We’re getting ready for the holidays and in my household we celebrate Christmas. When I was growing up, my parents had yearly traditions that we celebrated. Caribbean Christmases are nothing like those in the US and I try and incorporate both in our lives. After all, we are considered Caribbean-American, so I like to entwine both cultures together.
Christmas for us is not about the gifts that we receive, but the time that we get to spend with our family. My dad worked a full week from Monday – Saturday, while my mum stayed at home to take care of the children, help with homework, cook dinner, and generally take care of the household. In the Caribbean, no one works on Christmas so my dad got to spend the entire day with us. We would all help out in the kitchen, and at dinner, we sat down together and had an amazing time.
I tend to do things a bit differently, now that I have my own kids. I have even incorporated a few more traditions than what I myself grew up with. Today I want to share with you a few holiday traditions that I celebrate with my own kids, and you can with yours as well. Today’s conversation is made possible with the help of OshKosh B’gosh. Madison is dressed from head to toe in OshKosh B’gosh in her photos today and I even had to share a funny one. The Holidays are all about smiles and love.
Christmas as I mentioned is not all about gifts and cash, but spending time with your loved ones and I want to share five simple traditions that I do so yearly with my own children.
1. Mail holiday cards
Every year my mother would go to the store and purchase holiday cards that she would mail to family and friends. It’s one of the things that I myself now do with my children and it’s so easy to do. We spend so much time online and on social media and the joy of sending and/or receiving cards have since been forgotten. While you can buy traditional cards, it’s also a great idea to do a holiday photo card with your kids. Get them all dressed up and take a few photos and make your own holiday cards that you can send to relatives and friends. This way they’ll see how much they’ve grown. It’s also an excuse to purchase new clothing.
2. Photos with Santa
Yes, even in the Caribbean we have Santa too, and I have taken photos with Santa yearly with my children, until they became old enough and decided it was not something that they wanted to do. However, I now have a five-year-old, who thoroughly enjoys it. It also helps that in Colorado we have a North Pole with a real Santa in residence. It’s also my chance once again to get her all dressed up and ready to meet Santa and she just loves it!
3. Decorate the tree
Now, this is a big one for us. I’m not a professional tree-dresser and don’t particularly care about perfection. I get the entire family together and we all take a side and decorate our tree for the holidays. It’s fun to see the creativity and everyone feels great after the tree is all decorated knowing that they all had a hand in bringing it to life.
4. Bake holiday cookies
While you can bake cookies all year round, holidays cookies are exceptional. Ginger snap cookies and even regular sugar cookies with sprinkles, after all, who doesn’t love sprinkles? It makes your kitchen not only smell great, but they are delicious! It’s when you can get together as a family in the kitchen and laugh and talk about your day. Get silly and don’t forget to make Santa his very own cookie.
5. Dress up and take lots of photos
The holidays generally call for a new wardrobe. It’s the end of the year and I like seeing how much the kids have grown throughout the year. Just like you take back-to-school photos, consider taking holiday photos as well. Get the entire family together and take lots of photos throughout the holidays. It will also be great memories for future years. Even the silly ones as Madison took above.
When it comes to the holidays, OshKosh B’gosh has all my traditions covered in the clothing department when it comes to Madison. Currently, OshKosh B’gosh only goes up to a size 14, so Madison is the only one that can currently fit the line, unfortunately, but all of my kids have worn OshKosh B’gosh and it’s a brand that I trust and love. It’s nice to find stylish, and I stress greatly age-appropriate, yet affordable fashions for my little one. Madison is a little girl and I like seeing little girls dressed age-appropriately and OshKosh B’gosh has never once let me down with their designs.
And to celebrate your own holiday traditions, I have an OshKosh coupon that is valid until December 31st. That’s a lot of time to shop for your own holiday fashions. Use code OKBG3418 Online or 037264 In-Store to receive 20% off $40 or more purchase, or simply click on the coupon below and print. To find your nearest OshKosh B’gosh store, simply use their store locator and start prepping for your own holiday traditions.
For those that enjoy shopping on Black Friday, OshKosh B’Gosh has a surprise in store for you. The first 100 people to any of their stores will receive a gift card worth up to $100. This however depends on when your local store opens. If the store opens on 11/23, the dash in to win is on 11/23. If your local store is closed on 11/23, then the dash in to win event is on 11/24. Check local store listings for store hours.
