Bear-y Christmas, Nap-py Holidays Giveaway!

and some yummy and some yummy snack

One of the holiday traditions I would pass on is the extended family get-together for christmas eve dinner.

When I was a kid, every Christmas Eve we would make fresh cookies for Santa in the afternoon. Then we would go to Christmas Eve Mass, come home and open 1 present each to make room for Santa’s gift. We’d leave the fresh cookies and some milk out, then go to bed. We have incorporated my husband’s family tradition of going to Disneyland Christmas Eve, too, so we make the cookies the day before but otherwise, we plan on doing all of the above. Christmas Eve will be super busy so Chriatmas Day will be for relaxing and watching the Disney Christmas Day Parade on TV with family.

Growing up, my dad used to reading me ’the Night Before Christmas " before I went to bed on Christmas Eve. He traveled a lot for work and was military, so was very special for us.

My parents are coming to visit for baby’s first Christmas, and he is bring the book!

Findind the pickle in the Christmas tree! During Christmas at my grandma and grandpa’s, my little sister and I would stare at their tree for hours trying it. It is a cherished memory of mine and I would love to pass that on to my baby.

Growing up the family would all come to my Grandma’s house on Christmas Eve. There we would have dinner, exchange gifts, and visit. Before the evening was over we would watch a video of home movies showing my Grandma, Grandpa, Dad and his siblings. It ranged from swimming at the lake to the school Christmas play with my dad as a wise man with his leather beard. Every year we dreaded having to watch “the video”, but every year we couldn’t wait to sit as a family to watch it. My Grandma passed Thanksgiving 2 years ago, this February will be my 2nd without Dad, and the family no longer comes together like it did. My 2 youngest kids will never get to meet the loving, wonderful stars of this home movie in person, but my oldest can revisit his grandpa every year through it. And my little ones, they will have stories to hear about them, and a video to show them.

Growing up (Australia, Adelaide 31C/81F) in a large family and sharing Christmas Day with my extended family, it was always tradition to hold a water balloon fight after lunch. Everyone from Nanna & Pop down to the youngest niece/nephew was given a bag of balloons. It was such a fun simple activity with laughs shared by everybody.

We all got to open 1 present on Christmas Eve and then we did the rest on Christmas day. We have our son Graham due in 3 1/2 weeks so maybe we will be able to get that gift!!!!! :)

We get to open one present before Christmas morning and its ALWAYS new pajamas that we wear the next day! Cant wait to do it with Eleena! Hoping to get a matching set of PJs with her one of these days :)

Every year we went to Midnight mass, and because children dread going to church let alone in the middle of the night my grandmother would let us open one gift early. We now have started our own tradition of opening holiday pj’s on christmas eve for super cute Christmas morning photo’s.

When I was a child my grandparents neighborhood association had a santa that came to everyone’s house a few weeks before christmas on a huge sleigh (on wheels)with helper elves to lift the little ones in and out. He heard all your wants and wishes and when you were done he gave you a “stocking” (i think it was a clear plastic sleeve) with an apple and orange in the toe and filled with peanuts in the shell, and a few chocolate pieces. I recently found out from my father when he moved back to that same neighborhood that they stopped doing it a few years back :-( My boyfriend and I bought a house last year and are teaming up with a local carrage company and our home owners association and planning to spend part of our tax money on santa and elf costumes to try to revive this tradition for my son.

waiting up for santa

My first comment dissapeared, but I want to make sure I’m entered, so let’s try again. Every year my grandmother would let us open a gift before midnight mass. We have put our own spin on this tradition and open Christmas pj’s on christmas eve to make sure everyone looks their best for christmas morning photo’s.

ugh. If i enter it deletes my girlfriends comment, and when she comments it deletes mine. I guess it’s set up for one user per computer but that doesn’t really work in a home that only has one computer, and this page won’t open on an Iphone!!