The holidays are a special time of year. Sometimes it feels overwhelming to ‘keep up with the Jones’s’ as they say, or what society makes us feel pressured to do or not do. But I am here to tell you that keeping your holiday’s true to you is amazing! Whatever brings you and your family the most joy is what belongs in your holiday traditions. In this blog post we are giving some simple holiday traditions inspiration. We hope this inspires you to stay true to you and to enjoy this season for the real reasons. The real reasons to me, are spending time and enjoying time off of work with my son, husband, and my dog child.
Simple Holiday Traditions & Experiences with Children
When my son Luka was born we decided to let him pick out a new ornament each year. Then, when he leaves the house one day, he will have a selection of ornaments to create his own family traditions. We actually did not start this until last Christmas so we purchased two last year. One was a Baby Yoda (to represent his first Christmas), and the other was a Buzz Lightyear (for his second Christmas).
This year, the Star Wars theme continued and it was super fun because he actually truly picked out the ornament. He picked out “Nubs” from the cartoon on Disney+, Young Jedi. It was special and fun and can be inexpensive. We usually head to Target shortly after Halloween when they put out Christmas items. They usually run a 30% sale at that time and have a ton of options. We have enjoyed this tradition so far and plan to continue it in the coming years.
Christmas Book Advent Calendar
I recently came across this idea to do a Christmas Book Advent. You collect Christmas books over time, wrap them, and put them under the tree. Each night before Christmas, in the month of December, you have your kiddo pick one out to read. I loved this idea when I saw it on social media and Pinterest and found an amazing educational and thoughtful breakdown of exactly how to do it here on this amazing blog called Childhood 101. Since I have already collected about 15 books from my own childhood plus what Luka has been gifted, I decided this tradition was the perfect fit for our family for now and future Christmas seasons to come.
The wrapping paper was about 5 dollars, but we did not purchase anything else for this one, since we had the books. We wrapped each book in wrapping paper that Luka picked out (very on theme with Baby yoda). Then we will let Luka pick one out starting the 10th of December (Since we have 15 books). He can unwrap and we will read the book together as a family.
You can definitely start with as many holiday or Christmas books as you have and build up year after year. It was a bit time consuming to wrap each book, but it brought me joy thinking about my son opening and reading the books together. This tradition is something I am so excited to incorporate this year and going forward.
The Polar Express
Making holiday memories in the present moment with your kids and family is truly heart warming. This year we went up to Durango, Colorado and rode on the Polar Express train. It was magical and fun and whimsical. My son is two and he enjoyed it so much! Creating memories like this was beautiful and something we will remember forever. There are also other things to do in your local community that may be fun for you and your family to start on a new tradition. One thing we love to do and are planning on doing this year in Albuquerque, is the River of Lights, which is a holiday light display that is set up at our local botanical gardens. Do a quick search to find experiences like these near you.
Holiday Flicks
Enjoy a holiday movie, or two together. My husband Matt and I have always watched ELF every year together. It’s fun and special. Now that we have our son Luka, we are going to watch the Polar Express movie. We actually have already watched it a few times in preparation for the Polar Express train experience we did in Durango. Luka is obsesses with the song “Hot Chocolate”. So we are excited to keep our movie tradition up.
Lastly, think of something that brought you a lot of joy growing up. How you can incorporate something similar in your current families life? I remember baking sugar cookies with my mom every year. We also would drive by the neighborhoods in Nob Hill Albuquerque to look at the Christmas lights and handmade luminarias every year. Or how about getting matching family pajamas? Or Decorating the tree together and listening to Christmas music? The possibilities are endless with what you enjoy and what will bring your personal family joy. Stick to what makes sense to you and your family.
Decorating Simple Holiday Traditions
I have always admired a themed tree or a perfectly decorated home for Christmas. Pinterest worthy, perfect tree’s and decor are beautiful. But for me, I like to mix things up and do things differently. I have a really whimsical tree. The ornaments are all very meaningful and that is what I love about it. It is not matching or themed.
We put up a few Christmas lights and definitely put out our matching stockings. But I like to keep it super simple. To be honest I do not like to store a bunch of Christmas decor in my garage. Also, I like to try to be super meaningful about what I bring into my home so I have to think hard before I purchase something large or even something small. So this is my PSA to say that decorating your way and what brings you and your family joy is what truly matters.
Community Holiday Giving Inspiration
I definitely want to teach my son and future children that Christmas is really not about gifts. It is about kindess, and love, and compassion towards ourselves and others. Also, I want my kids to know that kindness and giving is not limited to just one time of year. Acts of love and kindness should go on all year long. Whether it is as simple as smiling or saying kind words to a stranger or donating to a local charity organization. There are so many ideas that we can consider to pay the holiday spirit forward that involve more concepts of giving.
So here are some simple holiday traditions you can incorporate into your Christmas. You can give a gift to someone the same age as your child and have your child help pick it out. This gift can go to a child their age that may not be able to get a gift for Christmas that they want. Research places in your area to donate. You can pay for someone’s coffee order behind you in line. Also, Google search ‘giving tree’ in your area and there will be results to choose from. You can also purchase a bag of perishables and donate to your local church or shelter. Also, donating time is a way to give back. The spirit of Christmas is all about kindness, love, and compassion. I hope these items inspire you to support your community during this season too.
Navigating Holidays with Food Allergies
Secondly, Holidays are stressful for those with food allergies. (I talk about my food allergies in link here and link here) I simply cannot control ingredients or food allergies outside of our own home which can be stressful. Often times holidays are heavily associated with food, and some people do not understand why you cannot or will not eat something.
For those of us with food allergies, it is not that we do not want to enjoy the food or treats you have prepared. I know I absolutely do want to enjoy all the amazing foods and treats. But It is not worth me having a stomach ache, or a severe reaction to peanuts (which for me comes immediately and delayed even a few days later). Being kind to those with food allergies is definitely Christmas spirit vibes. Understanding that they may not eat anything or only some things is helpful.
The Christmas Spirit is all about Love
In the spirit of understanding and compassion, being kind to people during the holidays is very important to me. It is a time for me to reset and see what areas I need improvement on. It is a time for me to humble myself and remind myself what is most important. To be honest, life is a gift. Every day is a gift. Spending time with my family and staying grounded in the present moment is the ultimate gift, beyond what any material object or gift could provide me.
I used to love the saying you cannot judge someone until you have walked in their shoes. But in recent years, I changed it to simply, you cannot judge anyone. Judging others is unfair and unkind. I am leaning towards love and compassion this year. It’s a daily learning and I am human so I am not perfect. But what I do know is that love, kindness, and compassion, feel so much better than states of judgment or fear.
I am choosing love this holiday season. Love towards myself and towards others. Choose you and enjoy how you create and celebrate your holiday traditions. Keep it simple or go big. Whatever brings you joy, laughter, and memories. We hope you enjoyed our Simple Holiday Traditions. Merry Christmas, sending you love, light, abundance, and blessings from the WBL team (aka Britt & Matt). Thank you for your readership.
