Personalized Christmas Ornaments, These Family ChristmasTraditions are treasures!

Christmas Traditions can be treasures that will last for a lifetime.  We all have them, whether its when you put up the Christmas tree, how you decorate, the Christmas ornaments you hang,  the food you serve, the Cookies for Santa Claus and his reindeer....   Whether you have a new family or just want to develop Christmas traditions that will be carried on by your children we have some great ideas.

When I was growing up, there was a particular routine that is still the basis for my Christmas traditions.  My Dad had three holiday jobs, actually four.  Put up the outside lights on the shrubs, light the Christmas Door Decorations,  bring in the live Christmas tree and set it up and then of course, he cooked the turkey and the ham for Christmas Eve Dinner and Christmas Day dinners.

Everything else was left up to me and Mom.  We did all the decorating, hauling down box after box of Christmas ornaments, lights, nativities, and assorted Christmas "doodads" from the attic.  It usually was a two day process.  Day one, lights and tinsel on the tree, Christmas Door   When it came to putting the ornaments on the tree, each one had a story...."this was on our first tree, this was one your brother made, we got this on vacation.  My Mom's pride and joy was a personalized Christmas ornament  purchased on a fall trip to the mountains with all of our names on it.   It was a family of hillbillies, straw hats and all, hauling a Christmas tree.  Corny, literally since it was made of corn cobs, but she loved it.

Today there are personalized Christmas ornaments available to represent every member of your family.   There are personalized Christmas ornaments for ballerinas, athletes, nurses, firemen and your hair dresser.  You start with Baby's First Christmas.  Then each year as they grow or as they mature,  you add a Christmas ornament that reflects their favorite thing at this stage of life.  For a little boy, it may start with a Train engine,  then move to a race car, then Soccer Star and finally to an Our First Christmas for him and the fiance. 

A great gift for any family, yours, neighbors or coworkers are the personalized family Christmas ornaments as I mentioned earlier.  Ones with a place for Dad, Mom and the Kids or for just the Grandkids.  There are elves, snowmen, stockings, kids in the bed, etc.

One last Christmas Tradition that is growing in popularity is the Elf on the Shelf.  This hardbound book comes with your own "family elf" who will be reporting back and forth to Santa each and every night to tell if you've been good or bad.  Now every house needs one of these for the holidays and the kids love to search for him each day to see where he landed after his report to the North Pole.

A neat family tradition you could start is to get the basic tree all deocrated, but just after you light the tree, let each child place "their" personalized Christmas ornament on the tree as the finisthing touch.  Of course some may need some help, but it will make your tree more special and as you sit back and enjoy the tree after everyone else goes to bed, you will see not just a Christmas Tree but your family.   So send that elf off to the North Pole and enjoy your cozy and  wonderful Christmas tradition.