San Diego parents share tips and tricks to make the holidays "brighter" (easier, more fun, meaningful, festive, organized, etc.). A big shout-out to moms in Poway, San Marcos and Rancho Peñasquitos, who shared their responses on Facebook! Here are their holiday hacks to make the season brighter.

 

CELEBRATE/FUN STUFF

advent cal C 2127

Make an advent calendar featuring silly or fun activities instead of treats: sing a Christmas carol, have a dance party in the kitchen, call a relative just to say “I love you”, etc. Sprinkling in a few surprise quarters or dollar bills is fun, too. –Jennifer Mulloy

Learn how to make an advent calendar at www.sandiegofamily.com/for-the-kids/crafts-for-kids (pictured above).

 

advent 2

I made an advent calendar that I fill each year, alternating days between kids. They love waking up to get their present (even though they’re now teens). I try to limit myself to $2 per pocket, but will spend more if I find something I really like. Some of the items I’ve given are a Pokémon Pez dispenser, eye pillows, a pack of their favorite gum and hair ties. I also give each of them a meaningful ornament with their name and the year. Last year we lived in South Africa, so one ornament had a lion on it and the other a rhino. Hopefully the kids will use these keepsakes to decorate their trees in years to come. –Kristy deLange

 

Get 25 books from the library, wrap each one and put them under the Christmas tree. Each day in December kids get to unwrap one to read together. Hours of enjoyment for only the cost of wrapping paper!

 

Every year Santa brought my children a new Christmas book, so now we have a great collection. Santa always wrote a note inside the book and signed it.

 

Take the kids driving around different neighborhoods to look at lights, complete with fun snacks and warms drinks. Use Family Magazine’s Map of Christmas Lights to navigate your way around the county! www.sandiegofamily.com/things-to-do/san-diego-s-best-map-of-christmas-lights

 

MAKE-AHEAD BREAKFASTS & TREATS

Make cinnamon rolls the night before to bake in the morning or make an egg casserole in the crockpot. Prep goes a long way to help have a stress-free morning.

 

Brittney Vier preps blueberry French toast casserole the night before, so on Christmas morning she just sticks it in the oven. “The house smells amazing and there is no cooking to be done. It’s soo yummy!” Here’s the recipe, but she substitutes Challah bread and uses fresh blueberries. www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/baked_blueberry_french_toast_casserole

 

Making simple recipes helps when making cookie plates to give away, so you don't have to bake all day. I love these four-ingredient vegan peanut butter cookies (make them festive with a chocolate star on top): https://cassclaycooking.com/4-ingredient-vegan-peanut.../  –Cassie Bains

 

WRAPPING AND DECORATING

door

I take the Monday after Thanksgiving off work every year and decorate EVERYTHING. My kids come home to Christmas awesomeness and we enjoy hot cocoa in special cups. I also bake a ton of cookies every year for close friends and family. I really get into Christmas! –Emma Romberger

 

baby tree safety 2
Put the Christmas tree inside a Pack ‘n Play if you have little ones! It keeps the presents contained and curious hands off the tree. Here’s a photo of ours last year. –Jaclynn Whitehead

 

Buy wrapping paper, gift bags, ornaments, etc. after Christmas (for the following year), so you don't have to pay full price. 

 

Use fishing wire to string up Christmas cards on the mantle—it looks so festive!

 

Use cup hooks to hang outdoor Christmas lights—little white ones that blend in if you have white wooden eaves on the front of your house. Leave the hooks up all year so lights are a cinch to hang each year.

 

Use cloth bags and flannel pillowcases tied with ribbons to wrap presents for kids. The cloth bags are reusable and make wrapping so fast (and quiet). 

 

GIFT GIVING

Christmas Letters in Tree

Growing up without much, I wanted to find a way to share the holiday spirit with my children that had nothing to do with tangible gifts, but sharing a sentiment that money couldn’t buy. This was the beginning of our Christmas letter tradition. Each family member writes a letter to the others. Everyone can participate no matter the writing level (preschoolers draw pictures). Before Christmas Eve, the letters are rolled up, tied with ribbon and placed in the tree. We take a quiet moment on Christmas Day to read them (sharing is optional). The letters have become treasures over the years. –Susan May

 

Request gifts that won’t clutter the house, such as zoo memberships, meal prep services or magazine subscriptions.

 

Ask family members to submit their favorite recipes and make a cookbook. Consider adding family photos and stories. It will be a treasured gift for years to come.

 

Keep a spreadsheet of gifts: where purchased, how it’s wrapped (in case a label falls off), and which gathering it goes to (when there are multiple celebrations to attend). The spreadsheet can also be used to remember what you’ve given people in previous years.

 

To avoid going overboard with gifts for the kids, buy them something they want, something they need, something to wear and something to read.

 

Use www.pirateship.com to save on shipping costs through USPS. Print labels from home for free and save on shipping.

 

Make mason jar cookie kits as gifts for neighbors and friends. Layer all dry ingredients in the jars; recipients only need to add eggs and butter, and bake. Don’t forget to include the recipe!

 

Anne Barrera made large themed felt envelopes with Santa’s mailing address on them; my kids write what they want for Christmas, put it inside, and an elf picks them up to deliver to Santa. On Christmas Day some gifts are specially labeled, “certified” from The North Pole. Gotta keep the spirit alive!

 

 

CHRISTMAS EVE TRADITIONS

Cmas cookie 3 Janice Lew Santos

We have embraced decorating store-bought cookies for Santa in hectic years. I’m grateful to the person who said years ago that Santa doesn’t want a ton of goodies because he and his reindeer eat at every house.

–Janice Lew Santos

 

We let the kids open a box of fun snacks and something to do together as a family on Christmas Eve (a movie, a puzzle, etc.).

 

Make a fabric “Santa bag” for each child to set by the tree for Santa to puts gifts in after they go to sleep. It only takes a yard of festive fabric and a cord for a drawstring—so easy to sew! Bonus: No need to wrap Santa gifts and less wrapping paper in the landfill. 

 

After candlelight service on Christmas Eve, the kids are allowed to open one gift each, which is always new pajamas, so we can take adorable pictures the next morning. 

 

MORE HACKS FROM LOCAL MOMS

Check out all the things busy mom and local teacher Alyssa Navapanich does to save time:

  • Accesses the family’s shared gift list in Google drive, which has everyone’s wish lists, sizes, favorite colors, interests, etc.
  • Packs all stocking items in labeled bags to drop into stockings on Christmas Eve.
  • Makes side dishes for dinner a few days ahead to simply put into the oven the day of.
  • Keeps an address list for cards (already formatted for labels) that she updates as needed throughout the year.
  • Maintains a shared recipe book in Google drive with all the family recipes, including (most importantly) the Christmas cookies.

____________

Celebrate July 4: Activities, Recipes & Crafts

Celebrate July 4: Activities, Recipes & Crafts

Spark up your July 4 celebration with our round-up of patriotic-inspired crafts and decorations, festive recipes and San Diego's Fourth of July festivities!   SAN DIEGO FIREWORKS & FES . . .

Read more

San Diego County Fair 2025: Tips, Deals & Discounts

San Diego County Fair 2025: Tips, Deals & Discounts

  Great news! San Diego’s favorite fair opens at the Del Mar Fairgrounds on June 11–July 6 (closed Mondays and Tuesdays). Below are the best 2025 San Diego County Fair tips, deals and disc . . .

Read more

July 4 Fireworks Shows & Festivities in San Diego

July 4 Fireworks Shows & Festivities in San Diego

  Add some spark to your 2025 Independence Day celebration with fireworks displays, parades, dinner cruises, and other star-spangled July 4 festivities. Here's what's happening in San Diego and . . .

Read more

Free Summer Concerts 2025

Free Summer Concerts 2025

San Diego’s Free Summer Concerts 2025 Start the summer on a high note! Here are outdoor gigs and free summer concerts happening throughout San Diego County in 2025.   CARLSBADTGIF Con . . .

Read more

Summer Fun Bingo for Families

Summer Fun Bingo for Families

Looking for awesome unplugged activities for the kids or family this summer? Use our free, printable Summer Bingo game as a guide. You’ll find quintessential summer fun like water balloon fights, su . . .

Read more

How to Have a Retro Summer

How to Have a Retro Summer

The kids are out of school—it’s time to simplify the schedule and encourage as much outdoor play as possible. Have an old-school, retro summer!   What is a Retro Summer? What does it mean . . .

Read more

San Diego Family's Ultimate Summer Sand-Bucket List

San Diego Family's Ultimate Summer Sand-Bucket List

San Diegans have it really rough—living in a top travel destination that many people dream of visiting. One thing is sure--there is no shortage of fun things to do, especially when the kids are ou . . .

Read more

31 Days of Summer Fun!

31 Days of Summer Fun!

Who’s ready to get out and have some fun in San Diego this summer? Here are 31 awesome ideas—one for every day in July. Plan a late-night date with the kids. We recommend going out for chocol . . .

Read more

10 Tips for Tackling Comic-Con with Kids

10 Tips for Tackling Comic-Con with Kids

You’ve thought about it and have decided to take the kids downtown San Diego during Comic-Con. There are things you can do to help navigate crowds and maximize fun. Here are helpful hints on how to . . .

Read more

25 Summer Boredom Busters

25 Summer Boredom Busters

Boredom is a precursor to creativity, so being bored is not all bad. But if you're ready for a change of pace, our boredom busters encourage families to get moving and start making memories! Go O . . .

Read more

Be Family Informed – Sign up for our Newsletters below!

Subscribe