It was a Christmas family pajama day in the #sojohousehold this past weekend – that was until we had to step out of our apartment. It will not be the last time we rock our matching pjs this year though. I am checking our suitcases twice before taking off to New York City (NYC) to ensure we bring them. I’ve only DREAMT of spending Christmas in the Big Apple!!! My heart is skipping a few beats from the excitement as I am sharing this with you!

This will be my first year traveling during Christmastime. I am not sure how to feel about missing out on annual family traditions but I guess we will cross that bridge pretty soon. I have no doubt Jose and I will have a grand time in the city. Both of our sisters are joining us on the trip so I am looking forward to spending quality time with them too.

One of the many reasons I felt over-the-moon excited about getting married was thinking of the new family traditions we would create as a newlywed couple. This is the second year in a row we have built a gingerbread house together so I think that activity has officially made the cut of Christmas traditions. This year, I bought matching pajamas for Jose and I. And I think they are a win! I can seriously envision our future littles rolling around in their pjs too. Also, how fun is it going to be looking back at family photos?!? It made me a little sad to think I did not start this tradition last year when Tinker Bell was still with us. Believe it or not, she would have loved it! She was the type to get hyped up when I would dress her up because she knew we were going somewhere.

As far as details on the pjs…they are 40% off! The pants do not have pockets so I was pretty bummed about that. My shirt and pants fit a tad too big (should have ordered an extra small). For reference, I am 5’4″ and wear a size one in Junior’s and zero in Women’s. I would size down if you are similar in height and size. Jose’s fit perfect! He’s tall – so if you are tall, you should be good to go! To shop, click here. It is not too late to order your matching pjs too.

Since my birthday is technically not a holiday, you can bet Christmas is my favorite time of the year. I literally start counting down the days as soon as Halloween is over. I truly enjoy spending time with my loved ones and celebrating the birth of our Savior. Do not get me wrong, this time of year can also be a little stressful. Let me set the stage of what the major holidays were like before turning 18 to give you a little more perspective of my always-on-the-go life.

My biological parents separated before I was born. Before the age of 18, it was a requirement to switch the holidays every other year. I don’t remember the exact terms but basically I would spend the Thanksgiving holiday with one family and Christmas/New Year’s Eve (NYE) with the other family. Then switch the following year. I kept this going for a couple of years after turning 18 for the sake of tradition.

Somewhere along this journey, I stopped following the guidelines. Instead, I would visit each family/household (a total of 3) every major holiday: Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and NYE. It was all fun and giggles at the beginning but it eventually wore me out. It was always hard leaving each house, especially when the favorite cousin arrived or when “things” were just starting to get good, LOL! Anyway, I told myself to stick it through until I got married simply because I knew those would be the “good old days” someday and did not want to take those crazy moments for granted. And so I did. Before getting married, for at least six years, I visited three houses in one day during the major holidays.

Last year was the first year Jose and I faced the Christmas holiday as a married couple. His parents normally travel to Mexico, so naturally, we stuck to my schedule – going from house to house. It was quite the experience for him; he agreed it was an exhausting thing to do each year. And do you remember I told myself I would stick it through until marriage? Well, I was ready to retire, which brings us to our decision of traveling to NYC this year! Nothing like quality time together before we ring in the new year.

I am looking forward to experiencing something new this Christmas. Not too sure if we will do the same next year, we will just have to wait and see. One thing for sure is once we purchase a house, and fill it with kids, we will spend our Christmases in our home. Until then, we will continue to enjoy this go-go life.

I think there is one family tradition we will hold onto for as long as we can. Each year, a few days before Christmas, my side of the family gathers around the dinner table to enjoy a delicious meal and some fine wine. To date, it is an enjoyable thing to do because it is the calm before the storm – and who doesn’t love calm?

Any couples trying to figure this stuff out too? What family traditions have you established? Also, will anything change once babies come into the picture? Please feel free to share. Maybe we can all exchange ideas as we continue to mold our newlywed lives.