https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 26 Apr 2026 23:01:42 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-this-will-be-your-los-first-holiday-season#post-1067969 Thu, 05 Sep 2013 16:07:13 +0000 lovehoneybee 1067969@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>After my SIL's had her kids she and BIL stopped flying up to Buffalo to spend Christmas with her family and started hosting in their home. She says she wants to do it there for as long as her kids are "into the whole Santa and/or Magic of Christmas thing". We go there, and brought E last year, but he was just a few months old, and not really aware of anything past all of the family members who wanted to meet him. </p> <p>My other B/SIL (side note: my SsIL are first cousins) alternate Thanksgiving and Christmas with her family. Their boys get some gifts when they're at other SIL's house (mostly from the family), but Santa always leaves their gifts at their house for them. I think we might do something similar...have his gifts from Santa and us at our house and then spend Christmas Eve/Day down with them. I just feel badly making him wait... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-this-will-be-your-los-first-holiday-season#post-1067960 Thu, 05 Sep 2013 16:02:06 +0000 MamaJ 1067960@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have no family here. So we always do Christmas Eve at my in laws. Then Christmas morning we leave at like 7 am to drive 2 hours away to see MILs side of the family. Then we have to drive back and make a pit stop at our house to let the dogs out, then go to FILs side of the family. It's a pain even without LO. DS was born early December so we went ahead and did the usual so everyone could see him. I told DH we aren't doing it anymore though. I want a nice relaxing Christmas morning with my baby. I want watch him open and play with presents rather than rushing off. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-this-will-be-your-los-first-holiday-season#post-1067944 Thu, 05 Sep 2013 15:58:21 +0000 birdofafeather 1067944@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>we've usually done thanksgiving with both sets of immediate family, rotating between our place, my parents or DH's parents/sister (they are 2.5 hours away from us). this year, thanksgiving is by us because DH has finals the week after.</p> <p>christmas eve is always DH's extended family, then sleep at my parents house, breakfast at my parents, then either DH's family comes to that or dinner at DH's parents on christmas day. this year, we're gonna do the same old (she'll be 11 months), but the following years, we'll start with some family traditions of our own. DH is getting in firefighting, so we don't always be doing christmas on the actual day, so we're going to be flexible while still having family time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-this-will-be-your-los-first-holiday-season#post-1067909 Thu, 05 Sep 2013 15:41:41 +0000 mrsbookworm 1067909@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We do Thanksgiving with DHs family and Christmas with mine. His family is Jewish but its too hard for them to travel to celebrate Hanukkah so they get together for thanksgiving. My sister and I will alternate having Christmas since we're in different states and both have kids </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-this-will-be-your-los-first-holiday-season#post-1067894 Thu, 05 Sep 2013 15:30:09 +0000 sunshineandsushi 1067894@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>In the past we've normally gone to MIL for Thanksgiving (a plane ride away), my parents for Christmas Eve and FIL and Step-MIL for Christmas Day, who are both in the same town 1.5 hours away. This year, we are staying home for Thanksgiving because we can't afford to pay for flights, travel gear for the babies and still pay that week of daycare and I've informed both our families we are celebrating Christmas in our own house and they are welcome to come if they want. End of story. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-this-will-be-your-los-first-holiday-season#post-1067867 Thu, 05 Sep 2013 15:17:10 +0000 skibobrown 1067867@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@swedishfish: We just made sure that we lit the candles every night, sang the Hanukkah prayers, and we also made latkes and did a special dinner one night. Generally, I wanted to make sure that Hanukkah wasn't getting short changed. I'm actually thinking of joining a synagogue so that DD can get more exposure to Judaism, since we live in an incredibly Christian part of the country. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-this-will-be-your-los-first-holiday-season#post-1067863 Thu, 05 Sep 2013 15:15:10 +0000 swedishfish 1067863@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Blue: I understand :sad: I'm lucky that my parents are only four miles away and my ILs are an hour away so traveling isn't bad at all for us. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-this-will-be-your-los-first-holiday-season#post-1067860 Thu, 05 Sep 2013 15:11:58 +0000 Mrs. Blue 1067860@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@swedishfish: We'll probably need to do something like that. Good idea. I think really I'm just sad to not have that Christmas morning excitement be a more intimate family setting! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-this-will-be-your-los-first-holiday-season#post-1067839 Thu, 05 Sep 2013 15:06:07 +0000 swedishfish 1067839@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Blue: you could always buy presents online and have them mailed to your parents or ILs, depending on where Christmas is that year!</p> <p>@skibobrown: DH is from a mixed background as well but we are raising LO Catholic. Did you do anything special for new Hanukkah traditions? I'd like some ideas because I feel like I'm the one who will have to make sure LO understands her Jewish background. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-this-will-be-your-los-first-holiday-season#post-1067810 Thu, 05 Sep 2013 14:54:56 +0000 avivoca 1067810@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't know what we're going to do. We are going nowhere for Thanksgiving, not even to my parents house and they live an hour away. For Christmas/New Year's, we may need to travel to see my inlaws for a few days. I'd love to create a tradition where we would have that holiday to ourselves. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-this-will-be-your-los-first-holiday-season#post-1067793 Thu, 05 Sep 2013 14:50:06 +0000 Bookish 1067793@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yep, we are doing things differently this year, at least for Xmas. Luckily it's my SIL's turn to host Thanksgiving (we alternate years) so we will just go across town for that. For Xmas, we plan on having our own, private Xmas on Xmas Eve, then Xmas Day driving up to my Dad's, staying there a night, then driving back through the town my ILs live in (conveniently on the way home, and my BIL/SIL will drive up to meet us there) and having a short Xmas there. We'll see how it goes. It's subject to change lol. </p> <p>The one tradition we WILL be doing is homemade pizza on Xmas eve, and driving around to see the Xmas lights. Both are cherished traditions of mine!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-this-will-be-your-los-first-holiday-season#post-1067758 Thu, 05 Sep 2013 14:35:50 +0000 Mrs. Blue 1067758@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We are not changing things, but I wish we were! We live 4 hours from my parents and 6 hours from my ILs. So, we alternate Thanksgiving and Christmas every year. It's really the only way to see everyone for a holiday. DH and I both grew up having Christmas morning at home with our own family before going to our grandparents. I really, really wish that we could do this, but I just don't see anyway. To make the trip worth it, we always stay a few days so we'll be the parents trying to lug around and hide Santa presents. AT least this year and probably next they won't have a clue! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-this-will-be-your-los-first-holiday-season#post-1067186 Thu, 05 Sep 2013 11:20:58 +0000 skibobrown 1067186@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This will be our second holiday season. The most major change is that this year we told the grandparents that we will be staying at home over the holidays. If they want to come to use, they are welcome to. (My parents and sister will be flying out to spend Christmas with us.)<br /> I also made a much stronger push last year to make sure we give Hanukkah it's fair share of attention over the holidays. I come from a mixed religion upbringing, but I've been finding that the Jewish traditions are getting left out amongst the Christmas madness. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-this-will-be-your-los-first-holiday-season#post-1067167 Thu, 05 Sep 2013 11:14:46 +0000 BKCaribBaby 1067167@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We've decided that we are staying home and celebrating just the three of us. My mother lives far away, and his parents and family live near each other but a 5 hour drive away. We have not spent a Christmas at home since 2009, so we are ready to have a small intimate one this time around. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-this-will-be-your-los-first-holiday-season#post-1067014 Thu, 05 Sep 2013 10:30:47 +0000 Arden 1067014@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We are TOTALLY changing our holidays this year. My parents are on board, my sister and DH's parents think we are crazy and are upset. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-this-will-be-your-los-first-holiday-season#post-1066936 Thu, 05 Sep 2013 10:13:53 +0000 DillonLion 1066936@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Last year LO was a few weeks old and no one expected us to go anywhere. This year we will be traveling to my in laws 3 hours away. It doesn't bother me because I'm Jewish so I'm totally fine with being with DHs fam on Christmas. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-this-will-be-your-los-first-holiday-season#post-1066921 Thu, 05 Sep 2013 10:08:43 +0000 MaisyMay 1066921@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>LO was born on Christmas Eve last year and that helped cement the changes we were trying to make. We will do Thanksgiving with DH's extended family, but have Christmas at home. My mom usually works on Christmas so we will celebrate with my mom/sister/her family a few days after the holiday. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-this-will-be-your-los-first-holiday-season#post-1066765 Thu, 05 Sep 2013 08:57:36 +0000 blackbird 1066765@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We've decided that Christmas mornings are for us. Typically we had done brunch and other things. And then we will go over and do the big family Christmas with DH's family in the afternoon. We will visit my parents sometime after Christmas. They are really upset we aren't coming down FOR Christmas, but it is very important to us that our children wake up in their own house on Christmas and have traditions *with us*. </p> <p>I'm still deciding with they will be. And i'm really excited about it :) Cookies for Santa, special breakfasts, etc!</p> <p>We trade off Thanksgiving. Last year we drove down (4 hours) to see my parents. This year it will be with DH's family. </p> <p>Christmas is also really boring with my parents. They go out to eat somewhere and it is just the two of them and DH and me. It's just kind of depressing. There's nothing fun, no cousins to play with, etc. It's just going out to eat and opening up presents. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-this-will-be-your-los-first-holiday-season#post-1066693 Thu, 05 Sep 2013 08:31:43 +0000 swedishfish 1066693@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Polish: good for you! Hopefully my DH will help me stand up to his mother. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-this-will-be-your-los-first-holiday-season#post-1066671 Thu, 05 Sep 2013 08:22:27 +0000 Mrs. Polish 1066671@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@swedishfish: I hear that. We've decided we're standing firm. It's probably going to get ugly. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-this-will-be-your-los-first-holiday-season#post-1066664 Thu, 05 Sep 2013 08:19:47 +0000 swedishfish 1066664@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Polish: oh, I forgot to add that my MIL says she's flexible and we can celebrate whenever. But when we talked to her about adjusting the Christmas schedule for this year before Christmas last year she offered us Christmas Eve - DH's aunt does Christmas Eve. She offered me part of Christmas that wasn't hers to "give away"! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-this-will-be-your-los-first-holiday-season#post-1066620 Thu, 05 Sep 2013 08:02:10 +0000 MapleMoose 1066620@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My parents always host a big Thanksgiving, whereas DH's parents go to a relative's. This year my mom invited DH's parents (and sister) to join us for Thanksgiving at her house and the in-laws accepted. So that takes care of Thanksgiving.</p> <p>We haven't quite figured out what to do about Christmas yet. Christmas Eve is usually spent at my aunt's house. Then Christmas Day dinner is at my grandparents house. My parents do a big breakfast and gift-giving on Christmas morning so we will go to that. DH's parents don't really do anything planned for Christmas, so we will probably stop in and see them for a quick visit. My parents and DH's parents are in the same town, so it won't be hard to stop by and see both sides. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-this-will-be-your-los-first-holiday-season#post-1066616 Thu, 05 Sep 2013 08:00:25 +0000 Corduroy 1066616@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We just bought plane tickets to spend Christmas with my in laws. It will be my first Christmas without my family. I'm a little bummed to miss my family but it should be fun. </p> <p>We are asking MIL to watch LO overnight one night so we can have a date and stay at a hotel overnight. That makes me really excited about the trip. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-this-will-be-your-los-first-holiday-season#post-1066604 Thu, 05 Sep 2013 07:54:38 +0000 regberadaisy 1066604@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Pre LO our holiday plan was always alternating Christmas and Thanksgiving between my and his family. LO's first Christmas was last year and even though it would have been Christmas with my family we decided to stay put so that she can have her first Christmas at home. This year we have decided going forth, for at least the next few years, we will be spending Christmas at home. My family doesn't really celebrate Christmas the way we want our kids to experience Christmas. ie My brother &amp; SIL will stay sleeping till like 10am while the kids wait anxiously to open presents. We want our kids to wake us up early, run down the stairs to the tree and demand to open presents at 5 in the morning!</p> <p>Anyway, for the foreseeable future we'll be traveling for Thanksgiving and staying home for Christmas. Hopefully my family will be able to visit for Christmas soon. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-this-will-be-your-los-first-holiday-season#post-1066588 Thu, 05 Sep 2013 07:38:25 +0000 Adira 1066588@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We alternate for Christmas and Thanksgiving, and we'll probably continue with that now that we have an LO. I remember growing up that we used to visit my grandparents for Christmas and we didn't start staying home until us kids got sick of it, haha. Xander's too young to care and I think it'll be fun to celebrate with family for the first few years! I think once he's older (and we have #2), then we'll probably start staying home for Christmas, just like what my parents did with us. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-this-will-be-your-los-first-holiday-season#post-1066586 Thu, 05 Sep 2013 07:38:20 +0000 Boheme 1066586@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We will probably just go with DH's schedule every year. He's a police officer, so holidays off aren't usually in the cards. I will probably end up taking DS to see my family if DH works, and then come back the next day to do our own belated Christmas. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-this-will-be-your-los-first-holiday-season#post-1066570 Thu, 05 Sep 2013 07:24:57 +0000 Foodnerd81 1066570@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We alternate seeing our families- mine are a five hour drive, his are across the country. We will continue doing it for now but I hope we can start staying home at some point- I want her to wake up and see her presents under her own tree. Unfortunately since most of my family lives close to each other and we are fr, I doubt they will ever come to us. </p> <p>This year we are doing dh's family, my family next year. We figure it will be easier to fly with a five month old at Christmas time than a 17 month old next year. </p> <p>My parents had a great system- my dads family always celebrated on Christmas Eve so we did his side then and my moms side Christmas Day- win win. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-this-will-be-your-los-first-holiday-season#post-1066558 Thu, 05 Sep 2013 07:16:16 +0000 Mrs. Jump Rope 1066558@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We made pretty drastic changes Chloe's first Christmas and thankfully, everyone understood. We made equally drastic changes her second thanksgiving, after we'd instituted a bedtime and had sleep trained her.</p> <p>My parents live 20 minutes from us and my inlaws a little over an hour. My side the family always celebrates on Christmas Day, with dinner at 5pm. My in laws are more flexible with their plans and have never (in the 7 years I've been around) had a set tradition. We've celebrated with them on Xmas eve, Xmas day, the week before, after, etc. Regardless, it made for a lot of running around.</p> <p>For Chloe's first Christmas, she was about 8 weeks old. We invited my inlaws over for brunch. It worked out great! We napped after they left, then went to my parents for dinner.</p> <p>Last year for thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter, we left my parents house early because Chloe has an 8pm bedtime. It raised some eyebrows at first but now no one gives us a hard time about it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-this-will-be-your-los-first-holiday-season#post-1066556 Thu, 05 Sep 2013 07:15:27 +0000 Mrs. Polish 1066556@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Smurfette: that's how I grew up. "Here are your gifts, get in the car." I definitely don't want that. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-this-will-be-your-los-first-holiday-season#post-1066548 Thu, 05 Sep 2013 07:09:08 +0000 cmomma17 1066548@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We will be making changes for sure and I don't know how it will go over.<br /> We have always done Christmas at my parents house. First, because we live near them and not my in laws. Second because my sister was a mom and I was not so we have all always catered to her schedule and desires. However, now my in laws live here! So we have to figure out how to celebrate with both families. Plus we have a sweet little baby everyone will want to see, while my sisters baby is almost 14 now! Another problem is my dad smokes heavily and we decided not to ever take him to my parents house so that's a huge issue. We have a small apartment so unfortunately we can't just host everyone here. I have no idea what we are going to do!! :( </p>