But since we probably won't get one here is a list of things I like to do to help me get into the Christmas Spirit!!
* Drink LOTS of hot chocolate (don't forget to stir it with a candy cane stick)
* Listen to a wide variety of Christmas music and hit "Repeat All" (and NEVER before Thanksgiving Day)
* Sit in the peacefulness of the night(after children are in bed) and enjoy the Christmas decorations all lit up (with, of course, above said music playing softly)
* Wrap ALL Christmas presents before Christmas Eve
I use to wrap everything on Christmas Eve to help keep the kids from peeking (we have had severe cases of present peeking in the past) but that was NO fun and way to much work for me on Christmas Eve. I came up with the perfect solution a few years ago...each member of my family get an assigned wrapping paper and I wrap all their gifts in that paper. Then on Christmas morning I announce which wrapping paper is theirs! It has stopped the peeking and now all they do is wondering which paper is theirs and take pride if they have guessed everyone's paper correctly.
* Assign the traditional "Christmas Letter" writing to my husband - that was one huge task taken off of me and Landon does such a fabulous job that it really was the best for everyone involved!
* Visit Ogden's Christmas Village (it is not near as crowded as Temple Square)
* Use the phrase "Merry Christmas" as much as possible...I would never be offended if someone came up to me and said for example, "Happy Hanukkah"...so I am going out on a limb that someone else would not be offended if I expressed holiday sentiments in this fashion! I have to have faith in people that we can be tolerant of others religious beliefs or I would be in a world of hurt!!
Christmas Eve Traditions:
* Open one present (but shhhhhhhhh it's new jammies and my kids don't know)
* Reenact Luke 2 (right down to the robes and headdresses along with a baby doll that we keep around just for his big debut each Christmas Eve because no one around here plays with dolls!)
* Read a Christmas bedtime story (from a new book bought each year and of course, we will probably reread some of our favorites too)
* Set out Cookies & Milk (Chocolate is Santa's truly favorite kind of milk and only gets it from the children that love him best) and of course, we use our special Santa plate and mug - only the best for Santa!
* Pour oats and leave in a tin on the front lawn...ya know the reindeer need nourishment too!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
My mom does the different wrapping paper for each person without names on the gifts. It started to be funny when you would open something and she says "oh that's not for you pass that to your sister". I think every year there is some kind of gift confusion most of the time we all laugh. It is a little hard for the grandkids to open something and have to hand it over to someone else.
We have a lot of the same traditions. I love the Luke 2 reinactment. Grace loves to be the "fairy". No matter how many times I tell her it's an angel, she asks to be the fairy every year.
I might have to start wrapping presents a lot earlier, my kids are getting really snoopy and are starting to figure out our hiding places.
Post a Comment