10 Christmas Traditions to start with your baby

Christmas time has always been my favorite time of year! I love the cooler weather and bright lights everywhere. I love getting together as a family, eating and our annual holiday traditions.

I am beyond ecstatic to be able to start my own family traditions this year with MJ. I want to make this year the beginning of something special. I know he won't remember this year but I still want to start all the traditions that are important to me and I can always add on as he gets bigger.

Here are 10 traditions that you can start with your baby!

Pick a Christmas tree for your baby’s room and decorate it

This one is my fav. The holidays are hard for my husband, his mom passed away a few years before I met him and I know how much he misses her. The other day he mentioned that he remembered his mom would always get a mini tree that she would put for him and his brother in their room. As soon as I heard it I knew I wanted to carry that tradition on to our son.

Here is a pic of his first tree, we might get a bigger one in a few years but for now its just perfect.

Get matching pajamas to wear while trimming the tree

Ok, so if I am being honest I have always been obsessed with matchy matchy. The past two years on Christmas morning I have ordered matching pajamas for my hubby and I to wear during Christmas morning breakfast. Well we obviously have to continue the tradition with our mini me! I bought two this year (my husband is def going to kill me)

I ordered one for trimming the tree and another set for Christmas morning presents and breakfast.

Take your baby on an evening stroll to see Christmas lights

Here in Orlando we have so many different tree lighting's and areas to see Christmas lights. It doesn't have to be fancy though, you can simply take a walk in your neighborhood or drive to a super fancy community to walk around and see Christmas lights. This is one so far has been a super fun tradition for us because MJ is just so observant and is infatuated by all the beautiful lights. Its such a beautiful and precious moment that I will cherish forever.

Take your baby to see Santa for the first time

MJ was not super impressed by Santa, BUT in time that will change. At least he didn't cry!

Order a personalized ornament for your babies first Christmas

This I am totally stealing from my parents. Every year my brother and I would help my mom decorate the tree. She always bought us a new ornament each year and we would hang "our" ornaments up. Til this day I hang up the ornament my mom bought for my first Christmas, 29 years later. I ordered a handmade ornament that will have a painting of the three of us sold on Etsy.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/742265730/custom-hand-painted-ornament-family?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=hand+painted+ornaments&ref=sr_gallery-1-5&organic_search_click=1&frs=1

Watch a Christmas movie together

I loveeee Christmas movies! My favorite ones are Home Alone and National Lampoon. I am going to hold off on those for now and choose something age appropriate like the Charlie Brown Xmas special or the original grinch movie since they're only about 30 minutes each.

Hang your babies first stocking and fill it with age appropriate stocking stuffers

I am custom ordering matching buffalo stockings with our names engraved on them this year which I plan to use for the next few years. We have a little fireplace were going to hang them next to each other. I am going to fill it with some pacifiers, a story book and a few little cheap toys. I am going to fill my husbands with some socks. This is the inspo for the stockings I ordered that I am waiting for in the mail!

Do a Christmas craft together

Here is a recipe to make edible paint. I don't want your babies getting sick in the process of craft time. I want to do a little hand print craft and save it. I can't imagine all the feels I will have opening up my box of Christmas decor each year and seeing that first hand print we made together. I would love to do some mistletoe's foot craft but I don't think I can keep those wiggly feet still long enough to get a decent foot print.

Christmas story time at home or at a reading

I do try to read a story book to MJ at least a few times a week. I am going to take MJ to Barnes and Noble book store for their weekly story time so he can enjoy a good Christmas story with other kids around.

Drive to your tree farm or a tree distributor and pick out your tree together

We drove to Lowe's first thing black Friday morning and went into the tent to pick our tree together. I grew up on fake trees and the first year I moved out I got myself a real tree. I think there's something so special about picking out a tree every year as a family. Also that smell of pine roaming through the house really makes it feel like Christmas.