Our Favorite Christmas Tradition
If you have been here for a while, you know that we are a family that loves Christmas traditions. One tradition I started when my oldest kids were really small is matching Christmas pajamas. Every year on Christmas Eve, we would let them open one gift, and after a few years they caught on that, “oh boy, it’s the Christmas pajamas!” Last year I shared the most affordable source I had found and it’s where our pajamas came from, and I was fortunate enough to find them in sizes for all of my kids which is much more challenging when you have a teenager and a baby. However, the last couple of years my kids have humored me, put on the pajamas, and them changed because they were too hot, too uncomfortable, too… pajama like? My kids love to sleep in gym shorts. This year, I decided that I wasn’t ready to give up the tradition, but I also wanted to be more practical and give them something they would wear. I am even going to give them their gifts a little early so they get more wear out of them. What is our favorite Christmas tradition updated? Read on to see how we’re evolving. (This blog uses affiliate links.)
As you can see, last year I was able to find matching pajamas from Kohl’s with a yeti theme. Emmy was into wearing onesies at the time, and I loved that this set had the coordinating yeti outfit for her, and matching fleece for anyone else in the family. Obviously, you can just see the joy emanating from Sawyer’s face. 😉 Quite a difference from the second year.
A few years ago, I actually shared an entire post about this favored tradition, and created this graphic for it. I am sharing this out of complete self-indulgence…. these photos make me smile, laugh, and cry all at the same time.
My precious babies here are now teenagers (well, Emmy will be in January), and they really don’t want to wear the pajamas anymore and I don’t want to force it on them because I love it so much. Rather than cry over what’s lost, it’s time to embrace a new phase of life and reroute this tradition a bit. Besides, it’s getting harder to find pajamas that come in toddler and teen sizes.
This year, I decided to start the matching sweatshirt tradition! Both of my older kids love sweatshirts, and I knew I could find them something funny, and find Wilder a coordinating shirt. He’s not an exact match, but that’s OK. I am still waiting for them to arrive, but this is what I selected:
I found SOOOO many amazing sweatshirts on etsy and it came down to this one, and the gingerbread one I ended up getting. I chose the gingerbread one because Chris and I both loved it and felt like it was pretty funny, but clean. I also was able to find something for the littlest Bustamante that would coordinate well. This sweatshirt came in several color choices, so each of the older kids are getting a different color, and even mama broke down and bought one for herself. I can’t wait to get a picture with them. It might be more embarrassing than the pajamas now that mom is matching, too!
As for Wilder, this sweatshirt only came in adult sizes, but I found him an adorable thermal onesie at OshKosh with the same saying. Isn’t it adorable?
Big Bustamante kids, Merry Christmas to you… you no longer have to wear the matching pajamas mom forces you into every year. Nope, because this year, you are getting matching sweatshirts and you’re gonna match your mother, too. She’s going to make you take lots of group selfies. You’re very welcome.
Do you have any traditions your kids begrudgingly partake in for you? Have you altered any of yours to fit your family better as time has gone on? I would love to hear about your traditions in the comments! And don’t worry- will be sure to post photos of all of us matching. My kids are going to love that. 😉