A New Family Tradition

It would seem that having a Advent Calendar is a Christmas time tradition that I have never really outgrown. Year in year out, I treat myself to a chocolate calendar from one of the leading chocolatiers.

For Leo’s first Christmas’s we even got him his own Chocolate calendar and I may have cheekily eaten the contents. But we wanted to include Leo in everything that was going on, even if he didn’t get to indulge in the eating side of things…

Now Leo is that bit older and he is starting to see Christmas in all of it’s magic through those child eyes of his, I have stepped up advent this year and implemented a new yule tide tradition that will grow with Leo.

Instead of the bog standard Advent Calendar we have upgraded to a wooden Accs Advent House. The house is festively decorated and has 24 draws that you can fill with whatever you like. So if you are against kid’s having chocolate in their calendar’s you could fill it with small toys or trinkets instead.

Now I am not against a little bit of chocolate in Leo’s Advent Calendar but I wanted our new Advent House to be a more of a treasure trove, rather than a big chocolate box. So I set myself thinking about what else could be hidden away inside these draws, awaiting discovery by my excited 2 year old.

The obvious first choice for me was chocolate coins, because every Advent Calendar needs a little bit hidden away inside. So I purchased a few packs of gold coins and slid them into each draw, and set myself thinking about what else could be tucked away inside.

Then an idea formed while out and about shopping (I may have stored one of the draws in my pocket so I could get an idea of size...). Christmas decorations, Winnie the Pooh and friends Christmas decorations. On some days Leo will pull out a shiny gold coin, and on others he will also receive a special tree decoration that he can personally come and put on his Christmas Tree.

I really liked this idea, and I have thoroughly enjoyed getting the pieces together for Leo's very special Advent House. It is going to be something I can do each year for him, each year with different contents and gifts. 

A new family tradition has been born. 

If you were thinking of doing something a little different this year and like the sound of our Accs Advent House, you can purchase them from countrybaskets.co.uk for £19.95.

Disclaimer: I was sent the Accs Advent house for the purpose of this post. All views and opinions are my own.

Christmas Time Traditions

With Christmas almost knocking on the door, it has got me thinking about long running family traditions that complete your annual festivities.

For me it is important to spend Christmas at home with my parents, brothers and sister. Obviously this year...Leo is going to be joining in the festive fun, and I want to carry on my own family traditions and also bring some new ones into the equation.

Normally Luke and I have Christmas at our own parents home, and then meet up after we have had our Christmas lunch and exchange gifts. This year we have had to debate....who gets Leo? Obviously we both want to be with our baby boy and share his first Christmas with him, and watch him play with his wrapping paper, marveling at the joy in his eyes!

Luckily we have reached a compromise and we will all be spending Christmas at home with my family, and opening the house up in the evening for Luke's family to come and visit Leo and share the festive cheer. It is so hard to please everyone, but for me Christmas is only Christmas at home.

The last thing I want is to intrude on Luke's traditions with his family, but how do we meet each other half way without gallivanting all over the country?

Leo's presents have all been hand crafted in Santa's workshop and are safely wrapped, ready to be delivered to Leo on Christmas day in his very own personalised Santa's sack. His named stocking is ready to hang on the fireplace, and there is even talk of the glass of sherry and mince pie that will be left out for Santa to have a sit down and rest bite on his night time cruise.

We all have our own tree decoration in our house, one that dates back to our very first Christmas. To carry on this tradition I have purchased Leo some of his very own decorations. He has one with his name and also one specifically aimed for baby's first Christmas and allows me to put in a picture of him enjoying his big day! When Leo is of the age of being able to decorate the tree, we will do this together as a family. This is something that should be fun for everyone involved, and I will love sharing this task with Leo, I will lift him up high to put the angel pride of place on top of the tree for everyone to see.

When I was younger we always used to read 'The Night Before Christmas' on Christmas Eve, this always used to fill me with excitement, and I hope that this will instill in Leo also.

I grew up with all the belief in Santa, and I want Leo too as well. I want him to get excited about the man in red flying his sleigh through the night with Rudolph lighting his way to bring presents to all the girls and boys. I want him to believe in the magic of this time of year, for as long as possible. I am so excited about Christmas this year, and this is all down to Leo, It is a day truly all about children and having a baby, for me makes it so much more special.

Leo will be leaving out a carrot for Rudolph on the lawn, right next to his 'Santa Please Stop Here' sign, who knows maybe in the morning there will be hoof prints and a half eaten carrot...curtousy of Luke :-)

I have already told Luke that I want us to take Leo on the Santa Express train local to us, he seemed amazed that I wanted to do it this year...when Leo wont even remember it. This may be the case, but pictures tell a thousand words, and I shall be taking so many photos! Leo will have such a detailed childhood told through pictures and words, so he will be very aware of it, even if it isn't a crystal clear memory in his mind. I will tell the story to him.

I really want to get a picture of Leo with Santa this Christmas, I only hope this is still possible...with all the regulations these days, I have been told that children can no longer sit on Santa's lap! If this is what the world is coming to then how sad is that? If the innocence of having a picture taken of your child and Father Christmas is gone....then I am utterly lost for words! Unfortunatly I am determined to obtain this image and if I cannot do this on our exciting train journey, then I shall be on the hunt for a grandparent or two to play dress up!

I am currently planning some exciting activities for Leo and I to do over the 12 Days of Christmas and the run up to the 25th December 2011, consisting of baking, days out and other crafts! We are going to be in for a busy but enjoyable time.

So I have to ask, what are your family traditions? Do you carry on traditions your parents past down? Have you implemented your own traditions in order to add your own magic to Christmas?

I look forward to reading all about your traditions and may even take some of your ideas on board to add more festive fun to my list!

For more Christmas Time Traditions head over to Romanian Mum in London and read all about her festive traditions!

Now we just have to wish for snow!

The First Halloween

Yesterday was Leo's first ever Halloween. I wanted to mark the occasion and make our own festivities! I know that Halloween is not on any level compared to the likes of Christmas, but I wanted Leo to know that I made the effort right from the start.

Poor Leo had come down with a nasty cold, so he wasn't feeling his jolly old self, but he looked just lovely in his bright orange pumpkin costume and matching hat. Although he wasn't 100% he was still smiles and chuckles, even through his blocked nose!

We ran around all morning on the hunt for pumpkins....which apparently you cannot buy in the shops on Halloween...everywhere was sold out, which I have to say is just un-believable! Finally we managed to hunt 4 big juicy pumpkins down at a farm in Cropthorne, after hitting up all the local supermarkets and always coming up short!

I personally have never even considered carving a pumpkin, let alone 4! I rose to the occasion and found some ideas online, and set about cutting them all open and removing all the flesh. Then the tricky part....putting my useless drawing skills to the test!

Some how...I don't know how....all my efforts paid off and I was rewarded with 4 rather distinguished pumpkins to sit on my front porch. Leo's first ever pumpkins!

I know Leo is far too young to even remember, let alone appreicate these gestures but I wanted to make the effort this year more than any. I want to make our own family traditions and I want to implement them from the very start.

I am rather envoius of Mothers who are in the position to be Stay at Home Mummies, especiallay when they don't seem to realise how lucky they are to be in that unique situation, they get the oppurunity to do all these fun and exciting things with their children and they don't make the effort too.

Every year I will make this effort, especially when I return to work. Next year I am sure we will be able to get into a mess pulling the flesh out together! Next year we will even bake some spooky cupcakes!

For now though I feel I have marked Leo's first Halloween, and these pumpkins will always be his first....and my first triumph in pumpkin carving.

Family traditions are very important to me, and I cannot wait until I can put our Christmas traditions in place, and tell Leo all about Father Christmas and all the magic that comes with it.

Happy Halloween all!