I’m going to share the love with you again this week with yet another Christmas tradition. I promise this is the last one I have up my sleeve and I’ve got in early with all my Christmas posts to:
A. Avoid the mad rush and give people a chance to be prepared; and
B. To get in before it gets lost in a sea of Christmas posts!
So far I’ve shared the Christmas Eve Box and The Elf on the Shelf and today is the last of the new family traditions that I’ve started for my boys, after all it’s not called the silly season for nothing and one can’t go too overboard (well, you can if you have the time and energy up your sleeve of course and plenty of wine to survive the mayhem!) so I like to try and keep it pretty simple (though the Elf on the shelf tradition is debatable when it comes to making it easy on ourselves but in my opinion it’s worth it for 24 days of good behaviour!).
This one is very simple, in fact it’s the simplest of them all and will just add a touch of magic and excitement to what is already a tried and true tradition in many families the world over – a trip out to see the Christmas lights! Most people live in a neighbourhood, town or city with at least one mad for Christmas resident who goes all out on the light decorating.
When I was a small child the highlight of my Christmas was being able to go to the Festival of the Lights at Pukekura Park in New Plymouth and see the the Christmas lights they would string up through the trees and across the bridges and lakes.
My favourite element was always the ultraviolet light tunnel that would turn everything bright white and light up the little neon painted stones under my feet so they would glow. I absolutely loved it and have very fond memories of those balmy evenings out with my mum and the whole extended family.
Here though, there is a street a 20 minute drive away that is done up to the nines and you can actually walk in and explore the property and see all the awesome displays and lights on offer (I hate to think how much the power bill is!). You can also get a map online that gives you the street addresses of all the houses in the area that are done up for passers by to admire.
Last year we took the boys out for the first time and I wanted to build the suspense and make it ultra exciting for them so I designed and printed off tickets to hide under their pillow. In the days leading up we’d get them in their pajamas and tell them to look under their pillow at bedtime for the special ticket to go on a special adventure and on night three there it was: a ticket for The Christmas Express!
Our boys were beside themselves with excitement because who doesn’t love finding out as a young child that instead of going to bed you get to hop in the car (very rare in the evening!) and go to see something ultra cool (even my husband and I thought that it was ultra cool!). In fact I think just going out at night is ultra cool for kids!
The boys loved it so much, the look on their faces reminded me of when their daddy is checking his lottery tickets. Dad just loves playing the lottery and I could really see the same glimmer of excitement in their eyes! Of course, why wouldn't they be excited like their father? With a chance to win big and the guaranteed fun, anyone would be excited to find these tickets.
Even if you do it already, the ticket just adds another fun element to the adventure and it will be something the kids look forward to every year. You can even prepare snack bags for the ‘journey’ if you’re so inclined and brave enough to allow snacks in the car!
Yesterday I whipped up a slightly flasher version of last years very basic ticket so I could share it with you so you can do this without any effort except for printing and a wee bit of trimming. Voila! The ticket is mostly black and white as it has been designed to go onto metallic or coloured card but there is a pop of colour if you just want to print it on white and there are three to a page to account for multiple children and keep printing costs down.
Click here or on the preview image to download your free printable ‘The Christmas Express’ tickets now and enjoy this easy twist on an old favourite.
PS: Last year Cohen was 3 and as we were driving along heading for our destination he saw our local supermarket sign lit up ‘Oh mummy! The Christmas lights are so beautiful!’ Look!’. I’ll never forget it, so innocent and hilarious! I wonder if that will fool him again this year, I said to my husband we could have just turned around and gone home at that point and he’d have been none the wiser!
Do you go and look at the Christmas lights anywhere? Is this something you did as a child?
Linking up with #IBOT @ Essentially Jess
We go up to the Hunter Valley Gardens – booked my accom – can’t wait!
Lydia C. Lee recently posted…I’m too old for…Stereosonic
Have a great time away! Is the Hunter Valley where all the vineyards are? Sounds vaguely familiar!
Haidee recently posted…A Birthday Letter To My Littlest Man
That’s a really cute idea. My girls would love that. We had such a fun time checking out the Christmas lights last year. I can’t wait to do it again.
Renee recently posted…The week that sucked
We haven’t done it yet, I really need to print these tickets off myself and use them before I forget!
Haidee recently posted…A Birthday Letter To My Littlest Man
In our old house, we used to be able to walk around the corner and a whole street would decorate their houses with lights. A bit full on, but the kids loved it! We’ll doing a drive this year to show the kids the Christmas lights again 🙂
Emma @ Life, kids and a glass of red recently posted…Same same but different
That sounds pretty cool Emma! Did you have to do yours too?
Haidee recently posted…A Birthday Letter To My Littlest Man
We do it too! There is a street in our suburb that does it. The whole bloody street! That’s commitment. There is also a local church/community centre that put on a big Christmas light display with petting zoo, free rides and popcorn, and a few other things. We go to that too. Lucky other people do it, cos I wouldn’t be prepared for all that work and expense! Love your tickets too. Great idea. x
Kelly recently posted…GONE, BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
Wow, you wouldn’t want to move into that street, imagine the pressure!!! That sounds like so much fun! I wish there was something like that here, my boys would love it!
Haidee recently posted…A Birthday Letter To My Littlest Man
Looking at Christmas lights is quite possibly my favourite thing about Christmas! I absolutely LOVE it! There was a suburb near my Nan’s house that went nuts for it and it would cause traffic jams with everyone traveling to go and have a look. It got so bad that we eventually had to stop going and a lot of the residents stopped doing it because people would go crazy and be all over their properties, parking in or across people’s driveways, and just generally be rude and inconsiderate of the effort that the residents went to.
The girls LOVE looking at Christmas lights, and my Mum gets really in to it and covers the whole house. We were there on Saturday for the annual decorating of the tree and when we left she turned on the lights out the front for the girls to see and Punky exclaimed “It’s so awesome!” and Zee just kept walking around saying “Woooooowwwww” over and over. Watching their faces light up is actually even better than looking at the lights for me now.
#teamIBOT
Kylie Purtell – A Study in Contradictions recently posted…Forty-Six and Forty-Seven {52 week project} | Photography
Oh how special for your kids that your mum goes to all the effort, that’s awesome! My MIL decorates her house like crazy too and the boys think it’s magical (I think it magical!). Very cool 🙂
Haidee recently posted…A Birthday Letter To My Littlest Man
This is an awesome idea!
My inlaws do amazing lights and we always hand out lollies on Christmas Eve to visitors. It’s good fun 🙂
EssentiallyJess recently posted…EssentiallyJess VS the Recliner #IBOT
Bet you get lots of Christmas Eve visitors when you hand out lollies! 😀
Haidee recently posted…A Birthday Letter To My Littlest Man
awww how cute 🙂 Last year my baby wasn’t even 3 months old so we didn’t get to look at the Christmas lights, but this year I think she’ll enjoy it more. I’d love to make it a yearly tradition!
lu @ looking for mama me recently posted…Easy DIY Christmas Project – Toddler friendly Christmas Tree decorations!
You totally should! Every year they get older they love this kind of stuff more and more. Last year Finn was 2 and he fell asleep after the first house but this year I think he’ll be more into it 🙂
Haidee recently posted…A Birthday Letter To My Littlest Man
What a gorgeous printable. I can’t believe it’s nearly Christmas!
Lucy @ Bake Play Smile recently posted…Baileys Tim Tam Cheesecake Balls
I know, feels like the year just started! Agh!
Haidee recently posted…A Birthday Letter To My Littlest Man
OMG that is the cutest thing! Sadly, the Christmas lights tradition seems to have died around here a bit in the last few years when the cost of electricity skyrocketed! There are still a few that do it, but nowhere near as much as they used to.
I’m not surprised Melissa, electricity is freakin ridicuilous! Ours has literally almost doubled (but that could be the installation of a dishwasher and the fact I have been too lazy to wash the big stuff seperately so it goes on every day!).
Haidee recently posted…A Birthday Letter To My Littlest Man
Such a great idea with the printable. Thank you! My girls love seeing the Christmas lights. We have a fantastic display around the corner from f our house that we love to walk to and check out nearly every second night.
Bec Senyard recently posted…Celebrating 2 Years of #everydaystyle in Style
That’s awesome! Hope you can get some use for teh printable then, new ticket every night? Hehe.
Haidee recently posted…A Birthday Letter To My Littlest Man
I love the ticket idea! Polar Express is my kids favourite Christmas movie, so they would absolutely love these! We started a family tradition a few years ago, which is on Christmas Eve we drive around to see the different Christmas lights displays. We have an amazing one close by, which also involves Santa arriving in an RFS Fire truck to say Hi to the kids…I don’t know how he finds the time personally 🙂
Julie@Off to the park recently posted…Focus on the things that matter most
Oh how cool for Santa to be there! That’s awesome! My kids haven’t seen Polar Express yet, I really must put it on for them but they can be creatures of habit and like to just watch the same ones over and over and over again. Drives me batty!
Haidee recently posted…A Birthday Letter To My Littlest Man
The tickets are such a cute idea! I love taking our boy to see the lights, my favourite places are in Te Atatu Peninsula – one guy goes all out!
Meagan Kerr recently posted…Striped Tea Dress
Thanks Meagan!
Haidee recently posted…A Birthday Letter To My Littlest Man
We’re still developing our Christmas traditions here and so far seeing the lights isn’t something we’ve done, mostly cause it takes too darn long to get dark enough!
Claire @ Life on Wallace recently posted…Learn to blog like a boss at Little Blog Big!
Haha, it’s usually dark around 9 here so we leave about 8.30pm. How about you?
Haidee recently posted…A Birthday Letter To My Littlest Man
What a great idea –
thank you for sharing it. My boys will love a ticket.
Trish recently posted…Wordless Wednesday : Bulbara Plant Design ~ DIY Terrarium
You’re welcome! 🙂
Haidee recently posted…A Birthday Letter To My Littlest Man
What a lovely and special thing to do with your boys and the tickets are a really nice touch #sharewithme
Thanks Catie, I think the tickets just add a touch of excitement to the outing 🙂
Haidee recently posted…A Birthday Letter To My Littlest Man
The printables you’ve made are gorgeous! My mum loves to go and check out all the Christmas lights around town on Christmas eve. Where she lives they have a competition and vote for the best-dressed house. My sister and I always go along because we know mum loves it. I have a one year old who’s too little to be up after dark and probably not too interested yet, but it’s going to be loads of fun in a couple of years. Cute story about your three year old and the supermarket lights, so sweet!
Robyn recently posted…100 POSTS, 101 DAYS
That’s awesome that your mum still loves it and it’s still somewhat a family tradition. I’m sure your child will love it too when they’re older!
Haidee recently posted…A Birthday Letter To My Littlest Man
We have never went to see Christmas lights here in the UK. In the states one year we drove around seeing all the amazing houses completely decked out but the kids were babies. We should really do it this year. Lovely idea. Thank you ever so much for linking up to Share With Me #sharewithme
Jenny recently posted…A gift for parents that is needed #MandPnightoff
I was going to say that I’m sure they go all out in the States, more so than here in little old NZ!
Haidee recently posted…A Birthday Letter To My Littlest Man