Our Christmas Morning: Gifts, Family, and Simple Traditions

We treat the holidays as a time to be with friends and family and to appreciate what we have. Gifts are part of it, but people always come before things in our house. Still, we have a tradition of making a few handmade items for Clara — like the play fridge and latchboard we’ve shared before — and exchanging a few thoughtful tokens with each other.

Christmas morning started in the living room, with everything gathered near the tree so Clara could open her presents. The clear favorite was a set of play eggs — no surprise, since she had asked Santa for “eggs and ice cream.” She spent a long time playing with them in her little kitchen before we returned to the tree to see what else was waiting.

Most of the gifts under the tree were from family, since we usually exchange only a few items with each other. Clara tore into presents from relatives and found stickers, markers, clothes, Legos, and a cozy winter hat she immediately called her “pigtails” because of the long braids on the sides.

Our dog, Burger, also had a happy morning with a bag of his favorite bone treats and a few other tasty surprises. He was so excited he got out of bed early — a Christmas miracle for him.

Once the kids were distracted by their new toys, Sherry and I exchanged gifts. She noticed I needed new t-shirts, so she gave me a stack of comfy tees from a favorite shop — each with a design I loved, like Virginia, bikes, mazes, and New York. They were cozy and thoughtful, and I appreciated that she skipped the predictable tie.

Sherry has been joking about getting a tattoo, so I grabbed her a set of fun temporary tattoos to tease her. I also included a kids’ monster pack for Clara, and that turned out to be a huge hit — within minutes we were all wearing matching temporary ink and laughing at the results.

Another gift she’d mentioned was a porcelain cottage lantern, so I picked up a larger one and my sister and mom picked up two smaller matching pieces. Sherry loved them and they now sit on our mantel — a white ceramic village that adds a cozy touch to the room.

She’s also great at dropping subtle hints, so I followed one and gave her a colorful pillow from a small Etsy shop that suited her taste perfectly.

And yes, earrings made the list — a pair of large, emerald-colored stones she adored. They were bold and playful, exactly the kind of accessory she likes.

After our smaller family opening, we headed to my parents’ house for a casual lunch with extended family. More presents were opened there, and Clara’s favorite from “second Christmas” was a Make-A-Face sticker pad from her cousin Elsa. Watching the goofy faces she created quickly became one of the day’s highlights; the combinations she came up with were hilarious and totally her.

The best part of the day, as always, was time spent together. Clara enjoyed quality moments with her cousin Elsa, and we all enjoyed catching up, laughing, and relaxing after the gift frenzy.

One memorable and amusing feature of the day was my dad’s makeshift indoor playground in the garage to keep the younger kids entertained while lunch was prepared. With six children under five, it was a perfect solution — a slow slide into an empty baby pool might not be elegant, but it burned off energy and kept the chaos contained. If you picture us as ultra-classy, remember the garage playground and laugh with us.

That summed up our Christmas: simple traditions, handmade touches, a few meaningful store-bought gifts, and plenty of family time. We wrapped up the holiday with a relaxed dinner at home the following Monday, enjoying leftovers, stories, and the new trinkets scattered around the house.

How were your holidays? What did you give and receive, and did any new traditions or special family moments take shape this year?

Update: We’ve also shared a collection of favorite holiday decor finds — many budget-friendly — if you’re looking for some seasonal inspiration.