Traditions!!

I absolutely LOVE traditions.

I love old ones.

I love flexible ones.

I love new ones.

I love the ones shared with friends and family

And I love the ones with just our family of five.

A very special lady in our life, whom the kids reverently call Nap Nanny, gave us this tiny tree with 12 little boxes and 12 miniature ornaments as a means for a countdown to Christmas about 10 years ago. It holds a very special place in our heart - not only because of whom the giver was, but also, the memories that have taken place because of this little tree.

With a creative mindset, my husband and I began to think of ideas to make the implementation of this new tradition fun filled and memorable. Over the past 10 years, we have tweaked it so much that you never know what to expect from year to year (which is part of the fun as well!) One year, we took the paper chain idea and wrote activities on every piece of paper. Each night a child ripped off a chain and read what the activity was. Sometimes it was as simple as watching a movie at home with the lights out while eating popcorn. As the kids got older, the activities began to change to bowling, ice skating, driving around to look at Christmas lights, watching a Christmas musical or play at another church, playing a newly bought game, etc. When we were home together, we also ate dinner by candlelight - no matter what was served! Such fun memories we have made over the years. Last year I added a new twist to our countdown. I made sure each stocking had 12 small items in them (always $5 or under) and each night after dinner or our family festivities, the kids were allowed to reach into their stocking and try to guess what they felt before pulling it out! Although they highly enjoyed the 12 nights of surprises, everyone agreed that they didn't want this tradition to continue since their stockings were completely empty on Christmas morning!

A new tradition I started last year which I will continue is something I found on Pinterest (which I will blog about my addiction to this new craze later!) It's very simple that will bring lots of smiles. Every time something memorable, exciting or just plain note worthy happens, write it down on a small piece of paper with the date. Fold it and then drop it in a glass jar. That's about it - I told you it was too simple! Do this all year long and then on December 31st (or whatever end of the year date you pick), grab the family with some Welch's Sparkling Grape Juice and take turns pulling out a piece of paper and reading what it says. I took our little tradition to Ohio this year so that we could do it with the grandparents - what better way to reminiscence about the wonderful things that happened during the year while catching them all up to speed. We spent almost 2 hours and had a lot of "oh, I forgot about that" and "remember how funny that was!" The kids are already saying, "Did you write that down for the jar?" Big clue that the activity was a hit!

I could write a 5-page blog on traditions that have come and gone and ones that will never leave us. I believe it's what keeps the family together. What better way to make your heart smile than to pass something so special from your childhood onto your children.

Just remember - when first starting a tradition, be flexible. If no one is enjoying it, then be ready to make changes or ditch the idea completely! You certainly don't want any bad family traditions!

I would love to hear from each of you - what are some of your favorite family traditions? Ones that you grew up with or some that you have started with your family. I absolutely adore stealing ideas, so please do share!