11.26.2014

Our Holiday Card And A (Stellar) Minted Giveaway


Among my very favorite family holiday traditions is the one wherein I torture my brood through the creation of our annual Christmas card. Friends, it's not pretty... To steal my sentiments from last year:

"The Taylor crew doesn't really take family photos. It's not that we're against them per se; it's that we, for lack of a more eloquent word, suck at them.

In addition to agonizing over a sartorial strategy, there's consternation (Bryan, due to the fact that I never tell him about the pics until the very last minute), crying jags (Audrey...ok, and me too), Swearing (me, sadly), and bickering (everyone). Suffice to say, it is a (very) bad scene."

Need more proof? See: 201320122011, and 2010.


So this year, in an attempt to avoid the angst, I'm taking the easy route and using a photo from, wait for it, almost a year ago (the girlies goofing around at Les Puces de Saint-Ouen last December). Oh and I didn't show it to a single immediate family member until I hit the order button. I'm going rogue here people, and dang it feels good.

Now it's your turn to get in on the holiday card action.

The amazing and generous peeps at Minted have offered up $500 worth of holiday card goodness to one of my lovely readers. Just leave a comment on this post sharing your favorite holiday tradition by midnight on Monday, December 1st, and I'll announce the winner the next day.

Have fun, and happy Thanksgiving.

53 comments:

Beth said...

It's our first year together as a family with a new baby- we're looking forward to coming up with traditions- we don't have any!

Unknown said...

We love taking our kids to breakfast with Santa every year.

H J said...

Advent calendar, Christmas pajamas and we only buy the tree on Christmas Eve (just because we are lazy, but if I say it is a tradition, that makes it okay, right?)
Paula
pa_north at hotmail.com

Debra C said...

Reading The Night Before Christmas to my children on Christmas Eve and now to the grands from the same book. chedeb5353@hotmail.com

Unknown said...

christmas eve mass

Mrs. Gruss said...

Christmas morning brunch at my parents is a favorite! Thanks!

Simply Marilla said...

I think my favorite things is spending Christmas morning eating my Mom's homemade cinnamon rolls while my Dad passes out the stockings.

Unknown said...

we spend xmas eve with my side of the family and the kids open all of their gifts along with the cousins, aunts, uncle etc... Santa inevitably makes his rounds on the fire truck there that night as well which is always a highlight of the evening for them.

Anonymous said...

My favorite holiday tradition is when my husband, my two brothers, and my 5 brother in laws do the mountains of dishes after Christmas dinner.

christa said...

Mmmmm baked grapefruit on Christmas morning.

One Little Star said...

Creme brule french toast on Christmas morning!

Jeannie said...

My boys love the advent calendar. I try to make a unique one each year. Thanks for the giveaway!

Marie Hines said...

My family makes homemade sugar cookies together every year, then all sit around the table with colored frosting and decorate them! They are absolutely delicious, and we save them for just once a year- so wonderful!

Unknown said...

It's probably one of the few times of year the family gets together in one place and that's my favorite part :-). All the traditional food is a close second though, not going to lie!

Lea Anna said...

Christmas morning breakfast. We always make waffles!

Heidi Reads... said...

I love reading the Nativity story with my daughters!

Copilotwife said...

My favorite tradition is decorating the tree to the music of the Nutcracker. We dance, have a little wine, and the tree comes together eventually but we have so much fun in the process.

Dara said...

Making homemade wrapping paper.

Rebekah said...

Watching Christmas movies snuggled up on the couch with a fire in the fireplace.....

dbloren said...

This year we are starting the tradition of going to the Nutcracker with my daughter. I have waiting so long for this, I went every year as child, and can't wait to share it with her. So magical!

The Smart Savvy Mama said...

My favorite holiday tradition is decorating the Christmas tree together as a family, while listening to Christmas music and then baking cookies together! Julie smartsavvymama@gmail.com

Annie said...

The long-distance phone calls with far away family and friends. yes.thisisperfect@gmail.com

Unknown said...

I love the Holiday season! My husband and I got married right after Christmas and we love that time of year. My favorite traditions and memories were cooking with my mom. I also love decorating with family and sharing memories with nieces, nephews, and cousins! Thanks so much

KB said...

My favorite Holiday traditions are volunteering with friends and family. We usually volunteer at a food bank, fundraise for toys for tots and do what we can in our community. It is a special tradition we try to do all year round and during the Holiday season.

Alison said...

Getting hot chocolate and going to the Christmas tree lot! Then we name the tree and write the name and year on an ornament in paint pen. It's fun to look back on past years when decorating the new tree :)

Nina H said...

We love pajamas and stockings on Christmas morning

Jessica Clare said...

Watching the Family Stone with some wine and my love :)

erin marie said...

Watching the original Grinch Who Stole Christmas movie with the kids, staying up too late Christmas Eve and wrapping gifts, Christmas morning breakfast!

StyleStache said...

My favorite Holiday tradition is going as a family to cut down our Christmas Tree! Happy Holidays!

Unknown said...

We celebrate xmas on Christmas eve and then do Santa gifts Christmas morning. In the afternoon and evening we celebrate my DD's birthday

Katherine said...

Christmas Eve at the botanical gardens. A relatively new tradition but one that is absolutely lovely!

NLR said...

Getting the kids buckled into the car with hot chocolate and driving to all the elaborate light displays in our area. We then pick up a deep dish pizza on the way home. Simple but it has become a favorite!

Meegan said...

I love making holiday cookies with my mom and sister!

momandsons said...

A moon light solstice ski with my family is one of my favorite holiday activities.

Lauren S said...

christmas potatoes! we drive around looking for the best decorated houses and gift christmas potatoes to the winners. (a christmas potato is a wrapped potato with a christmas poem attached). we've actually been written up in the austin american statesman!

stephschneider said...

Its our first Christmas as a new family - we got married in October! My favorite tradition is opening stockings with my immediate family on Christmas morning. Coffee with eggnog, a fire in the fireplace, everyone with bed head and still in their jammies, opening up our stockings - that my mom knitted many years ago - and family gifts.

Mama J said...

last year we hung mistletoe and my 4-year-old son called it "mazel toe". I'm Jewish, my husband isn't, and I loved the melding of the two cultures with his mistake, so i didn't correct him. i loved having people find themselves under the "mazel toe" and smooching throughout the holiday season. it's a tradition from now on!

Unknown said...

It's tough to choose just one favorite holiday tradition. Growing up, my sisters and I always went into the woods with our dad to find the most perfect "Charlie Brown" Christmas tree. My husband, daughter and I now go together to cut down our Christmas tree.

Spending time with family, a cozy Christmas morning spent in pyjamas, Christmas music, decorating, baking, making wrapping paper...they're all so fantastic!

Gary said...

I like driving around and looking at lights

cvjn said...

Making Christmas cookies! All from scratch and decorating them with my girls. Fun and delicious.

stephanie. said...

favorite holiday tradition is decorating gingerbread houses with my littles. (christmas card prep is a bad scene over here too. sigh.)

justine said...

In lieu of gifts (since we are all grown with babies of our own), my sisters and I enjoy a glutinous meal together during the month of December! I still think of your individual cheese plate 40th - need to incorporate that into the action in some way. Thanks for the giveaway!

Unknown said...

Decorating Christmas Cookies with my sibs!

kelly said...

my favorite holiday tradition is reminding my daughter that santa is magic and you must believe to keep the magic alive and the twinkle in your eyes.

Anonymous said...

My favorite holiday tradition is decorating sugar cookies. My family gets very competitive and our cookies always turn out to be gorgeous! But I also love sending out holiday cards ... fingers crossed :)

Eddie, Katie + Leo said...

Our favorite Christmas tradition is shopping for a tree at our little neighborhood nursery. We bring hot chocolate, look at dozens of trees, then go home and string the lights together.

Unknown said...

I love spending every day of December looking forward to the holidays - putting up lights and getting cards in the mail, drinking cocoa and holiday treats, just everything about December really.

wagonlover said...

The favorite holiday tradition is putting up our tree Thanksgiving weekend.
-Crystal

Laura said...

My favorite is painting sugar cookies with my family!

Emily said...

Watching the Sound of Music & singing along to all the songs.

Unknown said...

My husband and I exchange ornaments each year, picking out something to signify a big event from the year.
-Mallory
mallorymmyers@gmail.com

Tina Louise said...

My favorite holiday tradition is baking cookies with my daughters and their Mimi <3

Unknown said...

Love making my moms traditional Norwegian fruit soup. Sounds weird but it's yummy.