Holiday Traditions: Part 5

Well, today is the last day of guest bloggers--I hope you had fun hearing about others' traditions and getting to know some of my favorite blogs:) Mom Next Door was one of my first "followers" and not only do I enjoy her blog, but I love the comments she leaves on mine. She really is the "mom next door"--funny, practical and real about being a mom and having fun doing it!

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First, I must say, I am super excited to be posting on What’s Mine Is Yours! (Very appropriate blog title for guest posting, don’t you agree?) It’s my first-ever guest post and I may or may not have jumped up and down and squealed like a school girl when she asked me, then got really nervous and almost threw up. So thank you Jenn. I’m truly honored that you asked and I will strive not to word vomit…or any kind of vomit…all over your blog.

Christmas is full of traditions: decorating your tree while drinking eggnog and listening to Christmas music, sending out Christmas cards with a year’s worth of family updates, and making fun of your Papa for being the “garbage man” because he was in charge of wrapping paper disposal as it flew through the air (literally, because we would all ball it up and chuck it at him…extra points if you got him in the head). Good times! (I miss you Papa!)

My favorite Christmas tradition growing up was our annual December 8 shopping trip with my mom.

[One thing I must point out is I HATE to shop. H.A.T.E.  I.T!!!! Department stores are my kryptonite. You think I’m kidding but I barely cross the threshold and suddenly I have been zapped of all my energy, I begin to shuffle my feet and whine like a little girl (ok, so when we started these shopping trips I actually was a little girl but I think that just adds to the authenticity of my argument). Rifling through the racks and racks (and racks) of clothing is a chore well beyond my physical capability.]

Despite my loathing of all shopping related activities I really did enjoy our annual December 8 shopping tradition. You see, I went to Catholic School and as such we got off for all of the Holy Day of Obligations. (Which I always found kind of ironic. The point of having off was so you could go to church, yet, I went to school next to the church. I would have been much more likely to go had I been in school. But hey, if they want to give us a day off you won’t hear me complaining.) So the Feast of the Immaculate Conception turned into my childhood Black Friday. Sure, there weren’t doorbusters or mace-waving lunatics (at least not every year) but hey, I was spending my mom’s money on presents for my family so it was all good.

We never did anything extra special on the shopping trip, and I definitely still whined (ok, I still whine when I’m shopping) but spending the time with my mom is what made the tradition so special. Sure, I lived with her and saw her all the time but there is something about sticking to a tradition that makes that time so much more special.

Despite now living 4 hours away from her and my job not giving me off for Holy Day of Obligations (jerks) we still continue this tradition. It takes a little more planning and we’ve shifted the event to the weekend closest to December 8 rather than the actual day, but it still holds the same special meaning to me. Actually, it’s even more special now because I don’t get to see my mom nearly as often as I’d like and when I do I rarely get her all to myself.

As I write this my mom is in her car driving to my house so we can continue our tradition this year. Who needs Christmas day? I’m already excited for her to get here and it’s just about the only present I need. (Except for the new laptop my husband and I splurged on as a shared gift. I really need that too.)

I hope everyone has a very merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Thanks again to Jenn for letting me share one of my favorite holiday traditions. (My other favorite Christmas tradition is listening to the New Kids on the Block Christmas Album. I think everyone could use a Funky Christmas!)

Holiday Traditions: Part 4

I hope you're enjoying hearing about all of these holiday traditions. When I read the post written for today by Jenn (another Jenn with two n's!), it made me happy because James and I have already started a tradition very similar to this! Jenn's blog is another that I just started reading, and she is new to the blogosphere, so make sure you check her out and give her some support!

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 Hey everyone! I'm also a Jenn, my blog is Passenger Seat Perspectives, and I'm delighted to be writing my first guest post here on What's Mine Is Yours.

 I'm a newlywed - going on one and a half years - and we're still working on what our own family traditions will be. My family, however, had a tradition that I loved - every year we would each add a new Christmas ornament to our tree. Not just any ornament, but something that represented a favorite memory from the past year. I have Christmas ornaments I've had from when I was a baby up through college.

Here's one of my first Christmas ornaments ever

This one I made in Sunday School

My grandmother (who passed away a few years ago) gave me this one in 2001

In high school I was a theatre nerd, and my mom gave me this one after I was the lead in my school play

Every year, I loved decorating the Christmas tree and thinking of all the memories - it's like a giant scrapbook! I nearly cried last year when my mom gave me my ornaments to decorate my Christmas tree with my husband. So now, as then, even though our tree is more of a hodgepodge of different things rather than classy, glamorous decorations, I have a tree full of memories that I will one day get to share with my own family.

Holiday Traditions: Part 3

 So, now that you have two Christmas Eve dessert ideas...on to the tree! Jessica is here today to talk about her favorite tradition, decorating the Christmas tree with her family:) Jessica has a really fun little blog that I enjoy reading--very "slice of life" and really entertaining! I'm so glad she agreed to join me as a guest post-er!  

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Hey, y’all!!
I’m so excited that Jennifer asked me to guest post! This is my first guest post ever and
I’m Jessica and I blog over at Incredible Little Moments.

I hope you’re all excited for Christmas because I sure am!
This is my absolute favorite time of year.

And one of my favorite holiday traditions is putting up the Christmas tree!

Okay, time for a little backstory: My parents are divorced. They each remarried when I was 9, and my dad’s anniversary is November 25. For as long as I can remember we always put the Christmas tree up on my dad and stepmom’s anniversary.

This year, November 25 was the day after Thanksgiving and too much was going on, so we didn’t put the tree up until the 26th.

My stepmom “floofing” the tree.

The tree is up!


My dad putting lights on the tree.


The tree is lit and has its skirt.

The family.


The decorated tree!


I love putting up the Christmas tree. It’s one of my favorite traditions about this time of year.

I hope you enjoyed my visit!
You can come visit me at my blog here!
I hope y’all have a great holiday season and a Merry Christmas!!

And thank you, again Jennifer, for letting me guest post! It was so much fun!! :)

Holiday Traditions: Part 2

Welcome back for "Holiday Traditions: Part 2." Today I have the pleasure of introducing my friend Meghan to the blog! Meghan and I went to college together and graduated from the same program. I didn't even know she had a blog until I put out the request for guest posts! I guess I have a lot of catch-up reading to do! You can check her out here. But, for now, without further ado, Meghan's holiday tradition.

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A Can of Cherries, a Bit of Brandy, and the Perfect Christmas Eve

For as long as I can remember, I have always loved Christmas Eve.  To me, it is the most magical moment of the whole holiday season.  The house is twinkling, the tree is sparkling, and there just seems to be excitement, wonder, and love in the air.  I cherish the way that this night seems to bring peace and tranquility, a stillness to the world, which is not seen often throughout the year.  It is just one of those nights that you truly believe you can hear the angels sing.  It is Christmas Eve which holds my most dear and beloved of holiday traditions.

The traditions of this glorious night always involved my Grandma.  Even as I write this, I can still picture her sitting in the rocking chair by the window in her warm, red turtle neck sweater, with a cup of tea and smile on her face, clearly loving her family and being loved by them in return.  Although she has passed, I cannot help but think of her when I think of Christmas Eve.  These traditions are her and to me they are Christmas.   I have many traditions of this night of which I could write, such as the unwrapping of one present from my Grandma, always an ornament, or the opening of the box from our friends in Germany, but it is the Christmas Eve dessert which holds a very special place in my heart.  

My Grandma was English through and through and so is our Christmas Eve dessert, Cherries Jubilee.  Cherries Jubilee was first made to celebrate Queen Victoria's jubilee celebrations in the late 1800s.  It is a delicious and decadent dessert that will forever be a part of my Christmas Eve.  I am sure that each year, when it is lit on fire (yes, that's right) I will forever hear my Grandma going "ooo!"  How could I not?  That was part of the tradition after all :)

Well, I hope you enjoy my very easy recipe for Cherrie's Jubilee and that you have a blessed Christmas Eve filled with family, love, peace, joy, and a little bit of holiday magic.

Source: janessweets.blogspot.com via Katie on Pinterest

Cherries Jubilee

Ingredients: canned bing cherry pie filling (you could make the cherries from scratch but this is what makes it so wonderful!), brandy, vanilla ice cream

1.  Pour the canned cherries into a pot.  Heat the cherries on the stove, stirring occasionally.

2.  Transfer the cherries into a bowl.

3.  In front of your guests, pour a good amount of brandy onto the cherries.  (Remember, it needs to catch on fire!)

4.  Using a match or lighter, set the cherries and brandy on fire. 

5.  "Oooo" and "Ahh" while the blue flames dance around the bowl (not necessary but very Grandmaesque)

6.  Serve cherries on vanilla ice cream and enjoy!

*For a truly English treat, drink a nice cup of tea with a splash of brandy while enjoying your Cherries Jubilee!

Holiday Traditions: Part 1

For the next few days, I've decided to have a few guests here sharing their holiday traditions.

I'm going to kick us off with one of my favorite holiday traditions that my family always does on Christmas Eve.

I don't know when it started or whose idea it was (I should ask about that this year!), but for as long as I can remember, my mom would make a birthday cake for Jesus on Christmas Eve. After dinner, which always consisted of finger foods that we ate in the living room in front of the Christmas tree, Mom would bring out a cake with a candle on it and we'd sing "Happy Birthday" to Jesus.

 It's a simple tradition, really, but it always meant so much to me to be reminded that this night was not just about the family we'd see and the presents we'd receive the next day. No, this night had a greater meaning and a more special purpose.

So, after the fun of singing carols in front of the Christmas tree and hanging our stockings in anticipation of Saint Nicholas' visit, my parents took the time to remind us of the Baby who we were celebrating and to, like the wise men from the East, pay Him homage with our own gift of a candle and a song.