Hey there, fellow Mamas!
We are quickly approaching my family’s most favorite holiday… CHRISTMAS!
Christmas in our family is a whole lot more than just gifts under the tree. For us it is about being together, being kind to those around us, and spreading the magic of Christmas. The Christmas spirit lives in our hearts, and it spreads by a helping hand, a kind gesture or word. It is about thinking outside yourself and creating that warm cozy feeling. We have a lot of holiday traditions and I wanted to share a few with you mamas in case you need some extra ideas. Enjoy!
This post may contain affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase using these links, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting Messy Mama Nest! Read my Disclaimer here.
1. Decorating for Christmas together- Turn on Christmas music and get decorating, make a day of it. We have a big Christmas tree in the living room and the boys each have a tiny one in their rooms to decorate it how they like.
2. XO, Our Christmas Elf. This is not the Elf on the shelf tradition, even though that looks fun, it also looks like a ton of work. For us we just have XO! Here’s how it works. Under each tiny Christmas tree, the boys have a mailbox where their elf (his name is XO) can leave them notes, treats and goodies throughout the month of December. And on Christmas Eve, Xo leaves a special gift that can be opened. Here is a list of things that have been in our Christmas Eve Box:
- Christmas pajamas (my boys love the Kyte Baby brand, they are incredibly soft. They are on the pricier side, but totally worth every penny!) another brand that is fantastic (for the whole family, including the dog, is PRIMARY! If you haven’t checked them out, do it NOW!
- Hot cocoa mix
- Christmas mug
- Cozy blanket
- Socks
- Popcorn
- Snow Globe
- Holiday Puzzle
- Stuffed Animal
- Bath bombs or bubbles (Our favorite is the Dr. Teals’ Bubbles)
3. Christmas camp out under the tree. Build a fort or pitch a tent in the living room (not on Christmas Eve, but on another day during winter break) and have a Christmas movie night, then fall asleep under the light of the Christmas tree.
4. Christmas Light viewing. Take walks or drive around after dark to look at all the beautiful Christmas lights around your neighborhood. There are also local Christmas lights at the Zoo or other professional lights that are fun to enjoy! The kids love it.
5. Random Act of Kindness. Decide what you want to do as a family to show someone you are thinking about them, or it can be completely anonymous. Here is a list of ideas:
- Bake cookies, a special treat or bread for a neighbor, friend, or teacher.
- Give flowers or a plant.
- Wash car.
- Rake leaves or shovel snow.
- Donate old toys, clothing, coats to a shelter or someone in need.
- Write a kind note and leave it on the doorstep.
- Paint rocks and leave them around the neighborhood.
- Volunteer at a homeless shelter.
(The list is endless, let your kids come up with some ideas too, you’d be surprised how caring and thoughtful they can be!)
6. Make homemade cookies for Santa. Our favorite is a Sugar Cookie and homemade frosting. We usually do white, green, and red frosting and sprinkles.
7. Write Santa a letter. Christmas Eve we write Santa a letter to put out with our delicious sugar cookies, a big glass of milk and some carrots for the reindeer. This letter is to let Santa know he is doing a great job creating the magic of Christmas. Let your kids come up with what else goes in the letter. Its fun to see what they say to him.
8. Christmas Eve Slumber Party. We make beds on the floor in our room on Christmas Eve so that we can all wake up together Christmas morning. Our tradition is that we cant even peak downstairs until we are all ready together as a family. Makes the anticipation that much more exciting.
9. Family picture on the stairs. We always take a family selfie on the stairs before we go down and make breakfast! We typically have matching-ish pajamas, or Santa hats or something funny to bring the spirit of Christmas.
10. Christmas Breakfast and stockings. Christmas morning tradition after doing the photo on the stairs is to get the cinnamon rolls in the oven then open stockings while it is cooking. List of stocking ideas here:
- Fruit (Banana, apple, orange)
- A few pieces of candy or a candy cane.
- Toothbrush and Toothpaste
- Ornament
Then after opening stocking, eat some breakfast (This may not be completely realistic… I mean come on they are kids) There has been many years that we served at the homeless shelter Christmas morning and then gifts when we got home. Depending on what your morning looks like make sure it is together as family or friends and create those unforgettable memories with your kids.
To be honest they are going to remember the special things you did together, not the gifts they got that year. Bring out your badass mama-ness to create a warm, cozy home with lots of fun and laughter.
Cheers to another parenting win. Wishing you success and lots of patience!
Love, Trista
Tara Crane
Such fun ideas! Love this and love you! ❤️
Trista
Thanks Tara for following! I’m so glad this post was helpful! I hope you had a great Christmas with your family!
דירות דיסקרטיות בגבעתיים
Itís hard to find experienced people about this topic, but you seem like you know what youíre talking about! Thanks
Trista
Thank you for following!