I never had many traditions growing up. My family life was a little scattered because my parents were divorced and we didn't have much stability. The first year I was dating my now husband, he invited me to join in on one of his lifelong traditions with his family, and now we do it every year with our children. Every year on the day after Thanksgiving, we drive to Connecticut from NYC to a tree farm, and we find "the perfect tree" to chop down and bring home.

My husbands family has gone to the same tree farm for over 25 years. I remember feeling strange and out of place at first, especially because we were just dating, but now this is not his family's tradition, it's ours. I'm grateful to be able to give my daughters this experience to look forward to year after year. It really is a whole to do! We bring bagels for the ride, and after we search high and low for the perfect tree, we tag it and chop. After, we take a photo, grab a hot chocolate, and visit the shops to purchase a wreathe. Once we strap the tree to the roof, we take a little drive to our favorite lunch spot where we have the Elf on the Shelf appear!

It's truly a magical day and this year, my older daughter (while carefully supervised), assisted in the cutting of the tree! Traditions, no matter how big or small, are beautiful ways of creating lasting memories.