News / Articles

New Traditions

A New Mom, a New Marin
NEW TRADITIONS

By: Taylor Shepard | December 7, 2023

Green and red M&M’s cookies, putting together a miniature snowfallen village, a hunt for our stockings, my grandma’s house on Christmas Eve where we would eat ice cream birthday cake and drive home late at night in new matching pajama sets, cinnamon buns we named “mommy rolls” after opening gifts… these are just a few of the many traditions that fill my memories of Christmas in my family growing up. Traditions we mainly kept up even as our family changed. We clung to them for comfort even though it felt wrong after my dad died. We forged ahead into adulthood still honoring them even as years and miles began to separate us. Over the last few holiday seasons, things have slowly looked different - a trip to Belize, an engagement, some of us here, some of us there. But the little reminders of holidays as a kid with my family seem to always find their place even as the way we celebrate looks different.

This year though NOTHING is the same. My daughter is here.

One of the major highlights of knowing we would be welcoming our girl into this world has been the idea of sharing family traditions, the things we love and the ways we celebrate with her. Seeing the holidays with renewed spirit has been on my mind since long before those two pink lines came into focus. So, how do you navigate a baby's first holiday season? How do you stay committed to the traditions of the holidays that precede your children all while making space for new traditions to take shape and bloom in the hearts of your new core family?

For us, it looks like a holiday season where our different individual traditions are culled and pulled from but with new twists that make them fit with our new family and the first season spent with a baby celebrating, too. I imagine making cookies, both our family favorites and maybe some new recipes with the baby in the kitchen, while we listen to Christmas music in our new house. I imagine decorating a tree that we buy from the same lot that my husband worked at when he was a teen. I see arts and crafts to create the perfect “babies first Christmas” inspired gifts for the whole family. Even though she won’t be able to eat the cinnamon rolls, or go to bed knowing she is in her special “waiting for Santa PJ’s,” one day she will see the photos and look back at how much this time meant to her family because she was here!

As we look ahead to the holiday season, I’m happy to share a few of my family’s traditions - both new and old - that we’re enlisting to celebrate our baby girl’s first Christmas:

Babies First Christmas Family Gift Idea:

Supplies:

Cardstock or paper of choice (thicker is better!)
Stamps in appropriate colors or washable non toxic finger paint (paint brush, too)
Black marker
Scissor

Cut and fold cardstock to appropriate size and shape. If you bought blank pre cut/folded cards then you can skip this step. Cards could be postcard style or folded style. Your choice!
Using the black marker, draw the wire for the lights. A fun loopy, squiggle is best! Go from corner to corner, across the top, bottom or both. Create a wreath shape around where you will add text. Go crazy!
Using the paint or ink make colorful fingerprint light bulbs out of babies/child's finger prints uniformly spaced on the black “wire”
Optional: use white paint to add accents to the lightbulbs or colored paint to add accepts on cardstock
Write something “punny” like “you light up our lives” or “merry and bright” on the card for extra joy!

Green and Red M&M Holiday Cookie Recipe:

1 ¾ Cups Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Butter (2 sticks)
1 Egg
¼ Cup Milk
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
1 Pack Red and Green Holiday M&M’s (or any color combo that fits the holidays you celebrate!)

Cream butter, sugar, egg, milk and vanilla.
Add flour, baking powder and salt gradually.
Stir in candy.
Drop level teaspoons of dough onto cookie sheet.
Bake 10-15 minuets at 375 degrees.
ENJOY!

Taylor Shepard is a new Marinite and mom-to-be exploring what this next stage of life will hold alongside her amazing partner, Jacob. She is a lifetime equestrian and entrepreneur who specializes in heart centered horsemanship and equine facilitated wellness. Taylor and Jacob have 5 horses and a beloved mini goat, Hazy Daizy. She is the owner of EQ Wellness LLC and founder of the California Cowgirl Company, a PATH certified instructor at BOK Ranch, coach of the Stanford Western Equestrian Team, and an avid Wild Horse advocate. You can learn more about Taylor and her work at www.eqwellness.org or on instagram at @thecaliforniacowgirlcompany.