[bettyearl]

I can't even believe it's already winter here, which means things like Thanksgiving are just around the corner.

Every year I keep thinking we need to "make" some traditions, but we just sort of fly by the seat of our pants. DH's family used to open one gift on Christmas Eve - just pick one kind of thing - I'm not a big fan of it, and I don't know if I have the energy to make everyone jammies for a Christmas Eve things. Help me get some other ideas!

If you celebrate Christmas, do you do Santa and how do your kids know which presents are from Santa? Do you buy yourself gifts from Santa too or is your DH just that awesome that he does it for you?

Do you write lists and mail them to the North Pole?

What about Thanksgiving?

[anothermother]

We do the whole pj's on Christmas Eve. My mom sends them, she's been doing it for years.

We LOVE to go look at Christmas lights. We have a house in town that actually has a whole set up of lights synced to music, really cool.

We do gingerbread houses... though usually it's a complete fail because Chloe starts eating it before it's finished. But she loves it.

I make a french toast casserole thing for breakfast Christmas morning, along with monkey bread.

We love making sugar cookies too in holiday theme, complete with frosting.

I'd love to find a Christmas program to go to, since I grew up participating in one 3 weekends before Christmas. That was pretty much our whole Christmas growing up and I loved it. I miss it.

Later in my teens we started doing a Dicken's Festival on the main street of town, that was fun too.

Oh, and watching any sort of Christmas movie, whether on TV or dvd is a must. White Christmas and It's a Wonderful Life especially. Charlie Brown Christmas and Muppet Christmas for the kiddo's.

It's been weird having to make new traditions for both Christmas and Thanksgiving.... really hard too. I cried when I got our big Dobson Family Thanksgiving invite via email yesterday. That was the one thing we did every single year since I can remember with my dad's whole family. I will be the only one not there, yet again. We live close to DH's family and that's what we've been doing the last couple years, but they are going away and husby is working from 9-6 anyway. I'm trying not to feel sorry for myself but it gets old when it's been so long. I didn't think it would affect me this much.
Anywho. I'm probably just gonna get a chicken since turkey's are huge and we don't need that. Mashed potatoes, rolls and cranberry sauce. If DH wasn't getting home so late I'd say we would go see the new Muppet Movie with the girls. (<<--- movies in the theater on Christmas were a tradition growing up too)

[DawnC]

Thanksgiving is not a big deal here, we have supper with the family, then all veg, play cards or watch tv. I try to get family photos done if every single person is here, which rarely happens

Christmas we have a few.

I do a TON of baking. TONS. I give a lot as presents, so my freezer is stuffed (if Les doesn't get at it haha)

Christmas Eve we open one present, it's new jammies for the kids.

Santa brings ONE present for the kids and it's NOT the biggest/best/most anticipated present. We'd like a little credit for that one

Kids write letters to Santa at school once they hit school age, but we send one from home for Bella. It's great, here in Canada, they get a reply back and there are wonderful Canada Post individuals that actually hand write the kids a reply.

The kids all exchange gifts, it makes them feel good inside picking out a present and teaches them that it's better to give than receive.

We also let the kids pick a name off of a Christmas tree in our mall of the same aged child that they can buy a gift for. I love that part.

We also watch allllll the Christmas movies, A Christmas Story, Polar Express and The Santa Clause are a few of the favs. I'm also a huge sucker for The Sound of Music, it's always on around Christmas, though I'm not sure what it has to do with Christmas LOL

We also do a tour of the lights in town. It's cute, the seniors actually have a bus that goes around and they judge the best light show.

And no holiday season is complete without a lot of sledding & skidooing!

[marriedtoamountie]

Does anyone do the Christmas Elf that moves every day in their house? I think Abby would LOVE it.

[DawnC]

What is that??

[kll074]

Originally Posted by marriedtoamountie

Does anyone do the Christmas Elf that moves every day in their house? I think Abby would LOVE it.

I have an Elf on the Shelf for the girls, but I am not going to start using it for at least another year.

[Mami]

I would like to know more about Christmas Elf?

Well, we bake cookies, make crafts, we decorate the tree as a family. I want to start doing an advent countdown this year with a bible verse & candy for each. I think Daniel would enjoy this alot. I have to gather materials to make one.

Other than that, nothing really besides Daniel is going Christmas shopping with me one of these days to pick a little present for his dad, sister, and grandparents.

We open presents Christmas Eve at midnight. We have a big family breakfast Christmas Day.

[kll074]

Here is a link to Elf on a Shelf Elf on the Shelf > Home. I think there are other similar 'elves' made by different companies. A friend of mine bought me one a few years ago. I think it is cute and exciting for children.

We don't have any traditons for Christmas as we often travel and go on vacation during the holidays and we don't have any family in the States. One I would like to start is to read the story of Jesus' birth on Christmas Eve.

[anothermother]

ahhh, that's is what is with all on the Elf's being pinned on Pinterest. Couldn't figure it out.