And just like that, Christmas is over. It’s truly my favorite time of the year and I wish it would last all year lol. But is it just me or did the “holidays” feel rushed this year? Despite that, we still managed to make the most out of this holiday season, spend time, and find a way to enjoy our time together as a family. Recapping how we spent our time and a few other family-friendly things you can incorporate with your family.
Christmas Eve: I started a tradition a few years ago to complete a puzzle before we can open any gifts. Our first puzzle was a 300-piece and we quickly learned, we’d never open gifts at that rate lol. This year we did something cool and ordered a puzzle of our official picture as a family of 5! I don’t know why I didn’t think of this sooner but totally doing this every year now. These were from Minted.com. (Always look for a discount code!)
We also baked cookies (for us, not necessarily Santa). Not chocolate chip but strawberry cake batter cookies. If you’ve never tried them, it’s the best way to enjoy cookies. Here’s a quick and easy recipe, check it out here.
On Christmas day, we opened gifts and hung around until we went to B’s godparents’ to have the game name with the family. Learned a few games I’m going to add to my game night list.
Oh and the week before Christmas, we had Santa come pay us a visit at the house. Another neighbor told me about it and I had to do it. He read books to the kids and took pictures and off to the North Pole. This is a great side hustle for a retired guy lol. Micah wasn’t so sure of Santa so he observed from afar.
I’ve never wanted my kids to expect a ton of gifts under the tree so I aim for experiences rather than presents. I also buy them everything during the year so I KNOW they don’t need anything else. Now they do get gifts but my husband and I decided they get 1 thing they want and everything else is what they need or educational. Luckily, I’m doing a campaign that sent toys so I wrapped those gifts up too! But here’s what I got the kids:
Rylie – LOL Dollhouse
Micah – VTech Explore and Write Desk
Sarai – Fisher Price Sit Me Up
They all got clothes as well because they are growing like weeds!
All in all, it’s been a great holiday season. 2 things I’m doing next year, decorating earlier and possibly be international for Christmas. Let’s see how 2023 pans out for us 🙂
You have a beautiful family!
Thank you, much appreciated!