The Christmas Pickle Tradition in Our House

The Christmas Pickle Tradition

by Adrienne Lavine

Christmas Pickle Tradition

Christmas Pickle Tradition for Colin

Having our first child, Colin,in August was the most thrilling experience for my husband and me.

With the holiday upon us, we have been trying to think of new ideas to be creative and fun and start traditions with our little family of three.

We stumbled upon the Christmas Pickle Tradition.

When our son is old enough we plan on hiding the pickle ornament somewhere on the tree on Christmas Eve and on in the morning once Colin finds the pickle he can open his first Xmas present.
I can’t wait until he is old enough to really enjoy the Holiday.

Right now it is all about the tree lights.

We are sharing the Christmas Pickle Book with him this season because it is never too early for books.

I also think the Christmas Pickle Tradition will be something to look forward to when Colin can share it with a little brother or sister.

Christmas Past, Present and Future

Christmas Past, Present and Future

As Christmas approaches, I become more and more reflective.

My thoughts return to Christmas Past,

then move on to Christmas Present

and finally,

I try to glimpse at what might be Christmas Future.

Christmas Past

Memories of early Christmas celebrations take me to NYC and all its magic and hustle and bustle. I loved it! So many Santas on every street corner ringing bells for donations, almost overwhelming to a small child. One of my favorite holiday traditions was with my dad shopping at Saks for monogrammed hankies wrapped in the traditional green and red Saks box which was always tied with a beautiful satin ribbon.

Christmas

Of course the day would not be complete without skating underneath the Rockefeller Center Tree.

Christmas Tree Rockefeller CenterWhile my mom worked my Nana, took hold of the home front, and created Christmas memories as only a grandmother can. She was a wonderful cook and loved the Christmas season. She brought with her a strong faith so the story of Christmas in our house always included the Christ Child along with a visit from Santa Claus.

As years went on, Christmas memories were made in my own home and with my own family. I tried to create the feeling of Christmas the same way my grandmother had so many years before. My mother and uncle usually celebrated with us…they would come from Florida and enjoy brunch, our Christmas tradition in Chicago and then help with baking, cooking and decorating for the big day. It was a holiday full of warmth and love and now indelible memories.

Christmas Present

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My husband and I are now the “older” generation and we happily celebrate Christmas with our family which this year includes, a granddaughter and a new grandson.  We continue to make new memories built on the old ones which included great-grandparents our grandchildren will never know except through our traditions.

Our tree is in the same place it has been for the past 20+ years…it is decorated with ornaments each telling its own story of where our family has lived and traveled since 1977…New York, Florida, Chicago and Rhode Island. It has 3000 lights, so in some ways it is my Rockefeller Center right here at home!

Christmas Future

As an old year is coming to an end, I am looking at the future with of course some trepidations which come with age but they are soothed by the loving hugs of my granddaughter and my little grandson and the wonder and amazement that they bring to this house that has seen the footsteps of those who came before them.

The Christ Child is still here and Santa will soon ring his bells over our house.

christmas creche

The presents still wait to be wrapped…and the best is yet to come!

Christmas Spirit … Forever Young

I love this commercial from Kohl’s

which just speaks to me about Christmas Spirit.

I am all about Christmas right now…

my feelings go from utter frustration

to smiling, with thoughts of how a perfect Christmas would look at my house

if I had my wish!

My perfect Christmas would be to walk to midnight Mass where there would be seats together…

Christmas music would be sung by the choir reminiscent of the one I sang

with years ago in Riverdale, New York…

It would end with the Hallelujah Chorus sung with the help of a few professional  New York Metropolitan Opera singers.

Following Mass…a small snack of cookies and egg nog…

then playing Santa…gathering the presents under the tree…

Christmas Eve

then off to bed in order to capture

the early rising of our 5 year old granddaughter!

Christmas morning around the tree with fresh brewed coffee and camera in hand

enjoying the squeals of delight…and the smells of breakfast strata baking in the oven

A quiet early supper of beef tenderloin and roasted potatoes…with nostalgic holiday music

and conversation.

and that would be a wrap!

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

 Christmas after glow!

 

Breakfast Strata Recipe from Yummy Mummy Club

 

Christmas Reflections and Traditions

Christmas at Our House

As Christmas approaches, I become more and more reflective.

My thoughts return to Christmas Past,

then move on to Christmas Present

and finally,

I try to glimpse at what might be Christmas Future.

  • Christmas Past:

christmas

As a grandparent, the past is chock full of memories of my own holidays as a little girl in NYC…Fifth Avenue magic, Rockefeller Center skating and THE TREE! My mother, brother and I shared our home with my grandmother. While my mom worked Nana, took hold of the home front, and created Christmas memories as only a grandmother can. She was a wonderful cook and loved the Christmas season. She brought with her a strong faith so the  story of Christmas in our house always included the Christ Child along with a visit from Santa Claus.

As years went on, Christmas memories were made in my own home and with my own family. I tried to create the same feeling of Christmas the same way my grandmother had so many years before. My mother and uncle usually celebrated with us…they would come from Florida and enjoy brunch at the Ritz in Chicago, since we had all migrated from New York by then. Cookies were baked, the tree was decorated and stockings were hung. We were very fortunate to all be together. Many Christmas Eves, we attended midnight Mass in bitter cold but with warm hearts.

  • Christmas Present:

DSCN1490

 

My husband and I are now the “older” generation and we happily celebrate Christmas with our family which includes, a grandchild. It is again been joyful as we are making new memories built on the old ones which included great-grandparents our granddaughter will never know. Our tree is in the same place it has been for the past 20+ years…it is decorated with ornaments that each tell a story of where our family has lived and traveled  since 1977…New York, Florida, Chicago. It has 3000 lights, so in some ways it is my Rockefeller Center right here at home!

  • Christmas Future:

 

christmas

As an old year is coming to an end, I am looking at the future with of course some trepidations which come with age but they are soothed by the loving hugs of my granddaughter and the wonder and amazement that she brings to this house that has seen  the footsteps of those who came before her.

The Christ Child is still here and Santa will soon ring his bells over our house. There is even a blanket of snow on the ground.

The presents still wait to be wrapped…and the best is yet to come!

 

 

 

Kiss Goodbye to Holiday Stress

Christmas Window

Kids and the Stress of the Holidays…

I know, what stress is it when you are a kid and looking forward to gifts and toys and all kinds of stuff that comes along with Christmas and Hanukah and other gift giving holidays?

The best way I think we can go about figuring out what might bother our particular children is to look at what bothers us and look back at what we “hated” about the holidays when we were their age.

Looking back with empathy…

Here are some of my memories…

  • I hated leaving my own house on Christmas Day to visit relatives…Christmas Eve was okay but leave me alone with my gifts and my grandmother’s, who lived with us  food on Christmas.
  • Now my parents were divorced so it was somewhat contentious when I did not want to go visiting on Christmas. I was made to feel guilty for not wanting to dress up and go to my father’s family.
  • I hated some of the awful presents that I received year after year from relatives who will remain nameless. Usually they were “regifts” like gloves that were too big and other awful stuff.
  • I also hated having to kiss and hug various relatives that I hardly ever saw except for the Holidays.

Now granted I am a grandmother and I imposed some of my family rituals on my own kids but not many …we always had Christmas at home.

However, Christmas Eve was another story…we spent many Christmas Eves with a family that has adopted us since our own family is across the country.

Here are some holiday simplifying suggestions from our Montessori school, for you and your children…the kids may actually thank-you with their good behavior.

  • Keep your television off as much as possible- your house will be quieter and the advertising will be less. Hopefully it will decrease how much you here these words…”I want…”
  • Try to simplfy your own holiday expectations which might lighten your mood which is a wonderful gift to yourself and your family.
  • Consider saying the word “No” more often when it comes to traveling…going to other homes for Christmas Day…no, to too many parties, decorations, too much food, too many presents. If there is something that you don’t like…try saying, “NO”.
  • Consider being more “Green” when it comes to wrapping paper, cards and food. It is a good thing to teach your children and it is a way to limit some of the “stuff” that is just not important and that may just be driving you crazy.
  • Gifts take on a life of their own during the Holidays…try asking for gifts to your children’s college fund instead of a gift that your child does not really need.
  • Family traditions…you might want to begin some of your own traditions…you do not have repeat the traditions that you grew up with and those that your partner grew up with…how crazy does that get? Develop some of your own traditions that can combine what you both like best and that your kids like.
  • Now about those holiday hugs and kisses…your child should not have to hug and kiss all relatives and friends that he does not even know or remember. What is this telling him…it is telling him this, when he is uncomfortable with certain people touching him…it is okay for him to just say hello and nothing else. Consider the message that we are teaching our kids and then leave the hugging and kissing up to them.

 

“Happy Holidays”…

“From Our House to Your House!”

Okay…after watching the “madness” of Black Friday and Small Business Saturday and not really partaking in it to any degree…I am thinking about how to shop this season without breaking the bank and without letting my adrenalin kick in too much when I enter a store with the holiday hum playing in my head.

Over the years I have found that Christmas Shopping has become more about consumerism than about giving. I like to buy gifts for my family and friends that I would like to receive myself and I do enjoy giving. So do not get me wrong when I suggest something really drastic this holiday.

I read this blog post from Leo after “Black Friday”. “Zen Habits” is a blog that I follow pretty regularly. If nothing else Leo keeps me thinking about trying to keep life simple and meaningful. Now I realize that Leo makes his living from this philosophy but I find his approach soothing when life gets chaotic around me.

These days between Thanksgiving and Christmas can and often do get very hectic. I find that I have to plan any trips to the mall very carefully so that I can actually enjoy the Holiday spirit rather than get into the frustration mode of trying to find an item and then find a way to pay for it.

I am not a DIY person but I admit to baking cookies and cakes for Holiday gifts and including gift cards along with them.

Who does not like homemade sweets and gift cards?

My problem with gift cards is making the right choice so they do not expire or get lost before getting used.

How do you handle holiday buying and giving…what tips do you have for making it a happy hassle?

And if you are wondering about my “friend” Leo’s approach and his challenge…here it is…a bit dramatic but mostly meaningful!

And so today I extend a challenge to all of you, and the world: Buy Nothing Until 2013.

Yes, I’m taking Buy Nothing Day and extending it through the end of the year.

Why the hell would you want to do this challenge?

Do it as a protest against consumerism and corporate influences on our lives. Do it as a tool for contentment, for simplicity. Do it to reclaim the holidays as a time of connection and love, not of buying and debt. Do it just to see if you can.

And yes, you can still do it if you’ve already done some Black Friday shopping. We’ll forgive our past sins and start afresh. 🙂

via » Challenge: Buy Nothing Until 2013 :zenhabits.

Surviving the coming week …

I wish I had some great tips for surviving the week before Christmas

It just seems that sometimes I cannot wait until December 26th when time returns to normal…

This year I am looking at the holiday through the eyes of a three year old grandchild.

Three is a wonderful age…Santa is real… the Elf on the Shelf is real…and the mysterious wonder surrounding the appearance of random candy canes in the Advent Calendar every morning is a delight.

Hiding gifts is not too difficult…three year olds are not snoopy..,

Thank goodness for  shopping online…and good weather.

Hats off to FedEx … USPS… and …UPS …what  I do without them?

Now, if only the tree was fully decorated…but that will happen  and the stockings will be hung and …

soon it will be Christmas.

Santa will arrive…the Elf will depart

and all the squeals of surprise will sound.

… it will all be over in the wink of an eye …until 2012!