Christmas time can be a stressful time of year with all the obligatory parties and presents that need to be bought. Even though people can have a negative experience around the holidays it can also be a time when you pass down traditions and experience fun moments not only with family but with your community around you. There’s a pervasive joy in the air and many times people can remember the wonder that can accompany this time of year. Re-creating these traditions and experiences for our children can bring great fulfillment to us as parents. There’s nothing like seeing the face of a child who is so excited and full of wonder. Here’s a list of epic Christmas Traditions that you can have. These traditions don’t have to be done all in one year but they are fun to go through over a couple of years. Many of these aren’t difficult but they are there to create a lasting memory moment with the people you care about in your life.

1. Go to a Christmas Tree Farm– If you have never been to a Christmas tree farm it’s such a fun tradition. There’s something about seeing all the Christmas trees and smelling the fresh pine that helps to bring joy. Personally, I love the smell of a fresh Christmas tree in my house so going to chop down one or buy one from a farm is one way to support a local farmer and have the joy of having the kids choose a tree. Yes, I’ll be real here it’s not always the easiest process getting it in the house, setting it up, or even well, let’s be real, remembering to give it water but at least for one year it’s worth the memories. If you do go this route I love this base it’s flexible and easy to stabilize your tree.

2. Hot Chocolate Night- There’s something about cold and hot chocolate that you can’t go wrong with. One of my favorite traditions is having a night where all the kids grab a mug of hot cocoa and fill it to overflowing with marshmallows. One year on Christmas Eve we got all the children their own mugs and filled them with a cocoa bomb. They loved it! They still talk about it to this day and it was years ago now.

3. Advent Calendar– An advent calendar is a fun way for children to keep track of the countdown till Christmas. Let’s be honest about this though there are times when you forget then your child gets a whole week’s worth of candy on one night. Forgetting to open the calendar at the correct time in and of itself is a tradition. It’s a fun way for the kids in your life to learn about how fast and slow life can be and to appreciate every moment no matter what is happening.

4. Decorate the Outside of Your Home– We all have different feelings about decorations. Believe it or not, it can be a heated topic in the family. The reason there can be so much contention is that it can become a competition between neighbors or family members. However, this tradition is supposed to bring light into the dark of the winter. It’s a symbol of hope when you are in a dark place. Along with this tradition, it’s fun during this holiday season to drive around to find people who have gone all out and admire their artistic flair for the season. You don’t have to decorate every year but at least one year plan to go all out and have fun!

5. Decorate Christmas Tree Together- One of the best traditions is decorating the Christmas tree together as a family. It’s not fun when it’s just left up to one person so make sure to include the children in placing ornaments on the tree. This is a moment to reflect on Christmases gone by when you pull out old family Christmas ornaments or child-made ornaments it’s a great time to remember the past and reflect. Sometimes I like to change how I decorate a tree. One year I will do a specific color theme like purple, blue, and pink, and the next year I will change it to red and green. The children get to choose new ornaments to add to the collection every year depending on what the theme of that Christmas is. This helps them feel a part of the tradition as well as they get to see their choices on the tree. Here are some beautiful decorations to start with as a base and build around. The tree is a place where you can let creativity take over.

6. Stringing Popcorn and Cranberry on a String for Decor- This is a fun tradition that started back when there wasn’t a lot of money or choices for decorating the tree. It’s fun to pop the popcorn and grab some cran berries and have the children create a garland that can go on the tree or decorate some part of your home. When you are done you can put it outside for the wildlife to enjoy. This is not a tradition I do every year but typically it’s a great way to get the children involved in decorating.

7. Go See the Nutcracker– While it’s fun to watch the movie the Nutcracker is a classic Christmas tale that is better seen live. There’s nothing like watching all the dancing and costumes that are so present in each part of the story. While it can be pricy depending on where you live it’s completely worth at least one year of spending the time to go and check out your local production. It can also be a fun night of dressing up for you and your kids alike to spend some time out and about.

8. Go Christmas Caroling- Christmas caroling is a fun way to get out and see your community and neighborhood. Whether you are a good singer or not it’s still fun to go singing for people who could be older or unable to get out of their houses to enjoy the holiday season. Here’s a great song book to help you know a list of fun songs to sing. This activity is also great for the kids to be able to get out and about and have some fun singing songs.

9. Hang up Mistletoe– Usually Mistletoe is reserved for the company Christmas party but this is a fun tradition to have at home as well. One thing that you could do is when two people are under it they can give each other a hug instead of a kiss. It makes it more of a fun tradition to show physical affection to others in your family. Another thing you could do is if there’s two people under the mistletoe they can say one nice thing to each other. This makes for a fun game and brings some unity to the holidy season. Here’s a cute Mistletoe for your holiday season.

10. Make a Big Christmas Breakfast– The most amzing thing about the holiday season is spending time with the people that we love. For centuries people have shared meals together. Food has been a way to connect families for a long time. Traditionally mothers are the ones who prepare the holiday meals and personally I love cooking so this works for my family. However, I don’t like cooking all day long especially on Christmas so I make a very large breakfast and then we have leftovers or a snack table for the rest of the day. Part of my Christmas breakfast will include cinnamon rolls, eggs, bacon, sausage, hashbrowns, coffee, and OJ. No matter what your traditional food is for the holiday it’s an opportunity to share a meal and connect with your family. Usually we allow the kids to open their stockings before breakfast and then we eat breakfast before opening presents. It’s a day full of fun! Here are some fun serving dishes to add to your collection.

11. Make a Huge Christmas Eve Dinner– Whether your family has a large Christmas or Christmas Eve dinner this is a big part of the celebration. In my family tradition we have ham, mashed potatoes, stuffing, rolls, veggies, and salad. The huge part of dinner is sitting around connecting with family. Children get to hear fun family stories and eating together gives everyone time to catch up. Here’s a great way to get conversations started around the table. Creating an atmosphere of joy and fun around the dinner table during the holidays is fun for everyone!

12. Go To a Christmas Service- Whether you are religious or not, one tradition is going to a Christmas service. At least once in the many Christmases this is a fun thing to do. To join with others singing and listening to a message about hope its a way to lift up your spirits and bring unity to you and those you love. Because the Christmas story is one that is based in Christianity it’s fun to go back to the source and hear about the origins of the story.

13. Hanging Stockings– Hanging stockings can be such a fun activity for the kids to participate in. It’s an opportunity to have fun thinking about past stocking stuffers. You can even talk about how children use to get oranges in their stockings and it was considered an amazing gift. Here are some cute stockings that you can add to your collection. You can also inspire your children to think of things they would like to put in your stockings or their siblings stocking. The joy of giving out weighs the joy of recieving and taking time to teach them how to think about others during this time of year is huge!

14. Enjoy a Christmas Movie as a Family– There’s nothing like having a fire in the fire place and a classic Christmas movie playing while it’s cold or snowing outside. This is a great tradition that can be fun to add hot chocolate to or cuddling up with a blanket. Here’s a great list of holiday movies and a little review. There’s a great mixture of old and new family friendly Christmas movies on the list. Christmas movies can be watched together year after year and there’s nothing like sharing memories and movie lines.

15. Enjoy Snow or Ice – Whether you live where there’s lots of snow or barely any its always a fun thing to find snow or ice to play in at some point during the holiday season. You can go ice skating or have a snowball fight. However you enjoy the snow it’s a great time to spend time having fun with your kids and getting some fresh air together. Playing in the snow is a great way to have fun during the holiday season!

16. Baking Christmas Cookies– Baking Christmas cookies is a great tradition. You can have them pre-made or make them from scratch either way this is a fun activity to do with kids. Whether you do ginger bread men or sugar cookies and decorate them you can make a fun night full of making cookies. Here are some fun Christmas cookie cutters! Enjoy the fun tradition of cookie baking.

17. Have Kids Write Christmas List To Santa– One of the funnest things to do is have your kids write their Christmas list. It’s a time for them to dream about possabilities even though they might not get everyting on their list it’s a fun tradition for kids to dream during the holiday season. This also helps you to know what your kids want for Christmas it makes shopping easier then just guessing. Here’s a cute letter idea for how you can have them write down their ideas. This is such a fun way to capture the season and wonder.

18. Serve at a Homeless Shelter- During this time of year it’s important to give back. It’s a time to reflect on all that you have and give to those who don’t. Whether you demonstrate that by buying toys for kids who won’t get any or by serving in a homeless shelter it’s good to remember how grateful you are for all the things you have. Bringing your children to serve along side you will also help them to see children or people who have less than them and it will create an ability to reflect on all they have.

19. Find a Charity to Give New Toys To- There are so many children in fostercare or in poverty that don’t get gifts for Christmas. Giving toys is such a fun way for your children to get involved and to think about other kids during this holiday. There are many different charities that are available in your area or around the country for you to get involved with. Have your children be a part of the process of deciding where to give toys and what to give is a powerful lesson for them. Not every year will you have the time but it’s important to give when you can to making the world a bit brighter during this time of year.

20. White Elephant Gift Exchange– The white elephant gift exchange is such a fun way for extended families to shar gifts without going broke. You can set a limit on how much you want to spend or not. Either way it always gets fun when people get gifts that they have to steal or get stolen from. Every year we add scratch off tickets to our christmas gifts which make for a fun party. One year grandma won $500! Mainly we play this game with extended family when we have our family Christmas party every year. It makes for such a fun time with lots of laughter and memories made.

21. Elf on the Shelf- There’s so much debate about how this is not a good motivation for children to be good which I do agree it can be a bit creepy however, I changed the rules for the Elf. Instead of the Elf watching my kid to catch her being good the elf gets himself in trouble all the time and gets caught for getting in trouble. This makes it hilarious and fun to wake up to see what the Elf did the previous night. I don’t do anything too extravegant but it is fun to come up with creative ideas on how the elf can get himself in trouble. I don’t recommend this every year because it can drive you nuts but its fun to do every now and then. Here’s the elf on the shelf initial box. Over the years I have added to the collection and made all sorts of fun things come out of the Elf’s silliness. Have fun with the Elf!

22. Read the Christmas Story of Jesus– Traditionally the story of Jesus and how he was born is part of the culture of Christmas. Passing down the story of how we celebrate hope coming to the world puts a lot of our traditions and songs into perspective. It’s fun to hear and go over the story that has shaped and formed the foundation of the holiday. Here’s an easy kids version of the story to read to your kids during this season.

23. Read The Night Before Christmas- One of the most famous poems and stories for Christmas was the Night Before Christmas. Reading this story is a tradition usually reserved for Christmas Eve. It’s a fun story for the children to fall asleep to dream about the wonder and hope for the next day. This story is full of fun imagry of Christmas and warmth. It’s a great classic story. Here’s a great version of this book!

24. Christmas Eve Present- Every family does Christmas Eve different but one fun tradition is to let the children open one gift on Christmas Eve. The way we do this in our family is to put the gift under a top hat with the children’s name on it. This top hat eventually goes on the top of their snowman boxes. These boxes hold all their gifts. Here’s how to make the snowman boxes. We usually pick games for their Christmas Eve presents because then we can have a game night that night and enjoy each others company. This creates and ability to connect and have fun the night before the big day!

25. Christmas Cards– Not always do we do Christmas card from us to family and friends but this is a tradition that is fun to have the children involved in. Instead of having them printed by a professional have your children hand make cards for a few family members who are far away. It’s such a fun treat to connect with family far and near and it’s also fun for the kids to get involved. Here’s a cute coloring kit for your kids to make their own cards.

No matter what your traditions it’s always fun to see what other people value in their homes during the holidays. Have fun with all the traditions here and add more to your list! Happy Holidays!

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Christmas is my favorite time of year! I know that for many it can be a high-stress time but if you plan into all the activities time to relax and connect with your family it can really be enjoyable. If you are a busy mom running around doing all the kid’s things make sure to take time to stop often and sit with them and spend some time building memories. Here is a resource for you so you don’t have to track down some good family movie ideas. These are based on having a good theme, funny, or great memory building. Make sure that you get the mug and hot chocolate for all the kids and curl up under a cozy blanket and enjoy the movies! This is our favorite activity when the nights are cold and we want to build memories. Enjoy the movie selections!

1. First on the List is Home Alone. This is a classic Christmas Movie and the moral of the movie is family is more important than anything. This movie has the added bonus of being hilarious and even though it’s a little slow at the beginning for kids they love all the physical comedy.

2. For the second movie Home Alone 2 is a great follow-up to Home Alone 1. Doing these back-to-back makes for great fun during the holidays! The theme, of your family, is the most important during the holiday season, runs through this movie as well.

3. Some of the classic movies have been re-invented and one of these is the Grinch! Whether you like Jim Carrey or the newest animated one the story is still a classic movie about finding joy in being connected with your community. With little kids, I found that the animated version seems to be more engaging.

4. Polar Express is one of my favorite movies to watch every year. It’s a great story about kids of all backgrounds and how Christmas can bring inspiration to spread joy even in the midst of hard times. The cinematography is eye-catching for kiddos as well.

5. The Nutcracker is one of my favorite stories for Christmas. It’s full of beauty and action. The latest version is very appealing to children with full color and great costumes. The moral is about valuing people over power. It’s quite a great story full of wonderful characters.

6. The Star is a very fun version of the Christmas story. Kids love this movie because it’s full of funny moments and will keep your children engaged in the meaning of Christmas.

7. The Christmas Chronicles is such a cute movie. Kurt Russel and Goldie Hawn are amazing throughout the whole movie. It’s full of fun and learning moments. The moral in the movie is about finding meaning in the midst of disappointment.

8. The Christmas Chronicles 2 is the follow-up to the first and it’s just as good. Sometimes when it’s a snow day we will watch 2 movies in a row just to have fun. These are great to watch back to back.

9. Jingle Jangle was a new movie Christmas movie. It’s full of beautiful costumes, color, and great storytelling. Kids will be enraptured in the magic of the story. The moral of the story is to keep pursuing your dreams no matter what happens.

10. Jingle All The Way is a very old Christmas movie but it’s so funny. Arnold Swartzenegger makes the movie so fun and entertaining.

11. The Santa Clause is a classic Tim Allen film that makes everyone learn about what it takes to be Santa Clause. It’s hilarious in all the right places and brings kids into the story line.

12. The Santa Clause 2 is a great follow up to the first movie. If you live in a place where it snows a lot these back to back are great for snow days or long cold weekends.

13. Klaus is a great movie that you can find on Netflix. This movie really about bringing joy in a place where there is no joy. The theme brings a lot of joy to the season.

14. Angelas Christmas is a cute story about how to bring comfort during the holiday season to those around you. It’s a great moral for kids in your world to learn.

15. A Christmas Carol is a classic movie that teaching about generosity. This story can be scary for little kids but there are versions that are not so scary.

16. Twas The Night is a cute movie about learning the meaning of Christmas. The moral lesson is that we finding meaning in the relationships that we have and not the stuff we get on Christmas.

17. Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmas is a classic especially for little kids who love cartoons. There’s nothing like Mickey Mouse and all the Disney classic characters during the holidays.

18. Mickey’s Twice Upon A Christmas is also a great follow up to the original. All of the Disney characters help to celebrate the holiday season by remembering what the most important thing is which is being together during this time.

19. Arthur Christmas is a great story about how everyone deserves love and to be valued. We all have our strengths and deserve to be vlaued for what we bring to the world. This movie is great entertainment for little kiddos.

20. Elf is one of the best Christmas movie ever. It’s full of hilarious moments and great morals of valuing family and believing in magic.

21. Christmas with the Kranks is a hilarious Christmas film about family traditions and valuing the moments we have with our loved ones. It’s a great take on empty nesters and how they handle the holiday season.

22. Miracle on 34th Street is a great classic Christmas movie. The Christmas season is about believing in the impossible because that creates hope. This movie is a great reminder of that.

23. Santa Buddies is a cute movie about dogs and Christmas. The children in your life who love animals will love this cute movie.

24. Noelle is a cute movie that you will love. We all have different goals and vision for our life and it’s important to find what makes us happy.

25. Elliot: The Littlest Reindeer is a great movie about a horse who wants to be a reindeer. It’s about persuing your dreams no matter what.

No matter how you celebrate the holidays here are some great movies that help to make great family memories. Enjoy your holiday season. What are your favorite movies for the holidays?

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Christmas is my favorite time of year! I always love to find ways to fold traditional moments into the holidays. While others might find it tedious I fully enjoy creating an amazing Christmas experience for the kids in my life. One of the greatest traditions that we have in our family is the snowmen gift boxes. As we grew as a family we had to adapt how we organized all the presents. We have 3 families who celebrate together because we are all family between us we have 7 kids and 4 adults. It got very overwhelming to organize and keep everything in the correct space with that many kids. I had seen an idea on Pinterest that I thought might work so I adapted it to our family and made it something of a tradition in our home.

First, you need to find 3 types of boxes. I used these moving boxes. Depending on how many kids you have each snowman needs 3 boxes. One small, medium, and large. The moving boxes I purchased 3 years ago and don’t re-purchase these each year because we save the snowmen for the next year if you are worried about the cost of the box I get boxes that will last years so I don’t have to redo these every year.

The next step is choosing the wrapping paper. My suggestion is to get large amounts of the same paper but different patterns for every snowman. This way you can patch the boxes if they get torn for the next year. Here’s some wrapping paper I find adorable! When you wrap the boxes make sure that you leave the tops open so that you can put a hole at the top and use a ribbon to tie the tops closed. You don’t want the children tearing wrapping paper off the boxes because you will reuse them. Their gifts will be inside the boxes individually wrapped this is just to keep everything organized.

The next step in the process after wrapping all of the boxes is to make holes in the boxes. You need at least 2 holes on the tops of the boxes so you can thread through some ribbon to tie the boxes shut. You will also need two small holes in the middle box so that you can feed the arms through it. For the arms, I used black pipe cleaners.

Tie knots on the back of the ribbons and feed them through the tops. Make sure they are long enough to tie into cute bows. For the pipe cleaner arms have 3 pipe cleaners and tie them into an arm and 3 finger-shaped hand. Feed the arm part through the hole in the middle box and make the back a big knot so the arm doesn’t fall out. The arms will be a bit floppy but that’s ok.

Here’s the back of the arm that you need to feed through the hole.

When you are finished wrapping, ribboning, and putting the arms in. Then you need to start with the buttons, face, and nose. For this, you will need black and orange construction paper. Make 6 (2in) black circles, 5 (1.5in) black circles, and 1 (4.5in) orange triangle. 4 of the circles will be the buttons on the snowman. The other 2 (2in) circles will be the eyes. The smaller circles will be used as the smile on the face of the snowman. Take the triangle and fold the long side of it by 1/2 and in. You will use this side to attach it to the face of the snowman.

Our tradition includes top hats that I made out of black cardboard the first year we had them. Later I found top hat tree toppers that worked way better. We put the kids’ names on each of the hats. On Christmas Eve night we set all the hats out on the table after dinner and we have Christmas Eve presents under each hat. Then when the kids are asleep we put the hat on their snowman so they know which one is theirs in the morning. This is such a fun tradition for all the kids to follow they love waking up to find out which one belongs to them. I like to change it up every year so they don’t know which is theirs.

Originally we bought these to curb our spending but it didn’t really work out that way since I got pretty large boxes to begin with however we have kept to a couple of rules. The top box usually holds art, books, coloring supplies, or notebooks. The middle box is usually filled with the toys they requested for that year though as the kids get older it’s hard to fill with things because they don’t really want that many toys anymore. The largest box we try and fill with clothing, blankets, shoes, or pillows. One year we got each of the kids a squish mellow and it worked great in the bottom box. We originally didn’t wrap any of the presents in the boxes but it didn’t really work out as a surprise that way. I find the kids enjoy actually unwrapping something so I wrap each gift individually and put it in the boxes.

We love celebrating Christmas with our snowman tradition. What is a special tradition you all like to use to celebrate?

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