New Holiday Traditions with Our New Addition

This post is sponsored by Carter’s; however, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Happy (almost) Holidays!! I am so excited for Annie’s very first Christmas I almost can’t stand it. I’ve been daydreaming about it since I found out I was pregnant with her – imagining my little girl mesmerized by the lights, ornaments & spirit of the season just like I was as a child. While Annie may not remember her very first Christmas, we sure will! There are many new traditions we want to start now that we are a family of three and I am chatting all about that below! I’m also sharing this oh-so-cute holiday outfit of Annie’s with Carter’s & details on how you can give back this season with Carter’s in a fun & festive way!

Our First Christmas with Annie

This year, we’re spending Thanksgiving & the week after in Tennessee. After all of that traveling, we are planning on staying home in Houston for Christmas. It’ll be just Patrick, Annie & I and while I’d love more than anything for more family to be able to join, something about a peaceful & quiet Christmas alone sounds so marvelous! A few family holiday traditions that I can’t wait to include her in plus start for the first time are:

Trimming the Tree – since Annie is old enough to stand on her own as well as pick up & grasp objects, I definitely want her to be involved in decorating the tree too! I’ll probably hand her a few soft unbreakable ornaments to play with while we string lights, beads & hang ornaments.
Holiday Baking – I really do love to cook but this is the one time of year I’ll actually bake a thing or two! Annie has been eating most of what we eat these days & I’m looking forward to watching her try a few sweets for the first time too.
Decorating the Nursery – I’m planning on putting her own little mini-Christmas tree in her nursery. I had one in my room growing up and the lights always mesmerized me to sleep each night.
Making Handmade Ornaments – Most daycares or preschools will send children home with homemade holiday crafts this time of year. Since Annie isn’t in a school yet, I’m planning on getting creative & making one or two at home. I love the ones that incorporate their handprints when they are this age!
Christmas Eve Mass – We’ve typically gotten all dressed up and gone to Christmas Eve mass at our Church. But this year with Annie, a midnight mass just isn’t going to go over too well. Going earlier in the day will be a change for us but it will also free up our evening to do something special at home.
Visit Santa – this one I’m really excited for! I can’t imagine how Annie is going to handle meeting Santa for the first time. My mom came to town and we stopped by to see the Easter bunny at the mall last spring and she just sat there confused. (Granted, she was only 3-months.) There could be a smiling face or an abundance of tears with Santa, but I’m sure regardless we will look back at these photos fondly for years to come!

What are your favorite ways to incorporate very young children into the holidays!?

Shop My Family Holiday Traditions Look:

Another of our family holiday traditions that I obviously am excited to partake in this year, is getting dressed up for the season! (Seriously you guys, Annie’s glitter mary-jane “cat” shoes! I can’t handle the cuteness!) We’ve been shopping at Carter’s for every special occasion since Annie was born and the holidays are no different. From holiday PJs to cozy sweaters & occasion dresses, Carter’s is a one-stop shop to dress your tot this time of year!

From now until 12/31, you can take 20% off $40 or more with this the code 070716 online or CART4198 in store! Also, Carter’s is giving away over $700,000 to the first 100 people to visit their local Carter’s or OshKosh B’gosh stores on Black Friday! You can check your local stores here to confirm the opening day + time. Now if that isn’t an excuse to wake up early & do some shopping then I don’t know what it!?

One other thing that I wanted to note that is absolutely amazing, is that Carter’s is partnering with the Pajama Program this year. It’s an organization that provides new pajamas to children in need during the holidays. You can help the cause yourself in-store or online by making a donation at checkout. It is this season of giving after all!

As always, thanks for stopping by the blog! And thank you for supporting the brands that make Lone Star Looking Glass possible. Happy Holidays!

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