And then she won the award for the coolest Christmas tradition ever

Yesterday I visited Granny T and she shared with me the details of her special Christmas tradition.

Every Christmas while everyone is seated around the table and talking after dinner, she has everyone (children and adults) draw a small picture on the tablecloth right where they're sitting and sign their name with that year's date. It can be a Christmas drawing or a drawing of something significant that happened to you that year. This is such a great idea simply because it creates a personal, permanent memory that you get to revisit each year.

It's fun, easy, and involves no pre-planning or long list of materials. You could use a new tablecloth every year or just keep adding to the same one year after year.

Granny T takes it a step further and does what she calls a "simple stitch embroidery" over the drawing to make them stand out more. Being the domestic goddess that I am, I'm opting out of anything involving a needle and thread and am simply using permanent fabric markers. Granny T ensured me that this would work just as well. Although in the back of her mind she was probably questioning my womanhood.

I was able to take a few photos of her tablecloth to share with you.

This is the drawing M to the Izz-A drew when he was nine years old.

As you can see, most people have a lot of fun with it.

But for others it's always a competition.

Matt's cousin, Ashley, was only two years old when she drew this. Her mother then wrote her name and the year beside her masterpiece.

Granny T's not a big fan of having her picture taken but I assured her it was for the greater good. She's one of the sweetest ladies I know and I just love her.

Anyone can start this tradition in their family, even if you don't have children just yet...even newlyweds. Think how fun it will be to revisit your past drawings each year.

Now for those of you who just cannot imagine not being able to eat on your fancy, shmancy holiday tablecloth, take a breath and do a sigh of relief knowing that you could also have a separate table set up for this tradition. Guests could do it as they enter your home or maybe even make it part of your Christmas Eve ritual.

Just be sure to buy a thick (maybe even double-lined) tablecloth and permanent markers made specifically for fabric, like Sharpie® Rub-a-Dub® markers.

If all goes well, I'll try to post pics of our first tablecloth drawings. Although that puts a lot of pressure on me to learn how to draw something other than a candycane.