For the Christmas season we have a few of my very favorites. The day after Thanksgiving we always set up our tree and decorate the house.
(By the way, do you notice how most of the ornaments start a few feet from the top of the tree?)
This year, the kids were more excited than me. A couple weeks before Thanksgiving they had three separate countdowns going on. Each day Makenna would say "Five more days until Thanksgiving break, eleven more days until Thanksgiving, and TWELVE MORE DAYS UNTIL WE DECORATE THE HOUSE!" I promise, I'm not making up the all-caps, it's really how she talked.
We always go see the Christmas village in a town near us. We usually go during the day and then once at night. This year I'm not sure if we'll go during the day (it was always with some field trip or other and this is my first year not having any of my kids in any school outside our home), but we are planning to head over there this evening. I'm even thinking about adding to our tradition this year.
On Pinterest, I found this amazing looking crock pot hot chocolate recipe (You can find the recipe on a blog titled Creating Through Life). I've been waiting for the perfect opportunity to use it and I think I've found it. I'll make it this afternoon and it'll be ready and waiting for us when we get back with frozen fingers and toes from the Christmas village. It's going to be so good...I think I'm starting to salivate right now!
Every year we also visit Temple Square down in Salt Lake City. It's beautiful. They wrap lights around so many of the trees and have a giant nativity, plus all the tours in each building. If you live anywhere near, or are visiting, you should really take the time to drive down and walk around. Better yet, find a Trax or Frontrunner station near you and take that down instead. Kids (and grownups) love it, plus you don't have to try and find parking.
Another tradition we have is baking/making Christmas plates. Every year I tell myself to keep it simple and for some reason (read about my overcomplication complex here) I always end up making tons of very different candies and cookies and dipping most of them in something and drizzling stuff over the rest, which all takes hours and hours. Maybe one of these years I'll tone it down a little. Maybe. It could happen. I'm still narrowing down my list of treats this year and I'll do another post about them with we get them done. After we finish baking and decorating, we take them around to our neighbors and friends. Always fun!
This year I'm thinking of starting a new tradition. We usually buy the kids an ornament every year, but this year we're going to start making them. I've found so many cute, fun and simple ones on Pinterest. My favorite one so far takes plain ball ornaments and with the addition of a handprint and the use of a few markers (that even my 3 year old can do) covers them in snowmen (found on Pinterest)! I bought a few plain ornaments yesterday so we could get started tomorrow.
What are your favorite Christmas season traditions?
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