10 of My Christmas Traditions

Christmas really is the happiest time of the year! From Christmas traditions to the general joy that fills the air- I love everything about it. And this year, it seems as though all of New York City is celebrating!

Each year I look forward to a few traditions and this year is no different. We will actually be leaving NYC just before Christmas and will be spending the holiday in Israel {be sure to follow on Instagram & YouTube}, but we are continuing with our traditions just the same! These are a few of our Christmas traditions!

1. Pick out a real Christmas tree :: Where we pick out our Christmas tree may have changed over the years, but we still pick out a live Christmas tree each year. There is something so joyful about turning on Christmas music and decorating your tree with silver and gold ornaments!
2. Christmas Cards :: My family ALWAYS sent out a Christmas card and I plan on continuing that tradition. Normally my mom created a collage of photos from things we had done together as a family that year. Now, Caleb and I do the same. I have a feeling next years card will be my favorite card ever though- as we will have a new member of the family joining the card!!
3. Make Christmas Cookies :: So I have to admit, I do miss having a proper large kitchen. Growing up we always made a day of baking and would make a plethora of different Christmas cookies. Everything was 100% homemade. I think we would make 4-6 different types of cookies. Now that we have a tiny NYC kitchen, I really only make 1 or 2 types of cookies over the course of the Christmas season. But regardless of how many we make, homemade Christmas cookies are a must!
4. Hot Chocolate :: I’m not a huge sweet drink fan, but it isn’t Christmas until you’ve had a good hot cocoa {with EXTRA marshmallows of course!}. I love dark hot chocolate! {These are a few delicious dark hot chocolates: here, here, here}
5. Christmas Candles :: I almost ALWAYS have a candle burning in our apartment. And I adore all the various holiday scented candles. Recently I’ve been loving this one and this one by Nest, but I’ve also had my eye on these two {here & here} cheaper holiday candle.
6. Champagne, fruit & See’s Chocolates :: Every year we would start Christmas morning in our living room. We would begin by popping a bottle of bubbly, bringing out the fine crystal flutes, and enjoy a glass of champagne and a See’s chocolate while we went through our stockings. {If you haven’t tried See’s you are missing out- my favorite is the dark chocolate Bordeaux! Although we always picked a custom selection to fill our boxes} And it never failed, our stocking always had a piece of fruit {usually clementines for me and a banana for my brother} at the very bottom to munch on while we started our day.
7. Christmas Movies :: Yes, I will proudly proclaim that I love Christmas movies- the cheesier the better! We love family movie night with Christmas movies!
8. Read the Christmas Story :: I cannot wait to read this story with our little guy next year!
9. Christmas Crackers :: My family loves English Crackers {like these & these} and have included them with every major holiday for as long as I can remember. They normally include a paper crown, joke or riddle and a small toy. We normally opened them after our big Christmas meal and always enjoyed finding out what was inside. {And yes, everyone was required to wear the paper crown for at least a photo :) }
10. Christmas Feast :: Most years growing up my parents hosted Christmas at our home and everyone was invited. Family, friends, neighbors- whoever. Either way, we always had tons of delicious food and we all dressed up and sat around the table. My dad was always in charge of setting the table {a skill he learned from his mother} and it always turned out like a work of art. Even hours after dinner was over we would still be seated at the table laughing and telling stories.  I have so many cherished memories around our family table. This might be the tradition I am most excited to continue, as I have so many fond memories of our meals together!

If you are looking for a good, plaid blazer for the holidays- look no further. This one is slightly oversized and has velvet detailing which I love! I’ve literally already worn it casually over a t-shirt, dressed up over a dress and as you see it here. It’s so versatile! It runs true to size- I ordered a small and love the slightly oversize fit.

blazer c/o SheIn {on sale for under $50} :: top Nordstrom {on sale for $27}
leggings Pea in the Pod :: nail polish Essie