Our Family Christmas Traditions: Snow Globe Night, Biltmore & a Big Surprise

By Heather Barnett · October 8, 2026

Biltmore House at night with a giant lit Christmas tree on the front lawn — Biltmore at Christmas, lit up for the evening tour.

With seven kids, Christmas at our house is full. Here are a few of our traditions: one we do at the kitchen table every year, one trip we want to repeat, and one Christmas morning surprise.

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Snow Globe Night (Every Year)

Every December we set up a snow globe night, and everyone makes their own. We lay out all the fixings: mini trees, little figures and snow, all sorted into bins so the kids can pick what goes in theirs. The table gets a red cover, a globe at every seat, and bowls of supplies down the middle.

Kids around a long table covered in red, building their own snow globes — Snow globe night in full swing.

A long table with a red tablecloth, empty glass snow globes at each seat and bowls of supplies — A globe at every seat, supplies down the middle.

I keep every globe and put them out on display each year.

Where we get the supplies

The globes: Target, about $5 each.
Everything else: Amazon, including the mini trees, figures and snow.
Sort it first: clear bins for each kind of filling make it easy for little hands to choose.

Empty glass snow globes and bins of miniature Christmas figures on a kitchen counter — Globes from Target, fixings from Amazon.

Stacked clear bins filled with tiny trees, figures and Christmas decorations for snow globes — All the fixings, sorted and ready.

Christmas at Biltmore

One December we went to Biltmore in Asheville for the Christmas evening tour. The estate was lit up, from the gatehouse to the giant tree out front, and the house was decorated room by room. We stayed on the property.

Biltmore's stone gatehouse outlined in white Christmas lights at night — The gatehouse, lit up for the season.

An ornate Biltmore room decorated for Christmas with a lit tree, garland and a roaring fireplace — Every room was dressed for Christmas.

While we were there, we also went to see a gingerbread house competition nearby.

A detailed gingerbread village with houses, a church and snowy rooftops on display — One of the gingerbread entries we saw nearby.

Biltmore at Christmas with kids

Do the evening tour. Seeing the house and grounds lit up at night is the whole point.
Consider staying on the property. That's what we did.
Add the gingerbread competition nearby if you have time.

We want to go back again.

The Christmas Morning Surprise: Electric Dirt Bikes

One Christmas, the surprise for the older kids was electric dirt bikes, waiting in the living room with big bows on them. We went with Burromax, the 750 and 350 models.

Three electric dirt bikes with red and white bows waiting in the living room on Christmas morning — Christmas morning, waiting under bows.

A white electric dirt bike with a gift bow on the handlebars — The reveal.

We've since upgraded to the Burromax T1000s. In total, I've bought seven of these bikes.

Christmas for Two: Atlanta at the Holidays

Christmas isn't only a kids' season around here. Jason and I took a holiday trip to Atlanta, saw the city's huge lit trees, and visited the Coca-Cola headquarters.

Jason and Heather in front of a giant purple and gold lit Christmas tree in Atlanta — Atlanta's holiday trees, just the two of us.

Looking for another trip for two at Christmas? Read about London at Christmas.

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