traditions

Since we are so very busy, getting ready for our famous Thanksgiving family gathering back in good old PA, I thought I would do a post about traditions. I am hoping that this post will not only give you some new ideas to add to your already well established traditions, but will also have you reflecting on your own that you have created over the years....



Don't you just love "a tradition" that started so long ago and has stay alive within your family!

Well, we too have a few here in our household as well...

For as long as I could remember, we NEVER left milk & cookies for Santa...we left a shot of "Old Grand Dad" for that jolly old elf! Looking back (and finally experiencing a few Christmases with some little ones & trying to assembly 'those so many pieces you don't know where to start' toys together every Christmas Eve...I can totally understand why "our jolly old elf" had needed that shot of fine whiskey - when we were little, my mom told me we needed to leave a little something for Santa to warm him up after traveling all over the world, all throughout the bitter cold night and since he already had a ton of cookies from all the other good boys & girls...he needs a little after drink to help smooth away his fullness - good excuse {laugh} but it is still working today!).

Another one of our traditions is that we don't have the standard "ham" dinner that most experience. Nope, not is this Italian household, we have home made raviolis (meat & cheese) that are to DIE FOR! (yes! HOME MADE RAVs made completely by my mom with a little help from us.)

And you know how many of us all get dressed up for 'the' big day - wearing our finest & prettiest outfits - well never in our household...com-fee pants and some warm slippers is all you ever need.

Now since I have a beautiful home of our own and an almost completed family, I too have started some amazing traditions that I hope will last a lifetime and make a ton of memories for each of our children.

One of my favorite traditions that started many, many years ago is that every Christmas morning after opening all the presents, my wonderful husband makes some delicious cinnamon rolls (you know, the ones that come out of the can). Twelve years later, we are still doing it and have been ever since that first Christmas morning many sunrises ago...

As many of you know (from a post I did last year), Last Fall, I purchased the Jim Shore Advent Musical Calender (from that famous home shopping channel we all know I have a problem with) and let me tell you - it is still a hit this year! You start marking the days that lead up to Christmas with this beautiful advent calendar...starting on December 1st... by remove one ornament a day from its unique hiding place, and hang it on the tree above until all of the ornaments are displayed. Wind the key and the tree revolves to the tune of, "The Twelve Days of Christmas". From the Heartwood Creek Collection by Jim Shore. Oh I just love it and it has already been displayed on our eatery island located in our kitchen.





Another tradition that I just started this year is "Elf On The Shelf" (book and elf set)! This crazy little elf comes into your home...watching every move that you make - seeing if you are naughty or nice - and than comes to life each night to report back to Santa. Every morning, the girls rush downstairs to find where our elf has landed - the search is such a big hit! The book that is included tells the story of these special elves and how one comes to live within your home (and what special job they do for Santa himself). What also makes this super great is that once your elf arrives at your home, you & your family can decide on a special name just for him. You get to record that name in the back of the book and also registered it online. Our special elf is named...Ernie the Elf!





Now these are just a few of some of the traditions I have started within family! And they are truly a hit!

Do you have any special traditions you would like to share? Well, whatever you d have planned or the new ones you start, I am sure they'll e a big hit in your home as well...

I would like to wish you all a very HAPPY THANKSGIVING and magical Black Friday (which I never shop on but I know so many of you do) and here's to seeing you all once after the weekend!

We are going to GRANDMA'S! And boy, are we super excited!!!