"My daughters and I enjoy making my grandmother’s, cut-out cookie recipe each year. We make the dough, cut out the cookies and then have a blast decorating, usually while singing loudly to Christmas tunes in the kitchen. There is flour everywhere, sisterly fights over rolling pins, and at least one child licking the icing out of the bowl when she thinks no one is looking—every single year. Broken cookies go to my husband and the pretty ones we save for family and friends.

"One more simple tradition is our love of buying Christmas ornaments throughout the year when we are in new, fun places. While we are trimming the tree, our family is unwrapping ornaments and flooded with fond memories of past family vacations."

Megan Walsh Media and Advertising Director

"My favorite holiday tradition that I have done every year since I was a child with my mom and continued with my kids is making gingerbread houses.

"When I was a kid, my mom made the gingerbread and we very carefully assembled them and hoped they didn’t break before we could decorate them. It usually required holding them up with soup cans and, sometimes, a hot glue gun. As the years have gone on, we bought the pre-made gingerbread and now with my kids we avoid the architecture altogether and buy them completely pre-assembled which leaves more time for doing the fun stuff, decorating! They turn into the perfect centerpiece for our holiday table."

Caroline Murray Calendar Editor

"Decorating the tree, jigsaw puzzles, and seeing holiday lights."

Cheryl Carter Art Director

"We usually have traveled in the past during winter break. Not the last few years. I don’t like the cold, snowy winters, so going South and West has always been what we’ve done.

"Going to Florida in December was amazing—72 degrees on December 24! I was loving it. And the Kennedy Space Center is there for this space nerd to drag around the family for 10 hours, opening until 1 hour before closing! I was in heaven.

"And going to California is always on our list. With family and great fun, there is no other place!"

Jessica Trask Special Events Coordinator

"We enjoy packing some snacks, hopping in the car, and traveling the neighborhoods to look at Christmas lights."

Chris Jones Editor & Webmaster