Season’s Greetings!
It is that wonderful time of year to spend with friends and families and those that we love so dearly. I want to share some of the wonderful traditions that my family shares and maybe inspire others to try these as well. As you drive through the city you may see dozens of Christmas tree's that are cut and hung up and ready to buy. What my family has done since I was born is actually to go to a local tree farm and hand pick out a tree. Once the tree is picked and we all are in agreement that it is the "best" tree for our house, then we grab out a saw and chop it down. While many of the trees that you pass in the lot may be from local tree farms in Minnesota, I find it touching to actually drive to the tree farm and meet the families who own and run these businesses. Not only is it rewarding to know and take pride in where the tree is from, but it is also nice to have a large variety of trees to pick from and know that you hand selected this specific tree. Often times the tree farms that we go to even may have a petting zoo with REAL Reindeer, hot cider, mini donuts, hot chocolate, and handmade crafts and ornaments to shop!!! We have made this a yearly tradition and go each week after Thanksgiving with a couple that has been friends with my parents for years and their 2 sons. There are many ways to make picking out a Christmas tree a festive and family fun event!
Another item when it comes to the holidays, and this was a new tradition in my family starting last year but I can tell it will be around for years to come is capturing the moment when we open our presents on camera. I will add some pictures below for you to hopefully fully grasp the joy and humor that can be had while opening gifts. I personally find gift opening sometimes to be slightly "awkward." This is for two reasons: one being that you have everyone staring at you as you open your gift and judging your initial reaction, and two is the simple fact that sometimes you may not be too fond of the gift you open (although I also feel you should always be gracious because if someone is kind enough to share and offer you a present you should count yourself blessed because there are many children and families that will go without presents this Holiday Season). So, to break this streak my family started to react as if it the absolute BEST present we have ever received and maybe it really is and maybe it is something we already have, either way it gets a fabulous reaction. The best part of this is going through the pictures after the fact with everyone and having a huge laugh. I know I used the surprise/happy pictures taken of my mom opening gifts last year to send out to all of our family and friends for her birthday party this year and everyone loved the photos and wondered what she had just gotten in the pictures because she looked so happy. A year after the fact you may not even remember what you received for your gifts at Christmas time but the thing I enjoy most about these pictures are that it is a reminder that we had a blast and turned something that can be awkward into one of the funniest times we shared as a family that past year. So, I will attach a few of those candid photos below and share some of my families unique traditions that maybe you can try adding to your holiday festivities this year with family and friends.
Merry Christmas,
-Caitlyn
It is that wonderful time of year to spend with friends and families and those that we love so dearly. I want to share some of the wonderful traditions that my family shares and maybe inspire others to try these as well. As you drive through the city you may see dozens of Christmas tree's that are cut and hung up and ready to buy. What my family has done since I was born is actually to go to a local tree farm and hand pick out a tree. Once the tree is picked and we all are in agreement that it is the "best" tree for our house, then we grab out a saw and chop it down. While many of the trees that you pass in the lot may be from local tree farms in Minnesota, I find it touching to actually drive to the tree farm and meet the families who own and run these businesses. Not only is it rewarding to know and take pride in where the tree is from, but it is also nice to have a large variety of trees to pick from and know that you hand selected this specific tree. Often times the tree farms that we go to even may have a petting zoo with REAL Reindeer, hot cider, mini donuts, hot chocolate, and handmade crafts and ornaments to shop!!! We have made this a yearly tradition and go each week after Thanksgiving with a couple that has been friends with my parents for years and their 2 sons. There are many ways to make picking out a Christmas tree a festive and family fun event!
Another item when it comes to the holidays, and this was a new tradition in my family starting last year but I can tell it will be around for years to come is capturing the moment when we open our presents on camera. I will add some pictures below for you to hopefully fully grasp the joy and humor that can be had while opening gifts. I personally find gift opening sometimes to be slightly "awkward." This is for two reasons: one being that you have everyone staring at you as you open your gift and judging your initial reaction, and two is the simple fact that sometimes you may not be too fond of the gift you open (although I also feel you should always be gracious because if someone is kind enough to share and offer you a present you should count yourself blessed because there are many children and families that will go without presents this Holiday Season). So, to break this streak my family started to react as if it the absolute BEST present we have ever received and maybe it really is and maybe it is something we already have, either way it gets a fabulous reaction. The best part of this is going through the pictures after the fact with everyone and having a huge laugh. I know I used the surprise/happy pictures taken of my mom opening gifts last year to send out to all of our family and friends for her birthday party this year and everyone loved the photos and wondered what she had just gotten in the pictures because she looked so happy. A year after the fact you may not even remember what you received for your gifts at Christmas time but the thing I enjoy most about these pictures are that it is a reminder that we had a blast and turned something that can be awkward into one of the funniest times we shared as a family that past year. So, I will attach a few of those candid photos below and share some of my families unique traditions that maybe you can try adding to your holiday festivities this year with family and friends.
Merry Christmas,
-Caitlyn
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