With Christmas a week from today and Hanukkah starting in two nights, it’s the perfect time to give you all my holiday photo checklist. Just like at Halloween, I make a list of photos I HAVE to get. This really comes in handy on Christmas – things are so hectic with the multitudes of family and “This toy needs batteries!” and champagne that I would definitely forget shots if I didn’t have a list.
1. The decorations – My mom has the most amazing Christmas displays. Every room has something special from her childhood or mine, and she spends days putting it all together. Yet, I have NO pictures of any of them! This year I will change that.
2. A new or special ornament – My parents get a new ornament every year to represent something that happened in that calendar year. Mike and I started this tradition in 2005, when we moved in together.
3. Christmas Jammies – Mike’s family gets a new set of Christmas pajamas on Christmas eve. We’ve started that tradition with our kids, too.
4. The pile of presents – I blame the grandparents for these piles.
5. Opening Presents – This is especially important because it really forces me to stop and see the joy on people’s faces – especially as Annie and my nephews and niece get older.
6. Playing with new toys – Annie has a big present from Santa coming this year and I cannot wait to get pictures of her playing with it.
7. Special/Traditional foods – Food is a big deal in our family, and Christmas day is no exception. When my aunt hosts Christmas she always makes something funny/special.
8. A family photo – This is a tradition that I plan on continuing, but with a few tweaks – I want to get all the cousins together, a big extended family picture, and Annie with her grandparents.
9. The lights – I have five different places in my house with Christmas lights up. I love how twinkly and magical they are. Later this week we’ll take Annie for a drive to look at the houses in our neighborhood – a tradition that goes back to my childhood.
Definitely check out this adorable Handmade Holidays book – so many great ideas!
What are your must-take photos?
Michelle says:
I love that last picture of Annie and the tree! I just got a new camera an I am trying to figure out the right settings to perfectly capture the lights!
Heather says:
Play around with your settings! It helps to put your camera on a sturdy surface (like a tripod or table) when you’re taking pictures of lights!
Bella says:
Will you be checking out CandyCane Lane?
jenny says:
Our tradition includes an ornament for our son which expresses his interest or where we went that year plus a photo ornament with Santa. I love seeing all of the photo ornaments – so much change each year!
My son picked out his own ornament at Disney World this year.
Rebecca says:
I used to put the tree up while the kids took a nap and I’d get a photo of the kids faces when they saw the tree for the first time every year. Priceless~
Also, photos of the kids on Christmas morning (crazy bed head and all) as they walk into the living room where the presents Santa left are waiting.
Rebecca says:
…AND! a photo of the kids putting out milk and cookies for Santa by the fireplace. (and carrots for the reindeer)
Another Mama says:
LOVE Christmas “tradition” photos! Another favorite, besides all these fabulous ideas, is kids in the wrapping paper of Christmas morning. All the color and messiness of it makes a fun shot!
Merry Christmas Spohrs! Another wonderful year of great blog reading!
Lissa says:
There are (it feels like) DOZENS of family pictures on both sides of my family….every imaginable combo! Each individual mom/dad w/ kids, grandparents, grandparents with their kids, grandparents with the grandkids, cousin groups, everyone all together. It seems like it takes forever but so nice to have each year and see as the family grows and gets older.
My favorite pictures from Christmas that I plan on continuing when i have my own family are the oh-so-classy “Score” picture. A pic of each child with their present haul once everything is opened. Totally a celebration of commercialism, but it is actually really fun to look back on and remember everything that you got and what year. Also helpful for the writing of thank-you cards.
Lisa F. says:
I LOVE that Maddie and Annie are making the same gestures with their hands in the in-front-of-the-tree photos. So sweet!
Glenda says:
It’s funny that you have this list and as I’m reading I’m saying to myself “do that” all of them! Love adding to our collection every year. It’s 4 of us plus 2 furries and we get new ornaments x6 every year. I love, love my tree with all of the ornaments. Every year we take a fam pic by the tree and the furries too Xmas PJ’s a must, and I always take pics of the ornaments and lights. Definitely opening the presents to capture the expressions, and food and desserts… that’s a must as well. Christmas morning all in our PJ’s, opening presents and then always a picture of the mess with all of the gifts and paper around our living room/ tree.
Thanks for sharing your pictures but especially for sharing your two precious girls.
Merry Xmas to you and your family!