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As part of our attempt to make Advent and Christmas distinct seasons in our household, we want to celebrate each of the 12 days of Christmas and save fun holiday traditions until then. But I need your help because I’m having trouble coming up with TWELVE things to do.
Here’s what I’ve got so far:
Christmas Eve: Decorate the tree! (We have lights on the tree now but haven’t put any ornaments on. Benjamin is very excited about the idea of making popcorn garlands and putting candy canes on the tree. I think this is mostly because he wants to eat them.) Also, have special dinner at my parents’ house.
Day 1: Christmas Morning: Presents at Daniel’s parents’ house and then Mass (not sure which we’ll do first, depends on the Mass schedule).
Day 2: Make a Gingerbread House. (Probably a simple Graham Cracker one this year like this one.)
Day 3: Make Snowflakes out of paper to decorate or paper stars like this one.
Day 4: Go to Oven Park to see the Christmas lights.
Day 5: Go to LeMoyne Art Gallery (all decorated for Christmas.)
Day 6: Make Christmas cookies.
Day 7: Watch The Grinch or another toddler friendly Christmas movie. Maybe Benjamin would be up for Elf? I guess we could watch Elf another night if we run out of holiday fun ideas.
Day 8-11? Gimme some ideas!
Day 12: Make a King Cake and celebrate Epiphany!
And here’s some pictures of sweet Lucy from last weekend when we took her to her first Christmas party:
That little smile just slays me! She is doing so well and being so sweet. What a little darling we’ve been given. She still vomits constantly but she doesn’t seem remotely upset by it and she’s gaining weight at an alarming rate (probably because she nurses constantly). Her cradle cap is getting out of control though. I’m trying to put olive oil on it and gently scrub her scalp with a soft toothbrush. Any other advice, mamas?
If I live in tally, we would definitely fill one day with the live nativity that the Methodist church by the roundabout puts on… My boys would flip! For our advent activities, we are including some serving, like cookies for the fire station and treats for our mailman.
Brittany,
Maybe we should give the living nativity a try. I remember going once as a kid, but all I remember was waiting FOREVER in the car and nothing about the nativity itself. I have a perhaps unreasonable dread of being stuck in the car with a crying Lucy and a bored Benjamin as we wait and wait and wait to see the camels for a few seconds. Maybe I should just get over it, haha.
And I love your idea about adding service to your Advent observance. I was thinking about letting Benjamin choose a charity gift from one of the organizations like Heifer International that provide livestock to empower families in need to sustain their households. I think it would be fun for him to pick out what kind of animal!
I used a comb with Jax’s cradle cap. It helped get the scales off, but he did have it for awhile.
What about going caroling? Benjamin might be too young for that…but I feel like that would be a lot of fun, even of you just went to friends houses
Great idea with the caroling, Jeni!
I like cranberries & popcorn, strung together. We did that one year, with my Dad & Mom & siblings and our dog, Cappy, sneakily ate the popcorn of the string, as fast as we could string it!
We did that when I was little, too. I remember!
Had another idea! Go to Au Peche Mignon to pick out a special treat. Not sure which days they’re open post Christmas, though because they take a break after all the Buche de Noel business on Christmas Eve.
Speaking of which, I want to make this Gluten-free Buche de Noel as one of the 12 days: http://pinterest.com/pin/12103492718241426/
For our gluten-intolerant household…
Some other ideas:
Samaritan’s Purse has website catalog similar to Heifer International.
Camellias (the Christmas Rose) in bloom at Maclay Gardens.
Maclay Gardens! What a good idea.
Maybe make some travel mugs of hot chocolate and drive around in Buck Head or another large Tallahassee neighborhood to look at Christmas lights? My family has done this a number of times and its always fun. We turn on 106.1 Christmas music or put in the Nutcracker cd for some added ambience.
Benjamin would LOVE that.
The TLHSE Democrat usually posts a list of individual houses that comprise a “Christmas Lights Tour.” However, I would rather just tour one neighborhood.
Does the Governor’s Mansion still offer a Christmas Tour?
When the children are older, go see “The Knott House” downtown.
And when they are older:
….Mission San Luis
…..The Old Capitol
…..Pebble Hill
…..BirdSong
…..Thomasville Victorian Homes