Holiday Bucket List – Part I

Posted By: Katelyn/ 0 Comments/ Under: Parenting

A couple years back, Blake and I decided to scrap giving eachother Christmas presents and focus on enjoying the holiday season together. Sometimes, I can get caught up in gifting and making wishlists and forget that the holidays should be about spending time with family and friends.

When BB came around, the holidays took on a whole new meaning. I am that mom that gets way too emotional for milestones and I could not get through a holiday activity last year without getting weepy about it being BB’s first Christmas.

This year the holidays are even more fun because BB kind of gets it! She is constantly pointing at the decorations all over the city and saying “oh oh ohhhhh.” Santa is “ho ho” and she puts her tiny hands on her belly and giggles because his belly “shakes like a bowl full of jelly.” I need this holiday season to slow down so I can soak it all in, or I am going to blink and it will be December 25. The holidays can be so busy and hectic that one day just rushes in to the next one. So, I need to make an effort to make every single day count.

Enter, the Holiday Bucket list. Blake and I love making bucket lists. Well, I love making them and Blake is a good sport and plays along with me. We make them for any reason we can come up with. And possibly my favorite all year is the Holiday Bucket list. This year, we have two. Part I is with BB and Part II is the adult version. So, here is Part I…

(1)

Zoo Lights: Lincoln Park Zoo, which has free admissions, sets up the most amazing Christmas light display in December. We have gone every year we have lived in the city but I CANNOT wait to see BB’s eyes light up under the twinkling lights!

(2)

Bake Cookies: we did this last week with BB and she had soooo much fun. I set up a little cooking station for her where she could watch me making the cookies and assist. She had her own “dough” without eggs (in case she tried to sneak a bite, which she of course did). We will definitely be doing it again before Christmas.

(3)

Ice Skating + Millennium Park Christmas Tree: tip, skip the overcrowded, tiny ice rink on Michigan Avenue and venture a little further into Millennium Park for the ribbon. It is a skating path and way more fun than the basic rink! This is going to be BB’s first time on ice skates!

(4)

Butch McGuire’s: checked this off the list today! If your child loves trains, this is the place for you. There is a train track circling the bar with two trains circling constantly. Endless entertainment.

(5)

Arts + Crafts: BB is at the age where she finally enjoys sitting in one place and coloring. We are going to step up our arts + crafts game and do some holiday crafts! I am thinking DIY ornaments + presents for the grandparents.

(6)

Santa: obviously. Last year we met Santa at Monica and Andy’s on Halsted and it was so nice! They have a professional photographer who sends you pics, the store is clean and cute, and the line was not outrageous. This year it is Sunday, December 17th at 10:00am.

(7)

Christmas Around the World: this is at the Museum of Science and Industry and I have wanted to go for years. This is the year! They have 50 decorated Christmas trees representing the different holiday traditions around the world.

(8)

The Polar Express in 3D: every year, the Shedd Aquarium shows the Polar Express in 3D on select dates in December. I have always wanted to go but never made it. This year, I think BB would actually enjoy it.

(9)

Wonderland Express at the Botanical Gardens: like I’ve said, BB is OBSESSED with trains. So anything train + holiday related, it’s on our list. The Botanical Gardens sets up toy trains that wind their way through plant displays. Sounds amazing for mama + mini.

(10)

Christmas movie night: Out of sheer necessity, BB watched Moana twice (once on an airplane and once when Blake’s flight was cancelled and I was hosting a baby shower), and that is the extent of her TV exposure. But she LOVED it. So, I thought we could break our no TV rule and have a special Christmas movie night. Set up a picnic at home, snuggle up on the couch with some hot cocoa and watch her very first Christmas movie. Any suggestions for a good holiday movie for a toddler?

xoxo

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

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