When I was a kid, my grandma would give the whole family a new set of matching family pajamas every holiday. We'd all get decked out in our footies or silk top-and-bottoms (it changed every year depending on her mood) and take the obligatory photo. I LOVED THIS TRADITION. I loved it so much, in fact, that I've continued it with my own family, getting new matching pajamas every single season and insisting that we all wear them on vacation.
Say what?
Yup, I'm THAT kind of mom. The mom who packs matching family pajamas for gloriously comfortable snuggle time in a hotel room. I carried these four humans in my stomach, and decking them out in coordinating prints are what makes me happy so we're all going to roll with it. Especially when it's one of those holidays where mom gets to decide the rules, like my birthday or Mother's Day. I milk Mother's Day for ALL I can possibly get!
Our Go-To Family Pajamas
This season, we're working with PajamaGram to give their Dots-n-Stripes pajama set the hotel room test. This company has 200+ pajamas made with incredibly soft fabrics and personalization options like monograms and stitched-on names. They have sizes for everyone, including pets.
I totally need to get Kraken and Moby in on the action next time.
Every PajamaGram comes in a keepsake gift bag with a satin bow and personalized gift card, and there are add-on gift options like bubble bath, bath roses, a soothing candle, a box of chocolates and more.
They do come in Nate's size, and I have indeed come home to find him lounging in these in the living room. By himself. In the middle of the day. I'm telling you guys, I'm indoctrinating my whole crew into the pajama party for life! With four messy boys (five if you count Nate), pajamas also serve as a good barrier between them and the couch. The nights when they don't put pajamas on and instead just lounge in their boxers or briefs, I feel like I end up vacuuming the cushions fairly quickly. Boys are seriously little grime magnets!
We frequently stay at hotels during long weeks of photoshoots, and I always try to arrange it so we get to the hotel early enough on the first day for “snuggle night.” It's become something of a ritual to help our family bond after the harried packing-and-getting-ready experience. Taking some intentional time to unwind and get comfortable also helps everyone to have some special mom and dad connection time before getting jazzed up for another few days of erratic schedules and activities. We usually get Thai food delivered to our room and order a movie that the kids haven't seen yet, piling in to a big fluffy bed together. While we always stay at rather nice places and everything's freshly-washed, I do feel an added sense of personal security having that pajama barrier between me and…whoever else has stayed in this room and left their germs behind.
Just sayin.
The next morning, we hit the breakfast buffet as early as possible. We go down still in our pajamas to get the whole crew rolling quickly and minimize that sleepyhead inertia. My friend Jill spotted us at our table on our last press trip and thought it was so hilarious, she snapped this photo as proof.
Further proof.
Side note: is there anything in this world cuter than a baby with lapels?
So there you have it, a full explanation of our pajama-clad tradition that always has reader emails and messages and questions pouring in at the start of every season. Maybe we're a little weird. Maybe I'm over-the-top nostalgic. What I know for sure is that I'm comfortable, and I sleep pretty dang well!
Except for the nights when that lapel-clad baby winds up in my arms at 3am, which really can't be helped.
Do you have any cherished sets of family pajamas?