We look forward to it every year despite stressors that it can also bring- the holidays! My family celebrates Christmas but feel free to wish me Merry Happy Whatever-You-Celebrate. My son is experiencing his second Christmas this year but probably the first year he's making some of those core memories.
While it might be Shiloh's first remembered Christmas, the traditions we showed him have been a lifetime in the making and it's so exciting to bring it full circle.
These traditions are a combination of things from my childhood, my husband's and the new memories we have made together since meeting. They have adapted a couple times based on location changes but the heart of it is always the same which is quality time together that's looked forward to each year.
Part of the reason Christmas feels so magical when you're growing up as a kid are those certainties. That you knew you'd get to go see lights at the zoo or would decorate cookies with grandma. Traditions are a heavyweight in building that anticipation of the season.
Once you become the parent, it's now all on you to create that magic for your child. Think of traditions as an aid in taking some planning and pressure off. After you establish them, your holiday gets a little mapped out for you.
My three tips quick tips for traditions is: Keep them flexible. Keep them simple. Keep them.
Here are some your family can adopt too!
1) Holiday Lights
Going to see holiday lights only gets better with children! It was a cute little date before we had kids but now it's this whole "wow!" event for Shiloh that is just a spectacle to see.
For us, holiday lights means Christmas the Princess. The Fairmont Princess is our favorite local resort for a lot of reasons but this event is one of them. I love an immersive experience and they do a great job of transforming their slice of the desert into a holiday wonderland.
They have a train that takes you to see all of their millions of lights on display, which only grows bigger every year. Beyond that, they have an entire holiday village for you and the family to explore with fireside s'mores, rides, character meet & greets and more.
If you're in the Phoenix area, you know we are blessed with a lot of amazing light displays to check out. Maybe make it a tradition to try a new one each year!
2) Christmas Jammies Day - Complete with an all day breakfast
I NEVER spend the day in my jammies. I pretty much get up and work out first thing which involves an outfit change before 6am. My Christmas Day treat to the whole house is mandatory pajama day.
A whole day in jammies wouldn’t be complete without an all-day breakfast buffet paired with all the mimosas you can bear before heartburn settles in.
I really look forward to the tradition of a day I know can be lazy. I am so type A that I actually need to schedule a yearly lazy day. Sad as that may be, it keeps Christmas at my favorite day of the year!
My working theory is that remaining in the pjs all day long perpetuates that special Christmas morning feeling longer.
3) The Puzzle
Our third most notable tradition we have is our Christmas puzzle. In effort to increase the quality of family time together, we like that the puzzle has us actively working on the same thing together and keeps our eyes off screens for a while.
We like to pick large puzzles, a couple thousand pieces, and are kind of picky about what they are. This is because the final part of the tradition is that if we manage to complete the puzzle without losing any pieces, we glue it all together and stick it in a nice frame.
People have asked us about our nice large pieces of art or how expensive they are not realizing it’s just artsy puzzles with glue on them. Faux fancy?
Whatever your traditions end up becoming remember that the little ones in your life are learning about the magic of the season through watching you. Be present. Be engaged. Be open.
Happy ALL holidays. I wish you sweet treats, simple surprises and merry attitudes.
Keep an eye out for my shopping for kids last minute Christmas gift guide later this month!
Bye, Friends!