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How was your Thanksgiving? Hopefully restful and full of delicious food and better company!
I’m excited to officially wish you a Merry Christmas season today! Let’s be real though, I’ve been itching to dive into Christmas for a while now. And I know I’m not alone.
Maybe it’s because I spend lots of time in blog-land and it seems like EVERYONE and their mom has had their homes decorated by November 1, or because I had to sift through candy canes to find the Halloween candy for trick-or-treaters this year.
Either way though, we’ve celebrated Thanksgiving, it’s getting colder outside, and I’ve already had a few holiday lattes from Starbucks this year, so here we are.
This Christmas will be our fourth as parents – and even though I really can’t believe it on most days, Last year, I shared our “Make It Merry” post, which had my best tips to enjoy the holiday season with little ones underfoot.
If you read that post (you can read it here if you want) – the first thing on the list to decide what you want to do – ahead of time. It’s never too late to create new family Christmas traditions.
And so today, I’m sharing our 2018 Christmas Bucket List because if we don’t plan these things out early, the season will so easily disappear from us!
2018 Christmas Bucket List
- Get our tree up and decorated
- I think I’m hanging fewer ornaments on it this year, but more lights and maybe ribbon. I’ve never wrapped it in ribbon, but it looks pretty and way more kid-proof than lots of ornaments.
- Bake and decorate Christmas cookies
- Take a photo with Santa at Bass Pro Shops
- Our local Bass Pro Shops is our FAVORITE spot for Santa visits each year. They have such a great set-up with toys and activities for kids, letter writing station to write letters to Santa, and a great Santa. You can take your own photos and they even give you one 4×6 print of the photos they take for FREE! It really is the best. And we don’t even really do “Santa” for real at our house.
- Host our annual gingerbread house party for our friends and neighbors
- Make a first Christmas footprint ornament for the littlest
- Read Christmas stories with the boys
- Create and send out Christmas cards – some homemade and some with our family photos
- Dance in the kitchen
- Make paper snowflakes
- Drink homemade hot cocoa
- (Or boxed hot cocoa – I’m not even that picky)
- Drive to see Christmas lights
- There are a few really cool light shows near us that we’re hoping to get to again this year!
- Go to a live Nativity
- Watch a Christmas movie – maybe the Grinch, or Elf, or The Star, which we didn’t see in theaters, but is on Netflix this year(!)
- Find a great advent book to read with the boys -> if you have a favorite, will you send me your recommendations?
- Spend some time unplugged with the family just enjoying one another’s company
I think that’s everything. Now to get these things on the calendar!
A Word of Encouragement if You’re Feeling Already Overwhelmed Thinking about Creating Christmas Traditions This Year
While many of these are things that we really do try to do each year, we still don’t have all of our “traditions” nailed down. Many things change every year and I think that’s just a part of the season we’re in right now with young kids.
It’s always fine to try something new and seeing if it fits, or scrapping a tradition or activity that doesn’t fit this year.
There is ALWAYS something or someone vying for our attentions and our time (& resources), but I encourage you this year to KEEP IT SIMPLE. Your kids just want you. Of course, they’re also asking for things. But what they really want is you.
If keeping up with the activities and fa-la-la is causing stress or headache in your house – skip it. You don’t have to do it all.
In our house, our main celebration this time of year is Jesus. We want all our celebrations and activities to ultimately point us back to Him. All the extra is just extra.
Have you started planning your holiday activities yet? What are your favorite family Christmas traditions? Do you have any fun or unique traditions in your family?
I love your list. So many fun ideas. I’d love to visit the live nativity at the Billy Graham Museum this year.
That sounds really fun!
I love these reminders of even the little things. It can be so overwhelming to accomplish all the big holiday things that it’s a nice reminder to just dance in the kitchen!
There are so many things vying for our attention! It is good to be intentional about the little things, I think!
Mary Leigh – you guys should come through Journey to Bethlehem at Salem. My kids both did it last year at 3 and almost 2 and did great and there’s also a children’s version the morning of 12/8. If you go at night, you should then check out the Lights on Holt Road nearby. These people go all out with their Christmas lights and you can drive through their property. I think they said it’s 12 acres.
Oh, we need to!! I know the boys would love it! Thank you for letting me know!
There’s a new Grinch movie out I think!
Yes! Making decorated Christmas cookies and going to see lights is on our list of things to do as well.
We LOVE making bucket lists for all seasons! We just finished up our fall bucket list so we need to make our Christmas one! I love your ideas!
Thanks! Family Bucket lists are fun for us too and help us with ideas when we have fun, free family time!