Establishing... Family Traditions

Just like a couple must make holiday plans, a new family must also decide where to go for each holiday, when and in what sequence,  for how long and what traditions you'd like to start or continue.  Though I have no personal experience, I suspect it can be tricky adding a baby to the holiday mix and it's something you will need to discuss with your SO.  Hanging out with each others' families on the same day or on two separate days is nice, but some definite planning will need to happen beforehand so you're able to do the things you want to do as a family and so you don't drive all over creation.   Since I never grew up having any hardcore family or holiday traditions, it is something that I definitely want to do with my kids and I've thought a lot about it.  Traditions are a way to add some fun,  foster togetherness and make each year unique and more memorable.  I hope that one day we have the opportunity to establish our OWN traditions, not just do things others expect us to do around the holidays.

Thanks to Pinterest, I have a few things in mind that I would love to try and hopefully make a habit out of doing.  This post is to recap some of my ideas so I can re-visit it down the road...

Wintertime Ideas (December, January, February) :

• Go sled riding, play in the snow, or build a snowman, followed by hot chocolate atleast once
• Make snow-cream, something I've never done
• Go to the Festival of Lights at the Zoo
• Cut paper snowflakes and hang them in the house       
• Make pinecone bird feeders with peanut butter and seeds  

•  Christmas-
• IF "Elf on the Shelf" is still around, have either A) our Elf arrive on December 1st with the "First Gift of Christmas" for each kid.  In a wrapped box, bow included, have new festive PJs, popcorn, cocoa or other snacks, and a new movie to watch during the season or B) have arrive on December 1st and do the PJs/movie idea at home every Christmas Eve
• The night before Christmas, put out "Reindeer food" and cookies for Santa
• Put Christmas lights on the house.... of if C has anything to do with it, make the house look like the Griswold's
• Decorate the Christmas tree together
• The weekend before Christmas, get the kids in PJs and all ready for bed, but instead of going to bed, surprise them with a drive around the area to look at Christmas lights.  Find out where the coolest lights are ahead of time and if they're old enough to not make a mess, allow hot chocolate in the car with popcorn too
• Do a "New Year's Interview" for each kid and save them to show things they learned things they enjoyed, what they look forward to and depict their personalities.  It would be cool to look back on these        

•  Valentine's Day-
• Host a mother/daughter Valentine's Brunch
• Have an "all-red or pink" meal with family, even if it's pink eggs, strawberries, yogurt, toast with strawberry jam

Spring (March, April, May) :

• Plant a single tree for each child at the farm.  I think it would be so amazing to do this so that over time, my kids could watch it grow and mature, just like them
• Dye or decorate Easter Eggs, something I have not done in a VERY long time.  Seeing as I love hard boiled eggs and we eat lots of them, why not make them pretty?
• Go for a walk in the rain (umbrellas optional)
• Draw family chalk portraits on the sidewalk and driveway
• Play putt-putt golf
• Go watch a Memorial Day Parade to honor those who died in the armed forces, watch the people and cars, collect candy

Summer (June, July, August) :

• Pack some picnics and eat outside, even if it's just for at the park across the street.  Going to a lake, the beach or under the shaded tree at the farm would be cool too
• Go for family bike rides and walks regularly
• Make dad breakfast in bed
• Measure everyone's height at the beginning of each school year on a chart (you could also measure at the end of the year, or throughout the year)
• Eat snowcones and icecream
• Watch and/or light fireworks
• Blow bubbles
• Create a summer scavenger hunt

 Fall (September, October, November) :

• Roast marshallows and make smores
• Have movie nights in front of the fireplace
• Rake leaves into a huge pile and have a photoshoot
• Take a walk though the woods at the farm right before the leaves fall to see the beautiful colors
• God trick-or- treating
• Go to a pumpkin patch or for a hayride 
• Host a Modern (vs. Traditional) Thanksgiving
• Make or eat caramel apples