New Holiday Traditions

I didn't grow up celebrating Christmas, so I am definitely making up for lost time. I love seeing the house all decorated, though I may have gone a bit overboard this year!

With our wedding approaching, it felt especially important to me to create some new Christmas traditions this year that we can continue in the future.

Christmas Eve

Ice Skating (this didn't end up happening, but we've done it in the past)

• Popcorn Garland (huge success)

• Pick out one present each at a store

• Not super feasible on Christmas Eve it turns out :)

• Christmas Movie

• We watched five minutes of A Christmas Story and then Andy and my dad watched Monday Night Football

• Ornament Exchange

• Andy and I exchanged ornaments and it was so fun

• Wishes

• We wrote down our wishes for the coming year and put them in a clear ornament

• Create 12 Dates of Christmas

• We ended up writing these down on Christmas morning and I'm so excited to go on these dates this coming year

• Christmas PJ Exchange

• I dropped the ball but Andy didn't. He got me the cutest, most comfortable PJ set!

Christmas Day

• Special Breakfast

• We had a fantastic Christmas brunch complete with shrimp cocktail, bacon wrapped scallops, beignets, meats, olives, cheeses and pot-stickers

• Drink Hot Chocolate

• We all opted for Starbucks Christmas blend coffee instead!

• Christmas Letters

• We went high-tech and wrote Christmas emails to each other

• Open Presents

• Success

• Bake Cookies

• There definitely wasn't time for this on Christmas Day! Next year I am baking in advance

• Do a Craft Together

• We actually make ugly Christmas socks from a kit I had bought

• Play Games

• We played Jackbox Party Pack 3, so fun!

• One Last Gift at Night

• I opened several gifts before going to bed! Andy couldn't wait and opened all of his Christmas morning

What are your favorite holiday traditions?