Christmas Bucket List!

I did a Christmas Bucket list last year before Henry was born because let's face it sugar plums start dancing in my head the minute my Halloween insanity comes to a close. (which is November 1st). My holiday freak flag flies high and proud this time of year and I love that I'm already wearing off on my tiny human. He was in the back seat of the car the other day and I have one of those mirrors so you can watch the baby in it, you know because we need more distraction from our everyday cruising. I had Iggy Azalea or Ariana Grande or some kind of music that was probably wildly inappropriate for kids to listen to and probably way too loud, because well, I like my music LOUD. Either way I switched it because I have music OCD most of the time and 20-40 seconds of any song is plenty unless it's a select few artists where I will listen to the whole CD start to finish. CD? Who listens to those anymore?...old timer. Anyshways, when I flipped the station to Christmas music, my little started beaming ear to ear, clapping (his new trick of approval) and bobbin his head. Such a proud mommy moment. Maybe, just maybe, I am wearing off on him already. One could only hope.

My mom was always so excited about the holidays when we were little and even now and she instilled the excitement in me and my sister from a young age. I still look forward to doing all of traditional stuff with her and I know my sister does too. I've talked about traditions before in this blog and how important I think they are for kids and families. So this year I made a bucket list again. And I'm working hard on it. I want to continue fun traditions that I had as a kid for Henry and start some new ones of our own.

So here goes:
In no particular order and I will do another post closer to Christmas with pictures of some of the things we have checked off the list with pictures. Hurray for the holidays!
3,2,1 GO!

-Crown Center to see the Mayor's Christmas tree, lights and Santa!!!! We used to go to Crown Center to see Santa every year growing up because my mom used to work at Hallmark. Just fond memories there. We always have lunch there, grab some fudge after we watch them make it at Chip's, share a limeade maybe from Topsy's, walk through Halls, go to the toy store, the nature store and the Christmas ornament store, see the EBM laughing santa and gingerbread village. Take pictures outside on the big wooden toys and such. I just can't wait to share it with Henry.
- Drive around the Plaza and see the lights, maybe a carriage ride if we can get a date night without Henry. I've always wanted to do that and just never have.
- Drive around with hot chocolate or a peppermint mocha and look at Christmas lights with Henry. He loves all kinds of lights anyway so it should be a hit.
- Make salt dough ornaments of Henry's hands and feet.
- Christmas baking day with my mom and sister.
- Go to the Christmas tree farm and pick out our tree and decorate it.
- Decorate my house for Christmas.
- Christmas shopping with peppermint mocha in hand.
- Read Christmas stories to Henry each night before bed.
- Get some cute Christmas Jammies for Henry for Christmas eve.
- Make a few cute ornaments that have been sitting in my Pinterest board for oh, I don't know, a few years now.
- Go to my grandmother's annual Christmas party.
-Go to the nutcracker (I found out this is sold out already, I'm bummed).
-I want to paint a mug, cookie platter and reindeer carrot bowl set at a pottery place that is customized to our family to keep using year after year to leave our treats for Santa on.
- Have a wrapping present party.
- Play secret Santa at work.
-Send out our super cute Christmas cards and hang all the ones we receive.
- Watch our favorite Christmas movies and share them with those who have no idea what they are missing, my second copies of White Christmas and Christmas Vacation are already on circulate at work. Bing Crosby in drag singing a Rosemary Clooney song and Chevy Chase flipping out are two life changing moments that all should have the joy of witnessing.
- Find as many ridiculously cute Christmas outfits for the nugget as I can get my hands on. I'm planning on several days of holiday old man cute in a row toward the big day itself.
- Spread some kindness and holiday cheer to others.
- Make a donation to a charity

So there it is! I would love to add to it but we will start with this. 

What traditions do you guys do each year or what is on your holiday bucket lists?