Tag: traditions

Mom and Daughter Pearl Bracelet Set

As moms, we love to be spoiled by our little ones on Mother’s Day. Breakfast in bed with maybe an eggshell or two, cuddles, and a homemade card. But asking for gifts for something we love so very much is not something we do. But what if it was for something sentimental and a keepsake? Perfect for Mother’s Day: Mom and Daughter Pearl Bracelet Sets are a great way to share something sweet and simple with your little girl that will last over time. Then someday, she can pass it down to her little girl. But this gift could also be for a goddaughter, niece, or any little girl that is special in your life. They could even be used for a flower girl! The possibilities are endless for something that is timeless and meaningful.

I remember those simple gifts over the years at memorable events that really made a difference for me. Things that I want my daughters to be able to see/use and know that I love them so much that I want them to enjoy something that I hold so dear to me. Those small glimpses in their memories will last forever and be a wonderful connection we’ll have through the years, even after they’re grown up.

Mother Child Pearl Bracelet Set

Find the bracelets here for purchase.

These bracelets are made of freshwater pearls, and a sterling silver closure, and are made right here in the USA. If you have more than one little princess, you have the option to order more to go on everyone’s wrists. If this darling gift is for a Christening or Baptism we offer the ability to attach a cross charm as well. Mom and Daughter Pearl Bracelet Sets are a great start to traditions as well as one to begin even if they are not so little.

My St. Patrick’s Day Tradition

Growing up I knew what our St. Patrick’s Day tradition was. There would be green everywhere I turned. Green decor, green milk, green biscuits at dinner and of course green clothes. But something that never happened on St. Patrick’s Day was my mother wearing green. Ever.

My mother is half Irish and just so happens to have green eyes. (Being adopted that never was an excuse I could use). She took great pride in trying to keep up Irish traditions even though her mother died when she was 16 and her father just after she enlisted in Vietnam as a nurse. Her source for family traditions was gone so early in her life that she kind of had to improvise and come up with something new to make the holiday fun for the kids.

Every year she would prepare breakfast with as many items she could put green food coloring in. When I would come home from school I could always smell the Corned Beef and Cabbage cooking. Do I like Corned Beef and Cabbage? Not even close, but the taste and smell will always bring me back to my mom. She served it with vinegar, green biscuits many years and sweet iced tea, being that not only was she half Irish, but she was also from the South. There is just something special about the nostalgia that comes from sitting down to a meal you’ve had so many times over.

But there is also something exciting that comes from changing those traditions just a little and making it into something new with your own family. I love to cook to celebrate holidays, like my mom, and always look for something new and fun to try. The best kinds of recipes are the ones the littles can help with because you can talk while you cook, teach them a skill and get a wonderful treat out of it!

One of my favorite places to get recipe ideas is the blog Oh So Delicioso. They have several recipes for St. Patrick’s Day but by my favorite is the Neon Green Punch since I have small children that love the color! Electric green is a head turner and since it’s not too sweet I don’t have to worry about giving a second glass to my kids. Another one of my favorite sites for recipes is Weelicious as well (you can see the natural green recipes here).

I have found that with modern traditions, it’s not necessarily about having the exact same thing each year but that you do something each year so your kids know about the holiday and what fun you can have with it. My kids are all preschool age and younger so the big school parties won’t happen until this coming fall. Until then we have the opportunity to make each holiday unique to us and what we love.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Mom Talk Monday: Christmas Traditions

Today we are rounding up some of our featured moms for Mom Talk Monday: Christmas Traditions. Every family has traditions they look forward to for the whole month of December. But sometimes adding something new can be fun and inspiring.

Katie Lindsay, and her husband set up a fort in their living room with cameo coverings and Christmas lights. Her four boys sleep in it on Christmas Eve while the wait for Santa.

Our own Bethany has a tradition that many families do. Her children receive pajamas on Christmas Eve each year, but they come from a few special someones. Santa’s elves leave the pajamas on the front door step and ding dong ditch so they are not seen.

Jen Haderlie, the new mom of twin girls, loves to go to Starbucks for a cocoa and driving to see the Christmas lights where she lives. After they get home they read the story of Christ’s birth before going to bed.

We hope you take time to make new traditions, while still enjoying the old ones, with your family this holiday.

Holiday Movie Night

Having a Holiday Movie Night in only takes a small amount of preparation to have an enjoyable evening that you can turn into a yearly tradition. Movie theaters are open on Christmas Day every year with some kind of a holiday show for families. But that also requires getting dressed, getting in the car and spending astronomical prices for popcorn. Besides, who wants to get out of their Christmas pajamas anyway? Why not stay in, stay warm and enjoy your vacation at home? I thought you might agree.

Needs:

-Favorite Christmas show (Polar Express is always a good one because of the hot chocolate dance)

-Sleeping bags, blankets and pillows. Enough to fill the floor.

-Hot chocolate bar on the counter with ingredients like: marshmallows, chocolate chips in several flavors, cinnamon sticks, peppermint sticks, flavored coffee creamer, whipped cream and sprinkles.

Bring out some cute containers to put everything in and put on the pajamas! Send invitations out to family and friends you make with the kids. When everyone is over, let all of them sit on the pillows and blankets and cuddle up together. Turn out the lights and have just the Christmas tree on and it will feel magical. If the kids fall asleep there on the floor, leave them! What could be more fun than that? (Just not on Christmas Eve, you don’t want to trip on them while delivering gifts under the tree)

Traditions are part of what we look forward to during the holidays. Being able to share those things we cherish with those we love is a great way to give a gift that has no monetary value. It also shows your children what is so important this time of year, being together and growing as a family, extending the hand of friendship and making bonds. Happy movie night!

How to Entertain Guests during the Holidays

Holiday get-togethers are memory makers. You catch up with family you haven’t seen in some time, eat as if calories don’t count and enjoy the spirit of the season. But some of us have the absolute pleasure of hosting some of that family for multiple days in our homes and the cooking, cleaning and pure joy that comes with it. Today we offer how to entertain guests during the holidays in small ways to make your life a little easier while you host those you love most.

While your grocery bill is going to go up, make sure that part of that is easy finger foods and drinks for all the kids that will be constantly asking for a snack, and adults. If your kids are anything like mine, if one asks for something to eat, they all do. Purchasing a large vegetable tray is a great way to go because you can set it out and everyone can take from it as they want. Even if it is in the fridge, everyone can take it out, take a few pieces and put it back. No preparation necessary. Add to it crackers, the mini cheese squares and flavored sparkling water and juice boxes and your all set.

Make a meal plan for every meal. Ask guests to contribute to the meals with a side or dessert and then they feel like they have helped in some way and you avoid them potentially offering you money to cover the costs of all the food. Also, clean out your fridge before everyone comes and leave room for your guests to put their own food, especially if they have a special diet.

Have activities in mind to go to or do at your home. Bringing out the board games are great, but knowing about special events happening in your area before your guests arrive is nice to choose from to break up the several game nights in a row.

Finally, offer those you love a room with a lock on the door. Having some kind of privacy will really help them feel better about staying over instead of a hotel. Knowing you can fully relax while vacationing is a gift in itself.

Enjoy your time with family and friends. Here’s to many nights of staying up late, too much cocoa and filling your heart with memories.

Celebrations

My family gathered this past weekend to celebrate the blessing of a precious, long-awaited baby. It was fabulous to be together, to feel the spirit of the occasion, to laugh and reminisce and play. These are truly days we remember.

Interestingly enough, we talked about that–the remembering component of celebration. My ever-thoughtful sister pointed out that ancient civilizations instituted celebrations to mark significant religious, political and cultural events (think the Children of Israel and the Passover, etc.). They knew this was the way to instill in themselves and their children the importance of what happened.

Today it is the same: celebrations are our way of reminding ourselves and teaching our children about what is truly important to us, about things we want to internalize and remember for life. I hadn’t thought of it exactly that way before, but truly, the things I remember most clearly in my life are linked to celebrations, which in turn speak about the beliefs and values by which I live.

What celebrations have had a lasting impact or meaning in your life?

photo credit: Paisley Studios