5 New Traditions to Bring into Your Home this Holiday Season

Favorite Five

5 Holiday Traditions to Start in Your New Home

My husband, Ricky, and I bought our first home 2.5 years ago. This year will be our third Christmas in our home and each year we've added a slightly new tradition into our holiday celebrations. We started off with throwing an annual holiday party and have continued to add traditions every year. As we grow our home I love growing the traditions we have and the rituals we bring in from our families.If you're in a new home this holiday season and are looking for some new traditions to bring in this year here are my five favorite traditions that we've started since moving into our home. 

Get Your Tree  

The first thing we decided when we decorated for our first Christmas is that we wanted a real tree. We visited several tree lots and on our way to the lot where we eventually got our tree we stopped at a local donut shop, Sugar Shack Donuts, and picked two hot dirty chai teas and a donut and took them with us to Sneed's Nursery. We just love the trees at Sneed's because they hang them up so you can actually see what it looks like all the way around. Now every year we go grab our lattes from Sugar Shack and head over to Sneed's to pick out a new, live tree. Getting your tree every together every year, whether your'e cutting it down, pulling it out of the attic, or picking one from a nursery this is a great way to start your holiday season together.

Buy a New Ornament

Last year I saw Ashley Herrinton post about her yearly photo ornament. She said that every year her and her husband have gotten a new photo ornament with a picture of them from that year to hang on their Legacy Tree. I read that and fell in love with the idea of a new ornament that commemorates the year you spent together. I started it last year, the year we became Mr. and Mrs. and am excited to continue the tradition this year. It gives me an opportunity to look back at all the memories we made this year and photos we took. This year I selected a picture we took at our very first Caps game. (CAPS! CAPS! CAPS!)

This is the first photo ornament we bought: Crate & Barrel Photo Ornament

Watch a Movie

Die Hard is a Christmas movie - yes or no? A few years ago, when we were still living in an apartment in Malvern Gardens, I asked my husband to put on a Christmas movie while we decorated the tree. He put on Die Hard (insert sideways glance). At first I was annoyed he put on an action movie that happen to have a Christmas scene and called it a Christmas movie. Well, as the years have passed I’ve come to think of Die Hard as our Christmas movie to kick off the season. Pick one of your favorites to help put you in holiday spirit every year!

Vote on my Insta Story - Die Hard is or is not a Christmas movie

Make Christmas Morning Breakfast

We have hosted Christmas morning (and dinner) at our house the past two years. This will be our third year having Christmas morning here. This year I’m thinking of mixing things up and making a crab quiche (I was too late to order the one from Homemades by Suzanne - you gotta try it). There’s nothing traditional about it but I love the idea of having that thing you HAVE TO HAVE on Christmas morning whether it’s mimosas, cinnamon rolls, or a family-favorite hash.There are a lot of dishes you can pre-make to make your Christmas morning tasty but stress-free. December's issue of Better Home & Garden magazine has some great casseroles, hashes, and french toast recipes to test out!

The Crab Quiche Recipe I’m cooking this year

Get Crafty

We never went and did light shows or caroling when I was little but every year my mom had us do a craft together that doubled as a gift for our grandparents and other relatives. They weren’t usually complex and mostly consisted of us making cute ornaments (my mom was crafty before Pinterest was a thing) and I love that we can still pull them out every year as a reminder not only of the holiday but of the time we spent making them. I’ve continued making small crafts every holiday into my adulthood. A small craft to give to neighbors, your mailman, or friends who pop by during the holiday is a great little tradition. I’ve previously made flavored cooking salts and greeting cards. This year I’m thinking of doing flavored olive oil. I'd love to hear what crafts you've done in previous years or what you're busting out this year for your friends and family. Leave your ideas in the comments.  

Happily,