I’m excited to be partnering with Minted to bring you ideas on how to establish family traditions for the holidays. Minted is compensating me for this post, but all opinions are my own.
I’m now in my late 30’s and don’t really have any family traditions centered around the holidays. When I was a kid we moved a lot and many Christmases went by without so much as a tree or a gift. As an adult we have spent most of our holidays on the road traveling from one family Christmas event to the next.
A couple of years ago we decided that it was time to slow down during the holiday season and start to establish our own family traditions. We started celebrating at home, with just our immediate family. My stepsons live 14 hours away and haven’t been here for the past two Christmases, so you can imagine how excited we are to have them this year. And how important it is that we create traditions that will stay in their memories for years to come.
Today I am going to share a few ways that we are working on establishing family traditions this holiday season that are easy, minimal, and meaningful.
How To Establish Family Traditions For The Holidays
Decorating Together
I have never been huge into Christmas decorating simply because it can be visually overwhelming and it is a LOT of work for stuff you only leave up for a month. But since I have had children I make it a point to do some meaningful decorating that includes them.
One tradition we have started is bringing up the tree on Thanksgiving night and decorating it as a family. I’m not one to change my decor out very often, so I am loving these reversible tree skirts from Minted. The graphics are designed by independent artists, and these are so well-made they are even machine washable! If you want to switch up your decor there is no need to buy another tree skirt, you can just flip it over for a totally different look.
My kids are old enough that they moan and groan about decorating the tree, but what’s funny is once they got started they couldn’t stop sharing memories about Christmas past. Soon the house was filled with laughter all while creating yet another memory.
Christmas Cards
One holiday tradition I never skip is Christmas cards. Not only does this enable me to make sure family and friends get at least ONE picture of my kids every year, it’s a great low-tech way to keep in touch. And yes, it is the one time every year I make the twins dress alike! This piece has some interesting statistics and tips about kids and Christmas cards!
My kids love getting Christmas cards in the mail! We have a lot of extended friends and family members they have never met, so by reading the cards and looking at the pictures they get to connect with these people in a way that social media can’t compete with.
Not only can you create some beautiful Christmas cards on Minted, this year they have these great display bars that enable you to display the cards you receive. I love how classy and minimal these are. They allow you to display your cards without looking kitchsy.
(Speaking of Christmas cards, check out this awesome post about people including their pets on their Christmas cards).
Buying Christmas Gifts
Something that has turned into a fun tradition the past few years is me helping the kids buy their own Christmas presents to give. It truly is more blessed to give than to receive and I want my kids to enjoy giving as much as they enjoy getting, so I sit down with them and help them select presents for each other and grandmas and grandpas.
Minted has a gift guide that makes these sessions easy! It has gifts divided by price, recipient, and category. There’s even a section under $30!
Some of my favorite gifts are: The No Probllama Tee (why can’t this come in my size?!), the personalized, foil-pressed stationery, this custom reindeer ears pet art (oh, you know I need this for my dogs), and these AH-mazing foil pressed maps.
How To Establish Family Traditions For The Holidays
These are just a few of the simple traditions that my family is establishing. Traditions don’t have to be extravagant or expensive. They can be as simple as wrapping gifts with your kids, or a funny gag gift in their stocking. I hope you have enjoyed this look at how Minted can help you establish some of your own traditions! What are some things you do with your family to make the holidays memorable?