The Ultimate Holiday Bucket List

Everyone has that annual fall bucket list full of cider sippin', tailgatin', pumpkin patchin' fun and of course we'll be ticking a few of those off of our list as well, but this year I wanted to make a holiday specific bucket list; a bucket list that focuses on all those holiday traditions that only come once a year and can be so easy to miss out on or overlook in the chaos and busyness of it all. 

Let me expand on a few of the more interesting traditions on our list:

MAKE CHILI & GRILLED CHEESE ON HALLOWEEN NIGHT

I don't really know why this is a tradition, it just is! My mom always made Chili and Grilled Cheese on Halloween night! It's a crockpot meal that's warm and cozy on a cold October night and easy to have ready after a long night of trick or treating, so I guess it just caught on! My mom still makes it for my siblings and now I make it for our family, too!

WATCH THE MACY'S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE

I'm sure most people do this every year without considering it a true "tradition", but I always like to make sure I don't miss it because it means a little more to me. My late grandpa, Poppy, always turned on the Macy's parade while my mom, grandma, and I started working on dinner. I still miss him 5 years later and switching on that Macy's parade (and subsequently Charlie Brown) will always make me think of him.

PLAY CHRISTMAS RECORDS AND DANCE

This one's a new one for me, but who doesn't love slow dancing? We've got the sweetest vintage record player and are slowly building up a decent collection of Christmas LPs so what could be more fun than to end a night of tree decorating floating around with my favorite guy!

CHOOSE AN ANNUAL ORNAMENT

Our family always (and I mean always) got to pick a yearly ornament: one for the whole family and one for each kid that usually related to something they were into that year. I love looking back on those ornaments and remembering each year of my childhood and can't wait to have the same, sweet walk down memory lane as we decorate the tree each year as a family of our own.

BAKE A BIRTHDAY CAKE FOR JESUS

Obviously, the birth of Jesus is the reason we celebrate Christmas in the first place! Baking a birthday cake for Him is such a simple way to really remember why we're celebrating and it's simple enough that the kids can understand it (and even join in on the baking or decorating)! I started this tradition up a few years ago for my nephew and then recently found out that my grandma used to do the same thing for years! That makes me enjoy this tradition even more.

Do you do any of these things during the holidays? Feel free to download this list and add your own traditions, or start a new one! What's your favorite holiday tradition that you never miss? Let me know in the comments!