CREATING NEW HOLIDAY TRADITIONS
The holidays are a really special time of year, and Christmas is one of my favorite holidays because it makes me feel close to my family, even if we’re not always in the same place at the same time. Over the years, we’ve fallen into the habits and traditions of the season, but being married to Cooper and having our own home means that we have the freedom to begin new traditions not only in our house but with both of our families. If you’re looking for a few ideas for new traditions in your household, take a peek at the ones I’ve listed below! (For those of you that don’t celebrate Christmas, these could be tweaked to fit you or just be really fun things to do with people you love in winter.)
New Ornament For The Tree
When I got my first “big girl” Christmas tree in my mid 20’s, I started to collect ornaments from various store to fill it out. To be honest, I sort of picked a theme one year, then just got a bunch in the color palette I chose, but I didn’t buy anything super individually special to me. When I got married I was gifted a unique ornament our first Christmas from my mom. I loved the idea of collecting a new ornament each year after that to put on the tree! You can do this as a family in fall or winter, or you could just find one throughout the year when you’re on an adventure or in a new place. You may stumble upon a hilarious ornament in a thrift store, or you may want to remember a special trip with your family by finding an ornament from that place. Either way, I think this is a great way to document memories and time, and it can be an especially exciting tradition for those of you that are in a season of transition (moving out of your parents, getting married, having a baby, etc.).
Movie on Christmas Day
I love watching Christmas movies throughout the year, but I have a habit of trying to save my favorites for closer to Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. If you’re like me, then maybe you could start a tradition of watching certain Christmas movies on that special day with your family! Maybe you watch the same favorite movie each year, or maybe you all vote on which one to watch earlier in the season. You could even throw your own movie marathon each year on Christmas Day if you’re all about Christmas movies! Christmas is usually a time of new releases in theaters too, so grab the popcorn and head to the movie theater for some time out of the house! The specifics of your new tradition are totally up to you and your loved ones, so feel free to experiment over time!
Friendsmas
So, we all know Friendsgiving, but why don’t we do the same for Christmas? White Elephant and Secret Santa are pretty popular, but it might be fun to have your very own Christmas Day with your friends each year. The details of your Friendsmas can be unique to you and your group, but enjoying the holiday season with friends can bring so much joy into your life. The holidays are about enjoying time with your loved ones and holding them close, and I think Friendsmas would be a good way to put that into practice! We started this tradition two years ago, and it’s been special for us. We usually share a good meal, exchange our Secret Santa gifts and go check out some lights. It’s fun to take a picture each year and watch as the group expands as our friends have kids!
Hot Coco And Lights
Every single year I cannot wait for the Christmas lights in my neighborhood to go up. They make everything feel so cozy, and I love how colorful it makes each street. This is a more simple Christmas tradition, but I keep thinking how fun it could be to hop in the car every year with my family, hot cocoa in hand, and drive through the different neighborhoods to admire the lights and decorations. Maybe you make a game out of it, and see who can spot the most reindeer or snowmen! Whatever you do, there is something so special about being bundled up in a car with the people that you love the most enjoying the lights of the season.
Matching christmas pjs
I’m sure you know how many stores come out with special holiday pajamas each year, so this new Christmas tradition would be an easy one to accomplish. Each year, you and your family can go pick out new matching Christmas pajamas to wear on Christmas night into Christmas day. They don’t even have to match! Going to pick out silly or cozy or cute pajamas with your loved ones would definitely be a blast, and you know that you’re going to get a good amount of wear out of them throughout the year. Plus, we’re all going to be in cozy clothes anyway during Christmas, matching with your fam could make things even more fun!
START A NEW COLLECTION
I love playing games and doing puzzles around the holidays. My brother-in-law asked for new board games to expand their collection this year and it got me thinking… It could be so fun to pick out a new game or puzzle each year and continue to grow your collection! Plus it’s something fun to do with the fam. If puzzles or games aren’t your thing, maybe you pick out a new plant friend for the home or take on a craft where you paint a coffee mug and have an eclectic mix of mugs from over the years. You could even start a tradition of trying out a new holiday recipe and adding it to a cute book you collect recipes in. There are a lot of different things you could do, and maybe this gets your mind spinning with some ideas of your own.
A NEW Type of holiday photo
This idea might be a little out there, but could be super fun. We all know and love the classic family photo of coordinating outfits, but what if you took your holiday photos with a fun twist? You could play up the 80’s glamour shot vibes or find “it’s so ugly, it’s kind of cute” sweaters to wear. Maybe you’re all Santa Clause or you dress up as each other. Whatever it is, it could be fun to switch things up. I know anytime I’ve received a more “out of the box” holiday card they always brought an extra wide smile to my face.