This shop has been compensated by #CollectiveBias, Inc. and its advertiser, #NorthPoleFun. All opinions are mine alone.
What is your favorite Christmas tradition with the kids? I am always looking for fun new things to do with the kiddos to help celebrate my favorite time of the year. I know, October isn’t quite over yet, but you can never start preparing too soon for Christmas. In fact, the day after Christmas I am in the stores looking for things to purchase on clearance for the next year. I like to plan ahead {plus, I just plain love Christmas}.
Don’t you love Christmas?
I am a big fan of Christmas decorations and lights. And Christmas music? If I could, I’d start playing it November 1st, but my husband sets the rules on that one (at least when he’s in the car). I feel like Christmas comes upon us so quickly, and flies by too fast. The next Christmas seems so far away and then it’s here. Time goes by quickly, doesn’t it? But the best thing about Christmas really isn’t the things, is it? It is the experiences. Seeing Christmas through the eyes of my children. Wow! It makes parenting a pretty fun job.
[Tweet “Christmas isn’t about the things. It’s about the experience of love. “]
Here are our 9 current Christmas traditions:
- Elf on the Shelf – I actually have fun hiding the Elf after the kids go to bed. This year, since my Little Man is two, I will be hiding two Elves.
- Letter to Santa – my six year old still believes in Santa. Like really truly believes. I know I have a small window of time before she knows the truth so I like to take advantage of that. This year she is asking Santa for a kids smart watch. {I think Santa can swing that one!}
- Advent Calendar – We have a large wooded calendar that has small box cubbies each day of December with the 25th having the largest cubby.
- Giving to Children – our local store offers tags to pick off a Christmas tree. The tags tell you if you are choosing a boy or a girl, their age, and what their interests are. You then shop for that child, wrap the gift, and bring it back and place it under the tree with the tag attached.
- Holiday Movies – each year we must watch Elf and How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the old one). They are a must.
- Holiday Baking – we like to make cookies and treats to hand out to neighbors and friends each Christmas. Including cookies for Santa Clause and a carrot for Rudolph each Christmas Eve. What is your favorite holiday treat?
- Bible Reading – we always read the story of the birth of Jesus from a children’s Bible for the kids.
- Christmas Eve – our reservation has a program every Christmas Eve we go to every year. In fact, I grew up going every year. It is fun to celebrate Christmas with 100+ other people who you know on the reservation.
- Christmas Morning – breakfast and presents in pajamas is the icing on the cake so to speak.
The presents in all this? My kids could almost care less. It is the build up to the gifts. The experiences they have with family that they love.
This is the first time I’ve typed out our traditions list and I didn’t realize we did this many things each year with the kids. But, honestly I am always looking for more ways to celebrate, and this year I’ve found one Christmas tradition that I can’t wait to use with my kids. There is a new toy that I have hiding at home. I will be bringing it out December 1st. The Hallmark Northpole Communicator (exclusively at Walmart ) will be available for purchase November 1st! And I will be using it with the kids.
In addition to writing a letter to Santa Claus, Christmas lists, and encouraging the kids to be good because Santa’s Elf is on the lookout, we’ll be communicating directly with the Northpole the month of December. To be honest, I can’t wait to do this one with the kids. This is an absolutely exciting way for us to connect with Santa and the Northpole. As I mentioned before, I have a small window of time before my Princess will stop believing in Santa. I want to do all I can to make her Christmas holiday memorable. The Northpole Communicator is just the toy to help me!
[Tweet “Because she won’t believe in Santa Claus forever: the Northpole Communicator. #NorthPoleFun #shop”]
Is there a child in your life who’d love this new toy?
We also have a new Christmas book to read this season – Once Upon a Northpole Christmas by Noel Manning. This is such a cute story about the magic that fuels the Northpole and the secret happening with the elves and Santa. If you have children that are young like mine, then this is a must have story book!
You can buy this book at your local Walmart – make sure to look for the one that has the Find Me, Santa! Snowflake attached to the cover. After you’ve read the story with the kids you can hang this lighted snowflake in the window, a doorknob, or the tree, so that Santa can easily find your child on Christmas Eve.
These toys are based off of the new movie coming out from Hallmark, Northpole Christmas starring Tiffani Thiessen and Josh Hopkins! Coming soon! How would you like to win your own Hallmark Northpole Fun Pack? Enter the Rafflecopter form below for your chance to win. Open through November 11, 2014 and for US residents only!
Good Luck!
I would totally buy this communicator! My 2 and 4 year olds would love it!
You are at the perfect age to get this Portia! They would certainly love it. You will too! I can’t wait to see my kids face when the talk with the Northpole!
I’d get the Treeluminator Christmas Tree Light and Sound Show and give it to my kids, they’d love it.
How cute is that communicator? I know my girls would love that! We do just about everything you listed. Haven’t done the advent calendar yet, but might this year.
The Advent Calendar is just so fun. I am glad we are doing it with the kids. This will be my two year olds first year doing it though. He’ll love it too!
We do a lot during the holidays also. last year we donated to our local VFW club by giving Christmas decorations to a single father of two young boys. I always watch Polar Express, and anyone of the A Christmas Carol Movies out there.
Donating is such a great tradition to have. This year we want to volunteer with a food bank or soup kitchen. It is hard with a two year old, so we might leave him with a sitter. And yes, I actually LOVE Polar Express too!
This looks awesome! My kids would absolutely love this! Such fun ideas!
Our tradition is purchasing a special ornament for each family member. I also get my husband a personalized family ornament.
That’s a great tradition Carlee! You must have a large collection of ornaments!
Such a cute thing to have! My son would love it! I also know he would love to have the Hallmark avalancher snowball shooter lol
The northpole communicator sounds like a great toy to get!
We share a lot of the same traditions that your family does as well! It’s so special to celebrate the old ones and add new ones in each year–it sounds like the Communicator is the perfect new tradition for your kids! #client
We would buy the communicator too! So fun!
one of the ornaments for my mother or sister.
ornaments make great gifts!!
I love the Hallmark Northpole Communicator. We have a North Pole radio from a couple of years ago and we play it everyday too as part of a tradition!
I love Christmas. We get new ornaments each year.
This is a super cute idea for any kid around Christmas time. I think it’s adorable for your child to be able to talk to Santa.
I love the Advent Calendar and we only allow Christmas music the day after Thanksgiving. That’s also when we put up our tree!
I have always wanted to do the Elf on the Shelf! But we haven’t had enough money to get one yet. My boys would love it!
I want to get everything, but the Northpole Communicator is first on my list. I would give it to my granddaughter.
I think the communicator would be a hit with the girls.
The advent calendar is cute need one every year
North Pole communicator! My boys would love it. Especially how it seems so real
I would get the book for my daughter.
I would buy the Northpole Communicator and which I know the kids would love!
The North Pole Communicator looks Awesome, I’d also like to get Elf of the Shelf
Snowby the polar bear is my favorite.
I would buy the north pole communicator for my daughter
I’ve got to pick up the Northpole communicator – I saw it and *almost* got it but I definitely want to go back and get it now! 🙂
I can’t wait to start it with my kids on December 1st! They will flip! I don’t have too much longer with my six year old, I know. She’ll do it for her brother, but won’t believe soon…