Holidays - Eventful Magazine!

By Jamie Imperati
It always amazes me how
so many families have
such diverse holiday traditions.
My children are only
two and three years old, and I
have already started my own
traditions with them. Sure
I have carried on traditions
that my parents started with
me and my sister, but it is nice
to start your own. Th is year,
I will be buying the “Elf on a
Shelf ” book and doll to share
with my children. I know a
few families who do this and
the kids love getting up each
morning and fi nding the elf
hidden in their house.
When I was young, my sister and I wrote letters
to Santa and we left cookies and milk for Santa
on Christmas Eve. My favorite part of Christmas
morning was unwrapping the stocking stuff ers
and the smallest gift s always made me happy.
Some families have traditions based on food.
For example, Italian families have seafood on
Christmas Eve and some celebrate by preparing
seven diff erent fi sh dishes. For my family, a tradition
was dessert. My mom made the greatest
cream puff s and chocolate pudding pie!
Decorating the tree is lots of fun for my children!
Growing up, my father always brought
home a huge tree. We would listen to Christmas
carols while going through boxes of ornaments
and reminisce about where each one came from.
My mom saved everything, and we had ornaments
from nursery school and Kindergarten
hanging on our tree until I was well into my twenties,
lol.
Watching holiday movies is another great tradition
and I will confess I like the Chevy Chase
“Christmas Vacation” movie. My kids on the other
hand had me watching “Frosty the Snowman”
everyday last year!
A special tradition I have started for my kids
is to buy a book and write little notes in it about
what is going on at this point in their lives. I date it
and each holiday we take out the books and read.
A fun craft to do with kids is to make our own
wrapping paper and gift labels. You can buy rolls
of brown kraft paper at your local store and have
the kids decorate it with stamps, stickers, markers,
crayons, etc. Each gift you wrap will have that
extra special touch! You can also make your own
gift labels with plain white labels and have the
kids decorate them as well.
Taking a family holiday portrait is a big tradi-
Happy Holiday Guide
Holiday Traditions ucts
tion for me. I love professional
photographs of my kids
and schedule their sittings
well in advance to be sure my
cards hit the mail in early December.
Th is way, family and
friends can enjoy our picture
for the entire holiday season.
I reached out to a bunch
of friends on Facebook and
solicited their family holiday
traditions and here are some
favorites:
Cutting down a tree together
- kids are now 21 and
24 and we still do it!
Making wreaths out of
pine cone branches from the
back yard, adding garnishes like red bows, small
decorations, etc.
Caroling with my local Girl Scouts.
Our Christmas Eve family tradition that
my mother started when I was born that I now
do with my daughter is opening one present on
Christmas Eve which is a pair of red Christmas
pajamas.
Since family is spread across the USA, every
year I give an ornament to all the kids (nieces,
nephews and their children - and, of course,
mine). As they grow up and venture on their
own they take their ornaments with them to start
their own tree. My daughter’s fi rst tree had 25+
ornaments from her childhood. Nice memories
to have each year as they
decorate the tree.
From our family to
yours have a wonderful
holiday season!
Jamie Imperati is a
Mompreneur and owner
of www.whatandwhen4kids.com
and Professional
Women of Putnam and
mom to AJ, 3 and Th omas
2. Along with her
husband Anthony, and
their boys, they reside in
Mahopac. Established
in 2008, www.whatandwhen4kids.com
serves
as an online calendar of
events and activities for
kids of all ages in Westchester,
Putnam and the
Hudson Valley. n
Holiday Shopping, Con’t
include candles, scarves, hand bags,
soaps and so much more; (845-270-0900).
If hand-carft ed items can put a smile on
someone’s face this holiday, also check out
Unique Designs, a home-based business
who creates custom gift baskets that are
sculpted for any recipient and whithin your
budget. Plus they off er clothing, jewelry and
other fun items; (914)-707-0192.
A & H Jewelry can be a great solution when
looking for a unique gift for someone special.
Th eir hand made jewelry off ers one-of-a-kind
designs to match any outfi t or season. Matching
pieces can be order for any groups, such
as bridal parties or families; (845-225-0601).
If You're Looking for Something
A Little More Specific...
Many of our loved ones seek more specialty
items and who better than to provide such
items than our local specialty stores:
If you’re looking for a gift for a musician,
Radovich and Dean Music at 56 Gleneida
Avenue in Carmel is a full-line music store
that carries instruments, music and collectibles.
Th ey also off er lessons and repair; (845-
225-4515). Walking on Roses off ers unique
and customized hand made shoes, pouches,
totes and more. Th ey are located in Mahopac
and for shopping ease, orders can be placed
online at www.walkingonroses.com; (845-
494-8290).
If someone you know is battling cancer,
Continued on Page 11
Fine Shopping a Few Doors Away
Mikasa Crystal s HOBO International
Ed Hardy s Spanx s Godiva Chocolate & More
Bella Rose Boutique
845-276-5044
Lakeview Plaza, 1511 Route 22, Brewster
10 Eventful Magazine - December 2010