10 Christmas Traditions To Start This Year

Whether it is maintaining long held family traditions or creating new ones, traditions are very important to me. I have always viewed them as a way to connect with the past and maintain bonds with family and friends. Traditions are a huge part of who we are. I talked briefly about how important traditions are to me almost two years ago.

Below are ten of my favorite Christmas traditions that make the holidays special. You should be a few to start this year.

ONE // Host a Cookie decorating party. This is my favorite Christmas tradition. My family has engaged in this tradition my entire life. My mom makes the most amazing fudge but has never been what I would call a baker but my dad has always told our family that she always said she wanted children to bake Christmas cookies with. Our Christmas cookies have became much better looking throughout the years but we still laugh about how ugly they used to be when we were children.

TWO // Watch a production of The Nutcracker, A Christmas Carol, or other holiday-themed show. This is a recent tradition me and my sisters started. For the last several years we always attend a production of The Nutcracker. It is a fun day to get dressed up, have a nice meal together, and get in the holiday spirit.

THREE // Christmas pajamas. This isn't a tradition that I have ever taken part in but I would love to start it. Receiving pajamas each Christmas Eve to wear on Christmas morning sounds like an adorable idea to make sure you have something cute to wear in all of those photos taken Christmas morning. Here are some beautiful picks.

FOUR // Find a way to give back. Giving back is always important and especially so during the holidays. Small actions can help make sure that no one feels left out, alone, or forgotten during this time of the year.

FIVE // Have a Christmas movie night. Pop some popcorn, put on your coziest pajamas, and watch your favorite Christmas movies. There are few easier ways to get into the holiday spirit and this is a great way to have a relaxing evening when getting bogged down by holiday stress. My favorite Christmas movie is Miracle on 34th Street. What is yours?

SIX // Buy a special Christmas tree ornament each year. This is a great way to mark milestones and it is fun to take the ornaments out each year and recall all of the memories attached.

SEVEN // View the Christmas lights in your neighborhood. This is a tradition my family took part in when I was little and it is something I really miss. It was always fun bundling up, piling into the car, and driving around our neighborhood looking at the Christmas lights while listening to holiday music.

EIGHT // Have a game night with a hot chocolate bar. This is a fun way to have friends over for a casual night and homemade hot chocolate is a decadent treat.

NINE // Make choosing a Christmas tree an event. Involve your entire family, visit a Christmas tree farm, sip apple cider, and choose the perfect tree.

TEN // Send out Christmas cards. Jessica and I host a Christmas card exchange each year. It is a simple act that lets others know you are thinking about them.

What are your favorite Christmas traditions?

image via: Studio DIY, edited by Sunny Days and Starry Nights

Chit Chat: Holiday Calendar

I don't know about you, but my holiday is looking very busy this year. Very busy and lots of fun. My weekends have been booked since November started with get-togethers and holiday fun. I guess really it has been busy since the end of October with our Halloween party. I love having so many plans with family and friends but it has meant that I work extra hard during the week so that I have things taken care of before the weekend starts. I have really had to be on top of things that work and school and does not suffer.

November began with book club which is always a blast and really a weekend affair. We enjoy good food, book discussions, and board games all weekend long. Then the whole family went on a weekend getaway to the Smokey Mountains. This was followed by a weekend shopping extravaganza with a group of the girls (friends and family). We shopped hard and accomplished a lot of Christmas shopping and we all bought a present or two for ourselves. We deserved a treat!

Then Thanksgiving weekend was upon us. Tracy and I spent a lot of time in the kitchen getting things ready. We are basically on dessert and side dishes duty and mom always takes care of the turkey and ham. We started Thanksgiving off with a lunch at my grandmas house, then followed it with dinner at our mom's house. Then most people dispersed to go shopping. Tracy and I hung out and did some online shopping this year instead of going out to fight the crowds. I am now finished with all of my Christmas shopping. I have marked all my family, relatives, co-workers, and friends off my list.

My busy schedule is not over yet though. Next weekend our family will head to Northern Kentucky for a Christmas party thrown by my aunt's family. They came to our Halloween party and decided to throw a Christmas party this year so that we could all get together and party again! It is sure to be loads of fun and with lots of food, and this time I don't have to do any of the preparations! It couldn't get any better. Then the following weekend we will be attending the Nutcracker ballet performance. Tracy and I began this several years ago and after the first performance we declared it was going to be a Christmas tradition for us from now on. This year our other sister Tiffany is going to go with us. I'm sure she will love it! Then the last weekend in December, before Christmas, will be spent baking various treats and making candy and fudge. This is another tradition for our family. We always make a ton of sweet treats and then distribute them to relatives and friends to enjoy before Christmas.

My calendar is definitely full. What are your upcoming plans?



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Cozy Pajamas

I posted about one of my favorite traditions earlier this week. One tradition that many seem to practice but my family missed out on is receiving new pajamas to wear on Christmas morning each year. Few things sound better to me than having new cozy new pajamas to snuggle up in while unwrapping presents under the tree. I am actually considering starting a tradition of buying myself some new sleepwear for the occasion each year. Below are some that have caught my eye. How festive would this plaid pajama set be? I would love to have this navy robe to pair with this in red.

Plaid Pajama Set / Eberjey Jersey Pajamas / Domino Dot Pajamas / Robe / Pocket Crest Pajamas / Polka Dot Pajama Pant / Silk Pajama Shirt / Pink Silk Pajama Shirt / Pink Silk Pajama Pant / Botanical Print Pajama Set / Equipment Pajama Set
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Chit Chat

I place a huge importance on traditions. In my opinion there is a huge value to be placed on rituals. Life is often hectic and stressful. It is comforting to have a few constants in life that build strong family connections, give a sense of security, and create lasting memories. The holidays have always meant family and friends to me and are the source of my favorite traditions.

Speaking of Christmas traditions the one I most look forward to is baking cookies and the more fun part decorating cookies with my family. It is a simple act but Christmas wouldn't be the same without spending Christmas Eve gathered in the kitchen with my family making sugar cookies. Our cookies have to be sugar cookies so we can top them with thick layers of frosting and huge amounts of sprinkles. We don't even like sugar cookies! We love to bake in my family but we are definitely not known for her dessert decorating skills. Each year we are disappointed by how ugly our cookies are so much so that it has become a running joke in our family and it always provides us with a few good laughs. In the end our dad is the only person who ends up choking down a few cookies.

What are your family traditions around the holidays?

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Christmas Traditions

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Like other families we have our own traditions that take place every year, especially Christmas traditions. Every year on Christmas Eve we go to Grandmas house. There everyone in the family is present: aunts, uncles, cousins, and so on. We exchange presents and spend the evening talking and laughing. Then we come home to decorate cookies for Santa. Every year for as long as I can remember we have waited until Christmas Eve night to decorate our cookies for Santa. We all - Mom, my sisters, brother, and I - gather around the kitchen table to decorate while Dad watches. Even when we burn the cookies and they turn out horrible Dad still eats them like they are delicious! Then before bedtime Mom and Dad would let us open one present. It was always so hard to decide which one to open.
When we were kids we would all sleep in the same room on Christmas Eve. It was so hard to get to sleep because we where so excited thinking and talking about Santa's arrival. Then we would wake up extremely early to open presents. Now my sisters, brother, and I don't sleep in the same room together on Christmas Eve, but we all still get up on Christmas morning excited to exchange presents.
After presents at home we all enjoy breakfast. Then our morning is filled with a whirlwind of activities as we all get ready to go back to Grandmas house for an early Christmas dinner with the whole family.
What are some of your holiday traditions?

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

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Now that Thanksgiving is over and I am home from my week in New York it is time to start preparing for Christmas. There are so many tasks to do including decorating, baking delicious holiday treats, and shopping for and wrapping gifts. To me this time of year remains as magical as it did when I was a child. I listen to Bing Crosby and Nat King Cole sing Christmas classics on repeat, watch dozens of Christmas movies, and spend extra time in the kitchen baking treats to share with friends. This time of year always makes me a little happier. I am ready to dive head first into the Christmas season and enjoy every moment of it.

♥ Sunny