Emma A. keeps family central to everything she does. Her Layflat Album celebrates the season’s most memorable moments — the first snowfall, family football games in the snow, baking cookies while sipping on festive spirits, family nights spent amidst the glow of the Christmas tree, and the joy of watching little ones open gifts. The book pays homage to all of her family traditions, both big and small. A simple way to capture the magic and memories so that they may be passed down through the generations. We caught up with Emma to get advice on how to create a Layflat Album full of family traditions:

What made you want to preserve your traditions in print?

Preserving traditions in print is a beautiful way to ensure that these seasonal rituals are being memorialized and passed down. There is a resonate sense of connectedness knowing you are doing something that has been done by your family members for generations. Often as simple as a recipe during a certain time of year, or a type of gathering hosted at the change of a season. By researching our family's traditions, I discovered some that had been forgotten and look forward to reintegrating. Maybe this book will spark a re-discovery for someone else, down the line.

Do you have any tips for our community on how to make their own traditions book?

Delight in the discovery process and don’t rush it. Approach this book as if it were a research topic — call grandparents, aunties, and cousins. Integrate old photos and artifacts. Use images of recipes with original handwriting. Let the voice of your family come through and keep in mind that it could be passed down for years to come.

“Keeping traditions, no matter how understated, creates a sense of unity, rhythm, and delight. This past year we lost my grandma right before the holidays. It was really difficult not having her there, (her faith, her food, her love), but the traditions she instilled into our family made us feel like her spirit was near and brought us deep comfort. Traditions offer an opportunity to live beyond the years we have here on earth. What a special opportunity.”

Kendallyn J. created a Layflat Album full of meaningful family recipes that have been passed down through the generations. Each recipe holds a story and serves as a portal to another place in time.

“My grandparents on my dad’s side were the classic love birds. They did just about everything together. One of their favorite things to do together was to cook. They would find delicious recipes throughout the years, write down their favorites, then store them in a basket on their kitchen counter. My dad grew up eating those beloved foods that were curated by his parents, and then I grew up eating them.

They both sadly passed away in 2014 from cancer. Cleaning out their house was hard and some things inevitably ended up getting thrown away. When I went to help clean out their house, I found their beloved basket of recipes thrown on a stack of trash, about to be forgotten forever. I’m so glad I saw the basket because of course, I saved it, cleaned it off, and have been storing it ever since.

I had the idea to further preserve all the recipes and made a recipe book for my family to share. A book that features all of the foods we grew up eating. Now, we have the recipes easily on-hand in a beautiful book to display proudly.”

“Creating this recipe book for my family was a special way to keep my grandparents’ treasured recipes around to enjoy for generations to come.”

Whether it’s hunting for the perfect Christmas tree, baking cookies, or opening presents around the tree on Christmas morning, Brittany M. has a way of infusing magic into each family tradition and capturing the genuine joy felt in the moment. One of their favorite family traditions is heading out to the countryside and finding the perfect Christmas tree with their girls and then bringing it home to decorate in their holiday jammies. It’s the perfect way to set the hustle and bustle of the season aside and spend time as a family.

Matching holiday PJ’s is a tradition that just gets better with time — each year your family grows, new little ones are added, pets come along and steal your heart. It’s a symbolic way to look back at how far we’ve come and look forward to all of the memories ahead. Lauren K. knows this better than anyone and brilliantly captures the joy and anticipation of slipping on those PJ’s and letting the holiday season begin.

Your baby’s first holiday season is a special time because there are so many firsts: the first time Santa visits, the first time seeing them open their stocking, the first time baking cookies or decorating the tree with them. You are bringing a new little one into your established traditions while making new traditions to serve your growing family. Kayla N. holds tight to her daughter’s first Christmas with handmade ornaments and quiet moments wrapping gifts together.

Is there anything better than the smell of fresh cookies filling your house during the holidays? Every family has signature cookies and sweet treats that mark the beginning of the holidays. Sami Kathryn B. family gathers every year to make sugar cookies — a tradition that connects the generations and brings everyone together for one sweet afternoon.

Part of the season’s magic is anticipating the actual day — planning how you’ll set the table, designing the menu, and hosting family from near and far. Katelyn J. knows better than anyone how important the ritual of setting the table before the meal is to create that holiday joy and beauty. Here she has documented her table to remember for years to come.