One of my family's favorite cookies is also the easiest for me to make this time of year. The recipe is called Santa's Buttons. All you do is take prepared sugar cookie dough (homemade or bought at the store), roll into 1 1/2" balls and then roll into red and green colored sugar.
Christmas Tradition: Taking Kids Shopping For Presents
When my niece was six years old, she wanted to buy her family gifts for Christmas. So I decided to tell her to start saving her money and we would go Christmas shopping the day she got out of school for Christmas break.
Christmas Tradition: Christmas Eve
On Christmas Eve, my family has our two girls try to find the Christmas box Mrs. Santa left for them. It always contains a new set of pajama's. After they put on the pajamas, our family drives around town looking at Christmas lights and live nativity scenes in different neighborhoods. We've done this for 21 years and they still love this tradition that officially starts Christmas for them.
Twelve Days of Christmas Trivia
Many people think the Twelve Days of Christmas are the twelve days before Christmas, but actually they are the twelve days AFTER Christmas.
Christmas Tradition: Stockings From Mom
Growing up we never had much money, but we always had a nice Christmas thanks to Mom. There were 4 of us kids and we got at least a few presents each, but it was very important to Mom that we had our stockings also.
Christmas Traditions: Making Ornaments
When I was a kid, I always wanted a themed Christmas tree like you see in stores or in the movies. We had the kind of tree with mismatched ornaments that had been handed down or picked up secondhand. No one can really afford to have all their ornaments match, right?
Set Up Nativity Right After Thanksgiving
The first decoration I always put out right after Thanksgiving is the nativity set. Mine is Precious Moments and made of porcelain so it goes on the server, not under the tree. Kind of keeps me focused!
Twelve Days of Christmas Savings
On the twelve days of Christmas, my true love gave to me - savings. Try these holiday activities that bring people together and cost nothing but time.
Step By Step 12 Days Of Christmas Gifts
I start off by making my cards. They are 3 1/2 inches tall by 3 inches wide. I use the poem from the 12 Days of Christmas song that I print on the inside.
Family Trip Instead of Toys for Christmas
A couple of years ago my daughter asked her kids what they wanted for Christmas: toys or going to the Wisconsin Dells for Christmas with the family? Would you believe they picked going to the Dells? They said they had enough toys and that they get toys for their birthdays.
Grandmom and Grandpop Reindeer
Christmas fun. Our whole family wears Christmas antlers when we open our presents, it is too cute.
Celebrate The Weekend After Christmas
Celebrate The Weekend After Christmas. Be thrifty and generous! If your kids are married, offer to celebrate Christmas the weekend AFTER December 25th. That way the other family gets to have them on Christmas and you get to buy all of your gifts at the after Christmas sales.
Christmas Breakfast Tradition. A special Christmas traditions we have: I make a special Christmas breakfast of fruit and crepes. When I set the table, I put a small creche in the middle of the table with one tall candle.
Christmas Tree Picnic. When the Christmas tree is up, place a blanket near the tree, turn off the lights and have a picnic. Soft Christmas tree lights, great food and a special person to enjoy it with!
Starting a Christmas Tradition
Starting a Christmas Tradition. Start a Christmas tradition with your kids. It will be something they look forward to every year as they are growing up, and will remember with fondness all their grown-up years.
Frugal Holiday Traditions. We have a large family. So in October, each child draws a name from other children in the family. That is the only gift giving, besides buying for my mom, that we do. It has cut cost way down for our family.
Family Notes To Read At The Holidays
Family Notes To Read At The Holidays. We, as a family, write out a note (no more then one sheet of paper) on what and why it is that we appreciate each other, separating each reason why with the next family members name, until all in the family are written out on the paper.
Reinforcing the Meaning of Christmas
To reinforce the meaning of Christmas in a Christian home to children, parents can hide the Baby Jesus from their Nativity Scene on Christmas Morning.
We have an unique Christmas tradition at our house. When the kids no longer believed in Santa and the thrill of the moment wasn't as intense as it once was we started this. On Christmas morning each child receives a small piece of paper with a poem/hint on it and they have to figure out the clue and follow it just to find another clue. After the third clue there is their gift.
When my first child was 4 years old, I decided to start a Christmas tradition that was inexpensive but fun. My son, Joe, was old enough to chew hard candy (with supervision). I bought him a "LifeSaver" Christmas box of LifeSavers that had a small ornament attached. ..
My Frugal Holiday: The Old Family Bible
It had a place of honor on the long table in the living room along with a pretty old lamp which had colored glass all around the shade part of it, and little crystal dangly things that hung down around the bottom edge.
This year, on November 2nd, my father passed away. Needless to say, I miss my dad. It's Christmas time and he's not here, but I am grateful for all the Christmases I got to have with him.
Las Posadas (The Celebration of the Nativity)
Although this celebration is now mostly celebrated in Mexico, many immigrants are bringing this to America. I first heard about this tradition when I was invited to attend one night of the nine nights of this celebration. It was a delightful experience.
As a young dad, I inherently understood that holidays are all about making memories. Although my two daughters learned early that the celebration of Christ's birth is the true reason for Christmas, we did embrace Santa and the exchanging of gifts like most families.
