some christmas pinterest

Definitely doing this...

Source: ashleyannphotography.com via Amanda on Pinterest

I love Ashley's blog - it's one of the very few that I stay caught up on pretty regularly.  The other day I thought she was a genius when she posted about taking pictures of all your friends from their Christmas cards to use as their contact picture in your phone.  In no time at all her fabulous idea showed up on Pinterest! 

And tonight, we did this...

Source: confessionsofahomeschooler.com via Amanda on Pinterest


Here's the explanation that goes with it:  All Aboard The Minivan Express! Ready to start a Christmas tradition that the whole family will enjoy? I know you’ve all seen The Polar Express, well, this is our own version of that fun adventure! Each year we hide the “Golden Tickets” in our kids’ beds. My husband starts the bedtime routine as usual, while I prepare little bags of popcorn and hot chocolate drinks and place them in the car, oh and don’t forget to have Christmas music playing in the car too! When the kids go to climb into bed, they will find the ticket hidden under their covers, get ready for lots of giggles and screams as they all find their tickets! The kids are then instructed to grab their slippers and head for the car. Upon entrance to The Minivan Express, we hole punch the ticket (you know for effect and all.) Next, we travel around the city looking at all the beautiful lights. We may even stop somewhere for a fun snack on the way home. Now the kids look forward to this each year and look forward to getting “those special tickets”!

The gold tickets are a free download and the source will explain all the details.  If you don't have a minivan like us, there is another version of the tickets that just say "Christmas Express".

Our kids love Polar Express, it's one movie we watch multiple times at Christmas every year, along with "Buddy the Elf".

So tonight we put the kids to bed a bit earlier, and watched as they crawled into bed and found a gold ticket under their covers.  They ran to Gavin's bassinet to see if he had one too- sure enough he did!!  Dad punched their tickets with a hole punch just like in the movie and I handed them a bag of caramel corn and their very own small bottle of pepsi.  That's how we roll in our house.  Pepsi beats hot chocolate any day!
Daddy quoted lines from the movie...
"All ABOOOOOOAAAAARD!!!"
 Where are we going?
 "Why, to the north pole, of course!"

Their eyes were as big as I've ever seen them before.  "For real?  We're really going somewhere?"   "Is this a real Christmas Express?"  "You guys are the most fun!"  "I think we are the only kids out after bedtime!" The comments and excitement went on and on and on.  They were so talkative and full of life in the car as we drove around to look at lights.  It was so fun for us to see them so full of joy over the simplest thing.
Taylor asked if we can do this EVERY time at Christmas - so I think we found a new tradition.

Hope you're enjoying lots of fun Christmas traditions - new and old!