Hellobee Boards

We make chocolate spoons and chocolate marshmallows every year and my girls love it (they’ve been doing it since they were each about 2). It can get a little messy, but it’s super easy and you can stop and start. Its nice to have them around for when people stop over, to use in their coffee (or tea or hot chocolate!). Here’s an example of how to do spoons (same concept for marshmallows but just use a lollipop stick as a handle). https://www.thespruceeats.com/peppermint-chocolate-spoons-520678

We’ve done an advent book calendar the past few years. It’s just a different holiday book each day of the month. Super easy too! I get books at the library and used book store and we have so many now.

For New Years you could do an early ball drop with her (they have them on YouTube, Netflix, etc), give her white grape juice in a wine glass, maybe dress up.

We’re also making salt dough ornaments this year (we’ve done it a few times in the past). Something she and your DH could do. Painting them is hours of entertainment!

Congrats! My b-day is 12/28 (it's a fun time of year to have a bday, once you get over the tough to have a big party thing)
I love this post because "low key" is my comfort level!
DS is 3, and I'm still working on what we want our family "traditions" to be.

I like to put a piece of candy and fruit (and maybe a little treat or socks) in everyone's stockings on St. Nicholas Day (Dec 6) to kind of "kick off" the season. I'm also trying to choose a charity or some other recipient at this time. Last year I "adopted" a kid from our YMCA's angel tree - I'd like to have DS help shop for said kid some day.

My DH keeps trying to introduce DS to the "classics" we grew up with: Rudolph, etc. Frosty was the only one watched for more than 30 seconds last year!

I break out all the Christmas books after Thanksgiving. I like the idea of doing a new one each night though! I'll wrap them and give them to DS at bedtime.

We have started decorating the house (esp the outside) when my parents are visiting for Thanksgiving. I'm hoping to incorporate hot chocolate this year (if it's not 80 degrees)

I made and he decorated sugar cookies last year and gave them as gifts to his teachers. He really loved the sprinkles!

His grandma takes him shopping at a big Christmas decoration store and he picks our a new ornament with her. (I also get him an ornament every year that I'm hoping will represent his interests each year. Last year was Thomas, this year it's Mater)

It's hard with early bedtime, but I'd like to do Christmas lights at the zoo or just around the neighborhood.

@Becky: I love your New Year's idea. I might do that this year! DS loves doing "cheers" and clinking glasses

Now that I'm thinking of it, I might have him decorate little ornaments with his school photo for grandparents, godparents, etc. We'll see if I actually follow through.

Last Christmas Eve we did a drive around the neighbourhood looking at lights just me and our older son because DW was nursing our younger. He loved it! Then we did dinner of appetizers, chip and dip, etc while we watched the old school Grinch movie in the living room together. Just eating in the living room was exciting to him! Dance party to Christmas music, salt dough, putting up Christmas window clings, early New Years party with our friends who also have little kids. Sledding is always a big hit too. I usually baby wore little bro and DW would slide. Then hot chocolate at home. Popcorn and Christmas movies. I also order a pre made Christmas turkey dinner that just needs to be heated for Christmas Day...worth it!

Low key traditions for our family are the only ones we have haha. I spread activities out over the month ahead of the holiday (like baking cookies, seeing Santa and lights, or stuff that takes time/planning/money to do) so that we don't feel rushed or overwhelmed around the actual holiday.
Lots of our "tradition" involves how I do food/prep to keep the time spent in the kitchen low so we (I) can be with our families.

- Decorating over Thanksgiving weekend. Lots of time, but early enough to enjoy them over the season.
- Pizza for xmas eve dinner. We do a nicer xmas day dinner so it's fun to just to something simple on xmas eve. We've done homemade (store bought dough) and made them look like snowmen. And the last couple years I made it even easier by getting pre-made naan bread (big and small) to just top and bake.
- Make-ahead xmas day breakfast. Usually something I can put in the fridge overnight and then pop in the oven in the morning - french toast bake, strata, etc. Then I can assemble it after the kids are in bed on xmas eve and don't have to cook that morning.
- Snack lunch on xmas day - again with the minimal kitchen time. I like to get frozen appetizers and bake them up mid-day when we want to snack.
- Slow-cooker xmas dinner. Something a little fancy like short ribs or a nice roast, but in the crockpot so I don't have to do much. Pair it with simple sides and you're done.
- I always put on the nutcracker suite and the 'fireplace for your TV' when we open presents. And then I put on the actual nutcracker ballet (the Pacific Northwest Ballet /Maurice Sendak set version) after presents are done.
- We do an xmas eve present of pjs and an ornament.

Also, we typically spend xmas with just our small family at home, so these are things that really work for us and might be different if we celebrated with a lot of extended family.

Matching pjs on Christmas Eve

I change their bedding to Christmas duvets/pillows and it is one of their favourite things .. pretty easy , too!

@annem1990: God bless the people who have the energy and time to do those lighted displays! I do like one measly strand on my porch. My almost 4 year old has been SO excited about lights in the neighborhood so maybe I need to up my game

Thought of another fun one - homemade gingerbread playdough with a few cookie cutters. Pretty easy to make once and lasts a while. Good for lots of ages!

Oh and also, TJ sells a gingerbread train kit! We did it last year and DS is already asking for it again!

We bake a birthday cake for Jesus, sugar cookies, and read the Christmas Story in the bible. LO1 will be 2.5 yo I think he will like to help decorate and/or ice the the cookies and cake.

@wrkbrk: When does TJ have these? I know Lo1 would enjoy this.

@BUNBUN: Yes to Xmas pjs! We get some every year.

@BUNBUN: oh yeah, PJs! Forgot that one. The kids at the very least. This year I got the two of them one set matching of nice HA ones with trees. And then one set for all of us (cheap old navy, got the red an black buffalo plaid so that my Jewish husband wouldn’t freak out, hahaha).

@cake2017: My aunt and uncle always did the birthday cake for Jesus and I thought that was so lovely.