Tag Archives: tradition

The Toddler and the Tree

One thing that may be on your mind at this time of year is whether or not to have a Christmas tree. Christmas trees are irresistible to toddlers, with all of the shiny ornaments and twinkling lights just begging to be touched. Toddlers can easily knock a tree over, break ornaments and get cut, or get tangled in cords from the lights. Since Christmas trees can pose a danger to your toddler, you are wise to consider whether or not to have one in your home. For Dylan’s first Christmas, he was a month old. He was always either asleep … Continue reading →

What’s Your Family’s New Year’s Eve Tradition?

Holiday traditions are an excellent way to make and keep connections with the other members of your family. Many people turn on the TV, catch the countdown, and watch the ball drop in Times Square. A lot of people will always spend New Year’s Eve surrounded by crowds at a large gathering. Does your family have a traditional way to celebrate on New Year’s Eve? It’s fairly common to make New Year’s Resolutions on December 31, or January 1, and some family traditions include telling people what your resolutions for the new year will be. If you, and a few … Continue reading →

Cinco de Mayo Fun

Who cares if Cinco de Mayo isn’t an American holiday? Look at it as another way to have fun with your friends and family. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the occasion, you might be interested to know that Cinco de Mayo is not Mexican Independence Day. Many people mistaken the holiday as such, but actually, Cinco de Mayo originates from the day that the Mexican army defeated French forces in The Battle of Puebla. The first Cinco de Mayo celebration took place in the United States in 1967 when a group of California State University students realized … Continue reading →

April and the Dragon Lady – Lensey Namioka

It’s Literacy Month! But it’s always Literacy Month at the Pinkston house – we’re all obsessed with books, even my two-year-old. One of my favorite library finds this last week was young adult novel “April and the Dragon Lady,” by author Lensey Namioka. April is the teenaged daughter of Chinese American parents. She lives with her father, her brother, and her aging grandmother, her own mother having passed away some years before. Because April is the daughter, traditionally the care of the house and of her grandmother falls to her, and she doesn’t think to question it. Her brother, Harry, … Continue reading →

What’s Wrong With a Little Tradition?

Everything seems to be about progress, progress, progress! As a parent, I am constantly hearing from kids that things are “old school” or old-fashioned. Now, I like to think I’m as forward-thinking and progressive as the next forty-year-old, but what’s so wrong with a little tradition, that’s what I would like to know?! I think there are some things that just never go out of style–good manners, nice tablecloths, after-dinner dessert, Sunday afternoon walks–I’m actually a little sad that things like gloves and hats have gone out of style (although I wouldn’t go so far as to advocate for corsets … Continue reading →

Family Tradition : Sheet Notes

Here’s a fun birthday tradition to create that I ran across in, 365 Ways To Help Your Children Grow, by Shelia Ellison and Barbara Ann Barnett. It’s called Sheet of Notes. What you do is buy a large white bed sheet that you will use as the tablecloth at a birthday party. Next, place a piece of plastic underneath it. Place permanent markers around the table and have guests write a personal note to the birthday person. Have them date their note and use the sheet each year on that person’s birthday. This would be a great memento for your … Continue reading →

Using Secular Tradition to Glorify God: Christmas

The Christmas holiday is a favorite for so many. I love visiting the mall and smelling the cinnamon potpourri and seeing the beautifully lit wreaths. I enjoy hearing the instrumental melodies declaring the birth of our Savior, but sadly no words are sung out of concern for “offending” others. I love the tastes of the season; pumpkin pie, gingerbread lattes, eggnog… While there are so many things that make this time of year special, we ought not to forget what Christmas should really be about for a Christian. If you’ve read some of my other blogs (please visit the links … Continue reading →

Home For The Holidays: A Family Tradition That Helps Our Troops

What’s your family’s favorite holiday tradition? I told you about some of ours in a previous blog, and I also provided some ideas in case you were looking to add a few new ones to your holiday repitoie. For many families a favorite holiday tradition is simply slowing down long enough to bake up a batch of cookies. It can be especially fun and productive when you allow your kids take the reigns in the decorating department. You may be surprised at how much children can learn participating in a simple task such as baking cookies. For instance, think about … Continue reading →

First Christmas as a Couple? Here’s an Idea!

Newly married couples have the added joy of another first when they spend their first Christmas together. There’s no better time to begin wonderful holiday traditions that you can carry with you throughout your life together. Here’s an idea, I you might like: Okay, I can’t take credit for this one, because it was my mom who came up with it. I loved the idea when I was newly married, and I still do, so I wanted to share it with you. Well, actually, I’ll share it and add a little twist. My mom started giving my husband and I … Continue reading →

Do Something Different this Thanksgiving

Maybe you are the type of person that prefers not to be bound by tradition. Maybe you like to keeps things fresh and different all year long, including during the holiday season. There is nothing wrong with that. While I do stick to some particular traditions because they are things that my family would miss if I didn’t, I still like to add a few new changes here and there. That may mean adding different foods to the menu or preparing certain items differently on occasion. It may also mean changing the time we generally eat dinner from later in … Continue reading →