Happy New Year, friends! I cannot believe we are already HALF WAY through January! It feels like we’re just getting back into the swing of things after a long and relaxing holiday. This year, more than ever, our break was so restful and good for the soul. I wanted to share a quick recap of my favorite photos from our December and a few of our highlights.

Our Christmas was super low key this year, mostly spent at home with a few family members. We spent Christmas Eve with Drew’s parents snacking on hor d’oeuvres and letting the kids open their gifts from them. We let the mess linger and put the Littles to bed early while Drew and I stayed up and watched Die Hard, his favorite Christmas Eve tradition. (Sometimes you gotta take one for the team, right ladies?!)

Somehow everyone slept in the next morning and Christmas started with coffee and waiting for everyone to wake up. The kids are at the most magical ages right now and it was so fun to hear the girls excitement as they came bounding down the stairs to see if Santa had come. We usually host Christmas day and make the most delicious Beef with Gorgonzola that is actually to die for (recipe to come). This year we had a super small crowd but Drew said it was one of his favorite Christmas’s to date because we could linger at home and relax without rushing all over the place. (In my opinion, the more rushing the better but it was definitely a nice change of pace.)

Penelope was most excited about the gem kit Evie picked out for her and Evie was all about her new Callico Critters. Both girls asked Santa for a “sleep set” which included a robe, eye mask with their name on it, slippers, and new fancy pajamas. He delivered and it was so stinking cute to watch them walk around in their git up all day. Good work, Santa! 😉 Theo was into all the wrapping paper and literally had no clue what was going on but loved it all. Our day was filled with messy memories and it was wonderful.

One of our favorite new traditions is our New Years Tree. We take all the ornaments off but keep the lights on and add tinsel. We put away most of our Christmas decorations but keep up a few gold trees and special touches around the living room. It’s such a fun way to ring in the new year while slowing cleaning up the holiday decor yet keeping the magic alive for a few more days. Minimal mess, lots of magic. 😉 In the past we throw a very kid friendly New Years party where we watch the ball drop at midnight New York time and bang pots and pans and everyone heads home by 9:15. Perfect, in my opinion. This year my parents were in town and we had a very relaxed night celebrating together. The next morning Drew and I took off for two nights away at the most amazing Post Hotel in Leavenworth (blog post coming soon!) and let me tell you, it was THE way to start off the new year!!!

I have to say most years I’m sad to pack up the magic but this year I am welcoming a new year with open arms! Starting fresh and welcoming a sweet new Little into our lives is just around the corner and we are so excited to see what this next year holds. Bring it, 2021! I hope you had an amazing holiday with your loved ones and cheers to a new year filled with health, hope, and joy!!! xo

The holiday season is one of my absolute favorites and has only become that much better as a parent. While this year is looking quite a bit different with most of our favorite activities and festive gatherings being canceled, we have spent the season focusing on some of our favorite at home activities. These are a few of the girls favorites year in and year out and this year was no exception. I thought I would share a few of the things we have done in case you’re looking for a few last minute festivities.

1. Decorate their room for Christmas. We add festive sheets, a rose gold tree (best purchase of all time), a few bottle brushed trees, and a fun picture or two. This has seriously become one of my favorite rooms during the holiday season and the first one to get decorated. Walking by their tree throughout the day seriously brings my heart such joy.
2. Make Christmas cookies. Are you even a parent if you don’t have a kitchen covered in flour and sticky fingers shoving dough in their mouths as fast as they can?!? One of the best (and worst) parts of the holiday season 😉 Sharing some of our favorite recipes soon!
3. See snow. Living outside of Seattle, there is a good chance we’ll have a snow day or two but they usually come later in the season. We always try to make a trip up to the mountains to do some sledding and it’s seriously the most fun. The girls beg to go and always have the best time.
4. Make gingerbread houses. This is something we started doing recently and we started including a few little girlfriends which makes it so much more fun! And also worth the work of getting all the specialty candies and fun decorations. *Mom hack: the last few years I started hot gluing the houses together and I am NEVER GOING BACK! Makes it sooooo much easier to keep the houses from falling apart.
5. Go to a Christmas Tree Farm. Ok, this is one of my favorites. We have no shortage of farms in our area and they seriously do not disappoint. We have a local favorite where they serve cocoa, have a letters to Santa station, a bonfire pit with smores, and cute little cars for the kids to ride around with mini trees on top. Not to mention the smell of fresh cut trees fills the air and it’s seriously magic.
6. Decorate ornaments. Unwrapping popsicle stick ornaments will forever be my favorite. I love seeing their little personalities come through in the way they decorate and how they have changed and grown over the years. This year we’re doing salt dough ornaments and I think they will be so fun!
7. Have hot chocolate. The girls have this on their agenda almost every day but I like to make it a special occasion with homemade whipped cream and a few fun toppings!
8. Help Dad put up the lights outside. Penelope especially loves to do this and it’s been so fun to include the girls in what kind of lights we choose and how we put them up. Then of course we love to drive around trying to find the best lights in the neighborhood.
9. Present wrapping party. This girls and I stay up late and watch a Christmas movie while we wrap presents for Grandparents and Daddy. This is seriously one of my favorite nights of the year. The house glowing with Christmas nights, their busy little fingers, and their excitement is sooooo sweet. It takes a million times longer than if I just did it myself but it’s totally worth it.
10. Go ice skating. We did this for the first time last year and it was the cutest thing ever. It was so fun to watch the girls fumble around on the ice and they worked so hard! I was actually surprised at how well they did and how much they enjoyed it!

What do you plan to do with your little ones this season?

I would love to hear your special traditions and what you do to make the season magical! xo