Cooper's First Hanukkah & Christmas

As I have gotten older, I have lost a bit of interest in Christmas. It just seems that it has become so commercialized, and some of my family has moved away so we often don't get to celebrate together but this year was special because it was Cooper's first Hanukkah & Christmas. 

We celebrated Hanukkah in Montreal with Mitch's family the weekend of December 20, 2014. This was also Cooper's first trip. We only went for Saturday/Sunday so we only needed to pack for 1 night but it felt like we needed stuff for a week! There is so much to bring with a newborn. I figured that we wouldn't be walking too far so I left the stroller at home and at the last second we decided to leave his bouncy chair at home too and just have him sit in his carseat if needed. There was so much family there looking forward to holding him so he really was only in his carseat while we are eating. I found that it was a bit loud having 13 people in one house which made him a bit anxious at times but overall I think he handled it pretty well. I might do a separate post on travelling tips for travelling with a newborn. Cooper was definitely spoiled on his first Hanukkah. He got a lot of cute outfits and we had a delicious meal. Mitch's aunt is one of the best cooks I know, so I always look forward to her holiday meals!

We had planned to celebrate Christmas with my mom on Christmas Eve this year because she was heading out of town on Christmas Day to go to my step-dad's family's house in Toronto. However, my niece, mom, and step-dad all came down with a stomach bug the day before so that dinner was cancelled at the last minute and is supposed to be re-scheduled for sometime in the new year. Therefore, Cooper's first Christmas was pretty low key but it was still fun. We opened Christmas presents on Christmas morning, Mitch made a delicious French toast breakfast, and then we watched a Christmas movie and relaxed the rest of the day. 

We didn't go crazy on gifts for Cooper this year because he is so small and really doesn't understand yet. Plus he is so small that he doesn't really play with too many toys yet. However, we did get him a couple small toys, a cool winter hat, and some cute onsies . 

Here are a couple pictures from our Christmas celebration:

I hosted a Christmas dinner for my dad, step-mom, sister, niece, my sister's husband, and his family from Bermuda that were visiting on December 28, 2014. In total there were 10 people. I made a Prime-Rib roast, mashed potatoes, veggies, cream of spinach, and pie for dessert. It was my first time making a roast so I was a bit nervous but I tried out a recipe from Pinterest and I think it turned out pretty good. It was a bit rare for a couple of guests but my husband, dad, and step-mom like it pretty rare so it was good for them. I ended up grilling some pieces on our grill for those who liked it a bit more well-done. I really liked the rub I made for the roast and the mashed potatoes so I definitely think I will try those recipes again. However, it was a lot of work with a newborn and a big mess to clean so I am glad that part is over. 

All in all we had a great holiday season this year but my husband and I are thinking of going somewhere warm for the holidays next year. I will most likely be back at work but I do get the statutory holidays off so it is a perfect time to get away and just relax. We will see what kind of deals we can find because it can be an expensive time to travel...do any of you have a favourite place to travel for the holidays or do most of you just stay close to home? 

I hope all of you had a great holiday and I wish you all a Happy New Year!