I promise that this is the last one, but I had to put this post up after binge watching WAY TOO MANY Hallmark movies (even though there is no such things as too many!).
This is a strange Holiday Season for me… New job, my parents have moved away, etc. So, it doesn’t look as though I’ll get much of a family Christmas this year. Although, I feel like Christmas traditions have been slipping away in years passed.
We JUST put up our Christmas tree
When I was younger we would have to wait upstairs until my Papa (Grandfather) arrived. Then we would all open presents together and have a big Christmas Breakfast.
In later years, we would go to my parents’ house after any family stuff. We would open presents then and my older sister and I would go out to a dive bar nearby that was always open and have some drinks together.
This year, with my parents moved over 3 hours away and both of my sisters with children and family on there own, there doesn’t seem to be much going on.
Watching all of these Hallmark movies reminds me of all of those traditions that used to exist. It makes me wonder if they still do exist somewhere!
1. The token Snowball Fight
Now, this happens in literally EVERY Hallmark Christmas movie. The random snowball fight (usually between someone who loves Christmas and nomeone who doesn’t… Sometimes with their kids thrown in) until the “soon to be” couple fals in the snow laughing together. Classic.
2. The Christmas cookies.
They ALWAYS have to bake cookies! I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, so this was never a tradition in my family. But, it still looks like fun!
4. Carolling
Seriously, does anyone still do this?? It seems so awkward to stand in front of a stranger’s house signing at them.
5. Last (but definitely not least) putting up the decorations!!
This is always a huge Hallmark movie tradition (in the new movies this is mixed with some blatant product placement…. Good job, Hallmark. 😅) It’s usually paired with music, cocoa and pie.
I loved your tree and your fur baby looking lovingly at it… Looked so fab
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Ha ha! More like he was looking at that tree like….. Which ornament will I jump at first?? 🤔🤣 But, he hasn’t taken it down, yet. So, that’s a plus! 💖💖
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Yayyy…. 😂 😂
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Lmao my family and I have never done any of those things. Well, except decorating the tree. But we don’t get together to do it. I love cheesy holiday movies too! They’re so bad they’re good 😀
Happy Holidays! Btw you’re cat is looking at that tree like it’s a new plaything lol.
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Happy Holidays to you, as well!! 💖💖 Ya… He’s definitely been having fun with it. Normally just when we’re around and ignoring him, so he’ll go up to the tree and start batting at one of the candy canes looking at us like “you won’t play with me… So, I’ll just play with this, K? 😇😇” ha ha! He’s such a jerk.
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I just watched that Hallmark movie where the guy wraps the girl up while decorating the tree. Pretty tree you have, and I like that Santa suit covering the bottom. 🙂
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Thank you!! I’m glad we actually got to put it up… It’s been a crazy season! I’m glad there’s another person out there watching Hallmark Christmas movies! 💖💖 Have a great Holiday! Do you have any special traditions??
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Nothing really special. Just the usual decorating and playing a lot of Christmas music for the mood. I’m actually a sucker for Hallmark movies throughout the year (shh, don’t tell anyone). I enjoy their mystery series shows. 🙂
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Don’t be ashamed!! Stand proud and shout your love of Hallmark! 💖💖
I am at such a crossroads over whether I want to play Christmas Music at my work today…. Still trying to decide whether I want to put up with that, or not… 🤔
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Well we definitely still do the cookies and the decorating. My brother’s life long quest is to out decorate Clark Griswold but yeah, nothing else. I can’t remember the last time I saw carolers. Honestly probably back when I was a very young kid still living with my great grandparents. Merry Christmas!
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Ha ha! Out decorating Clark Griswold!!?? I want pictures!! And, he may be able to out decorate Clark Griswold… But, can he out decorate Buddy Hall?? 🤔😂😂
I’m pretty sure people don’t carol anymore because of all the paranoia! You’re more likely to get the door slammed in your face, or get shot! 😂🚪 My how the world had changed…
But, MERRY CHRISTMAS!! I hope you have a great holiday!!
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Australia is more about barbeques and drinking on Christmas (that and cricket for some weird reason). For my family the only real tradition is Christmas breakfast. Everybody gets everything they want for Christmas breakfast and it is a feast.
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Breakfast is my FAVOURITE! My man and his family are going to bring me some at work today!!… That’s my Christmas gift… They all go out for family Breakfast while I’m at work and then they drop me by something… 😉😂
But, honestly that all sounds fabulous! Although, I never tried to get into cricket!
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I kind of find the whole BBQ, drinking and cricket outdoors thing a little on the painful side – love seeing family and catching up – but I’d rather be indoors with a meal that wasn’t burned on a rusty outdoor plate while flies swarmed the table. Okay, I’m a failure of an Australian but it just isn’t my thing.
I do however love breakfast and usually end up sharing pancakes, fruit and ice-cream with my mum when we’re both in the same country and city for Christmas.
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Ice cream for breakfast?? That sounds wonderful!! (even if you are a failure as an Australian. 😉😂) you’re definitely doing breakfast right!! 💖💖
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Such a fun post!
I just watched The Christmas Contract on Lifetime awhile ago. I usually don’t watch Lifetime movies very often, but that movie was like a One Tree Hill reunion, so I had to watch it. It was super cheesy but so fun also.
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I do love cheese in every form!! Whether it be blue, soft, or Hallmark… 😂😂 🧀🧀
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Oh the memories, those and so many more. But Hallmark movies? That SOO flies in the face of who I picture as Nicole. My sister loves Hallmark movies as well and always used to alert me to them. Yeah? Those and the Antique Roadshow. Just kill me now. The best part of caroling was the hot toddies back home! wink wink 😉
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NOTHING wrong with Antique Roadshow! 😀
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ABSOLUTELY!! 💖💖💖
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Oh, Nicole is a multifaceted being… You’ll never have a clear picture of her… I shoot guns/I wear makeup and dresses, I play video games/I watch Hallmark Movies…. I’m all over the map! 😂😂
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Your tree is so beautiful! I love that tree skirt too! I can totally relate with the family thing. I really only have my mom, husband and kids so, not a really huge family get together anymore. I don’t see my dad and bro so, it is what it is. We do still have traditions though!
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Hit send too fast lol. We still do decorations and go the tree lighting in our local town every year. Christmas music and movies, hot cocoa, and reading by the fire are still part of our Christmastime activities. It does feel different not having the huge get togethers though.
Wishing you a very Merry Christmas, Nicole! ❤❤❤ xoxo
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That all sounds amazing!! When and where do I show up?? 🤔😂
You know? It’s SO much better to have a small gathering! Less drama and headaches! I hope you have a great holiday. 💖💖💖🎄🤶
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This has been the funnest Christmas ever at my house! I have a four and a seven year old so we’ve really been encouraging the magic of it all lol. We have FOUR trees up, one real and three fake. We’ve went to Santas everywhere, made homemade crafts (I do a handprint painting craft with the littles every year), baking, and even light parades. It’s been nuts!! Hope you have a beautiful Christmas Nicole!
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That’s FANTASTIC!! Keep Christmas alive! I feel like no one in my area celebrates, anymore… Not many people even have lights up! It’s pretty depressing. I’m glad to hear there are some people still out there celebrating. Merry Christmas to you and your family, Didi! 💖💖🎄🤶
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There are a lot less lights out in my neighborhood too, its so strange! My family and I are just kind of floating around in our own little Christmas bubble lol. I hope you get to see your family, even though they moved…. Maybe a road trip is in order! 😉 Have a great one!
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I would road trip if I didn’t have my job to think of. Ha ha! I’m sure we’ll find time at some point!! 😊
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I hope its soon 😉🤩🤗 happy holidays!
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Our traditions- put a tree up, have a yummy dinner on the day, have family over for snacks and stuff on Boxing Day, most of which I spend in the kitchen doing foody bits, which is just fine by me 😊
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P.s. Have a merry festering season and a cool Yule if I don’t hear from you before. 🤶🤶
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Ha ha ha!! Same to you!! (I’m just hoping for 1 relaxing day!)
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Safer to stay out of the line of fire, but close enough to join in if needed! That all sounds like a lot of fun!
Looks like I may be keeping my dive Dar tradition alive this year with a couple of co-workers! Same dive bar, although it has a new name these days! Should be fun!!
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Have a fab time!
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No traditions in our house. My sister used to bake a ton of cookies in all varieties and mail them out to us, but then she had kids and focuses her Martha Stewart (pre-jail) powers on them. Darn kids! 🙂
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Ha ha!! Kids always lose us the good stuff!! Fun friends, sisters who make us cookies…. Always getting in the way! 😂😂
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And love your tree. As well as your cat sassing out the future toy potential. My naughty cat was sometimes found at the top of the Christmas tree looking rather smug there… 😊
We bake cookies / decorate tree. Czech tradition is also to go to a cemetery to light up candles for those, who are no longer with us.
I can’t remember the last time I had a proper snow ball fight,.. winters are increasingly warmer…
Merry Christmas! ❤️
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Ha ha!! Luckily my cat hasn’t got that ambitious yet! The candle lighting sounds like a wonderful tradition!
I agree about the weather… It’s in the positive digits here this year… I’m worried more about snow, than rain! 😕
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The tree looks great! So… I was working up the nerve to ask you this, but… oh, I’m so nervous… would you do me the honor of accompanying me to a carolling party in an upcoming snowstorm? 🙂
Okay, that was weak. Maybe your new Christmas tradition can be a blog countdown! 🙂
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Ha ha!! You better not stand me up! I’m in!!… Now we just have to find that snow… 🤔 I may be in Canada… But, it’s 2 degrees celcius here. I’m worried more about rain, than snow!! 😂
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We need more snow!!! 🙂 lol then I can’t disappoint ya.
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Our biggest family tradition is probably church because my father is a minister, so he has to work A LOT on Christmas, but we also read poetry to each other in between the Christmas diner courses and we give each other books 🙂
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That sounds lovely!!! I’m glad you have some wonderful traditions to look forward to. 💖💖 Hope you had a very Merry Christmas!
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Cookies and traveling = traditions…in general – lots of eating 😂🍫🍫😂
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Where do you travel?? And tis the season for lots of eating!! 🍗🥞🍳🍩🍦🍫🍫🍭
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This year – Spain again…but usually, different warm countries:) yep, lots of eating 🤪😅😾😹
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Lucky!! Have fun! I’m so jealous!! 😂😂
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I had flu 🤒 almost week so it wasn’t fun at all 😉 maybe tomorrow 🤧😹😹
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I’m in the same boat! I’ve had a horrible flu the last 3 days. Hopefully you’ll feel better and be able to enjoy your trip!!
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Ouch it’s a Xmas-flu epidemic 😷 🙂 good byes from 2018 😉😂 and I feel better thx
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I don’t do most of those, but we definitely decorate the tree. I also watch lots of Hallmark Christmas movies and classic Christmas specials and the week of Christmas we drive around town and look at Christmas lights. I guess those are the main ones, hehe 🙂
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Awww… Driving around to look at the lights! We used to do that. We had a street nearby that used to go crazy with lights. The whole street would work together to decorate the street… I wonder if they still do that? 🤔
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We used to have a street that did that too! Every single house was completely decked out except for one lone house at the end of the street that stayed completely dark, lol. When I was kid, there was always a huge line of cars driving through the street like it was a huge tourist attraction. Only a few of the houses decorate now, but it was pretty awesome back in the day 🙂
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Last time I did caroling was 8 years ago , but not so much anymore
.. Caroling is a dying tradition,
My Christmas tradition now is to wake up go to my parents home (bring stockings and presents) come back to my place prepare a Dutch baby , breakfast sausages and cinnamon rolls.
Drive back with food and my siblings
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Mmmmmm….. Feel free to send a Dutch dady my way! That all sounds amazing!! And caroling is defintitely a dying tradition.
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😂😂😂😂, I’ll see what I can do I might be able to spare Fabio he’s 6ft 4 with rippling abs
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🤣🤣🤣🤣 As long as he comes with a goose to the face!! 😂😂
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And that should have said Dutch BABY. 😂😂😂
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Hahahaha I scratching my head for a moment What is a goose to the face face?! Could that be a phase for a man with an extra long neck …. And tounge 🤭
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Ha ha!!! No. Fabio was on a rollercoaster once and got a goose to the face!! It was HILARIOUS!!
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Open presents, have a good meal, hang around the house in PJs for a while before driving 45 minutes to our cousin’s place we’re almost everyone drinks ridiculous amounts of alcohol , and talk about what we’ve been doing, wishing dearly I was back home, until we gather around around to play White elephant . Then once the white elephant is over an hour and 45 minutes later we say goodbye to one another and leave.
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Ha ha! That part sounds like my Christmas!… Sadly, this year I was sick. I showed up at my aunt’s house (where everyone had me make them drinks. Ha ha!) but, I felt too sick to make it to white elephant and had to hire on my cousin to be my proxy…. We’ll see how that worked out! I still don’t know what she chose for me!
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Being sick for the holidays is never fun , make sure to get a lot of bed rest and have your boyfriend cook you up some chicken soup!! 😁
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HA! Here in Australia, the Christmas traditions look a liiiiiittle different 😂😂😂 I yearn for a Hallmark movie featuring the trappings of an Aussie holiday – everyone sweating, kids playing under the hose in the back-yard, grown-ups putting ice cubes in their white wine, the insane queues to buy prawns and seafood at the crack of dawn on Christmas Day…
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I think my family slowly celebrated Christmas less and less as my siblings and I got older. My grandmother still bakes a ton of cookies, but no one is really excited about decorating (hauling out the tree feels like work now) and um, caroling? I have *never* seen caroling before. Unless you count the sultry ballad singers in the fancy restaurants we sometimes go to during the holiday season as a “caroler” hahaha.
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Ha ha!! Ooo… Sultry ballad singer, you say?? That sounds pretty good!!
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How can it not!
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I totally don’t understand the carolling bit either. Seriously… just random ppl standing outside your door singing at you… don’t they have last minute shopping or wrapping to be doing?
Anyway, our traditions mostly involve lots and lots of food. Lol. There used to be midnight mass but with such young kids it’s earlier service times for now, then small dinner at the mother in law’s. Big brunch with the husband’s family, then lunch with mine. Last few years we’ve been too tired to make it to any of the dinner invitations. Lol.
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I know… Right!?? It just seems so awkward. 🤔😓
And, that is A LOT of food!! But, nothing wrong with that!! I’m lucky and my Christmas is usually pretty spaced out since no one ever seems to have to time to get together…. I haven’t even had my Christmas with my parents, that’s happening next week as I haven’t had time to get up to see them between being sick and working. 😕
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Oh no. Well that’s definitely spaced out! Some good time to work off the food in between 😂😂
Yeah… Christmas is so busy for us that by New Year we’re happy for a quiet time.
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Yup! I’m hoping for a bit of a quiet new years for a bit, too!!
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😴 💤
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