While 2020 has been rough on everyone, let’s bring some magic back for the Holidays. Here are a traditions list to get you in the holiday spirit, give back to others, and enjoy time with your loved ones. 

Traditions to start with your family:

• Go through your playroom with your kids and have them pick out items to donate to others in need to “prepare for new toys”
• Have your kids make a wish list to send to Santa. Maybe give a list of 1-3 items, or whatever works for your family. Sitting on Santa’s lap may not be in the cards for our kids this year, so let’s keep the magic alive. 
• Elf on the Shelf 
• Make Christmas Cookies 
• Go see a tree lighting event in your area 
• Grab hot chocolate or make it at home and drive around your neighborhood to see Christmas lights (extra fun: create a map together before going) 
• Make gingerbread houses 
• Shop together for a Christmas Angel – teach your kids about giving back. 
• Open one present on Christmas Eve
• Volunteer at the soup kitchen during the holiday season 
• Go Ice Skating as a Family 
• Take your kids to pick out their own ornament 
• Attend a holiday play at a church, school, or theatre 
• Decorate the Christmas tree together 
• Watch a Christmas movie together (list below)
• “Feed the Reindeer” on Christmas Eve – sprinkle oats and glitter or put carrots outside on the lawn so the reindeer see that you are home. 
• Buy a new Christmas mug for Christmas Morning 
• Pick a favorite or new board game and play together on Christmas Eve 
• Adopt a family in need if you have the means 
• Secret Santa (choose one family member to give a gift to) 
• Sleep on an air mattress under the Christmas tree one night before Christmas Day
• 12/or 24 days of Holiday Books: Unwrap one book a day during the month of December
• Hiding the Pickle Ornament in the tree, whoever finds it, gets an extra present (my mom always had a chocolate box or Christmas book)
• Watch old home videos from childhood Christmas’s
• Cookie Exchange 
• Pick out a free together at the tree farm 
• Make a Christmas Card to send to family and friends (or just a photo to remember the year)- could even take with your iPhone.
• Visit Santa 
• Family matching Christmas pajamas 
• Advent Calendar activities that include serving and giving to others as a family 
• Go to the movies on Christmas Day as a family 
• Watch The Snowman on Christmas Set up Day and Christmas Eve (our personal tradition) 
• Purchase an ornament that symbolizes the year as a whole. 
• White Elephant exchange with family/friends 
• Cut down your own Christmas tree 
• “Santa” brings pajamas on Christmas eve and leaves them on the porch for the kids to find. 
• Midnight Mass 
• Photo of child(ren) in front of the Christmas tree each year, love seeing the difference 
• Game night with fun prizes 
• Gift exchange of personal services. Example: a homemade meal or personal assistant for a day. 
• Mini tree in kids’ room/playroom that they can decorate (we have the wee tree by PB Kids) 

Places to visit locally: 

• Christmas at The Princess 
• McCormick Park Railroad Park Holiday Lights 
• Holiday Lights at Salt River Fields
• Zoo Lights at Phoenix Zoo (Nov 12-Jan 31) Walk through starts on November 7^th
• The Christmas House (44^th and Camelback) 
• Las Noches de las Luminarias, Desert Botanical Gardens (Nov 27-Dec 31) 
• Holiday Balloon Glow in Gilbert (Dec 7)
• Rawhide Snowy Christmas in Chandler (November 28-Dec 22) 
• Peoria’s Old Town Holiday Festival (Dec 4) 
• CitySkate Ice Rink (November 26-Jan 6) 
• PJs in the Park (Dec 7) in Downtown Phoenix 
• *I’ve included this blog by Raising Arizona Kids to reference for even more things to do in Arizona.

Music Playlist: 

Visit Spotify here. Will continue to add more.

Local AZ organizations to give back to: 

• Maggie’s Place 
• Colleens Dream 
• Phoenix Children’s Hospital 
• Valley of the Sun United Way 
• Phoenix Dream Center 
• Helping Hands 
• Street Light USA
• Food for the Hungry 
• St. Mary’s Food Bank 
• Child Crisis Center 
• Free Arts 
• Make A Wish Arizona 
• UMOM 
• ARIS Foundation 
• Ronald McDonald House 
• AID to Women Center 
• Arizona Cancer Support Community 
• AZ Friends of Foster Care
• Children’s Cancer Network 
• Arizona Pet Project
• Courtney’s Courage
• The Care Fund
• Ryan House
• Harvest Compassion 
• First Tee of Phoenix 
• Homeward Bound 

Movies to watch: 

• Elf 
• Love Actually 
• The Holiday 
• The Santa Clause 
• Home Alone 
• Home Alone 2 Lost in New York 
• Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation 
• Jingle All the Way 
• It’s A Wonderful Life 
• A Christmas Story 
• The Snowman 
• Scrooged (adult) 
• The Grinch 
• The Muppets Christmas Carol 
• Christmas with the Kranks 
• Christmas Movies on Hallmark Channel 
• A Charlie Brown Christmas 
• The Polar Express 
• Annabelle’s Wish 
• White Christmas 
• A Christmas Box 
• I’ll be Home for Christmas 
• Christmas with the Kringle’s 
• The Family Man 
• Miracle on 34^th Street
• Scrooge 
• The Family Stone (adult)
• Last Christmas 
• Jack Frost 
• Meet me in St. Louis 
• Deck the Halls
• Four Christmases (adult)
• The Year without Santa Clause 
• Little Women 
• Frosty the Snowman 
• Step Mom (adult) 
• Bad Santa (adult) 
• Die Hard (adult) 
• Christmas Chronicles 
• Mickey’s Christmas Carol
• Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer 
• Serendipity (adult) 

Local shops to support: 

• Junk in the Trunk Vintage Market (Open in Scottsdale Quarter from Nov-Dec) 
• Koko Candles 
• FOUND 
• Camelback Flower Shop 
• Sweet Dees Bakery 
• Urbana 
• Becker Boards 
• State Forty-Eight 
• Ruz Cakehouse 
• Melt by Melissa 
• The Wall Company 
• Desert Dweller Co. 
• Cricket and Ruby 
• Gypsy Cup 
• Naked Rebellion 
• Cloth and Flame 
• Bear and Honey Phx
• See Salt Taste 
• Roots in Spanish 
• Modern Milk 
• Ristyle Consulting 
• Hainsworth and Co 
• Leloboho 
• Iconic Design and Build
• Compound Concrete 
• Vida Moulin 
• Harmony Boards 
• OCD AZ 
• T. Madison Shop 
• Now or Never Boutique 
• Story Essentials 
• Poor Little Rich Girl 
• Modern Manor 
• Mamas Cold Brew 
• Lifestyled Co 
• Citrine Natural Beauty Bar
• Joss + J 
• Muse Apparel 
• Amaes Photography 
• Energreen Cleaning 
• Candle Chemistry 
• Iconic Cocktail 
• Changing Hands Bookstore 
• Beaus and Bells 
• Kid Stop 
• Sweet Dees Bakery 

Unique Christmas Gifts:

• Creating a Christmas Eve box or traditions box (example here) Fill with whatever you want, but could have Christmas pajamas, hot chocolate, Christmas book/movie, mug, etc. 
• Cutting board with family members recipe 
• Personalized ornament to showcase the year as a whole (maybe the child is into ballet, certain character, or activity) or sentimental personal quote
• Personalized Christmas Mugs 
• Other fun unique gifts on Etsy to browse 
• Looking to adopt a pet? Visit your local animal shelter 
• Purchase little trees or plants that you can put outside and have them grow with the kids. 

Experience gifts: 

• Movie Tickets 
• Zoo Membership 
• Encounters at the Aquarium 
• Hot Air Balloon Ride 
• Art Class 
• Cooking Class 
• Segway Tour 
• Salt River Raft Trip 
• Sonoran Desert Jeep Tour 
• Medieval Times Dinner 
• Indoor Skydiving 
• Party Bike Pub Crawl 
• Simply Smashing, Rag Release Room 
• Glamping trip 
• Picnic in a park 
• Miniature Golf 
• Shameless plug: Felyx Digital Coupon Year Membership
• Plan a date night and do secret bar hunt in Phoenix (there are a few)

Shop Amazon Page

I put together some toys per a followers suggestion of items we have received or have had throughout the years, that my girls still LOVE playing with. Shop CHRISTMAS TIME here.

I hope you all have a wonderful Holiday season spent together as a family. Remember, don’t feel like you have to give your kids all the toys… experience, tradition, and just being together will make them SO happy!