Baby’s 1st Christmas, Holiday Traditions, and Last-Minute Shopping Guide
Wow, December is upon us, and it's not only one of my favorite times of the year, but also one of the busiest! With work, travel, and all the holiday festivities, our lives have been jam-packed. However, I'm trying to shift my perspective from life being busy to life being full. After all, "busy" can sometimes carry a negative connotation, whereas the holidays are a joyous time for our family. Despite feeling like I barely have a moment to enjoy our Christmas decorations (or finish all the books on my To-Be-Read list for the year), I wanted to take a few moments to share what our family has been up to, our cherished traditions, and some gift ideas for everyone on your list (that can still be ordered in time for Christmas!). Hopefully, at best, some of the things we've been doing can inspire you to incorporate them into your own family traditions this year or in the future. At the very least, this blog serves as a place for me to document my family's journey, and I know that having all these memories written out will be something I'll treasure in the years to come
In certain instances, I've included links to specific items and gift ideas. As an Amazon Associate, I do earn a small commission when you make a purchase through one of these links, which I genuinely appreciate.
Kelly Rae’s 1st Christmas
With everything happening this December, it's easy for me to forget that this is my daughter's first Christmas. In so many ways, it feels like Kelly Rae has been a part of our family forever. It's incredible to see how she's grown and developed her own little personality. It's hard to believe that just a year ago, she wasn't even with us! While I know she won't remember this special time, I certainly will. Witnessing her experience the magic of Christmas fills me with immense gratitude for having her as an irreplaceable member of our little family.
Since it's her first Christmas, I'm making sure to include her in all of our family traditions (more on that coming soon). We're integrating her into our house's holiday magic by giving her a stocking and "first Christmas ornaments." Additionally, I can't resist capturing countless pictures of her in her adorable Christmas pajamas to document this memorable season.
Holiday Travel
Traveling with little ones is always a challenge, but when it comes to holiday travel, the difficulty level goes up a notch. This holiday season, we embarked on a trip in early December to visit family in Asheville, NC. Overall, both of the kids did remarkably well, whether it was handling the airplane ride, adjusting to a new sleeping arrangement, or squeezing in on-the-go naps. Despite their excellent behavior and resilience, my husband and I were left completely exhausted! Parenting kids outside of their normal routine can be tough, no matter how prepared you are. My best advice for holiday travel is to prepare, stay organized, and then simply go with the flow. It's easier said than done (trust me, there were many moments when I struggled to go with the flow), but in the years to come, we'll remember the cherished memories of the trip and the time spent with family, rather than the skipped naps or exhausting flights (or at least the kids won't remember them). My focus is on creating magical and positive Christmas memories for my children's childhood.
This year, we made the decision not to travel for Christmas itself. Instead, we plan to visit our other side of the family between Christmas and New Year's. I'm eagerly looking forward to waking up on Christmas morning in the comfort of our own home and enjoying a little break in December before the packing, prepping, and traveling begin once again.
Last-Minute Christmas Ideas for Everyone on Your List
Pictures with Santa: Pictures with Santa have become a tradition for us in recent years. Let me tell you, it's quite the adventure! Both of my kids are absolutely terrified of Santa ( see the picture evidence!), but we still go for it. It sets the mood for the season, gives our little ones a chance to share their Christmas wishes with Santa, and it creates some hilarious Christmas card photos and memories that we'll cherish for years to come.
Elf on the Shelf: (linked here) If you're familiar with it, you know exactly what I'm talking about. This tradition actually started when I was a bit too old to fully appreciate it during my own childhood, so I was eager to introduce it to my own kids. This year feels extra special because Lane finally grasps the concept of Buddy (that's our elf's name) watching and reporting back to Santa based on behavior. While I do look forward to the days when I'm inspired to create elaborate scenes with our mischievous elf, this year Buddy simply moves to a new location each night. But let me tell you, seeing Lane's excitement as he discovers Buddy's new spot each morning is the absolute best.
Advent Calendar: (linked here) This year, Lane received a Paw Patrol Advent Calendar as a gift, and he is absolutely obsessed with it! Opening a new door every morning has become a cherished ritual for him. It's such a simple way to kickstart the day with a dose of Christmas spirit.
Christmas Lights: Holiday lights are one of my favorite parts of the holiday season. Fortunately, we live close to the Austin Trail of Lights, a huge walk-through light display. Even with the rain this year, we braved it and had a blast with our friends and Lane loved every minute of it! I love that this is something we can plan to do as a family for years to come.
Christmas Cookies: I think my husband and I started baking and decorating Christmas cookies when Lane was just a few weeks old. It's become one of our favorite traditions, and I especially love seeing how much Lane has grown to enjoy it over the years. We crank up the Christmas music, gather all the supplies, and let him go to town, adding icing and sprinkles to every single cookie. It's a messy, joyful affair, and the best part? We get to indulge in all those delicious cookies afterward. (Our family loves cookies!) I can't wait to see Kelly Rae join in on the fun next year.
Christmas Eve/Day: Since we don't have family nearby, my husband and I wanted to establish a tradition that would make Christmas Eve and Christmas Day feel special and remind us of the true meaning of the season. On Christmas Eve, we attend service at church and afterward we take the kids out for a "fancy" dinner. It gives us all an excuse to get dressed up and out of the house to celebrate. As for Christmas Day, we spend it at home, playing with our new presents and indulging in delicious homemade meals. (Oh, and did I mention we'll have some serious packing to do this year?)
Lots of Christmas Books: Over just the last few years, we have been able to accumlate a bunch of Christmas books. I keep these books packed away separately from our regular books, and they only make their appearance during the Christmas season. I love that we have this special holiday tradition that we can incorporate into even the busiest of days. If you are building your Christmas book collection, some of our favorites are: The Night Before Christmas, Little Blue Truck’s Christmas, Llama Llama Holiday Drama, Santa’s Stuck and Never Touch a Grumpy Elf!
Kid’s Christmas Tree: We decided to kick off a new tradition this year by getting a small artificial Christmas tree, which we affectionately call the "kid's tree." Our main tree in the family room is decked out according to my tastes and aesthetics, but the kid's tree is a whole different story. It has all the "fun" ornaments and the ones the kids have received over the years. Lane had an absolute blast decorating it this year, and I can't wait to see both of the kids adding their ornaments to the tree in the years to come. This is also the perfect place for us to set up our Christmas Train Set- what Lane looks forward to most all year!
Whew, that’s all I have today. Wishing all of you a healthy and happy Christmas season. XXX, McKenzie