During the magical times of the season, everyone tries to focus on holiday maintenance perhaps a little too much. We find the holidays are traditional and can bring families closer together despite everything you may be hearing. Here are some of our favorite family traditions you can share with your next of kin and children.
- Cookie Bake Off
- Decorating the Tree
- Wrap Session
- Elf on the Shelf
With the cookie bake off you’ll need to create a variety of cookie dough ahead of time so make time for prepping. Make it easy and start a week before the bake-off, freeze the dough. Trust us; your life will be saner. Our relatives make a night special and bake their best pastries then everyone gets a box that includes the variety. Not only is this fun, but it’s also great to work with relatives who don’t get a chance to see each other that often.
We think it’s safe to say that decorating the tree can be one of the highlights of the whole year. Regardless of who you are, if you decorate a tree, you’ll probably agree there’s something so special about that time when dad’s pick up their little boy or girl to place the topper on the tree. Who doesn’t love watching the kids put all the candy canes on the same branch? We can’t forget tinsel in the dog’s business either. (We hope you have a smile on your face right now) Decorating the tree is always a joyous event no matter what age you are.
The wrap session is best when done by neighbors. Trust us; this one can be tricky. Since the holidays like Christmas, Hanukah, and Kwanza are about connecting with people, why not host a wrap session and invite friends and neighbors to help you wrap gifts while catching up? One way to organize this type of gathering is to have everyone bring their kids gifts and wrap the presents one person at a time. This method can work well if you keep it organized since it saves time with the extra helping hands.
Elf on the shelf is one of the greatest ideas anyone ever. These little figurines have been around forever, and we’ve had the pleasure of finding that little elf in places like the bathtub, laundry room and even behind the toilet as a tactic to poddy train.
Whether you’re hanging out with a family before or after the season, make sure you carry your family traditions as a way of bringing each other together to build long lasting memories.