do you have any holiday traditions?

i almost didn’t do christmas cards this year.  i’m trying to cut back on the hustle and bustle and the “have tos,” i seemingly always put on myself.  i love sending cards, but just the thought of outfits and photos and wrangling made me heavily tired.  thus, i succumbed to my weariness and congratulated my self on letting go a bit.

but . . . then i remembered my own personal little tradition.

i always write out my christmas cards while watching little women.  this wasn’t something i planned or put together, it was just something that happened many moons ago.  before photo shoot style christmas cards and before my brood.  i used to just sit down with my box of old fashioned cards and write them out watching one of my favorite (holiday) movies.  it was relaxing and ritualistic.

after remembering my yearly to do, i didn’t want to miss the tradition.  my sunday afternoon with myself and jo and all the others is always so enjoyable.  so i decided to do cards.  and, to do them as easily as i could.  i still love the idea of a photo card, because i love that my kids will be able to have one for each year they were growing up, so i wanted to somehow stick with that.

i popped over to pinhole press (my fave place for holiday cards) and found this collage card which works perfectly with instagram pics.  i love the idea of sharing snap shots from our our year.   it’s not fancy but it’s no fuss.

i adore the idea of traditions during the holidays.  not ones that you are a slave to or feel obligated to do, but rather ones that warm you like a blanket, with its covering of cherished memories.  when i make my grandpa’s favorite meal, i can hear his whistle and almost see his baby blues.  making or doing things that bring memories to life are magic.  and suddenly tradition is sacred.

i’d love to here what kind of traditions you keep, whether big or small.

p.s. if you are in the same boat i am + still contemplating cards, you can go no fuss . . . pinhole is offering 20% off all holiday cards + free shipping for orders over $75