A Tradition Begins - - MudPies & PixieDust Photography

In case you missed the memo, Thanksgiving and subsequently Black Friday has already come and gone. That my friends means the count-down is on until Christmas!! Long having been my favorite holiday of the year, this year I've decided it's time to add a few more traditions to the mix. Those that know me well know I love to decorate, and am always switching out various pieces of decor as the seasons change. All too often when Christmas rolls around I fall victim to the temptation to deck the tree in whatever the latest trend might be. And then this year it hit me....what fun is that? Years from now when the kids are older and we're all decorating the tree together, I want there to be heard 'Ohhh, remember the year we made this?' or 'I remember when I picked out this one!' The holidays are about creating those lasting memories centered around relationships and things that have personal meaning. So, in addition to some special handmade ornaments we'll be creating for each kiddo (plaster hand prints etc), we've also been having fun with our new visitor.....Henry. Henry is our own little elf straight from the North Pole that will be visiting our house every year during the Christmas season. Each evening Henry reports back to Santa whether or not the kiddos in our house have been 'naughty' or 'nice' that day. Each morning he re-appears from his North Pole flight in a new location around the house. I'll warn you, your kids might start awakening at insanely early hours in the morning just so they can go on the hunt for their merry little elf friend!!

Hope you're taking the time this season to slow down a bit and cherish the simple things and little ones in your life.