It’s the most wonderful time of the year …. and for so many reasons! This Christmas feels night & day different than last year’s because Annie is able to enjoy & experience the holiday season SO much more than ever before now that she’s almost two. I’m finding myself wanting to partake in every single holiday tradition because of it!
Speaking of traditions, we’re pretty much starting them all from scratch this year. I mentioned in this post that we are hosting Christmas for the first time at our house in Houston. With that, we’re starting so many new family holiday traditions with Annie in our very own home. From sweet treats to bake at home, cozy sparkly holiday sweaters to wear on Christmas morning to goodies that will last season after season – River Oaks Shopping Center makes for a one-stop shop to make the season all the brighter. I’m sharing a fun little Mommy & Me afternoon that Annie and I just spent in River Oaks. I’m also highlighting a few Christmas necessities we shopped for to start a couple of new family holiday traditions too!
New Family Holiday Traditions:
We Scooped Up Sweet Treats at Kroger
Along with boutiques for all ages and delicious restaurants, River Oaks Shopping Center is also home to what’s probably the most beautiful art-deco style Kroger I’ve ever seen! We all know you can grab just about every grocery item you’d need from Kroger but during the holidays they also offer festive seasonal finds too.
Annie and I popped in for a gingerbread house kit that we plan to put together when my parents come to town next week. I’m curious how long it’ll last before we eat it though. It looks so tasty! Do you make gingerbread houses each year?! I haven’t made one in ages but now that I have a little girl of my own … I’m thinking this is going to be a yearly tradition for us!
And Strolled to Find Sweaters at Gap Kids
I’ve always loved Fair Isle Sweaters and this year this cozy trend seems to be all over the place. For a Texan, it’s wild to be so tempted to buy all the sweaters when I know I’ll only be wearing them for a few short months … but alas I can’t help but give in! And it’s all the more fun to get Annie in on the game with me. Gap Kids has the most ADORABLE little fair isle sweaters right now, some even with peplum hems and glitter designs too.
Crossing my fingers for chillier weather on Christmas Day so we can wear our cozy sweaters together!
We Saved the Best for Last and Bought Books at Barnes & Noble
Whenever I take Annie on a shopping trip (or really any errand excursion for that matter) I try to save the most exciting errand for last. Or I’ll even add something on to our agenda that gives her a bit of fun after putting up with my errands all day. So it was only natural that was saved our hunt to find Christmas books at Barnes & Noble for last. We made our way straight up to the Children’s section to pick out a few colorful books about Santa, his elves and his reindeer too.
Growing up, my family would spend an entire Saturday afternoon exploring the aisles of books at Barnes & Noble. As little kids, that time spent exploring mostly occurred while hovering over the train sets each bookstore boasts. Year after year, we would discover new sections of the store and along with it new books and interests too. I’m a pretty big bookworm and one thing I want to instill in Annie is a love for reading as strong as mine. We let her pick out a book each night to read before bed and it’s so funny to see her choose the same ones over and over. She was in absolute heaven when she was able to pick out any book from Barnes & Noble’s big shelves during our visit!
It is so special to create new family holiday traditions with your little ones, whether it be gingerbread house making, a holiday book that you’ll read year after year or even the tradition of spending an afternoon with just your kids – shopping and soaking in the spirit of the season. River Oaks Shopping Center is brimming with holiday cheer and makes for a fabulous place to take along your tot to create memories this holiday season.
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Big thank you to River Oaks Shopping Center for sponsoring this post and providing us with a fun-filled & festive afternoon!
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xo, alice
Loving this family holiday traditions feature? Take a look here for more of my Houston favorites!
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photos by Ban Avenue
