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For the last two Decembers, we've had the incredible pleasure of making some pretty terrific Christmas memories. As I've posted here several times before, the North Pole Experience in Greer, Arizona is a truly magical Christmas experience that will leave your whole family with memories that will last a lifetime.
Of course they do! And what better way to do that than by winning tickets to the NPX! By the generousity of the amazing team at the North Pole Experience, Kid Friendly...Mommy Approves is happy to announce that your family has a chance to WIN a set of 4 Golden Tickets that will allow you the opportunity to see Arizona's best Christmas experience! Christmas is 5 months away, but it's never too soon to start planning!
This December, for the 3rd year, the North Pole Experience will throw open the doors to Santa's secret workshop and welcome families to a behind the scenes tour of Santa's hard working elves. But only those who hold the special Golden Ticket will get the chance learn the secret knock that opens the door to the workshop and the opportunity to meet Santa's head elf. Do your kiddos want to work side-by-side with the elves this year building toys?
Of course they do! And what better way to do that than by winning tickets to the NPX! By the generousity of the amazing team at the North Pole Experience, Kid Friendly...Mommy Approves is happy to announce that your family has a chance to WIN a set of 4 Golden Tickets that will allow you the opportunity to see Arizona's best Christmas experience! Christmas is 5 months away, but it's never too soon to start planning! Giveaway
The North Pole Experience is giving away to (4) lucky KFMA readers - 4 complimentary Golden Tickets to the the NPX in Greer, Arizona. Please note that lodging and meals are NOT included. The (4) winners will be responsible for arranging transportation, accommodations and meals during your stay. This prize is experience tickets only. Estimated value of the North Pole Experience ticket giveaway is $208.00.
The value of the NPX tickets are:
Adults $55.00
The value of the NPX tickets are:
Adults $55.00
Children $49.00
Infants 17 months and Younger - Free
How To Win??
Leave a comment under this post...but not just ANY comment. Tell me one Christmas tradition you do each year with your family OR one Christmas tradition that you loved the most growing up as a child. Your comment does not need to be detailed or lengthy, but must contain a a general tradition in order to be entered to win.
Leave a comment under this post...but not just ANY comment. Tell me one Christmas tradition you do each year with your family OR one Christmas tradition that you loved the most growing up as a child. Your comment does not need to be detailed or lengthy, but must contain a a general tradition in order to be entered to win.
This contest will end on Friday, August 12, 2011 at 6:00 p.m. (Arizona time). The winners will be randomly chosen through Random.org. You cannot enter if you do not leave a comment on this post. Giveaways are open to residents of the United States only. Winners will be notified by Saturday, August 13th via email. Will you have until Monday, August 15th to respond or you will lose your winning tickets. Please note that if your blog profile does not contain your email address, you will either need to leave your email address in your comment post OR send me a message on Facebook with your contact information.
Thank you to the North Pole Experience for your generousity and for this incredible giveaway!!!
A few years ago, we started a brand-new family tradition (and it has become my favorite). We sewed a beautiful, bright white stocking with the finest of fabric and a silky ribbon for Jesus. We hang Christ's stocking in the center of our family stockings, because that's exactly what He is, the "center of our family". For the past 3 years, on Christmas Eve, my husband, 5 children and I "wrap" a special present for Jesus and put it in His stocking. After all, it's His birthday that we are celebrating, and so we want to make it extra special. Our "gift" to Jesus is written on a piece of paper. Each of us writes one thing that we are going to do to try to be more like Him, more Christ-like, in the new year. We put these "love-notes" into His stocking on Christmas Eve night. On Christmas morning, we open our "gifts to Christ" and read them to the family. Then, we put the back in His stocking to read again the following Christmas Eve as we share memories and stories of the year just past. Then, we do it all over again as we give our NEW gifts to Christ and place them in His stocking for the new year. -Marji Schneberger (mother of 5) of Peoria, AZ schnebergers@cox.net Thanks, NPX and KFMA for this generous giveaway!!
ReplyDeleteWe love coming up with new memories or traditions. This is what we've done for the past 3 years. When we decorate our house with the lights, tree, stockings...when it comes to the Nativity, we don't put baby Jesus in the manger. Instead we wrap Him up as a gift and put that gift in front of all other gifts. The tag reads: From the best Gift giver. Then on Christmas morning..we open that first and have a little prayer thanking Him. Keeps the rest of the day focused and thankful to Christ. ~ Carlee Rogers
ReplyDeletecleerog@juno.com
Thanks for the opportunity to win! ;0)
We do a HUGE fun social cookie exchange get-together. Then the next 11 months I workout to get the cookies off :-) Bridgette ~BridgetteMJ@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteMy daughter has an early December birthday so we always start off the season by going to see the lights on her birthday. ambermwilkinson@msn.com
ReplyDeleteWe mix oatmeal with glitter. Magic reindeer food. Then we go out side and sprinkle it on the driveway and throw some up on the roof. It helps Santa's reindeer to find our house and gives them energy and extra magic to continue on their long flight. My 3 boys love this tradition. Christmas is magical when you have Children so we have to make sure its extra special. Its the little things that you do with your family that makes the time special. It goes WAY to fast!!
ReplyDeleteJennifer
jmariewilcox@yahoo.com
Our tradition is hanging out with my brother on Christmas eve eating tamales and then we all go out looking for lights in Moon Valley - it is amazing and my kids love it. After we are done looking at lights we decorate cookies for Santa! Th McCormick family! We would love to win!
ReplyDeleteWe have been making a birthday cake for Jesus. We decorate it as a family so you can say it's very unique!
ReplyDeleteEvery year as a family we read The Night Before Christmas on Christmas Eve, but it's not just any book ... It was my grandmother's as a child! Her parents read it to her, she read it to my mom, my grandmother read it to us, and now my mom reads it to our children. The pages or barely bound together and the once bright red color of santa's suit is now faded and worn, but it's still my favorite book and favorite tradition of all time :)
ReplyDeleteSince having kids there isn't much that makes my heart happier than the magic of Christmas. But, one of my favorite traditions is the Christmas card. I love trying to find something new and creative to do each year, and everytime I get one in the mail, it's an instant smile. Especially when I receive cards from clients with pictures I took!
ReplyDeletelori@calhounink
Ooh! So many traditions to chose from. Christmas is my favourite time of year. One of my favourite parts of Christmas is the big dinner my mum would cook. Roast beef, mashed potatoes, Yorkshire Puddings, veggies, decadent desserts and sparkling cider or some kind of yummy punch. The meal was always a highlight of the day growing up so now I host a Christmas dinner of my own each year. It has been a fun tradition to carry on.
ReplyDeleteEvery year at Christmas time we get dressed up before going to get our picture taken with Santa. We take a picture in the same spot every year. After have 3 children in less than 4 years, we have enjoyed seeing how the picture changes and grows every year.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the year we strive to keep the spirit of Christmas alive. My oldest child is 5 and every holiday that comes-Valentines, Easter, etc, we make up little treat/goodie bags for all of the children in her ballet class. We are usually the only ones that do this in the class, which is good because we are trying to teach our children the gift of giving without the expectation of receiving. The key focus is to give unselfishly with a happy heart. My little girl glows with each and every bag she hands out, and you can just see the love in her face. During Christmas we also invite anyone to come to our home that does not have a Christmas Dinner to go to. We do not have the nicest house, but we have love and a huge feast to share with anyone who accepts it. On Christmas Eve we hang a special key on the outside of the front door so Santa can get in, as we do not have a fire place. We talk about all of the nice things we have done for others and how good it has made us feel all year long, and about how Santa knows how nice we have been. Santa then comes and spoils my beautiful girls for being full of such love and generosity that it makes my heart proud to be their mommy.
ReplyDeleteChristmas is truly magical. Since I was a child I have had to watch Mickey's Christmas Carol. I now watch it with my three little girls. It truly shows the lessons of kindness and generosity with a touch of Disney Magic! Lisa Cook of Peoria AZ. Heavenlore@aol.com
ReplyDeleteI think the tradition that I most loved is decorating the Christmas tree. We never had a specific theme for our tree. Ever year on the day after Thanksgiving we would get our Christmas tree out and all the decorations. Yes, it was a fake tree but that was ok with us. I remember pulling the ornaments out and talking to my brothers, sister, mom and dad about when we got that ornament or who made it. We always put the year that we got it on the back so it was fun to remember what happened that year. It was the best family time I can remember growing up. We did vacations and family dinners but I think that day each year was the best. We have carried that tradition on with our kids and I love hearing them go so excited when they see an ornament that they got from grandma or one that mommy or daddy made a long time ago. It is magical. I also love the tradition that we have also carried on to our children that my husband and I both had growing up of going to Christmas Eve service together and then celebrating with one side of the family until late at night. So fun!!
ReplyDeleteBeing the mother of 6, my husband & know how had it can be just to provide the basics. We are a military family & the stresses & pay are both terrible. One year, because of our familys struggles, another family chose our to help with gifts & food for the Christmas season. This selflessness brought such unbelievable joy to our family & the children. We have never forgotten that. Now it has become OUR familys tradition to give to another family. No matter how simple our holiday maybe that year, each one of my children, my husband & myself enjoy selecting a gift for "another 5yer year old little girl, just like me" or "an 8 year old who maybe like what I like". Its something my children really look forward. I enjoy making a gift for a mom who might be worried about providing a nice Christmas that year for her family. This is what my familys tradition had been for the last few years
ReplyDeleteWe celebrated St Nick's Day in my family growing up - we got our stockings on December 6th. My husband didn't share this tradition, so for our kids...they put their list for Santa in their stocking on December 5th. If they have been good, Santa leaves them 1 toy on December 6th...and then they get their full stocking on Christmas Day. They also receive a bell from Santa's sleigh in their stocking on December 6th...a little nod to the Polar Express story.
ReplyDeleteMy mother is Norwgian and I grew up in the UK so we kept 2 sets of traditions. We celebrated Christmas Eve as though Norwegian and Christmas Day as a Brit. Christmas Eve lunch would be rice porridge (a Norwegian staple). My mum would hide an almond in it and whoever found the almond in their bowl of porridge won a Marzipan pig!
ReplyDeleteWe live in Arizona and all of our family lives in Alabama. We drive cross country to visit the family at Christmas every year. Every member of the family comes to our parents house. We have a huge Christmas dinner. Red velet cake and Martha Washington balls are a must have. The house is so full of family members that there is barely walking room. The kids that haven't seen each other for months on end finally get to see each other and act like it was just yesterday that they last saw each other. It's all about family! Bev - jjsbev (at)cox (dot) net
ReplyDeleteWe always bake cookies together. The littlest helpers love to make their own creations. My favorite is to make a gingerbread nativity stable, (instead of gingerbread house). Then we place the baby Jesus and Mary and Joseph, wise men, animals and shepherds inside. I finish by putting a beautiful angel on top lit up from behind with a flameless candle. It looks awesome and the kids love it. Shelly - skat1121@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteAs a kid, we would go to my aunt's house on Christmas Eve. She would make a wonderful dinner for us. We were able to open some presents too! One year, as we were driving home, I swear I saw Santa and his sleigh in the sky in the moonlight. It was the most exciting thing ever! She has long pasted. Our tradition now with my husband and girls is to go to Christmas Eve service at church and then we come home and get ready for Santa. The girls put out hot chocolate & cookies we have made for Santa and carrots for the reideer. The girls get to open new PJ's to go put on and then go to bed in hopes of what Christmas Morning brings. Christmas Day is spent going from house to house eating the day away.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite family Christmas tradition is making cookies with the girls for Santa Clause. Now, as of 2 years ago The McGlasson Santa insisted that the dads take this job but it's time for Mommy to take it back. Santa will appreciate it, too:)
ReplyDeleteSomething I loved as a child and still love as an adult is our tradition of making nut kuken, a pecan sweet roll with my mom. As my sisters and I got older we were allowed to help more and more. Now that we're adults we do most of it ourselves. Although we still need moms help sometimes. It takes several hours to make but is totally worth it when we eat it on Christmas morning hot out of the oven. I can't wait until my daughter is old enough to help and enjoy eating it as much we all do. Email is chocolateiguanaon4th@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteOn Xmas morning, after we see what Santa has brought us, we go to Nana and Papa's house to open presents with them. It's usually late morning by the time we drive over there (we would have had plenty of time to change), but we always make it a point for all 5 of us to wear our pj's to their house. It's something that is just a little silly but the kids love it. And we are extra comfy too! Hhhhhmmmm, maybe we need to start buying matching pj's. . .
ReplyDeleteThis would be such a great gift for our family this year. I have been wanting to go for such a long time but never get the chance. What a great opportunity to celebrate Christmas together. We keep it simple for Christmas. We always love to make sugar cookies and decorate them with the kids every year. Have family over Christmas Eve, have a great ham dinner, open presents together, and listen to christmas music. Christmas day we stay in our P.J.'s all day and just relax and have fun with each other. The kids have a blast playing with all their new presents that day. I just love that time we get to share during Christmas break and the new memories we will make and share. :) Lacy Dworshak (ltoothpixie32@aol.com)
ReplyDeleteThe one tradition I remember the most as a child was opening the gifts our Nana sent us from New Zealand on Christmas Eve. In our small family now, we also open on gift on Christmas Eve (and it's always a set of fun pj's). We also recently introduced the "Elf on the Shelf" to our holiday experience. Our 3 year old loved it last year and we look forward to his reaction this year. dorigrace(at)hotmail(dot)com.
ReplyDeleteEvery year we put the tree up just after Thanksgiving. As a kid my parents would always take us out to buy a tree on my sister's birthday and decorate it on my mom's but now we have an artificial tree that gets put up after Thanksgiving and then we decorate. It's our new tradition. Sara Livingston sdubs77@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteSanta would come visit me when I was growing up Christmas eve in person. He would ring the doorbell and come in and visit me in the living room of our house. It was special because I wasn't sharing him with a 100 other kids. I sat on his lap and talked to him for as long as I wanted. Autore3@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteWe all load up in the truck drive through Starbucks to get hot chocolate/ apple cider and then we hit the town for 2 hours or so and look at the Christmas lights! We love the houses that you get out and walk around and the owners are so nice!
ReplyDeleteAnalise Sehr
aksehr85@yahoo.com
My favorite Christmas tradition actually happens after Christmas. On New Year's Eve we take down the Christmas Tree as a family. We all help take down lights and ornaments. When the tree has been undecorated, we lift up the tree skirt and there is always one more present for each of us that "santa" forgot. It was cool that the excitement of Christmas continued a whole other week because we knew there would be just 1 more present :-) Plus it forced us to help clean up the tree (smart mom)! It is a tradition I will continue with my family.
ReplyDeleteStephanie
Email: piffer28@hotmail.com
My mom always makes us a pair of pajamas every Christmas. We are always excited to put on our new pj's each morning and hang out all day in them! Now I need an extra dresser just for pajamas.
ReplyDeleteIsaac Isaacson
irisaacson@yahoo.com
Every Christmas we do a getting ready for Christmas party. All the family gets together in mid december and we have Christmas crafts, watch a movie about baby jesus, make cookies, and set up the Christmas tree. It is a good time to start thinking about Christmas.
ReplyDeleteKaren Brooks (mother or 3, grandmother of 3)
seadreamse@verizon.net
Our Christmas tradition begins in the beginning of December. My grandma passed away 9 years ago and every year we go down and decorate the tree that is near her headstone at the cematary. The whole family is involved because Christmas was my grandma's favorite holiday. Then in the middle of December, the family will get back together and we all bake our favorite christmas candy/treat and we exchange with each other. Christmas eve is spent with family, exchanging gifts, having dinner and enjoying the company. Then I spend Christmas Day with my individual family and watch the joy the kids have when they find out what Santa brought them.
ReplyDeleteKristy Karkos
kkarkos28@gmail.com
We decorate our tree with only "special ornaments". Some 30years old. Than we take a picture of the kids in PJ's in front of the tree. Each year we display those pictures on xmas shelf.
ReplyDeleteSandra Cain
azcain@cox.net
Christmas is my favorite holiday! I just love the happy, loving feeling that seems to be everywhere you go! One of my very favorite traditions is decorating the tree. We pick out the tree as a family the day before. On the day of decorating we make hot chocolate and listen to Christmas music. It is such a wonderful evening! Tracie...tracieernst@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteSince having kids, I've carried out a family tradition of getting new ornaments for them each year, but I like to find unique ornaments. For my son, it's "things that go", so ornaments like hot air balloons, cars, airplanes, etc. For my daughter it's "things with wings", so ornaments like angels, owls, bumble bee, etc. I really want my children to have pretty ornaments for their own Christmas trees one day.
ReplyDeletedawnmeinhardt@live.com
It wasnt until I had my own kids when I decided and began to have special traditions on Xmas time... one of those is baking cookies for Santa and putting the out with a glass of milk so when he arrives with presents he could have a snack, my kids just love it and they feel delightful something that I want to start this year is reading them the real story behind Xmas! Thansk for the chance of winning! Im sure my kids will love an experience like this one! rainbowdecor@live.com
ReplyDeleteWe have many traditions in our home. We bake cookies, make ornaments for teachers and family. We hide the pickle and the first child to find it gets to open the first present. We love christmas time and would love to go to the north pole experience.
ReplyDeletevanesster13@yahoo.com
My favorite tradition is that a few years ago Santa started leaving a scavenger hunt for the kids to find the presents. It is fun watching the kids try to figure out where the next clue will lead. They ask him to do it again every year!
ReplyDeleteOh, my email is stzz@msn.com
ReplyDeleteEvery Christmas Eve we go to the 4:00 pm family service at our church and then to my mom's house for a huge family gathering. I love how the whole extended family comes together!
ReplyDeletejlab1983(@)gmail.com
ReplyDeleteWe have quite a few Christmas traditions. The one that I love the most is that every year since she could hold a marker, my daughter has made a birthday card for baby Jesus. We take it with us to mass on Christmas eve and then when mass is over, she takes it up front and leaves it on the manger for him. She's now 7, and my son has joined in as well. My sister and her family join us, along with my parents and grandmother as well. Its nice to have the cousins growing up together and celebrating.
ReplyDeleteIt's the memories that matter, not the number of boxes under the tree. I know that my kids will look back on their childhood and appreciate our special family time.
Each year we all get together with our extended family and we all have a dinner on Christmas eve. We open each other's presents from our cousins, aunts, uncles, adn cousins. It is really fun to spend time together with family.
ReplyDeleteCourtney Vevea
court.vevea@gmail.com
We always watch a movie on Christmas eve. Growing up it was always It's a Wonderful Life, but as a mom of two young children I knew that wasn't going to fly so we watch a more kid friendly movie. Then the kids open new PJ's and get ready for bed. kelbelical(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteWe started our own tradition, by inviting family and friends to a "Stone Soup" party based upon the book of the same name. Each guest brought a vegetable and we added it to a large pot of soup. We scanned the pages of the book and projected them on a big screen TV, so that the children could see the pictures and follow along as the book was read aloud. Each guest also brought along a small, wrapped gift for their child which was hidden from view and added to Santa's bag. We hired a great Santa who brought in the gifts and called the children up, one by one, to hear their wishes and receive a gift. The children did crafts (made ornaments) and shared the soup and desert treats. Mirroring the lesson in the book, everyone contributed a little so that everyone got a lot!
ReplyDeleteK.A.O. kidsparty@cox.net
Since we had our daughter our family tradition has been to build a gingerbread house each year. We started when she was two she will now be 4 and I am excited to see every year how well we do. We also started last year Christopher Popinkins. Our daughter, Hailey, was so impressed with Christopher she has been asking when he will come back this year.
ReplyDeletekacynovotny@gmail.com
Christmas is the best time of year! Even though all of our family is back East, we have created our own special traditions. My husband, daughter and I always pick an angel off of the Angel Tree Charity and love to purchase Christmas gifts so that a child will have something to open up on Christmas morning. On Christmas Eve we start by attending the beautiful candle lite service at our church. We return home to some delicious munchies and finger foods, of course with a delicious cup of hot cocoa and marshmallows! We love to drive around the neighborhood to catch a glimpse of all the twinkling lights on the houses. Christmas morning is still as exciting for me as when I was a small girl. To see the excitement in my daughter's big brown eyes on Christmas morning is the absolutely the best Christmas gift I could ever ask for! desertinnaz@cox.net
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI have lived in Arizona all my life. So I have never experienced what a lot of people have... a white Christmas. Our tradition each year is put up our tree the day after thanksgiving. We open gifts at different times because we are a blended family. My dream is to have a white Christmas and open presents all together at the same time. It's a dream!!! eanizer@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteThe most important tradition we have during Christmas is to be around the ones that we love. My husband has missed being with us during Christmas (and all other holidays, birthdays, etc.) 2 out of the last 4 years due to military deployments. So, for us, being together as a family and celebrating the joy of Christmas and the spirit of giving is most important. If we are in a city that has it, we love going to a Christmas tree farm and having the kids pick one out. Going to the NPX this year would be extra special since my husband will be just getting home from another deployment. Thanks for giving us the opportunity to add to our Christmas traditions! Jennifer (jamjen2k@cox.net)
ReplyDeleteMy favorite Christmas tradition is Christmas eve dinner. We do not have the traditional Christmas dinner, instead, we have have steak and fried shrimp. It is delicious. That is the time I really look forward to.
ReplyDeleteNate Vevea (nate.vevea@gmail.com)
One of my favorite moments of the Christmas season is singing O Come Emmanuel at Christmas Eve service. Thanks for hosting the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteEvery year we get together at my sister's house to make gingerbread houses out of graham crackers and homemade icing. The fun is watching the kids sneak the candy when they think we aren't looking. They get so creative about it. The houses still turn out amazing even though they eat most of the decorations.
ReplyDeleteChristmas Eve is my favorite. We started new traditions like having fondue for dinner and decorating cookies just for Santa. We also keep the tradition from when I grew up of opening 1 present Christmas Eve which is always new PJ's. Need to look good in all the picture taking Christmas morning. All I can say is that Christmas is even better with kids then it was all the years growing up. Watching the anticipation and joy on their faces is the best.
ReplyDeleteThe tradition we have with my family has changed since we have been married. Having to incorporate another family in the mix has been tricky. So to avoid any contention or conflict, our tradition is to have Christmas Eve dinner with my husband's parents and Christmas dinner with my parents. It has made it much less hectic and enjoyable at the holidays!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite tradition is baking cookies together. We always make recipes that have been family favorites for generations. With every generation that marries and has kids, the number of cookies grows! Now that we live in Arizona, far away from family in Wisconsin, I love to send Grandparents pictures of my son and I baking their cookies and letting them know that we are thinking of them during the holidays, even if we cannot be together.
ReplyDeleteChristmas Eve as a family has ALWAYS been the tradition with my 6 children. Even for the 13 years as a single mom with them, Christmas Eve was at our house complete with a visit from Santa's Helper. Now the children are grown and have children of their own, I am remarried to a wonderful man and we are going to celebrate Christmas Eve with all the children and grandchildren at our new home in Snowflake, AZ. There should be at least 26 of us! ... and the visit from Santa's helpers will continue! Spending a day at the North Pole Experience would be a special addition to our time together as a family.
ReplyDeleteOne of our favorite family traditions is looking at Christmas lights. We pop some popcorn and take Xmas cookies in the car with us while listening to Christmas Carols on the radio! I have done this since I was a child, and now having children of my own and seeing their faces light up at every house is amazing. I have had my eye on this Experience for awhile now and would love to share these memories with my family.! What an awesome giveaway. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteChristmas is the most favorite holiday in our house. Every year we put up a huge light display in our front yard for everyone to enjoy.
ReplyDeleteOur big traditions start on Christmas Eve. While growing up in a Polish home, we celebrated with the Opuatek, or Christmas wafer. This wafer is broken and shared with everyone at the table before we eat our Christmas Eve meal. After dinner, I began the custom of giving each of our kids one gift (new pj's) to open that night. After changing into the new pj's, my daughter would always be sure to pick the best Christmas cookies to leave for Santa along with a big mug of milk. Also, we must leave carrots for the reindeer, because they work so hard pulling that sled with all those toys all over the world!
If we won the chance to go to the North Pole Experience, I'm sure we could be starting a new tradition :) I've been wanting to go and check this out, but haven't had the resources to do so yet. What a wonderful give-away --- good luck to us all!
One of our favortie tradions we started about 5 years ago was to take care of someone else's family on Christmas who needs help. We keep it a secret no one knows that it is us helping them. It's kind of like playing secret Santa. We defiently don't have alot of money, but I and my family find joy in helping others out. We also have fun with the fact that our family has a little Christmas secret and no one knows about it. For example last year we sent a family in need $200 in the mail w/ a letter saying Have a Marry Christmas. This family was a friend of a friend. So through conversation we heard that some anoymous person sent them $$ in the mail and they were amazed and so grateful. That there makes our Christmas great.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful experience my boys would love this!!! Every Christmas my mom makes her very famous Almond Punch. She only makes it once a year and it is mouthwatering!! I crave it every year. It even brings the neighbors over to get a glass, it like nothing I've had before. I love this memory and I plan to do it when I host Christmas with my own little family. Yeah can't wait till Christmas!!
ReplyDeleteemail: bullenkeli@gmail.com
fingers are crossed!!:)
Last year was our first year to the "North Pole" and what a great time we had!! I hope that my children grow up to tell their children about it because what a momentous occasion it is. The looks in their eyes and the smiles on their faces is something you will never forget. I was so saddened earlier this year with the tragedies that Greer has gone through and I prayed that this wonderful experience would not be destroyed as well. I would love to be able to give back to this community as they have given so much to my family! Thank you North Pole Experience!! - Karla Frick (frick@cox.net)
ReplyDeleteGrowing up, all of the girls in our family would get together for our annual bake day. There were six of us total and we would all bake our favorite holiday cookies. This sometimes would add up to over 1500 cookies!!!
ReplyDeleteNow as we have gotten older we have a new tradition which includes the entire family. It's "Lil Juleaften" (meaning Little Christmas Eve), where we get together for food and drinks, while having a great time with a white elephant style gift exchange. You get to wrap up anything you have in your house (you can't buy gifts). Gifts are wrapped in bags and tissue, but you can't touch anything until you are ready to select your gift. You touch it, it's yours which makes for a lot of laughter and excuses for why they don't want that package!!! For the longest time there was a large, homemade white snowball candle that kept making it's way back to the party. We would do anything to trick someone into picking that gift, it was great.
The holidays are just a great time for all of us to get together and enjoy each other's company.
Lisa Cholewinski at lisa.cholewinski@sbcglobal.net
Each Christmas we put our kid's stocking by their beds first thing in the morning. This is the first "present" they get. They love to wake up VERY early, so this gives them something to do for a while. When they are done with the stockings, then we open presents. It is a little thing, but it is fun!
ReplyDeleteDavid Brooks
dbrooks1020@gmail.com
We love to get together each year with all of our cousins, grandparents, aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews to celebrate Christmas on Christmas eve. We make a HUGE dinner with ham and other dishes and always have a Christmas desssert. We love getting to spend that time with other people outside of our immediate family. It is wonderful!
ReplyDeleteFrances Taylor
lehuaneff@tampabay.rr.com
Our church throws a "Nights of Bethlehem" themed party before Christmas. It is so fun. Everyone dresses up like they are from Jesus' time and we celebrate the birth of Jesus. It is wonderful! It helps us to celebrate the true meaning of christmas.
ReplyDeleteArdis
acpadgett@verizon.net
Each year we chose one family who is in need of assistance during the holidays. We then go out as a family and get christmas presents and clothes for the family in need. We go as a family and put the presents on their doorstep and deliver them anonymously.It makes us feel good that somebody who is in need can still have a good Christmas.
ReplyDeletejftaylor@tampabay.rr.com
We love to spend time together as a family. Everyone loves Christmas morning, but then we would all sit around all day Christmas day. We decided to start a new tradition. We would go to the movies every Christmas afternoon. It was so fun because it was something else to look forward to after opening presents and hangin with the family.
ReplyDeletecelestechristensen@yahoo.com
Way back in the days when I was younger, a family friend spent Christmas with us and made a dish to include in our Christmas dinner. When I was younger, I never was interested in it because I didn't like oysters (it's an oyster stuffing dish), but while getting older, I helped my mom make it every year even when our family friend was not with us. Now as an adult, I not only make it every year, but I inhale it! It's so good! It's not Christmas without the oyster stuffing dish. The smell alone gets me into good spirits. I've tried making the dish when it wasn't Christmas because I was craving it, but it just didn't taste or feel the same.
ReplyDeleteChristmas Eve in my childhood home remains among my most precious memories. After snuggling into our warmest pajamas, we gathered by the fire, Christmas songs by Bing Crosby or Frank Sinatra filling the air. My brothers and I hung our special, monogrammed ornaments and stockings as mom brought cookies and hot cocoa into the living room. We opened all our stocking gifts that night- except for those from Santa. Dad would hand out all the presents & we would go around a circle opening one at a time. I always slept in my brother's room that night. We'd stay awake as long as our eyes would allow, listening for sleigh bells and imaging what Santa would put in our stockings and place under the tree. As we have grown, these traditions have continued and now our spouses and children are able to enjoy the magic of Christmas as we have known it. To this day, Santa remembers to eat a bite of his cookie and drink all of his milk. (the smiles and amazement from our children are still a constant reminder of the magic of Christmas) Christmas morning includes laughter, prayer, tears of joy and the reminder of why Christmas is so magical and the birth of Christ always on our hearts.
ReplyDeleteA Christmas tradition our family has is always making sugar cookies for Santa and making reindeer feed for all the reindeer.
ReplyDeleteChristmas is a special time for us. My oldest daughter (11) and I usually sing in the Midnight mass choir together followed by some goodies. In the morning, the first one up usually wakes the rest of us up. We open our gifts and sing Christmas carols. I usually start to make breakfast while my daughters play with their new items. I love Christmas time
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Our daughter was born the week before Christmas. She will be 3 yrs old this year. My son was 15 months old when she was born and although he might not realize it yet, she is the best Christmas present any of us could ask for!!! Christmases past were started to lose their sparkle a little bit, but my Christmas girl renewed my holiday spirit forever!
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A favorite tradition of mine growing up was putting up the tree. Mom would make banana bread (the one and only time of year she made it), we'd turn on the Christmas music and start decorating the tree, while singing and eating banana bread. It's a simple tradition, but I loved it and have carried on the tradition with my family! phxgirl22@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteI handmake stockings for each of my kids with their names on them by the time they are 2. Then at our house, Santa fills your stocking and pins it to the side of your bed. In the morning the kids wake up early, pat the side of their bed to see if the stocking is there. They may open anything in their stocking and eat any food in it, in their own room or in their siblings rooms. But they may not come downstairs to the Christmas tree until my husband and I are awake and set up downstairs. The kids LOVE this and it makes the stocking it's own highlight of the morning instead of the stocking getting lost in the shuffle around the tree. They always grab their stocking and run to a siblings room to open then together. But the best part is that it allows my husband and I to sleep past 4am on Christmas morning
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ddlockerby@gmail.com
My mom lives out of town and doesn't get to participate in a lot of our Christmas celebrations. In an effort to create a special tradition between her and my son, she sends us each a pair of Christmas pajamas that arrive the day after Thanksgiving. We wear them that evening and look forward to Christmas jams from Grandma as a way to kick off the Christmas season.
ReplyDeletedfordanae@yahoo.com
A new tradition we recently joined (as our neighbors have been carrying on this tradition for a number of years) has been hay ride Christmas caroling a week or so before Christmas. This is a fun experience for our family and a great opportunity to celebrate with neighbors. And one of my favorite (and most tasty) traditions is making Christmas cookies with my daughters ... to leave for Santa, of course!
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The past 3 years on xmas eve we have gone out to breakfast at a local village inn and as a tip left $100. It is our good deed for the season.
ReplyDeletekerri.chamberlin@gmail.com
We have a couple of new traditions that we just started with my daughter - we go to Zoolights Thanksgiving weekend to kick off the holiday season, and we have also been attending Phoenix First Assembly's Star of Wonder show every year. Last year was the most amazing...I somehow bought tickets for the wrong day and my mom couldn't go because she was working. I drove to Phoenix First Assembly, and they were so awesome - they exchanged my tickets for the day I wanted and I even had BETTER seats! I was so grateful they were able to keep our wonderful family tradition going!
ReplyDeleteAs my children get older and begin to understand the magic of Christmas, we are adding new traditions each year. Last year, we had one of Santa's elves come stay with us. He was very mischievous and each morning our son woke up excited to learn what trouble the elf had gotten into. My husband and I have always made tamales for friends and family over Christmas and this year our son was able to help...he even claimed the job of "olive guy". We hope these traditions continue as he gets older and our youngest is able to join in the fun too.
ReplyDeletemgeorge1975@hotmail.com
Each year around the first week of December Elf from the book Elf on a Shelf returns to our house. Elf is placed on our fire place mantle where he watches to make sure our three sons are being good little boys. At night, Elf finds a hiding spot and the next morning the kids have to find him to see what treats he has brought for them. Once found, Elf is returned to his mantel (by mom or dad only) where he awaits his next hiding adventure. It is truly a great tradition that our family looks forward to every year!
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Every Christmas I have made it a tradition for me and my son to decorate the tree together, go to church and pray and thank God for another year together. Now I have my daughter and she will be a part of our tradition.
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I'd like to enter on behalf of another family...A young family, with one amazing little girl, who hasn't had much of a chance to start a tradition of their own yet. Though, they look forward to it - especially this Christmas - more than they can express. Their 2 and a half yr old daughter has been battling stage IV neuroblastoma since she was 14 months old. For the last yr and a half, they've lived in and out of Phoenix Children's Hospital fighting with chemo, radiation, bone marrow transplant, central line, trach and resection surgeries, etc. Christmas will always mean "miracles and magic" to them and everyone who knows this little girl. I know that part of their tradition will be to spend some time down at PCH every year, volunteering for kids stuck there during Christmas. If their entry is drawn, you can let them know on their daughter's facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1797138518#!/McKenna.org
ReplyDeleteThanks for your great contest!
www.HopeForBabyMcKenna.org
Sorry, the link to McKenna's facebook page didn't work. I takes you to another child's page (who lost his battle) whom McKenna's family supported. On her webpage www.HopeForBabyMcKenna.org , there's a link to email :-)
ReplyDeleteGrowing up, our Christmas tree was always in the this gold sparkly stand that was electric and turned the tree and played Jingle Bells. I used to sit every year with the lights out and watch the tree and listen to the music. The tree stand was very old. It was my Mom's from when she was a child and it came to her from my Grandparents. In my late 20's the motor died in the stand and I was so saddened. After Christmas was over, I tried to find a machinist that might be able to fix it, but was never able to find someone. It's been over 12 years now since the stand played and I still miss it. I did find a light strand that played music to continue part of that tradition. Thanks, Heather, email is heather0824@yahoo.com.
ReplyDeleteOur tradition is to bake cookies and read The Night Before Christmas. My email is coolbreeze4me@cox.net
ReplyDeleteWe have an elf that hides each night starting on Dec 1. Then Santa picks him up after he leaves the gifts. Also, we go out to eat and open a book before bed on Christmas Eve.
ReplyDeleteMy family really enjoys choosing angels from the various angel tress around the malls. The kids read and choose a tag themselves and it's always so cute to hear the reasons that they chose who they do. They feel connected to the child and really have fun shopping for their child. kerri_oconnor@hotmail.com
ReplyDeleteOur tradition includes attending midnight mass with extended family and then gathering at home with everyone where we dance, eat and open gifts. While everyone in the neighborhood gets up to open gifts, we all go to sleep! akcp@cox.net
ReplyDeleteWow, I'm impressed with all of these traditions and may have to borrow one or two! My family seems to be boring! We bake cookies and decorate gingerbread houses. I try to pick up craft supplies so that we can make ornaments too. Great idea for a contest! teachermom2@cox.net
ReplyDeleteWe all get together and make Christmas cookies and other desserts. Then on Christmas we get to eat them at Christmas dinner. Yummy!
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We love to do a secret santa as a family. We choose needy families to help out so they can have a good christmas. We love to help others.
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We like to get together as a family and sing Christmas carols with each other. Nothing gets you more into the Christmas spirit than singing carols.
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We bake cookies and also drive around and look at Christmas lights while drinking hot chocolate. We also have a family Christmas Eve tradition with Italian food and family! I love it all! We starting buying each of our girls a new ornament for each year. I still have mine from when I was little. We also take an annual family photo for our Christmas card.
ReplyDeletedlurye@gmail.com
Even though school started a few months ago, it is still a good idea to stock up and buy classroom supply as stocking stuffers for Christmas. This ensures that your child never runs out of their school supply and gives you an idea of what to fill your child's stockings!
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