Though I try to keep our holidays as uncomplicated as possible, there are certain things that I just have to have my way come holiday time. I know, I know, sometimes I have to remind myself to just take a big girl pill and go with the flow. There are just some family traditions that I hold dear to my heart that I’m trying to hold on to as long as possible (read: until my kids finally rise up against me and flat-out say no). Here are some of our favorites:
–The annual Christmas photo: since most of our family and friends are out-of-state, this one is a must. It’s the one time of year when everybody gets a current photo of the kids and an update on how we’re doing.
–Picking out a tree: I grew up in a home where plastic trees were the standard, but my hubby just LOVES the smell of a fresh tree. We load up the car with the kids and pick out a favorite.
–Christmas Day dinner at home: as a rule, we stay home and have a quiet dinner on Christmas Day. Frankly, we’re usually burned-out and over-partied by Christmas Eve, so it’s typically just the five of us (the four of us plus my mother-in-law).
–Baking cookies: those of you who follow my GFCF posts know that I’m nuts over baking at holiday time. I give them away as gifts and it’s gotten to the point where people now put in requests for their favorite varieties. Just ask my mailman: he waits for the Italian Meatball Cookies and Poppy Seed Cookies every year.
What about you? What are some of your favorite holiday traditions?