West Coast Florida Nesties
Dear Community,
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Holiday Traditions
So what are your family's Holiday traditions?
Re: Holiday Traditions
H and I put up our Christmas tree the Sunday after Thanksgiving listening to Christmas music. We get a photo ornament every year and reminisce. We also buy an ornament from each vacation we go on.
During Christmas my family busts out the oldie, but goodie, home videos. You know the swim meet from when I was 6. The trip to Hawaii where my sister refused to be on the camera. The dance shows we put on in the living room as children. They are awesome! Really, nothing has changed.
A co-worker was telling me how after Christmas dinner, her kids bring over the "worst movie they can find" and then they watch them and vote on it. I thought that was kinda fun... well, if I was into movies. A bad movie makes me zzzzzz. Especially after a Holiday meal.
Happily Married
The Plan Stan
Eat Well, Live Well, Be Well Blog
Eat and be merry is our Xmas tradition.
Then I spend all day running from home to home, visiting all of my divorced parents and their families.
I'm just excited to be going to Mom's this year. We need a hometown break from life here.
We are in the process of creating new family traditions. This is the first year that Jason and I will be with our parents for Christmas in over 9 years! Typically in the past Christmas has usually been lonely for me. We usually stay in Texas (with no family), it's always cold and rainy, and my H always volunteers to work. I always get a little home sick during Christmas.
But I am so excited to be back in FL for the holidays, especially with Macy!! This year we plan to start the day at my IL's house, where my parents will join us. Then we will have Christmas dinner at my parents house with the rest of my family.
However, Jason has already said that next year he wants to spend Christmas in Texas
But since we will have two kids by then my parents said they will come out to visit for the holiday. So that's exciting!
Baby Macy is here!
12/09 - Macy (daughter) | 4/10 - Began TTC Baby #2 | 12/10 - Chemical Pregnancy | 1/12 - Miscarriage at 14 weeks | DX - PCOS & Hyperthyroidism
We put up our tree the Sat after Thanksgiving. I put on Christmas music and we (DD and I) decorate the tree I get the ornaments out, she puts them on the tree. Our tree looks much better now that all the ornaments are not on the bottom of the tree. Sunday is usually H and DD putting up all the lights that go outside. I'm simply the supervisor on this task now! I get the lights out, make sure they work and tell them where they go!
Christmas eve, we bake cookies for Santa, listen to Christmas music and wrap any last min gifts that we need too. DD also gets to pick one gift that I already put under the tree (right now she has 3 under the tree) and open it. So she still shakes each one and tries to pick the best one!
Christmas day, we go to my moms. She cooks and we bring food. We do some sort of gift exchange for the adults and the kids just get tons of stuff!
When I was growing up it was always Xmas Eve Mass then to my Grandma's or Aunts on my dads side for traditional polish dinner. So yummy! Xmas morning me and my sister would get up first and open our stockings, then wake up our parents and we would all open presents and my dad would make breakfast. Later in the day we would go to my other Grandmas (mom's mom) and we had the big turkey dinner and more presents. Both sides we did the everyone buys everyone else presents thing, so that was a big ordeal. I have lots of good holiday memories growing up!
Now that my dad has passed away, my mom remarried, I am married and we live in FL, things are a little different. Typically we go to my moms on Xmas eve and have dinner. We are just doing stocking stuffers this year. Then on Xmas day we drive to my husband's parents condo and spend the day with his family. It is nice but not the big festivities that i remember growing up. We are hoping next year we can have both families at our house since we will have a baby.... we will see how that goes over, lol!
We have tons, and it seems like we're making many new ones, too. :-)
One of my favorite is a newer tradition -- we have an ugly ornament contest. It's exactly what it sounds like, and we all vote for the ugliest one. I think I was robbed last year, but whatever. I'm over it. I haven't found my entry yet this year.
My silly Lily is almost 4.
I like this one!
We make a big deal out of putting up the tree. We bake cookies and listen to Christmas music.
On Christmas Eve, the kids and I get to open our Christmas ornaments from DH (it is his tradition) and we put them on the tree. We also did the Christmas pajamas thing last year, but I couldn't find Christmas PJs here (no surprise) and didn't get around to ordering some so we may skip that this year.
This year we are starting a new tradition. We bought a Lego Christmas village set and put it together as a family (though Ezra was more hinderance than help). We're going to try to add to it each year if we can.
We also watch Christmas movies throughout the month to keep the holiday spirit going.
Growing up we always opened our presents at home on Christmas Eve after church. We would go to my grandma's Christmas Day. My grandpa was a fabulous cook and he would make a full spread. I miss his food.
Now we go to my parents in TN because my ILs don't do much for Christmas. My parents try and make it special for Quinn. My dad makes the best hot chocolate on Christmas Eve and we watch It'a A Wonderful Life. Before we open present we read the story out of the Bible. We also open presents one at a time, youngest to oldest. It can get a little tedious, but luckily there aren't too many of us.
We also do things around here like visit Christmas Lane in Dover, go to Disney, stuff like that. Oh, and I make sure DS picks out some toys at the store to donate, which we did yesterday. That went, well? He's 3.5, he doesn't really get it yet.
my read shelf:
Last year we started the Christmas jammies tradition too. Not necessarily Christmas themed, just new ones to open on Christmas Eve and wear that night. DS loves pajamas probably more than regular clothes, so it's a fun gift for him. On Christmas morning, we always do our own little family Christmas, before going to do anything with our parents and siblings.
We switch out how we spend time with my dad and H's family between Christmas Eve and Christmas brunch, but we always do Christmas afternoon/evening with my mom. She does an elaborate theme every year, which goes beyond just her tree. She redecorates the entire house, sets her table, wraps her gifts, and plans her menu and siganture drinks all according to the theme. It is very over the top, and I love it. She's also the kind of person who buys a million gifts instead of just a couple big ones, so the present opening takes a really long time. It's always such a fun day. I love Chistmas at my mom's, because of how special she makes it for everyone.