever family we are that day.
Boxing Day we host a casual bbq and my dad and parents (if I haven’t seen them on Christmas if it was MIL’s family turn for us) and some of our friends come and we drink and eat and chill out. That’s my favourite day.
This year it’s all looking bleak since we will probably be living at MIL’s for Christmas. Honestly I’m probably being silly but I’m having a real hard time with it, especially since it’s DS2’s first Christmas.
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Post by mrsmonogrammed on Nov 7, 2018 21:09:59 GMT -6
So many fun little traditions!
We jump right in to the holiday season and go downtown Chicago to see the tree and ice skate at Millenium park the weekend after Thanksgiving. We also always put up our tree that Sunday.
My mom, grandma, aunt, and I (+DD) have a cookie baking day one of the weekends in Dec.
Christmas Eve we travel to 3 different family affairs and we each open 1 present when we get home.
Christmas Day we open presents as soon as we wake up (but everyone has to be up- no sneaking to peek!).
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polson
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Post by polson on Nov 8, 2018 5:23:53 GMT -6
right now we are still just kind of doing what i did growing up in terms of christmas eve and day family outings. this year will be different as my grandma will not be able to host christmas day brunch. we usually go to my moms christmas eve for dinner, grandma’s christmas day brunch and aunts christmas day for dinner. we do in-laws on a separate day as it just works better and they are unbelievably flexible and accommodating to everyone’s schedules.
i always did st nick day and a cookie baking day growing up and i would like to start that with the girls.
something i never did was an advent calendar and i would like to start that. they have cute felt ones with pockets on etsy - i want to make my own. it probably won’t happen this year but i think it would be a fun activity.
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cornpop
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Post by cornpop on Nov 8, 2018 7:25:23 GMT -6
polson, I was going to make my own advent calendar this year. Then Pottery Barn had a sale and I decided my time was worth more than the $. We usually go pick out trees in Nov and then pick it up and decorate it a few days before Christmas Eve. But the farm we usually go to closed to we're regrouping on that one. My big tradition is Christmas eve. We're Italian so growing up my grandmother always did the seven fishes and made homemade pasta. when she got sick a few years ago I took over so now I do that and invite like 16 people over. It's my favorite day of the year. Also, the most stressful day of the year. We have matching PJs and we do St. Nicks day. For Thanksgiving, we made cinnamon buns that morning. I love traditions.
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cornpop
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Post by cornpop on Nov 8, 2018 7:26:38 GMT -6
OH and something someone on my first BMB suggested, we got a plain tree skirt and every year we do a handprint of the kids on them. So the first year was me, my H and E's hand and then every subsequent year it's just E (and now N's) handprint so you can see them grow. It's my favorite.
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Leaf 🌱
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Post by Leaf 🌱 on Nov 8, 2018 7:26:44 GMT -6
babybean I’m trying to be relaxed about it too. I didn’t manage to get DD1s handprint done last year and I feel HORRIBLE. Sometimes I feel like the worst mom bc my kids don’t have monthly photos or baby books and we didn’t carve a pumpkin this year. That being said, we pick out our tree all together at the same farm, we write down the kids’ favorite gift next to their handprint on the tree skirt, and we try to visit Santa. We don’t do seven fishes ( cornpop is it you that does?!) but we do try to have at least 3-4 😂 DD1 has been making the holiday desserts with my mom which is really fun for them. I also spend too much money on Christmas pajamas but I’m not sure if that’s a good tradition 😂
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Leaf 🌱
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Post by Leaf 🌱 on Nov 8, 2018 7:29:12 GMT -6
Best tradition: taking a break on Christmas morning in the middle of presents to eat breakfast. It prevents meltdowns and makes the morning last. We are annoying and all open up one present at a time but we all love it.
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cornpop
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Post by cornpop on Nov 8, 2018 8:36:42 GMT -6
Leaf 🌱, yes that's me! And taking a break is a good idea.
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auri
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Post by auri on Nov 8, 2018 10:07:48 GMT -6
We normally go to the zoo and walk around and see the lights there. I also like going to see the lights at the park where you just drive through it. We do new pjs every year that we open on Christmas Eve. We’ll watch a Christmas movie (usually the Polar Express) and read ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas. I make a really yummy Praline French Toast Casserole. I make it and let it set overnight, then bake it in the morning while we open gifts.
This year we’re going to home for Christmas. I think the plan is celebrating Christmas Eve at DH’s family’s house, Christmas morning at mine, Christmas afternoon back at his. Then my mil wants to do a family dinner when my nephews get back from their moms complete with family picture taking. I am hoping that it goes better than it did the last time they tried doing family pictures. I might end up starting a new tradition of drinking to deal with whatever fuckery my mil comes up with this year.
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cornpop
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Post by cornpop on Nov 8, 2018 10:09:18 GMT -6
auri can you send me your recipe for the French toast casserole? I make one every year but haven't found a sweet one I love
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Post by calendula on Nov 8, 2018 10:36:31 GMT -6
Last year when I was pregnant, DH, DS and I took a day trip to our favorite little village by the coast. We did some Christmas shopping at the small stores there (a general store, a craft store, etc), had lunch, and bundled up for a long hike/walk along the beach. It was the most peaceful, quiet way to spend a Saturday during the holidays. I want to make it a tradition!
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Post by calendula on Nov 8, 2018 10:39:35 GMT -6
Oh and another tradition we have done since having DS is spending Christmas Day at home. No trekking all over God's creation to in laws houses to eat shitty food or make awkward conversation blah blah blah. I suffer through that for Thanksgiving. Christmas is for playing with your new toys in your pajamas all day, eating awesome dinner and then playing some more. And it shall be so.
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Post by babybean on Nov 8, 2018 12:00:21 GMT -6
Oh and another tradition we have done since having DS is spending Christmas Day at home. No trekking all over God's creation to in laws houses to eat shitty food or make awkward conversation blah blah blah. I suffer through that for Thanksgiving. Christmas is for playing with your new toys in your pajamas all day, eating awesome dinner and then playing some more. And it shall be so. yes yes yes +1.
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Post by babybean on Nov 8, 2018 12:11:03 GMT -6
babybean I’m trying to be relaxed about it too. I didn’t manage to get DD1s handprint done last year and I feel HORRIBLE. Sometimes I feel like the worst mom bc my kids don’t have monthly photos or baby books and we didn’t carve a pumpkin this year. That being said, we pick out our tree all together at the same farm, we write down the kids’ favorite gift next to their handprint on the tree skirt, and we try to visit Santa. We don’t do seven fishes ( cornpop is it you that does?!) but we do try to have at least 3-4 😂 DD1 has been making the holiday desserts with my mom which is really fun for them. I also spend too much money on Christmas pajamas but I’m not sure if that’s a good tradition 😂 I never did handprints or decorated a proper nursery for either kid and feel like a crap mom for not doing various things. I have to remind myself that we all have our high points and while there’s no way to be a perfect mom there’s a bunch of ways to be a good one. I’m holding off on the pj’s this year ‘cause It’s an expensive tradition lol but love doing cookies with the kids just before Xmas.
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auri
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Post by auri on Nov 8, 2018 12:51:41 GMT -6
I love the tree skirt hand print idea. However, I’m lazy and not crafty so it’s not a thing that will get done here. Maybe I’ll tell my sister though...she loves doing stuff like that. I think she’s making a Mistle toes picture for my mom this year. And she’s doing some type of hand print wreath when all the kids get there.
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Leaf 🌱
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Post by Leaf 🌱 on Nov 8, 2018 13:10:22 GMT -6
Oh and another tradition we have done since having DS is spending Christmas Day at home. No trekking all over God's creation to in laws houses to eat shitty food or make awkward conversation blah blah blah. I suffer through that for Thanksgiving. Christmas is for playing with your new toys in your pajamas all day, eating awesome dinner and then playing some more. And it shall be so. yes yes yes +1. +2. I do not travel. To be honest, my mom lives really close, but DH usually works on Christmas so I think it’s fair to stay by my family.
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snowmoon
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Post by snowmoon on Nov 8, 2018 13:23:47 GMT -6
Pizza for dinner on Christmas Eve and one present to open. I think it will be a new book to read at bedtime.
I'm going to make (lol will probably buy) a big advent calendar that I will fill up with little activities for each day leading up to Christmas. I'm going to try to do fun ones like ice skating and baking cookies but also things to serve our community. Like visiting the food bank and soup kitchen. You know, the reasons for the season.
We have talked about incorporating some more solstice traditions too, but not sure what.
Edited for grammar.
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Leaf 🌱
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Post by Leaf 🌱 on Nov 8, 2018 13:31:28 GMT -6
Lol I bought the LOL Doll advent calendar bc #lazy.
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Post by nevertoomanyshoes on Nov 8, 2018 14:11:35 GMT -6
I also bought the boys matching Christmas tees to wear Christmas Day (summer here). They are very cute and have little Christmas Santa’s, dinosaurs, koalas etc. I don’t know if the matching will become a tradition but I’m trying!
I love the pjs idea.
H just ordered personalised Christmas stories for the boys which I think they’ll love.
I would love love love to have Christmas Day at home. We don’t have too much in-law fuckery, it’s just little dramas and one or two BSC relatives. I do love that we host Boxing Day and I’m sad we won’t get to most likely this year (unless we buy a house in the next two weeks AND the owners want a short settlement which is unlikely).
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Post by clementine on Nov 8, 2018 14:43:32 GMT -6
I love reading about all of your traditions! We’re sort of in the middle of continuing traditions with our families and trying to create new traditions as a family of 3.
In past years, we’ve spent the couple days leading up to Christmas with my family (Christmas Eve with my dad’s side, Christmas morning at my parents’, then to my Grandparents’ for the afternoon), then we drive to H’s parents’ (about 2 hours away) and spend Christmas night until New Years with his family. It’s worked well so far, but now I’m not sure with throwing L into the mix. I go back and forth with wanting to just stay at our house for the holidays, but then I would miss seeing our extended families and taking part in all the traditions I grew up with. But also not traveling and staying at 2 different houses over 2 weeks would be amazing. I know my parents and brother would come to us instead, but H’s sister and her family live near his parents, so I wouldn’t expect them to come on Christmas... nor would I want to host both our parents at the same time.
Either way, we’re going to wear matching Christmas PJs on Christmas Eve and start buying L a new ornament for the tree every year (and he’ll get to pick it out when he’s old enough). I’d love to take him to see Christmas lights every year, as well.
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Leaf 🌱
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Post by Leaf 🌱 on Nov 8, 2018 15:10:07 GMT -6
For any one struggling with where to go/splitting time, also remember that our kids are (almost all) still super little and don’t know what day it really is. We’re moving Christmas Day so DH and my sister can be home for the celebration. My parents apparently did this all the time and we never noticed 😂 and we’ve usually traveled for thanksgiving but then hosted our own that feels more “real” on a different day.
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Post by ArielMermaid on Nov 8, 2018 17:26:54 GMT -6
So far we don’t have any real traditions. My MIL likes to have everyone over for their Christmas on Christmas Eve, which is fine but then we can’t have any Christmas Eve night traditions. Last year we barely threw cookies out for Santa because toddler meltdown mode was happening after we got home. We barely ever escape before bedtime. Christmas Day we open presents here then go over to my moms for a late brunch and presents with them. I’m ok with this because they are five minutes away, I don’t have to cook, or watch my kid 😂 I just have to figure out where we fit and what we can do as the four of us.
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Post by sweetc129 on Nov 10, 2018 20:16:10 GMT -6
We don’t have a ton, but hope to start taking my girls to see the Nutcracker every Dec once they are old enough. I loved seeing it with my mom when I was younger. My middle child’s birthday is the week before Christmas and that sucks.
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Post by sunshinedaisies on Nov 12, 2018 17:43:45 GMT -6
I’m late but loved reading through this thread and everyone’s traditions!! This is my favorite time of the year. We are still trying to figure our traditions as we’ve done something different every year since DS1 was born (we moved out of state away from family that year). Last year we went back to visit but this year we are staying at home. We maayyyyy invite my ILs. I haven’t committed yet.
I really want to incorporate some of my favorite memories from childhood into our traditions - making Christmas cookies, looking at lights, waking up to Christmas presents and then a breakfast casserole, then playing all day with our new stuff. And then I want to add new stuff - like this year we got matching jammies and last year we did the advent calendar. We also do St Nick’s day (happy to see others do too - my coworkers thought I was crazy when I talked about it).
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Post by dizzycooks on Nov 12, 2018 21:16:31 GMT -6
I’m jealous of you all with cute traditions. I just got done arranging three family Christmases leading up to the actual holiday. My mom had the nerve to say she’s glad she goes first before the novelty wears off. I was like, “you mean by Christmas morning when I finally give my kids their presents??”
We always bake a ton of cookies. We go to candlelight service in Christmas Eve and we do fondue dinner after. Christmas Day dh makes cinnamon rolls and bacon and we skype with his parents. We will also have cocoa and go look for Christmas lights a week or so before.
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Post by alwayscheese on Nov 13, 2018 15:01:22 GMT -6
I love love love Christmas. I love reading what you all do, it's inspiring.
All my family lives in other states/country, and DH's brothers that live here are both going to their in-laws. So it will just be FIL, MIL and us. And DH works the night of Christmas eve. So I am feeling very very blah about it.
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