Making Christmas Memories with the Family (includes a free must do for Christmas checklist)

The holidays are coming upon us, and they are coming fast. We have been on the road for just under a year, so this will be our first experience with combining living tiny and creating the magic of the holidays for our son.

It seems to be an impossible task from societies standards, but if you read back to our first blog post about why we chose this RV lifestyle then you will know I do not fall in line with the expectations laid out for us by society.

Last year, we tried to fall in line with societal expectations.

We bought tons of presents.

We had a 7ft tall Christmas tree that was decked out in lights, ornaments, and bows.

We did a family Christmas dinner, complete with a Christmas present exchange and the decorating of Christmas cookies.

We had a great time, but after everyone had gone home and the mess was cleared away, all I was left with was feeling overwhelmed. The weight of all of the Christmas presents was weighing on me and smacking me in the face with the knowledge that we had missed the mark.

Christmas magic is not about the presents you buy or decorating a big tree.

It is so much more than that, and I want to give my son more than that.

I want him to know Christmas is more about joy, memories, and giving.

I want to see him enjoy a walk in the snow.

I want to hear him laugh as we go out searching for the best Christmas light display.

I want to cuddle with him by the fire and drink hot chocolate.

I want to teach him to sing Christmas songs.

I want to show him my favorite Christmas movies to watch.

I want to teach him to bake Christmas cookies.

I want to see him select a present to buy for a stranger, just to see them smile.

I want to watch as he experiences every bit of Christmas magic that I can make for him.

Living a tiny lifestyle allows us to not waste money on materialistic items, which means we don’t have to waste our life working every single day. Instead, we get to spend the majority of our time just being a family and making memories. The memories we will create this holiday season are the most important presents we could ever give to our son.

To help transition us away from the materialistic Christmas we have come, and into seeing the magic of Christmas, I am creating a Christmas Memory Checklist. This checklist will include everything I want to become a family tradition. It will focus on making memories, giving to others, and celebrating the reason for the season.  Our family is not a strict religious family, Kenneth more so than I am, but we do believe. I want to share that belief with our son, without pressuring him into believe the same. I believe it is important for each person to explore religion and find what sits right with them. So, while I have included a few religious aspects into our memory checklist, I have chosen to keep them to a minimum. Feel free to include more religious aspects or less. Your Christmas Memory Checklist should be specific to your family.

Our Christmas checklist is not in calendar format, because I wanted to take the pressure off of having to do something every single day. If we want to bake Christmas cookies and watch Christmas movies all in one night, that is ok. Removing that extra added pressure just makes the season more joyful and the memories a little extra special. Feel free to mix and match each item however you want to fit your families schedule and needs, maybe give your kids the chance to pick which item you are going to do for the day.

A kid who has a say in the process is more likely to have fun with the process. Give them a chance to be involved.

Our Christmas Memory Checklist will include:

1.       To make a Christmas decoration as a family, this can be an ornament for the tree or something to hang on the walls.

2.       To make a Christmas present for someone else.

3.       To bake gingerbread cookies.

4.       To bake and decorate Christmas cookies for someone else.

5.       To make hot chocolate, we may even try to include some fun or crazy flavors into it.

6.       To read the book The Polar Express and talk about what Christmas is about

7.       To watch the movie the Polar express

8.       To read the book T’was the night before Christmas

9.       To go on a Christmas light drive and try to find the most decorated house.

10.   To bake Placek together. This is a Polish sweet bread that includes raisins. My family traditionally eats this bread at Easter, but it is so yummy that I think it makes a great addition to Christmas.

11.   Decorate the Christmas tree.

12.   Take a family Christmas picture

13.   Visit a local Christmas exhibit

14.   Donate food to a local food bank

15.   Sing Christmas songs, for us we have a record player and we have The Polar Express soundtrack, The Grinch soundtrack, and Dolly Parton’s Christmas album all on vinyl. We will be playing these throughout the month of December.

16.   Count down the days with an Advent calendar.

17.   Take a walk in the snow, or just the cold, and look at the night stars. (Optional: talk about how the Three Wise Men used the north star to navigate to baby Jesus)

18.   Write a letter to Santa

19.   Talk about who Santa is, what he represents, and then go and have a picture taken with Santa

20.   Mail Christmas Cards to family and friends

21.   Make a Popcorn Garland for the Christmas tree

22.   Bake a birthday cake for Baby Jesus, you could just bake a Christmas themed cake for your family if you are not religious.  

23.   Donate hygiene items, hats, scarves, gloves, and blankets to the local homeless shelter.

24.   Donate a toy to a local toy drive

25.   Make a Christmas dinner and spending the evening without cell phones.