Embracing the Holidays: 10 Bloggers Share How They Indulge at Home

When you envision the winter holidays, you most likely picture an inviting living room with a grand Christmas tree or burning menorah, a festive meal with family and friends, or lively gift exchanges.

While holiday celebrations vary among families, traditions last a lifetime. We asked 10 bloggers to share the ways they indulge at home during the holidays. Here’s what they had to say.

Family time

Source: Michelle Bachman and Seri Kertzner of Little Miss Party Planner — Courtesy of Michelle Bachman and Seri Kertzner of Little Miss Party Planner

In addition to indulging in way too many peppermint mochas and watching “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” over and over again, I am always grateful for the time we spend together as a family. – Laura Trevey of Laura Trevey Blog

My goal is always to create wonderful family memories, and just a month or so ago I had to smile to myself when I heard my 11 year old saying to two of his siblings, “Do you guys remember how much fun we have on Chanukah? I’m really looking forward to it!” Making the extra effort to make each holiday special (and there are many Jewish holidays!) isn’t always easy, but it sure is worth it! – Sara Rivka Dahan of Creative Jewish Mom

Some of our favorite holiday traditions include crafting with our kids. We love to see their creative juices flowing, especially this time of year. There are so many amazing kid-friendly projects to do as a family, whether it’s creating homemade wrapping paper or putting together New Year’s Eve confetti poppers. – Michelle Bachman and Seri Kertzner of Little Miss Party Planner

Festive goodies

leslie-paper-daisy-me — Courtesy of Leslie of Paper Daisy Design

One of my favorite ways to indulge my family during the holidays is to create a hot chocolate station complete with their favorite treats. Taking a little extra care to have the goodies all in one spot for them to enjoy on a cold day makes it feel extra special. – Leslie of Paper Daisy Design

I love baking homemade holiday cookies with my children. We always wear matching PJs as a family and spend a day binge-watching our favorite Christmas movies. We also give gifts to all of our neighbors. – Shavonda Gardner of SG Style

Decorating a gingerbread house! We go the easy route and buy the kits from the grocery store with a few extra candies. We love to put on a good Christmas movie, and have some hot chocolate while we sneak a candy here and there. – Melanie and Steffany Hamilton of Find it Make it Love it

Decorative trees and tables

Source: Kim of Hunt & Host — Courtesy of Kim of Hunt & Host

My daughter and I have trees in most of the rooms of our home. Some are small, like a kitchen tree decorated with edible decorations. We love making crafts/keepsakes this time of year, and try to make at least one ornament each Christmas. – Jennifer Carroll of Celebrating Everyday Life

Christmas is never the same without a few of our tried-and-true, handed-down, eaten-at-every-holiday-meal recipes. This year I even took those recipes to the table in a different way by making traditional, memory-evoking placemats out of old family recipe cards. These placemats have sparked great conversation and opportunity for us to share childhood memories with our kids. They allow us to bring family to the table that can’t be there otherwise – all while stuffing ourselves silly with our favorite foods! – Kim of Hunt & Host

I always love setting a festive table and throwing a holiday party (or maybe a few). Crafting your centerpieces is always one of the best parts. Creating the giant snow globes for the table setting from my book “Picture Perfect Parties” is a great way to entertain your family during the holiday season. They make great gifts as well. – Annette of Annette Joseph Style

Wrapping and giving gifts

Source: Ashley Broviak of Little Glass Jar — Courtesy of Ashley Broviak of Little Glass Jar

One of my favorite holiday traditions that I like to indulge in is picking a theme each year to decorate my home for Christmas. This year I went with a very rustic, natural and neutral Christmas theme, and I am loving all the muted colors, rather than the traditional holiday reds. My favorite part is picking out wrapping papers that mix well with how I decorate. For this season, I went with green plaid and patterns, mixed with brown kraft paper and twine. I love the way it all turned out! – Ashley Broviak of Little Glass Jar

A few weeks before Chanukah I love to indulge myself in taking the time to crochet, knit and sew fun and useful items to give as gifts after lighting the menorah. I crochet little Chanukah gelt bags, one for each of the kids, and I stuff the bags with chocolate coins, dreidels and little prizes. This is the standard gift for the first night, and other nights I give homemade scarves, socks and mittens to keep us all warm during the winter months. – Sara Rivka Dahan of Creative Jewish Mom

Sharing holiday goodies with our friends and neighbors. Sometimes my daughter and I like to make them from scratch, like our Pecan Pie Bars. Most times I am in a hurry, and will pick up some delicious store-bought treats and wrap them with beautiful ribbons and bows. It’s such a time-saver this season! – Jennifer Carroll of Celebrating Everyday Life

Source: Annette of Annette Joseph Design — Courtesy of Deborah Whitlaw Llewellyn

Wanting to see more holiday decor? Draw inspiration from the jolliest man of all, and achieve Santa’s look in your home with these five tips.

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