Christmas our way

 Mel wrote a post about being a non-Christmas-celebrating  person wanting to know about Christmas traditions. I am just as fascinated with how others celebrate their own holiday traditions so I thought I’d write about our Christmas and how it looks today.

We get a real tree every year…I am adamant about this. We usually go the day after thanksgiving every year in search of the perfect tree…a big fall Douglas Fir. This years tree isn’t as big as years past, but it was the biggest we found.

I usually start holiday shopping in October or November, when I gather things in my virtual carts and wait for a lower price and then curate the list based on everyone’s wish lists. We believe in Santa over here, so I always try and find things not on a wish list that the kids don’t know about and would love. This years scores were a cropped fuzzy Zara jacket (my second daughter and I love high end goods but only when found thrifting or on a resale website) an Xbox game, special toys and games for the little guys, and a new guitar for my husband. Other than the kids, the only other people we shopped for were our moms, one neighbor, and my beauties and I always exchange. My siblings and I and all the kids stopped exchanging long ago because it’s just too much, and not the sole reason for the season anyway.

This year Christmas Eve was quiet, unlike years past when I’ve hosted large family gatherings and make all the food. A tradition we have had since lunch on Christmas Eve was a huge meal was to order us a lunch meat and deli trays from the grocery store and have that for dinner, so we swapped that out this year for our low key lunch with just our family instead. We finished some holiday baking (just cookies this year, chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin) Christmas Eve I spend wrapping alll the things after the kids were in bed, I just can’t seem to do this any sooner even if I had time. I finished and got to bed by about 1am.

Christmas morning the kids woke us up bright and early, and within an hour we were opening gifts. It starts out with the stockings (candy and a few smaller items, like Uno and lotions for the girls, gift card for my oldest son) and then everyone gets a gift to open and then it’s a free for all basically. I love giving gifts but i don’t love getting them, ever, so it’s weird for me. My husband restored my dads ancient ukuleles I rescued from my parents basement,so I can display them…which is perfect. I also picked out a new luggage set I found for a steal in my favorite color (purple) and other than a few small gifts from the kids and my godmother and our moms that was it. Which suits me just fine. I also gifted my mom some designer duds for tax season when she works, all at resale prices. Top score there was a wool Burberry blazer. 

Christmas morning after presents we always have a huge breakfast of home fries, eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes. My husband has learned how to make everything so he took over while I sat with the kids watching them play with their new stuff having my coffee. It was glorious. We all got to chill all afternoon and I got in a nap before our mothers came over for dinner…marinated flank steak, potato and Mac salad, lasagna, dinner rolls and salad. Cookies for dessert.

So nothing too crazy, I enjoy the run up to Christmas but it can be very exhausting (especially my bank account hah) so I’m really thankful that this year was relatively low key. It made it that much more enjoyable.

What are your traditions for whatever you celebrate this time of year.