Dec 11

it’s that time of year

A little bit ago I touched on the idea of tradition and with Christmas at our heels, there’s really no escaping this notion… our annual customs around this time are the true essence of what the holiday truly signifies. I think back to my holiday childhood memories, to those moments that made it memorable and the underlying themes are the same… togetherness and innocence. for this reason, my inherent drive to create special memories with my little Lola during this time of year has dictated our outings for the last few weeks.

I remember last year Sofia did not have a clue what was going on around her when the tree went up and although this year it took over a week to actually finish trimming ours (due to hectic schedules and the unforeseen happenings of life with a toddler), she saw it happen from beginning to end (and I want to believe she understands that there’s something special about this). Seeing how a baby-friendly tree made the most sense for us this year, we opted for some felt and cloth ornaments which she loved to help stuff into the tree. to help keep her little palms from rearranging the tree decorations, I thought it was a good idea to hand over the task of helping me light the tree daily (it’s amazing how proud and happy she is to complete the job). Also, we found the coolest wooden nativity set for her to play with and this sits at the base of the tree… it’s something special for us; plus, she can always touch it.

While I know there are some that don’t agree with the early onslaught of Christmas decor, this lady loves indulging in the spirit so, we have been busy with holiday activities since last month. Here are some highlights that we recommend:

Check out the record breaking Gingerbread Lane at the NY Hall of Science. if this endless village of icing and gumdrops doesn’t impress your tot, you can stay to explore some science fun. visiting Santa has changed quite a lot since my youthful days. Like last year, we booked a flight to Ridge Hill’s Adventure to Santa which included a cool sleigh ride to the North Pole and though it was not a brand-new experience for us, it definitely seemed new for Sofia. She truly enjoyed it… well, til we met the big guy but, that’s another story (one that might resonate with many other toddler parents, I’m sure). There are so many events that have been going on around the city and last month, we got to check out Winter’s Eve in the Columbus Circle/Lincoln Center area. Since it was quite the chilly night, we opted to hang out inside the Shops at Columbus Circle and got the little one’s face painted and although we thought she might not want to, she decided she was open to a little pampering. she loved the beautiful holiday decor too… especially the bright, hanging stars.

While I know the holidays are a busy, busy time, don’t forget to indulge in the little special moments… they will be the ones that resonate. enjoy the holiday shopping, my little Lola surely does.

xoxo