Mama.Papa.Bubba. -
Menu
Skip to content
  • SHOP
  • preemie
  • baby
  • play
  • craft
  • learn
  • cook
  • DIY
  • kuwait
  • vancouver
  • contact
  • about

Tag Archives: Christmas traditions

A Yearly Tradition: A Polar Express Viewing Party With Friends

12 / 13 / 141 / 12 / 15

IMG 6511

This morning Miss G woke up to discover a jingle bell on a red satin ribbon and this little note in her snowman advent calendar.  She was beyond excited.

Read More

Leave a comment

Printable Advent Calendar Activity Cards

12 / 1 / 1412 / 13 / 14

Printable Advent Calendar Activity Cards | Mama Papa Bubba

Like the last minute mama I can often be, last night I whipped up a several pages worth of activity cards to fill Miss G’s advent calendar with. {Ahem… How’d you sneak up so quickly, Mr. December?!}  Last year, I wrote the activity cards out by hand each night before going to bed, but getting them all done in one go and having a bank to choose from come midnight each night sounded like a nice change this time around.

Read More

23 Comments

Christmas Day {2012}

12 / 25 / 121 / 6 / 13

IMG 3943Our Christmas was lovely this year.  We awoke to our usual morning call –  “Mama, Mama!  All done! All done!  Grae Grae had a nice sleeeeep”, had a little family snuggle in bed, and made our way into the living room so that Miss G could open the little gifts in her stocking.  It was filled to the brim with bath fizzies, miniature kitchen utensils, wooden stamps, a couple of little clothing items, an owl puppet, and some of her very favourite nuts and treats.  Grae opened the tiny packages carefully, admiring each before moving on…  She was thrilled with all of her new goodies.

IMG 3946With her stocking opened, we took a little present break and made a big Christmas breakfast together.  

IMG 3949Brad and Gracen’s jobs?  Playing with our freshly made gingerbread play dough and entertaining the crowd.

IMG 3950With breakfast eaten and cleaned up, we gathered back around the tree for our gift exchange.  Gracen opened  her gifts (plus helped everyone else open their’s) and spent a few minutes investigating each, before thanking the gifter and moving onto a new package.

IMG 3964She was hugely spoiled with new clothes {these little black boots included}, games, puzzles, a doll stroller, and wooden kitchen accessories, as well as this giant dress-up kit filled with all kinds of costumes and accessories.

IMG 3968After a lazy rest of the morning and early afternoon {plus a good nap for Miss G}, we all got dressed and ready for the big Ogasawara family Christmas dinner. 

IMG 3971My mom  and Rorie were able to come out and join us, which Gracen loved.  She toured around the house showing Grandma Sue the gifts she’d opened earlier in the day and then settled in to play with her gingerbread play dough again.

IMG 8421As usual, christmas dinner was absolutely delicious.  Gracen’s favourites included the turkey and rosemary smashed potatoes.

IMG 3981Afterwards, us adults visited with full bellies and glasses of wine while Grae snuck in a few last minutes with two of her very favourite new things – a vintage doll from Grandma Sue and a stroller to push her around in from Grandma Charlotte.

It was a good day.  And only the start to our special days with family this holiday season…

Merry Christmas from our family to yours.

♥

 
Leave a comment

A Christmas Eve Tradition

12 / 24 / 1211 / 7 / 13

Christmas Eve was always special for me growing up.  We usually spent it at my Grandma and Grandpa Routhier’s house with all of our cousins and did Christmas dinner, mass, and our big gift exchange that very same night.  It was the one night of the year when my brother and I got to stay up as late as we wanted and eat all the treats (including pop – gasp!) without having to ask our mom first. I don’t know whether it’s true or not, but we always said that we celebrated on Christmas Eve because we were French.

While Brad’s family does the classic Christmas Day celebration, we’ve held onto a tiny piece of my childhood Christmas Eve tradition with a little gift opening for Miss G on the night of the 24th.  Each year, she gets two small gifts to open – one a new pair of Christmas jammies, and the second, a special Christmas book to add to her collection.

IMG 3924

IMG 3928

IMG 3933

IMG 3934

Tonight Grae opened candy cane-striped footie jammies (her favourite) and a hardcover copy of  A Porcupine in a Pine Tree: A Canadian 12 Days of Christmas under the glow of the Christmas tree.  After a warm bubble bath, we read her new book as a family and tucked our little candycane-striped girl into bed for the evening.

♥

Keep up with all the Mama.Papa.Bubba. fun, like us on Facebook here and find us on Instagram here. 

 

3 Comments

A Gingerbread House for Grae

12 / 24 / 1211 / 24 / 13

Grandma Charlotte and Auntie Judy have had plans for a gingerbread house decorating afternoon in the works for several weeks now.  While Auntie Judy took charge of making the gingerbread pieces and assembling the house, Grandma Charlotte collected all kinds of {healthier} decorations so that Miss G could decorate and snack a little along the way too.

With all of the prep work already done, today, we popped over to Auntie Judy’s house {conveniently located just down the farm’s lane way} to let Miss G decorate her first ever gingerbread house.

IMG 3888

After Auntie Judy whipped up a quick batch of frosting, Gracen got started with ‘painting’ the icing onto the house using a popsicle stick.

IMG 3890

Her decorations included all kinds of dried fruit and nuts, as well as sesame sticks and breadsticks, and while not the most traditional of decorations, Grae didn’t mind one bit.

IMG 3894

She completely covered the roof and two sides of the house, then decided that doors and windows were required on the front and back.

IMG 3897

Afterwards, with the help of Papa, a fence was added to the backyard.

IMG 3908

Tadaaa!  The finished product.

♥

Keep up with all the Mama.Papa.Bubba. fun, like us on Facebook here and find us on Instagram here. 

2 Comments

Stanley Park Bright Nights

12 / 17 / 1212 / 25 / 12

Today my little lady and I headed down to Stanley Park for our second year at Bright Nights.  Last year, Miss G was just a tiny little thing still riding around in the Ergo, but this year was a whole new ballgame.  She rode the train and pointed out things with one hand while holding my hand with the other, she cruised around the displays taking in the lights, she made friends with the Frosty the Snowman mascots that were strolling around the park, and enjoyed a warm milk and a bag of popcorn as a special treat.

Here’s our evening in photos…

IMG 3633All aboard!

IMG 3636Beautiful light displays.

IMG 3644Through the tunnel.

IMG 3652Chillin’ with Frosty.

IMG 3655Firefighter Grae.

IMG 3658The happiest little girl.
 
IMG 3662
Taking it all in.
 
IMG 3660Magical.
 
IMG 3666“Mama, take Grae Grae’s picture!”
IMG 3673Warm milk to end a lovely {and chilly} night.
 
♥
 
 To keep up with all the Mama.Papa.Bubba. fun, like us on Facebook here and find us on Instagram here.
1 Comment

Just for Fun: Santa Photo Comparison

12 / 11 / 1212 / 11 / 12

Santa Photos Through the YearsWhile we don’t have a Santa photo for Gracen’s very first Christmas (we were living in Kuwait and didn’t really have the opportunity there, so we planned on getting one taken in Paris while we were on vacation, but ended up spending 3 and a half days in the Frankfurt airport and never making it to France due to weather conditions…), here’s a comparison of Grae’s santa photos for this year and last.  It’s amazing what a year does, isn’t it?  In the first one she still looks like such a baby, and in the second, she’s clearly a little girl (*sob*). 

♥

 To keep up with all the Mama.Papa.Bubba. fun, like us on Facebook here and find us on Instagram here.

2 Comments

Gracen Visits Santa {2012}

12 / 11 / 1212 / 11 / 12

Gracen’s always been a shy little girl around people she doesn’t know (men more than women for some some reason).  In fact, she started really playing strange between 3 and 4 months old when most babies are still so young that they don’t mind being passed around in the least.

Last Christmas, when we went to visit Santa at a nearby mall, we were thrilled with the fact that both the photographer and Santa were very sensitive to Grae’s cautiousness.  Santa took the time to come over and talk to her while she was still in my arms and let her pet his velvety suit, and the photographer set out a little rocking horse for her to sit on instead of having to sit on Santa’s knee.  The session went really well, the photos turned out beautifully, and our little girl left happy and excited about Santa Claus, which was the most important part.

Given the great experience we had last year, there was no question in my mind that we’d go back to the same place this time around. We’ve been talking about it for the last week or so, and though Grae’s seemed really exciting about seeing Santa, I could definitely sense that she was a little uneasy with the sitting on his knee part.

When we arrived to the mall this morning, we lined up, and enjoyed the entertainment provided by Santa’s playful elves.  Gracen went around collecting their trading cards and loved seeing the tree, hugging Frosty the Snowman, and inspecting Santa’s kitchen as the line up moved through Santa’s village.  When it came to her turn to visit with Santa, she was happy to give him high fives, but didn’t want to sit on his lap.  And you know what?  That was absolutely fine with me.  Having my little girl feel nervous or uncomfortable all in the name of a photograph is just not worth it in my eyes.  Instead, she sat on his rocking horse long enough to snap a couple of quick photos, and then asked to be taken off.  Here are the shots we got this year…

ED1211105243ED1211105300ED1211105258I love how the first one starts out very seriously, in the second you can see a cautious smile sneaking out, and in the third she looks like she’s having a good time. 

ED1211105323In the end, the photographer asked if she’d like to sit with both Mama and Santa, and she agreed {although she doesn’t look overly thrilled}.  

Overall, I’d say the whole thing went pretty well.  The photos are a perfect representation of Grae, after our mini photo shoot was done she snuck back to give Santa a quick hug, and she hasn’t stopped talking about him since.

♥

For those of you in the Lower Mainland, these photos were taken at Richmond Centre.  I’d highly recommend them as the elves, photographer, Mrs. Claus, and Santa are all absolutely lovely and great with little ones.  They have several package options all available for $25 (we always get the disc of images so we can print and use them as we like) and there’s plenty of entertainment as you wait in line.  For more information, click here.

1 Comment

DIY {Paper Bag} Advent Calendar

12 / 4 / 1212 / 7 / 12

Paper Bag Advent Calendar

I’m not going to lie.  I had grand plans to sew a beautiful bunting-style felt advent calendar that was hand embroidered and could be used year after year.  But it didn’t happen…  And that’s okay.  

Instead, I searched around the internet {a couple of days late}, combined a few ideas, and came up with what easily could be world’s fastest, simplest paper bag advent calendar.  It certainly won’t be something we keep for years and years, but it could last two or three.  Plus it takes almost no time at all to put together and I already had everything, save the paper bags, on hand.

IMG 3149To get started, I purchased 25 of these flat 5 by 7 paper bags (you don’t want the lunch-style ones that fold out at the bottom) from one of my favourites – Urban Source.

IMG 3151Then, using one of the stamp sets I use for my Littlelest Lulu block orders, I stamped the bags with ‘Dec. 1’ through to ‘Dec. 25’.  This job could obviously be done by hand, with letter stickers, or by printing labels from the computer, but I chose to do the stamp route this time around.  

Once done with the stamping, I folded the tops of the bags down about an inch from the top.

IMG 3155Next, I selected an area of wall to hang my calendar.  I went with this spot because it’s right along the ground and allows Gracen to reach her own bags each day, but you could really do any spot you wish.  

Using teeny tiny nails, a hammer, and some baker’s twine, I strung up five evenly-space lines for my bags. (I hung the bags as I went just to get a feel for how it would all look in the end, but as long as you know that the bags will fit in the arrangement you choose, you really don’t have to hang them up quite yet.)

IMG 3244Next, I filled the bags, added a note inside each, sealed them shut with washi tape, and hung them on the lines with mini wooden clothespins.

IMG 3247Originally, I had really wanted craft paper bags, but I actually think the white ones turned out perfectly.  They are just see-through enough to show the shape of the object(s) inside, which gets Miss G really curious.

IMG 3259This year, because Grae is nearly obsessed with adding to the tree each day, we decided to make her advent calendar all about ornaments.  Some days her bag will be filled with a purchased or previously made ornament to add to the tree, and other days, she’ll have to create the ornament first.  Either way, there will always be a handwritten note included that tells her why the ornament is special or what she can create using her materials.

Well… That’s it.  World’s simplest, quickest DIY advent calendar.  It was ridiculously easy to put together, but I know my little lady will adore it just as much as if I’d had the time to make the elaborate one I’d originally planned on creating.  And that’s all that matters. ☺

♥

 To keep up with all the Mama.Papa.Bubba. fun, like us on Facebook here and find us on Instagram here.

 
 
2 Comments

find us here

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Email

looking for something?

want our posts to your inbox?

popular posts

  • BC Summer Family Fun
    BC Summer Family Fun
  • Make Your Own Surprise Boxes
    Make Your Own Surprise Boxes
  • High School or Homeschool?
    High School or Homeschool?
  • Daily Reflection Journal for Kids and Tweens
    Daily Reflection Journal for Kids and Tweens
  • 3D Paper Bag Snowflakes
    3D Paper Bag Snowflakes
  • Things to Listen to While Road Tripping with Kids
    Things to Listen to While Road Tripping with Kids
  • Dear Dad Printable Book
    Dear Dad Printable Book
  • The Best Tips for Taking Road Trips With Kids (& a GIVEAWAY!)
    The Best Tips for Taking Road Trips With Kids (& a GIVEAWAY!)
  • Easy DIY Outdoor Skating Rink
    Easy DIY Outdoor Skating Rink
  • Small Shop Gift Guide
    Small Shop Gift Guide

archives

Site made with ♥ by Angie Makes
Angie Makes Feminine WordPress Themes