12 Days of Christmas --> Day 1

Day 1: Christmas/Holiday traditions
Day 2: Black Friday/General Shopping Tips & Tricks
Day 3: Most meaningful gift/best gift you've received
Day 4: Tips/Tricks to a Budget Friendly holiday season
Day 5: Favorite Holiday Movie/TV Show Special
Day 6: Gift ideas (what do YOU want? We all have family/friends reading our blogs...so let them know!)
Day 7: Holiday Craft/DIY (If you don't make anything, what do you WISH you could make?)
Day 8: Least favorite thing about the Holidays
Day 9: Favorite Holiday recipe
Day 10: Favorite Christmas Songs/Caroles
Day 11: New Year Resolutions
Day 12: Show us your decorations (indoor/outside)
Day 13: Favorite Cookie Recipe
Day 14: Oprah's Favorite Things: What item(s) would you want if you were in the audience?

I love the holidays! They are full of traditions! Every Christmas Eve we spend part of the day with my husband's Dad to celebrate his birthday! Christmas babies (and Christmas Eve babies) often get overlooked due to the hype of the holidays, but we do our best to make sure my father-in-law gets his own day to celebrate. The other part of Christmas Eve is spent with my family. My husband and I got to my parent's home and we eat a fabulous dinner (as we always do at my parents' house) then open Santa's sack. I'm not sure when Santa's Sack made its first appearance in our home, but it has been around for awhile. Santa's Sack contains our Christmas pajamas, a game and/or movie, and maybe even some Christmas snacks like hot chocolate! Yum!  Then we play the game or watch the movie that was in Santa's Sack until we can't keep our eyes open any longer...

On Christmas Day I wake up the entire family so we can open presents! I don't intentionally try to wake up early, it is just with the excitement of Christmas I tend to wake up earlier than the rest of the family cares to. After an hour or so of encouragement, my husband and parents get out of bed. I try to get things ready like turn on the Christmas lights, put on some Christmas tunes, light the candles, etc. so that when my parents do get up, we are ready to start the gift giving. Of course, Dad usually takes his time getting the coffee ready and taking the dogs outside. Since I'm the only child, it has always been my responsibility to distribute the presents. First we start with the Stockings which are usually stuffed (and often overflowing onto the floor) with little items. We open one present at a time, admiring each person's gift before the next person opens theirs. After the Stockings, we move on to the presents under the tree. We also open these one at a time.

After all the presents are open, Dad usually prepares a gourmet breakfast. Sometimes I plan the menu, sometimes he surprises us. Regardless, it is always the best breakfast I've ever had.