Traditions come in all shapes and sizes. And while some cost money, others are fun and free. Since we celebrate Christmas, below are a few of our favorite creative Christmas time activities:

The Holiday Walk

You might think this one is unoriginal, but nothing gets the kids (or us) in the spirit like a casual walk, exploring the tacky and wonderful world of outdoor Christmas decor.  We would appreciate it if people took the time to put their lights on straight, regardless, finding the street with the most “colorful” adornment becomes a driving force and keeps us walking every week of December.  A sippy cup of wine is a great way to keep you warm.

The Christmas Bake-off

Each December, our siblings stage a competitive bake-off, which our kids get to be the judges of.  We film it every year and love looking back at the madness of grown couples trying to navigate the kitchen simultaneously.  We give the kids “iron-chef” inspired guidelines on judging and let them take it from there.

Gnome Invasion

We have always used Elves as a bribery tactic, they are watching, they are judging, so you better keep your sh*t together.  This year, we had a doubter in the ranks – a six-year-old who is beginning to question it all.  But we are not going down without a fight and refuse to be outwitted.  So like our mother did, we strategically make a few footprints in the snow with a trusty garden gnome and the illusion continues.

Santa Sacks

Let’s be honest, stockings are the best part of gift giving. But it was becoming more and more difficult to find stockings that could accommodate all the goodies we wanted to put in them. Enter the Santa Sack; a white pillowcase with each family members name embroidered on it and a big shiny bow around the top.  It gives us more flexibility when picking the little treasures to go inside. We love going a step further and attaching a string with bells on it; the kids get to follow the string, revealing the location of their sack.

Bells

I will never forget waking up Christmas morning and finding a bell on the door step from one of Santa’s reindeer.  He left a note explaining what happened and  it was my favorite gift that year, maybe ever.

Present on the roof

If your roof is low enough, toss a present up on it and “discover” it when you go out to grab something (get creative, maybe you need something from the car, or left yesterday’s paper out there).  Find a reason to get outside Christmas morning and find the gift.  Call the kids out and rejoice in their look of bewilderment.

We hope you have found some inspiration in our holiday traditions to start your own!

Cheers, cheers,
Meg & Leigh