We are unashamedly old fashioned when it comes to family Christmas traditions.  We spend our lives with fossils after all!  And we are old enough to remember when Family Christmas traditions were about snow, stockings and songs –  and tablets were what you took for a hangover.      Sounds idyllic?  The trick is a Christmas KISS – Keep It Seasonally Simple – that’s what it’s all about , chilling, making your own fun and being absorbed in a Christmas bubble for a couple of days or so!  So if you fancy adding a touch of free stress-free sparkle to your family Christmas traditions, you may want to try a few of the following ideas – all free!!  Let’s go….

• Family Christmas traditions – let the kids decorate the tree – no, it won’t all match but that’s the point!  A lovingly dressed wonky tree is the sign of a good time – and after a sherry a bit more wonky is neither here nor there!  We buy one new bauble each year, and still keep whatever decorations came home from primary school, happy memories make a happy tree.
  

  Baubles, sparkle and warmth – lovely!

• Start as you mean to go on with family christmas traditions – ask everyone to choose their favourite vegetable or part of Christmas lunch.  Make sure it goes on the menu and on Christmas Eve, start early.  Pour a sherry and get everyone to prepare the bit they chose.  Encourage team work by having a favourite film or food treat ready for when its all done.  Relax.   Believe in the Christmas Spirit.   Smile.   So there’s only 6 sprouts – that’ll be enough!
• Be relaxed about present opening and include some good old-fashioned fun – the cellophane fortune-teller fish is a must.  Get gran to play cat’s cradle with some  wool, or finger knitting.  You’ll be surprised.
  

  Check out the neighbour’s Christmas lights

• Go for a walk with whoever will come along – the dog will love you and it doesn’t really matter how far or where.  Collect some decorative berries or some firewood – always good treasure – but if it’s round the block, check out other people’s fancy lights!  And you can always play spot the Christmas outfit – next-door’s woolly hat is still a family favourite ;D
  

  Make your own entertainment!

• Children learning a musical instrument?  A recorder at least?  Have your own, ‘Family’s Got Talent’ ?!   They may be  virtuoso, they might be terrible, but they are your family and one day you’ll look back on these memories and the odd photo with a tear in your eye.  Dad can tell jokes and Grandad will sing a song, especially after a beer and a snooze.   Or sing along with a few faves, whatever they are.  Let it all hang out.  Hilarious.  It is bound to become one of your annual family Christmas traditions in the future!
• Everyone gets drawn in to a game of charades – even if they are only accusing each other of being rubbish and offering equally amateur alternatives.   Make a little list of their favourite films to get them going.  Tales of family fun for years to come!!
• Monopoly.   Everyone’s favourite board game – find time for a family tournament even once a year!   Or cards.   You don’t have to cram it all in – save an idea or two for boxing day.
• Family Christmas traditions are made of Christmas spirit.   Invite a neighbour in.  Or send a lunch or tea to them with a couple of carols and the recorder.   We don’t like to think of being home alone one day ourselves.
• Just have  sandwiches and a mince pie for tea – you know people don’t really fancy that gateau when the time comes!
  

  Let standards slip – relax in the Christmas bubble?

• Top up with some roast chestnuts – no fire?  Team effort, do a couple each whilst you’re chatting.   Just put a little cross in the top and pop in a slow oven for a while.    Love ’em or not, you’re chilling out together by the tree and they may become a part of your family Christmas traditions every year.
• Light the candles.  Take it in turns to tell or read a story, just a page or chapter of a fave – ours is the Little Fir Tree.  This could snowball into turn-taking for a very cosy evening.
  

  cosy at christmas

• What to do with excess energy, have your own ‘Stric’ly Disco’?    Get Dad to prepare a bit of a play list with his fave decade – plus requests!!  A fun half hour at least guaranteed!
• Karaoke.  One song per person per turn only 😀
• Or a quiz.  Here’s one we’ve prepared earlier – with answers.  Compete or collaborate – no excuses.
• Exhausted?  Time for a great family film on the box, you’ve earned it!

So no stress.  Don’t go with the squabbles, stay with the good times.  Take a back seat, you’ve earned it!  We’re all about easily solutions for making life fun – we spend our year thinking about the joy of gift-giving, choosing beautiful fossil and crystal gifts to give and receive,  or tweeting as FossilSnippets to support other small business, artists, writers, making people laugh or sharing beautiful pics.  Fossil fairies in fact!

We’d love to hear from you about your family favourites for cosy family christmas traditions and cheer – click ‘comments’ and way to go!  Or you can share on Facebook or Pinterest.

Last but not least, whatever your family Christmas traditions, enjoy and if we can help with the shopping, we’ll do our best!  Fossil and Crystal Stocking fillers a speciality but there’s plenty for all the family.   All prices include shipping in UK and there’ll be a few goodies in there just for you!  Last day for orders 23rd December – but the rest is up to the Royal mail.  www.fossilandcrystalshop.com   And if you are unconvinced that rocks are for you, give this 20 secs…