traditions

Young believers in Santa Claus know that writing a letter to the North Pole is a task worth completing when it comes to getting the gifts they want. Whether they are asking for a shiny new sled or a Zhu Zhu Pet Hamster, wee ones delight in making a lengthy list for the bearded one and his lil helpers. When the gig is up, it's entertaining to take a look back at the lists from years past. Instead of tossing them in the recycling bin, moms can store them in a secret place where they can be shared later in life. A bound book with the requested gifts may turn out to be the best gift of all! If mama's short on ideas, check out our awesome holiday gift guide!

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Thanksgiving is almost here, and it might just be my favorite holiday. Every year my family gets together for a big party at my aunt's house. I always look forward to the classic food like turkey and mashed potatoes, but I also love the dishes specific to my family, like my mom's spicy jalapeno cranberry sauce or the creamed onions made according to my grandma's recipe. After dinner, we all head to the living room hoping to beat our food comas with a spirited game of charades.

These are the traditions that I will be looking forward to all week. What Thanksgiving traditions do you enjoy?

The turkey is cooked, the gravy is steaming and the cranberries are waiting to pop. Just before families dig into their fruitful feast, they sit down to give thanks for the past year's blessings. Instead of waiting until the end of the month, start a new family tradition and have everyone start writing down things they are thankful for at the dinner table every night leading up to the festivities. Hand out a pen and piece of paper to each person. After they write (or in wee cases — dictate) have them toss the papers into one bucket to be read at the holiday family gathering. It is sure to provide a warm and fuzzy moment for everyone when weeks full of thanksgivings are read aloud at the table. Take it a step further and save the scraps in a book that can be cherished every year.

What are some of your Thanksgiving traditions? Join our The Mommy Club over in our LilSugar Community and share your tips! Here's a detailed guide to posting questions or posts to groups if you are new to the PopSugar Community.

Whether you're visiting the pumpkin patch, carving pumpkins, or trick-or-treating, most every family has some sort of Halloween tradition they follow year after year. Some do all or none of the above. As my children grow older, it is apparent that our once simple night of staying in and greeting neighborhood goblins is over and a long list of parties and candy collecting is ahead. What family traditions do you celebrate for the spooky holiday?

Do you want to dish on your family's holiday traditions? Join our The Mommy Club over in our LilSugar Community and share them! Here's a detailed guide to posting questions or posts to groups if you are new to the PopSugar Community.

It may be hard bidding camp adieu or putting all of that pool paraphernalia away, but like all good things — Summer must come to an end. In anticipation for the big first day back to school, mother may buy her child a new outfit, polish an apple for the teacher, or bake a celebratory cake for the inaugural day.

At my house, every last night of Summer ended with my sister and I laying out our outfits for the first day of school on our beds. Every detail was tended to so all we had to do was wake up, shower, and get dressed. Before we got in the car, my mother took a picture of us marking the start of each school year. I hope to keep the tradition going for my own wee ones. Do you have any first day of school rituals?

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