Future Christmas Stuff

Lily is STILL asleep so I should have time for one more post before breakfast with her and then dragging everyone out to the mall :o)

Christmas with a newborn can be described in one word: SIMPLE. I have decorated a tree and wrapped presents. That is all. I have thought about Jesus, been thankful for the Gospel, and will be spending time with my family in celebration of The Gift. But I have not baked cookies, done Christmas cards, made an advent calendar, hosted any fun parties, or started any cool traditions. The only way Jesse's going to get any Christmas cookies is because my Mom will be here Tuesday! ;o) That's just the way it is this year, and that's okay with me.

BUT NEXT YEAR...look out...I'm loaded with fun ideas! I've bookmarked some really neat stuff from various bloggers who are brilliantly celebrating Christmas in super fun ways.

I'll share them in case you want to try them, too!

My friend Sarah did a Cookie Swap. LOVE IT! Totally want to do it...what a fun way to get together as girls and enjoy fun, fellowship, and COOKIES! :o) Maybe I'll combine it with the sweater party idea and provide beer, too, so the guys can be involved! ;o)

Tons of advent calendar ideas from Keeper of the Home. I haven't had a chance to actually look through all the links, but I definitely want to make a fun one for next year. I have very fond memories of our family advent calendar and definitely want that to be a tradition for us!

The frugal/go-green part of me likes the idea of getting creative with clutter free gifts and reducing disposable waste.

These Christmas cookie decorating ideas made the artsy-fartsy part of me super excited. And I was drooling over these truffles and this toffee.

I love the book game and Christmas notes that they shared over at GirlTalk.

Okay, I hope all those links worked! :o) And it's a darn good thing I have a whole year to think about our family traditions cause there's a lot to sort through! So many good ideas! I love the internet...I don't have to think of anything myself! ;o)

Oh, and of course I haven't really started sorting through all the amazing family traditions that Jesse and I both bring to this family.

Some of my favorite Aiduk family traditions: eating a big meal Christmas Eve on the floor by the tree (then you don't have to cook a bunch on Christmas Day and can just relax and munch on appetizers), being stuck in bed until the parents come get you in the morning (though they always got them up early!), and reading a special family Christmas book in the morning (with hot chocolate) before gifts.

Some of my favorite Rawleigh family traditions: snuggling on the couch in front of the Christmas tree as a family (with all the other lights off) singing Christmas carols, opening new "Christmas Eve Pajamas" to wear each year, and eating monkey bread and fruit for Christmas breakfast. Oh, and in later years, us kids (or at least the girls) always stayed in our jammies the whole day on Christmas!

Time to go check on the Big Baby.