Advent + Traditions

What a week it’s been. Phew! Good thing I was able to be a little organized ahead of time because it’s been 7 days full of holiday fun with family, friends, old and new traditions. It all starts the night of Thanksgiving, when we give the kids new Christmas jammies and slippers.

How to Make a Simple Advent Wreath – quite possibly my favorite part of Christmas. I have a simple gold advent candle holder (similar) that I have my local flower + garden shop wire onto a pre-made pine wreath. It smells fresh in my home and is simple simple. We aim to light it each evening together, hold hands and say out little prayer before the kids get to unwrap one of their 24 Christmas books. It’s this nightly ritual that helps us all stay focussed on what we are preparing to celebrate this December.

24 Books for Advent. We gave up the toys and candy each day long ago. For years we’ve been wrapping up 24 Christmas books to open each night of Advent. The books have evolved over the years. Some favorites and classics remain while others take a year off. We have collected quite a few now, but I still like to add oneor twonew books to the mix each year.

New Tradition – Last year, I was reminded about Angel Chimes while reading one of my favorite blogs. I immediately ordered one and stashed it away for this year. I had forgotten all about it until unpacking our holiday decorations last week. I am so glad to have added this to our family’s traditions. The kids can’t get enough of sitting in the dark (yes, quietly) listening for the angels and their chimes. Love.

Tree chopping in the mountains near our home is such a fun adventure. We load up thermoses of hot cocoa, add favorite holiday tunes to our playlists and trek around searching for our perfect tree. Each of us runs around calling to the others, “This tree, he’s the one!” (No idea why the trees are ‘he’s’ but in our family they are.) They plead their cases year after year, but we all know momma’s tree always wins. The joke is really on me though, because I love the Sequoia trees. I forget from year to year how fiery they are and that I am terribly allergic to them. I have to wear gloves and long sleeves to protect myself from this tree while decorating. Why do I torture myself so?! It’s a beauty that’s why (especially now that I’m off the benadryl and hydrocortisone cream).

Filoli Garden and Home is another tradition I wouldn’t miss for the world in spite of a hectic week. I have been going to their Holiday Traditions for years with two of my favorite people in the world. We go each year together. It is a lovely day at Filoli which is only rivaled by how much of a gift it is to spend the day with these amazing ladies.

I don’t know about your Elf on a Shelf, but ours is always up to mischief. We have so much fun with this. He may still come every year even when the kids are all grown and gone!

Random Acts of Christmas Kindness was a new tradition last year. We finally got started late this week with some fun ideas for this year which the kids definitely want to include leaving surprise quarters on vending machines or arcade games.