Finding a new TRADITION

I don't know about you, but I suspect as Mom's we all try to find new traditions to start with our families. Things to try and instill good values and memories in their young lives. I struggle with how to have a fun, memory filled Christmas, but make sure they know the real meaning of the season. So...I swiped this list of Traditions from a good friend's blog. There are so many really great ideas listed here that I had to share with everyone! Feel free to add your own!

*Thankful Turkey: On slips of paper write what you are grateful for throughout the month of November. Over turkey dinner read your slips of gratitude. The paper can be used to make a chain for your Christmas tree afterward.

*Grateful Candies: Place 5 candies at each dinner plate. For each candy everyone shares what they are grateful for.

*The Gift Of Food: If you have a holiday party ask everyone you invite to bring a canned food item to donate.

*Food Drive: Take a group of friends and family and collect food throughout a neighborhood . Make it fun by seeing who can collect the most.

*Christmas Purge: Go through your house and collect all of you unneeded clothes and give them to a family or organization in need.

*Generous Jar: Throughout the year collect all of your change in a jar. At the end of the year cash in your loot and donate the money to a deserving cause.

*12 Days of Christmas: Do the 12 days of Christmas for a family. Be creative with the items you secretly leave!

*Secret Santa: Drop off gifts for the whole family at their door. It is fun to have a couple of families go in together and share in the giving

*Homemade Gift: Draw names and make homemade gifts for that person and exchange them. Discuss how the Wisemen brought special gifts for Christ.

*Sweet Dreams: Make a pillowcase for each of your children. Pick material that reflects them and their interests for that year.

*Movie Night: Make cookies for Santa and watch a Christmas movies together

*Patient Presents: Christmas morning when it’s time to open gifts, instead of tearing through everything, take turns opening gifts. It helps children to be excited for others and not just concentrate on just what they are getting.

*Reflection: Buy a new ornament every year . Take your time and make it a special one, one that reflect the past year for your family.

*Stocking Stuffer: Every year add a special gift to stockings, signifying something special that happened for them that year..

*Appreciation: Leave thank you letters in your stocking for Santa

*Light Hunting: Drive around and look at Christmas lights. Get a group together and go, it makes if fun too!

*Code Name: On your gift tags write coded names for each other , something meaningful, and on Christmas day share what those names are and why.

*Giving: Give neighborhood or friend gifts. Have your kids get involved so they get excited about giving.

*Christmacakes: Make green pancakes and top with strawberry syrup and whipped cream.

*Christmas Rolls: Have cinnamon rolls baking while you are opening presents and then feast on them. Hot chocolate is a fun to have with these.

*Service Straw: Put a piece a straw in a manger for every act of service they do, and make a bed for Baby Jesus to lay in on Christmas day

*Giving A Gift To Christ: Have every family member write down a gift they want to give to Christ. Put them in an envelope and seal it. Put it away to be opened next Christmas morning and see how everyone did.

*Gift Cards: Make gift certificates for special outings or special things that you can do for or with a family member

*The Giving Tree: Have each of your children choose a less-fortunate child's name from the various "trees" around during the holidays and let them pick out the items needed.

*Helping the Homeless: Take your children to the Food Bank to drop off food items and explain why we have Food Banks...

*All Fun and Games: Buy a new board game for your family every year.

*Happy Birthday: On Christmas Eve we have a birthday party for Christ, cake and all.

*Book Worm: Find a special book to add to your family library

*Christmas Story: Using props from home, re-enact the Christmas Story - Kids love it!

*Thankful Table: Buy a table cloth/runner where each person at the table can write what they are thankful for - get it out each year to write new entries on.