Christmas Traditions - There are a LOT!

It is no secret that we LOVE celebrating Christmas.  The best part of Christmas for me is following the same traditions each year leading up to the big day!  Here are just a few of the things that we do each year: 

• Finley gets a "Christmas Box" when we decorate for Christmas or the first of December.  It has an ornament that she loves (this year it was Rubble from Paw Patrol, last year it was Elmo), pajamas, puzzles, books, etc.  
• We started an Advent calendar with her this year.  She loves opening the little boxes each night....well after the first day that she melted down because she couldn't open them all! 
• We have two different decorative countdown blocks that we change each morning.  
• YaYa made a countdown chain with Finley this year and she has learned how to hold scissors in order to cut one of the loops off each morning.  The chain hangs on the Christmas tree.  
• We introduced Finley to the Elf on the Shelf this year as well!  She named her elf Daisy after I read off a list of 30 names.  It is too funny because that was going to be her name!  She is super excited each night - "Where is my elf going to go?" and each morning "Where is my elf hiding?"
  
• We obviously drive around and look at Christmas lights.  We have already driven through our neighborhood several times with Finn on our laps to look at the lights.  
• We visited Santa at a local restaurant - Fire trucks and Santa.  She wasn't scared at all to sit with him! 
• This is the first year that we visited Creative Works Farm for their Christmas Wonderland and we will definitely do that again!  They have a whole town lit with lights, singing and dancing characters, cookie decorating, ornament making, Santa and the Grinch.  
• Christmas movies will always get watched!  This year Finley has been obsessed with the old versions of the Grinch and Frosty the Snowman.  She has to watch them every morning and evening.  She loves to say "Stink, Stank, Stunk!" 
• Obviously, lots of baking!  Rum cakes, peanut butter balls, sugar cookies, snickerdoodles, and even more if we have our annual party (this has been canceled the last two years because of COVID.  
• Reading Christmas books - Finley has a large collection already and we've read a ton. 
• NORAD Santa tracker - we will do this for the first time this year!
• Interactive message from Santa - 
• Write Santa a letter - we have a paper version as well as a shrinky dink version that we turn into an ornament so we will have her wishlist from each year hangning on the tree. 
• Open one gift on Christmas Even - usually special Christmas pajamas!
• Jeff and I save our stockings until Christmas evening just to draw out the day as long as possible! 
• Crafts - it is always fun to make some crafts, ornaments, etc. with Finley.  She did a lot of this at preschool this year too! She loves coming home from school to telling us about baby Jesus. :)
• Gingerbread house! 
• Christmas carols - Jeff starts playing them in October! haha.  Finley has really gotten into singing them this year. :)