I thought I would share some of my family’s holiday traditions. Christmas is my favorite holiday and winter is my favorite season, I Love Winter and lights. We have a few traditions that I do with the family every year, no matter what. First of all the Christmas tree is out of the basement by Thanksgiving, not decorated. I love watching the kids decorate the tree and me moving them all around because all the balls are at the bottom of the tree. Once it’s lit you can’t really tell it’s a mess, LOL. This is something I am really trying to cherish because I now there will be a day when they won’t want to help, my eldest stop help 2 years ago :(.

I usually put my lights and tree up outside while it’s still warmer out, November. Once it is freezing outside decorating can be a pain, one year I was decorating in the freezing rain, it sucked. But once it snow it all looks great and christmasy (yes it’s a word). I love cutting fresh pine and decorating my urns in the front with it. I usually do this by myself but I prefer to.

Next I love wrapping presents and having loads of them under the trees, yes I wrap every little thing. I have a huge box collection that I have been reusing for years now. I add presents almost daily under the tree as I make them and the kids always notice the new ones. I have also told them Santa mails me presents to wrap for him, and yes they believe it so far. I try my hardest to make all the present not look like what they are so they can guess and still be surprised on Christmas. But this year my Neno figured one out, thank goodness he is willing wait for Santa for bring the batteries for it, LOL.

I also sew a ton of clothes, blankets, pillows, and dolls stuff for them every year. I had a huge to do list this year because both little ones have grown so much this year and all their clothes were getting small, especially Neno’s hoodies. I made him all new pants with a new pattern. Unfortunately, I never get to finish my list every year but I think I did pretty good so far this year, only missing a couple of those on my list.

Since my middle guys Birthday in 2 weeks before Christmas we have been making ginger bread or sugar cookies to decorate every year, since he was 4. It maybe a lot of work but it he one of his favorite things to do and usually the only thing we do for his Birthday. That is was we have been doing since weds, first a ginger bread house village and now sugar cookies tonight.

The little ones also love to drive around looking at lights and rating them. My middle guy loves everything and always gives high scores but my daughter is the opposite. This leads to lots of fighting in the car, but that is family car rides all the time. Christmas music, snow, lights, and coffee for me, priceless. I am waiting for the day they don’t want to go, even though I have never grew out of this tradition from my mom. Yes I was doing this even as a teenager in my own car, LOL.

Christmas eve boxes is something I started about 3 years ago. I make or buy them all pjs, I try and matching the younger 2. They also each get a movie, popcorn, candy cane, reindeer food, cookies, hot chocolate, and coloring book. They have loved it the last 3 years, before that my oldest was allowed to pick one gift on Christmas eve, which was what my mom would let me do when I was young. I saw this on Pinterest and loved the idea, so I started while the little one were still little. Although my oldest guy (17) loves his box too because he loves junk food and movies.

We also make ginger bread house on Christmas eve for Santa to see, this tradition is the funnest. I love watching my mom’s house always fall down, LOL. I usually use all the left over frosting and candy from the cookie decorating. I do try and buy a boxed ginger bread house every year but last year we tried gram crackers, Fail but kids loved it.

What are your family traditions?