After a long and crazy year, our family is heading into the holiday season with the plan to intentionally make small moments special. I want my girls to know that Christmas is more than the moment they open the presents, I want them to experience the joy of spreading cheer over the course of the whole season.
A big portion of that for us is spending special time with my mom who recently moved to our area earlier this fall. Having a grandparent so close by has been a wonderful opportunity for the girls to focus on brightening someone else’s holiday.
The Peanut has been working hard on a few new Christmas songs on the piano. So we invited Grandma over for an impromptu concert to show off her newest talents.
We turned on our newly decorated Christmas tree lights and everyone got dressed up in festive outfits for church on Sunday so that we could come home to our little living room performance.
While the Peanut played, Little Pea showed off her favorite ornaments to Grandma and twirled to the music.
It’s been one of our big happy moments for the last couple years to have the Peanut play a concert on Christmas morning before we open any of our gifts. She is so proud of her moment in the spotlight on that special day and works hard all month long to perfect some new tunes.
She loved being able to share a preview with Grandma so early in the month. It is such a treat to have her live in our town and be able to join us for such a simple thing.
But the girls know firsthand, not everyone is lucky enough to have a grandparent live nearby. It’s been several years for them since they’ve had this luxury. As a particularly vivid reminder, Grandma lives in an apartment where there are several grandparents living far away from their own grandkids.
We make it a point to get dressed up cute and festive in our favorite Gymboree outfits before joining Grandma for Sunday brunches at her apartment’s restaurant. The sight of our cheery Christmas girls brings the biggest smiles to these lovely older folks’ faces. The girls get stopped for compliments and cooing by grandparents missing their own family and it warms my heart to know we can spread joy with such a simple thing as Little Pea twirling in her Rudolph sweater dress down the halls of the apartment.
Every year I stock up on cozy and cute Christmas Gymboree pieces and the girls wear them all month long. They’re happy because they’re comfy and I’m happy because it makes our holiday photos look fantastic no matter what simple thing we’re up to.
Gymboree wants to help you and your family enjoy your own One Big Happy moment this holiday season.
To help get your season started right, Gymboree is giving away a $75 gift card to one of my lucky readers. Check out the details for entering here:
While you’re waiting to hear if you won, you and the kids can get started with one of our 10 tips for including grandparents in your holiday traditions. Check out the full list below!
If you’re lucky enough to have a grandparent living close by, here are 5 of our favorite traditions to do with Grandma:
- Have an annual tree ornament shopping day with lunch out at a restaurant
- Help grandma bake your favorite holiday treats
- Host a holiday music concert for Grandma: the kids can sing, dance, lip sync, or play an instrument!
- Pop a big bowl of popcorn and watch Grandma’s favorite classic Christmas movie
- Make homemade ornaments as a special surprise gift for Grandma’s tree
If you’re not lucky enough to have a grandparent living close by, try one of these 5 ideas instead:
- Find a local independent living center that might host holiday events for residents. Grandma’s apartment has local piano students come play concerts. The residents there are less intimidating to small kids than nursing homes because everyone is in relatively excellent health making it a better option for young families.
- Have the kids draw special pictures for grandparents that live out of town and mail them with your holiday cards.
- Call grandparents and have a virtual caroling session with the kids over the phone.
- Make homemade photo ornaments of the kids for your grandparents’ tree.
- Call grandma and ask her to tell the kids her favorite memory of Christmas from when she was their age in lieu of a bedtime story.
This post is sponsored by Gymboree. All thoughts and opinions are our own.
Kelly says
I love the concert idea!! I will have to steal that one!
Angie says
I always have my son draw pictures to send to Grandpa and Grandma. He loves seeing his artwork on the fridge when we go visit!
Stefanie McLaughlin says
I love dressing my boys up for church!
Chrissy says
I’d dress up all four girls to go see Santa!!!
Eskai says
I love Gymboree’s Christmas pjs! Every Christmas Eve they get a new pair of pjs to wear 🙂
Heidi Peters says
We are looking forward to our #OneBigHappy Christmas morning in Gymboree jammies (aren’t those gnomes the cutest?) Love the idea of Christmas caroling over the phone. Grammi will LOVE doing that with the kids. Perhaps FaceTime!
Kim Vij says
Christmas Day photos with our new clothes from usually Gymboree is a tradition in our family by the pine tree that keeps growing taller in taller in our yard each year.
Jenni says
Christmas Day photos would be so much cuter in nice. sorta matching dresses/shirts for my kids!! Or some new pj’s for Christmas Eve!!
Elizabeth says
My son has a new gymboree outfit for his Santa picture!
Rochel S says
For our Chanukah party!
Jennifer says
I would love this it would help us out so much, We have a 4th Birthday coming up before christmas any help would be truly appreciated!
Janine Kloiber says
I love their PJs
Lena says
We take my daughter and some of her friends caroling at a local nursing home for Girl Scouts. Of course I want her to look her best and super festive. Therefore, Gymboree will be what she is wearing this year.
Christine T says
I would dress my son up to meet his baby brother for the first time! He is very excited to meet him this month! 🙂
Whitney says
FAMILY PICTURES!! We always put the kids in Gymboree clothes for our family pictures and they turn out the best. The kids are stylish and comfortable. Thanks for the great giveaway!!
Tiffany Parkin says
I love having everyone wearing new Gymboree Pj’s for Christmas morning
Karen W says
Family pictures! And we LOVE Gymboree!
Monica says
My little guy really needs some new PJ’s and I love the quality and look of Gymboree, would love these for Christmas morning.
Deanna says
I would to dress my girls in Gymboree pjs for Christmas morning.
Jennifer says
I love Gymboree and with 2 children who are tiny, I find Gymboree clothes with their adjustable waists perfect for my kids. And they keep them looking little! A big happy event that I would love new outfits for is a new family picture.
Gina M (Wild Orchid) says
I want to dress up my son for our yearly family pictures!
Entered the Rafflecopter as “Wild Orchid”
Thanks for the chance to win!
wildorchid985 AT gmail DOT com
shelly peterson says
Our One Big Happy moment would be dressing the kids in Gymboree jammies for Christmas morning .