It’s sort of ironic – this is supposed to be the time of year you’re making memories and soaking up quality time, but you’re running around like a reindeer with its head cut off trying to get gifts for everyone from your kids to teachers (and yes, sometimes yourself), decorating, cooking and baking, preparing to travel, hosting full houses of relatives, attending countless festive but exhausting activities and so much more. If your holiday season feels like one big to-do list, take a moment today and start one of these (simple) holiday traditions from our Moms around the country. It’ll force you to be in the moment, and make those memories that really do make it all worth it.
Go on a Holiday Drive & Wear PJs
“One of our favorite traditions is surprising the kids at bedtime (after they get all ready and think they are going to bed) with a holiday decoration drive! We all pile in the car with cozy blankets and drive around while listening to Christmas music. Also, Christmas Eve, we all sleep in our matching red/black buffalo check pajamas. ” – Columbus Moms
Host A Festive Brunch
“Every year for the past few years we host Christmas Eve brunch at our house for friends! We put out a spread of red and green bagels, donuts, muffins and fruit (super simple, but delicious). We do festive cranberry mimosas and coffee for the adults. I also get crafts and fun holiday swag for the kids and we have Santa come to give each of the kids an early gift, sing and read a story! It’s such a fun way to start the holiday and it gives the kids something exciting to do while waiting on Santa’s big arrival! – Stamford Moms
Make a Family Recipe
“Growing up in a big Italian family, our grandmother was surrounded by incredible cooks and mentors, and she passed down her love for food through recipes that have been in our family for over 90 years. Every Christmas, she’d gather us to make her famous handmade manicotti—a tradition she taught her daughter and seven granddaughters. Since her passing in 2014, my cousins (including Lindsay from Baltimore County Moms!) and our spouses have carried on the tradition.
We fill homemade crepes with delicious ricotta filling to make over 150 manicotti from each year for our whole family. Now our kids join in too, keeping her spirit alive one manicotti at a time! Whenever there’s a new baby in the family, the countdown begins until they’re old enough to try their first manicotti – it’s kind of our family’s rite of passage!” – Anne Arundel Moms
Give a Book
“Our three kids (including Constantine, our youngest of three sons, pictured here) open an annual Xmas Eve book gift.” – The North County Moms
Have an Ornament Competition
“Every year my dad buys the kids of the family a new ornament. When we decorate the tree, everyone takes turns putting the ornaments they have bought over the years on the tree. After the tree is decorated, we have an “Ornament Competition” where everyone picks their Top 5 Favorite on the tree; we do this by only the lights on the Christmas tree, so picking the location of your ornament is important! Points are tallied and the winner gets major bragging rights for the next year.” – Lehigh Valley Moms
