No matter how long you’ve read my blog, you probably know that we take our Christmas traditions seriously around here.
Growing up, my parents had several Christmas traditions that us Lowes did every single year (all while listening to the Carpenter’s Christmas album). So, when Andrew and I got married, we made a really conscious effort to start our own traditions (while still incorporating some of the old), and 12 Christmases later, we have really fine tuned this time of year.
Some of our traditions cost money, some don’t…some are big, some are small…some take a lot of time, some take just a minute…but they’re all so special to us. These are things we do as a family that put us into the Christmas spirit, these are the things we talk about the other 11 months of the year, these are the things that I will remember when I’m old and grey. And this year, our list is even more special because we get to do all of it with this sweet girl…
Last year, we were in a countdown to get Ashby and this year, she’s with us. Thank you Jesus.
Here’s our list of Christmas Traditions…our bucket list so to speak…
Carriage Rides
Our carriage ride tradition began when Kensington was two and Smith was 11 months old. Our little town square offers reservations for this one hour ride that takes guests through the historic portion of our city. Now, five years later, we know all of the horses’ names and talk about them and the driver/owner Miss Shannon all year long.
Watching Christmas Movies
This tradition comes from my parents. We are Christmas movie watching fools! Usually the week before Thanksgiving we begin watching and we try to watch one every night (during the week, we usually take two nights to watch one). Now that my kids are older, they love watching them too!
You can find my post on Christmas movies here. My very favorite is The Holiday (hello, Jude Law!) but with my kids, we like to watch the classics like Rudolph, Frosty and Charlie Brown…plus, now my kids are into White Christmas (they love the singing and dancing!), Home Alone, A Christmas Story and then there are so many great ones that come on ABC Family.
We pop some popcorn, curl up with our favorite blankets and watch a movie together. Such a fun way to spend an evening!
Our Elf on the Shelf comes out for fun
Two years ago, I documented all of the funny things our elf did and you can see that here.
We have brought this little elf out the last four years and it’s become something my kiddos always look forward to (by day 4, I’m always tired of moving it and thinking of clever places to put it).
This year, I’m not sure if my kids really believe it or not (they’re getting pretty old)…BUT, they still think it’s a whole lot of fun and let’s face it, Ashby will think it’s hysterical :).
Sitting in Santa’s Lap
We started this tradition with 12 week old Kensington back in 2008. We have visited the same Santa at the Dallas Galleria every single year.
I pulled out all of my Christmas pictures of the kiddos sitting in Santa’s lap and set them out for the holidays…
…and Ashby went around looking at all of them. She asked where she was and I said she gets to sit in Santa’s lap this year. And she said, “no, I’m not”. So…we’ll see what that looks like ;).
Hanging of the Green
Every year, we attend the Hanging of the Green ceremony at our church. It’s really just a fun service where we sing a lot of carols and look at how beautifully decorated our church is. It’s also the perfect opportunity to remember the real reason for this season…Jesus’ birth.
Jammy Cocoa Christmas
This is a Lowe tradition that has now carried into my family…we put our pajamas on, go to Starbucks and get a drink (you must be wearing your pjs when entering Starbucks…blame my dad for that idea), listen to Christmas music and drive around looking at lights. I blogged about it two years ago here.
This is one of those silly traditions that I hope my grandchildren are doing too. This can be my dad’s legacy right here :).
Christmas Journey
Every other year or so, our church offers a drive-thru nativity scene called Christmas Journey. You drive up, we tell you what station to put your car radio on or hand you a CD and then you drive through and watch the story of Christs’ birth, life, death and resurrection unfold through around 15 scenes. It takes about 20 minutes to drive through and last year, almost 50,000 people came through. We were cast members two years ago and it was so cold and fun! This is a great tradition for us!
Other random things we do…
1. We like to drive to neighborhoods in our area with really big homes that are all decked out for the holidays and get out and walk the streets (verses driving). We get all bundled up and take it all in. If you’re in the Dallas area, we like to walk around Highland Park. After we’re done walking several blocks, we’ll drive the rest.
2. We sleep in our Christmas flannel sheets this time of year. Whenever I put those on our beds, it makes me so happy!!
3. The town next to ours has a Christmas light display that flashes and dances to music. We always go and just walk the two little streets and listen to the music and watch the light display.
4. Whenever the Rockettes are in town with their Christmas Spectacular, we go! I’ve been once in New York City and three times in Dallas. That show never disappoints!
5. We shop for our angels off of the Angel Tree. This is a special time when we select a local family from the Angel Tree and shop for them. I love doing this with my kids. I also love doing Operation Christmas Child and filling shoe boxes with little treats and toys for kids to receive as their Christmas gifts.
6. Drive to North Park Mall (a mall in Dallas) and look at the pretty window displays and beautiful decorations. Just stroll and look (and maybe finish up a little shopping).
My parents taught me when I was younger that you really just have to make an effort this time of year to celebrate a little every day. Growing up, my parents would say we had to do one thing Christmasy (their word) each day. Even if that’s just listening to Christmas music (of course, the Carpenter’s album) while eating our dinner or having a candy cane for dessert…something that keeps us in the Christmas spirit.
I would love to know what some of your traditions are!! Please comment and let me know what you and your family do this time of year!
And on the foodie blog…it’s Meal Planning Monday Thanksgiving Week Edition…you know, for when you’re tired of eating turkey.
And…the winner of my $250 Nordstrom Gift Card Giveaway from Friday is…
KENDRA TRUSSELL!
Congratulations Kendra! I emailed you this morning. You have 48 hours to email me back and claim your prize. My last $250 Nordstrom Gift Card Giveaway will be this Friday! Good luck friends!
Merry Monday!
Charming Lucy says
This is so precious(: We do a lot of the same things. But my favorite is our annual Santa Paws Collection. Our daughter – who is now 14 – started a dog/cat toy and food drive at our office 7 years ago. We collect items for the local shelter during the month of December. On Christmas Eve, before church, my husband, our daughter, and I go to the shelter and make sure that every dog and cat receives a toy or treat and a blanket or bed for Christmas. We spend several hours playing with the homeless animals and letting them know they are loved. Our daughter is a huge animal advocate and I love that she started this tradition on her own. I pray that we are able to pass this along to her children someday. Enjoy the season! Susan
Melody says
Awww! That is so cool. Love that idea.
Trish H says
I love this idea!
Catrina Annette says
What a wonderful idea! You have raised an amazing and honorable young lady!
Elizabeth says
I can't wait to see what your little elf is up to this year!! And Ashby's reaction to all of it!! 🙂
kelly says
Love your traditions!
We bring out the Advent wreath which is circular (representing God's never ending love for us) and holds 4 candles (representing the 4,000 years humanity waited for our Savior Jesus Christ). Each Sunday we light a new candle until Christmas.
Another fun thing we do is have a party with friends where my husband dresses up as Santa and all the kiddos get to snap a pic with Santa and take home a small gift.
Beautifully Seaside // Formerly Chic Coastal Living says
So many fun memories you're creating for your family! Love all of them! Hope you have a beautiful Thanksgiving week! XOXO
Linsley Schneider says
I just love the Jammy Cocoa tradition. We always drive around looking at the lights too. I'm super excited this year since my son is now two and we have a second! SO FUN!
court says
On Christmas Eve Eve (12/23), we have a family slumber party in the living room. We pull the twin mattresses of the kids' beds and lay them all next to each other on the floor. We have popcorn, hot chocolate, Christmas cookies, and we watch a Christmas movie and then all sleep there together that night. It's everyone's favorite tradition.
Erika Slaughter says
This post got me right in the Christmas spirit!!! I cannot wait to hear how Ashby meeting Santa goes. Bowen pretty much feels the same way…."no, I not". Haha!
Angie says
Love Christmas traditions!!! When the girls were small we always did an Advent devotion which also included the wreath and candles. We always went to a tree farm and cut our Christmas tree. We always made Christmas tea cake cookies (still do). We drive around and look at Christmas lights. We always make a birthday cake, or cupcakes, for Jesus and have a little family party. We haven't actually had a birthday party for Jesus in several years now, but the other day my almost 22 year old and I were at Hobby Lobby and she ran across some Happy Birthday Jesus paper dessert plates. She said "get those and stick them in my stocking for me for when I have kids. The way the world is going they won't make these by the time I have children." So I went back later and got some for her stocking. 🙂 Our girls are now 26 and 21 (almost 27 and 22) and the oldest just got married in October, so our traditions will change some this year and we will start new ones. 🙂 Love how traditions are carried on by your children and their children all while making new ones of their own. Thanks for sharing your family's traditions with us!!
Jessica Barshinger says
Love reading your Christmas traditions:) so fun!!!
dresselfamily.blogspot.com says
I love hearing people's traditions..as I put up my last tree last night and my house looks crazy… I felt so grateful for the country I live that I hsve these freedoms. these memories I'm making for my children, I love traditions.. it's the English in me ?
kelly says
Amen sista!
Sheaffer {Pinterest Told Me To} says
Fun post! And I agree with Erika, I can't wait to see Ashby's pic with Santa!
Jenny says
Every year, I get the kids a new Christmas tree ornament. I love this because when we put up our tree, the kids help and we pull out and look at all the different ornaments. Each ornament brings back so many different memories and makes me thankful for all of these years with my family.
Babygirl says
Ahhh, white Christmas. I can still remember the first time I watched it. The local acappella group from our Church, the Penny Loafers (who were all like big brothers to me), came over to watch Christmas movies. I was in middle school, and after watching home alone, I wanted no part of the "old" Christmas movie. Within about 20 minutes I was mesmerized, and it's become a must every year since, I now even own it on Blu-ray! And I may or may not watch it anytime during the year 🙂
Hope says
As kids, my brother and I slept on pallets in my parents' floor every Christmas Eve so that Santa could bring our gifts and set them up without us seeing them the next morning before my parents could video our reactions. Then, every Christmas morning, we would climb into my parents' bed and read the Christmas story from Luke 2. As we got older and learned to read, my brother and I would take turns each year. It was a sweet reminder of the real reason for Christmas before all of the present-opening chaos began. I'm 27 now, and we still all pile up on my parents' bed (now with fiancées and dogs in tow) and read the Christmas story out of the Bible every year. 🙂
Megan says
Soo fun!!! Love all your traditions. We may have to add Jammie cocoa Christmas this year too!!!
Meghan says
I work retail & we're open til 8 on Christmas Eve and for four of the five Christmases I've been working there, my parents, siblings and grandparents come "embarrass" me as they pull up to pick me up(the other year I somehow got Christmas Eve off!) The first year it was just honking and yelling my name, but it's gotten more intricate and boisterous as the years have gone, and I absolutely love it & can't wait to see how they top it each year. The last two years we've also gone to watch synchronized lights where they put the music to all different Christmas songs!
Stephanie McKinnon says
Bless you for working retail this time of year. I always pray people are extra nice to you guys for sacrificing your time so we can shop! Happy Thanksgiving!
Jennifer Jackson says
I love reading about other's traditions and I love that your parents made an effort to encourage all things Christmas. I'm a high school teacher and I often bring similar traditions up to my kiddos and I'm always surprised to hear that so many don't have any of
These traditions and, for some, it's just about the gifts.
Leigh (Balancing By Faith) says
Haha, I love Ashby's response to sitting in Santa's lap! Maybe with big brother and sister doing it first she will?? Love all of your traditions!! We did Elf on the Shelf one year, and it really stole our Christmas spirit, so he didn't come back!!!
Erin Clow says
Listening to the Carpenter's Christmas album was a staple in my home growing up as well! And it's still my all-time favourite Christmas album. My husband just doesn't understand the hype but he humours me ��
baylee @ bolingerfamilyfour says
We love Christmas movies at our house! One of our favorites right now – is Mistletones by ABC Family – my almost 4 year old, McKinlee loves it! Lots of music in it! It's on Netflix too!
Jackie Belin says
LOVE this! I think I may have to start our own Jammy Cocoa Christmas! Christmas movies are my FAVORITE 🙂 I actually just posted 25 Family Favs this morning! Enjoy this season and I can't wait to see Ashby's Santa picture.
Katelyn Magerko says
Love this post! I can't wait to start traditions this year withmt daughter who will be 1 next month. I hope to pass my love of this time of year onto her!
Jennifer Brandt says
We do a few similar traditions such as looking at Christmas lights and hot cocoa and listening to Christmas music constantly (puts me in my happy place). We also go to the Dallas Symphony Holiday pips concert early in the season. It always puts us in the Christmas spirit. We started last year going to the 12 Days of Christmas at the Dallas Arboretum at night and it's wonderful! One of my childhood traditions that I'm continuing is baking Christmas cookies. My Mom loved go bake and had cookies she only made at this time. The whole family loves them. She would also make plates of cookies and give them to friends instead of gifts. People looked forward to them every year. My Mom passed away almost 5 years ago and now I continue the tradition. My friends love the cookies I make and I love to carry this on. My boys love the cookies and they are our dessert for Christmas Eve & Christmas.
Hannah Caldwell says
On Thanksgiving, we draw names for secret Santa. All of my cousins and everyone writes down on a piece of paper what they would like and we draw names. On the Saturday after Thanksgiving, we always go to the mountains and cut down a Christmas tree. Another Christmas tradition what we do is my grandmother will give us money for Christmas instead of toys. She will put $10 in a ornament and fill it with glue, ripped newspaper and other things to make it hard to get the money out. You either have to bust your ornament or take little scissors and try to get the money out!
Hope you and your family have a great CHRISTmas.
Hannah Caldwell says
On Thanksgiving, we draw names for secret Santa. All of my cousins and everyone writes down on a piece of paper what they would like and we draw names. On the Saturday after Thanksgiving, we always go to the mountains and cut down a Christmas tree. Another Christmas tradition what we do is my grandmother will give us money for Christmas instead of toys. She will put $10 in a ornament and fill it with glue, ripped newspaper and other things to make it hard to get the money out. You either have to bust your ornament or take little scissors and try to get the money out!
Hope you and your family have a great CHRISTmas.
Angela Ellingson says
Love, love, love it all! I love Christmas and I love traditions! I wish our town had a carriage ride option! How magical!
Hannah Caldwell says
On Thanksgiving, we draw names for secret Santa. All of my cousins and everyone writes down on a piece of paper what they would like and we draw names. On the Saturday after Thanksgiving, we always go to the mountains and cut down a Christmas tree. Another Christmas tradition what we do is my grandmother will give us money for Christmas instead of toys. She will put $10 in a ornament and fill it with glue, ripped newspaper and other things to make it hard to get the money out. You either have to bust your ornament or take little scissors and try to get the money out!
Hope you and your family have a great CHRISTmas.
kimm atwood says
Every Christmas Eve I read 'twas the night before Christmas and every time the word "the" is mentioned you pass a round a little wrapped gift, we always do something green or red $5 and under. It's seriously so fun and the kids love it. My grandmother started it many many years ago and I still to this day do it
Little Bits of Joy Blog says
Last year when my oldest son was 2, I started a Surprises from Santa tradition.. he has a little Christmas mailbox, and each day that he is good and kind, he wakes up to a surprise in the mailbox with a note from Santa praising him. This was my version of Elf on a Shelf, kinda. 🙂 He was thrilled with the little toys, or treats he got surprised with everyday and wanted to be keep being kind and thoughtful during the day so Santa would surprise him again the next night! My youngest is 16 months old this Christmas and I can't wait to start the tradition with him now too!
Tiffany Bagalini says
It's always extra special when there is a new family member to celebrate the season with and share traditions with?
Tiffany Bagalini says
It's always extra special when there is a new family member to celebrate the season with and share traditions with?
Lindsay at Lindsay'sSweetWorld says
Love this! My Christmas bucket list is going up tomorrow and we have a lot of similar traditions! I love every single one of them so much!
Lauren Honeycutt says
I love love love the idea of Jammy Cocoa Christmas! I'm going to try to get my boyfriend and friends to do it with me!!
Lauren 🙂
ohheyilikethat.blogspot.com
Erin says
Listening to Carpenter's Christmas is at the top of our list, too. One neat tradition my mom's side of the family does is what we call 'Tree Hopping'. This is our 26th year – my mom's siblings (there are 6 total) plus my grandma all decorate their houses like they normally would, then they make a bunch of snacks, dips, etc and we 'hop' from house to house to see the decorations and eat the food. It takes all afternoon and evening, always on a Sunday, and it's my most favorite Christmas tradition that we do. Thanks for sharing some of yours!
Little Miss Chatter Box says
I'm not sure if you have the channel but look for UP on your local listings. It's all things Christmas all day every day. The channel is Up Lifting entertainment for the entire family all year long but right now it's all Christmas themed. You and your kids would probably LOVE it. (It used to be the Gospel Music Channel)
Jeanie says
No special traditions here, but I just have to say that I adore that picture of Kensington crying with Santa. ADORE!
Port Family says
We named our daughter after the beautiful talented actress Vera Ellen from White Christmas, we watched it every year growing up and I was always in awe of her! We have our chalkboard checklist too. We also have an ornament from every major trip we have taken as well as a new one for our kids each year. The travel ones will stay with us and our kids will take theirs with them someday! I love this time of year and the many sweet memories made!
Britt says
Totally copied your recipe exchange party! Can't wait to see photos from this year! http://www.basicbritt.com/?p=66
Mama Of Boys says
LOVE the pictures on display with Santa, am going to sit and upload mine now and get them printed ASAP, thanks!
Carrie says
My 5 year old ( turns 5 today!!!) has never sat on Santa's lap and said to me this year "can we just not even try Mom, cuz it's not gonna happen". She could care less about him and the Santa's watching basically creeps her about.
giginpink says
I'm late posting, but had to add a comment about Christmas movies. Since you mentioned White Christmas, you have to watch Holiday Inn! It is the movie that premiered the song White Christmas. It is one of my very favorites, if not my favorite Christmas movie! For some reason, it is not shown as often. Both Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire are in it, so there is great singing and dancing!
kelly b says
One of our traditions is family fondue night on Christmas eve – we love it! Also if you all haven't seen Arthur Christmas yet you should try it. It's a cute and clever animated christmas movie
Aubrey says
You know I love your Christmas traditions — especially any that involve Carpenters' Christmas. 😉
Unknown says
Every year my dad sets a "Christmas Trap" between our bedroom and the tree. If we can get to the tree without waking up my parents we can start opening gift right away, but if we wake them up we have to go back to bed and wait for them to be ready to get up. It was SO fun, and though it was simple and fun in the beginning, it grew to a Home Alone type adventure. http://www.christmastrap.com