Our Favorite Christmas Traditions
Christmas is easily our favorite holiday around here. We love this cozy holiday and all the fun things that come with it. Here is a list of the traditions we have adopted or kept throughout the years and even some new ones we plan to keep around.
Christmas Pjs - this one is pretty well known and a widely celebrated tradition but still so fun and happy.
Christmas Movie Marathon on Christmas Eve - Usually Christmas Eve is spent doing last minute shopping around here but I have vowed to myself to be done by then and just be able to watch all the Christmas movies we didn’t get to, relax and finish wrapping… IF NEEDED!
Baking Christmas Cookies - I usually HATE cooking or baking or any of it BUUUUT this year I was gifted my grandmas Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer and now I am just channelling all the Betty Crocker vibes. That thing is magic… don’t have one… here’s your que to snag one. Buy Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer HERE! Thank me later! We gifted all of our friends some cookies and sweet treats. We also threw in some yummy NO HIDE bones or kitty treats for the fur babies!
The Way We Gift - J and I started a new tradition this year. We decided to only gift each other 4 specific things. Something to read, something to wear, something you need and something want. We figured this would be a good way to make things a little easier and less stressful. So far this idea has actually worked out perfectly.
For the Pups - Every year I wrap a box of NO HIDE bones for the pups and let them tear it to shreds. I threw this in because this provides both J and I so much joy (it’s freaking hilarious) and maybe it will for you too, provided you have pups of course.
Mulling Some Wine - Mulled Wine is my FAVORITE holiday drink. We make it with some red mulling wine (usually from Coopers Hawk), add in some Sailor Jerry’s Savage Apple, orange slices and all the usual spices… whole cloves, cinnamon sticks, stars of anise and I’ll be honest… we like to enjoy this WHENEVER we can. Because YUM.
Family Gift Exchange - We use an app called Elfster to manage our gift exchange. We like this because it takes away the pressure of getting everyone in the fam a gift. I really think gifting can get out of hand and this definitely helps manage it. You can add a wishlist of the items you want, set a limit and view others wishlists also! Makes the whole secret santa thing so much easier!
Board Games - We looooove playing games in our fam. Any and all of them. We try to pick out a new game each year that we have never played! Makes things interesting.
Donating or Charity Work - In years past we have either helped deliver meals to families in need through Wheeler Mission. One year we even went and bought like 12 whole pizzas from Little Caesars and dropped them off to anyone we saw on the streets along with a care package including blankets, socks, hand sanitizer, pocket warms, scarves, hats, tooth brush and toothpaste, deodorant and pretty much any other necessity you can think of. Don’t forget to give back during the holidays!
I hope this blog inspired you to start up a new holiday tradition with your family or even friends this Christmas. Our favorite part of the holidays is all the time we get to spend with one another. This year it definitely looks a bit different but don’t forget about video chatting and you can always social distance or do outdoor activities if you live somewhere warm! MERRY CHRISTMAS!
