I feel like Christmas ornaments are one of the universal topics we can all agree upon. Yes, we like them. But, I also think they are one of the things that might set us all apart. So, I ask the question: What is your stance on Christmas ornaments?
Do you have a traditional tree? Do you have a theme? Are you into handmade ornaments? Do you participate in an ornament exchange? Do you get an ornament each year to symbolize your year? Do you keep the same decor each year or does it rotate?
So many questions and traditions around ornaments. This is one of those areas I feel like as an adult I had to set some boundaries and parameters for myself. Here’s how it goes down at our house and maybe a few of the reasons why.
- we buy an ornament as the souvenir from trips we take together. We don’t really need new t-shirts, more coffee mugs, magnets, or shot glasses. But, we do love having a little memento from our vacations and looking at them each year reminds us of the journeys we have shared together.
- my mom buys each kid (inlaws outlaws, grands, and her own) an ornament each year that represents our year. It stays in her tree through the holidays and when she takes down her decorations it comes to our house. ITs also something we keep on our tree at home each year. More mementos of the story of our lives.
- our tree is a collection of ornaments through the years with a few traditional pieces mixed in to anchor everything together. I like to wait until we are all together to put the ornaments on the tree so we can talk about each one as they are uniquely placed.
- our house decoration is pretty traditional. I like red and gold (probably because that’s the colors I decorate with). I like decor to match the standard decor and style of our home. I don’t do a ton because it is often cluttery to me I can’t function in a high clutter environment. I’m also terrible about wanting to put something up that I will take down in a month (clutter complex). I like an effort to have a high impact so I have a hard time with decorating. Just being honest.
- I LOVE looking at Christmas decor and I’m super thankful for people who put the time and effort in. Especially Christmas lights but I just have a hard time with it myself.
- my mom is one of those people. She changes her decorating theme every year. And frankly, I love it. One of my gifts to her each year is stuff I’ve collected throughout the year for her next theme. She is crazy, amazing, creative, and loves to go all out and make Christmas special for all her people. And I’m so glad to be her daughter and benefit from that.
This year we are adding a few new ornaments to our tree:
- a couple items from our New England Trip
- home in Arkansas – this is my mom’s theme this year so I bought one of the same ornaments for me
- my first Christmas – we may have a couple of these for Little Man
- 2018 in review – I”m a Shutterfly sucker- for the “free” items and I have a couple collections of pictures from our year
- Joshua’s gift that he is passing out and sharing with friends this year – a handmade bell ornament
Veggie or Pudding Cup Handmade Bell Ornament
Pudding Cup Bell Ornaments are a great craft to make with your toddler or preschooler to share and give out at the holiday season plus you get to talk and learn about recycling something you eat everyday.
Materials
- 1 clear or white plastic veggie baby food, pudding or yogurt cup
- 1 gold pipe cleaner
- 2 red jingle bells
- Scissors or an ice pick
- grosgrain or small 1/4 inch wide ribbon
- Sharpie
Instructions
- Hand wash and clean cups.
- Allow to air dry fully.
- Using scissors or an ice pick, poke a small hole in the bottom middle of the cup.
- Fold the pipe cleaner in half to make a loop and hold the ends together.
- With the cup upside down, dome up and opening down, poke the 2 ends of the pipe cleaner through the hole.
- You will want about 2 inches inside the cup.
- Hold the two ends of the pipe cleaner in one hand and place your thumb and index finger of the other hand at the base of the loop on top of the cup.
- Twist the pipe cleaner to help hold it in place.
- Turn the cup over.
- Place one jingle bell on one end of the pipe cleaner through the loop on top of the bell.
- Fold the end of the pipe cleaner back and twist it back to to the upper part of the pipe cleaner to hold the bell in place.
- Repeat on the other end of the second pipe cleaner with the second jingle bell.
- Cut a 18 inch length of ribbon.
- Tie ribbon in a bow on top of the cup dome, at the base of the pipe cleaner.
- Write a year or name on the edge of the plastic part of the bell with a sharpie.
As we are learning to eat different table foods, and going through 3 tubs of baby food each day, I found myself producing more trash that I could turn in to treasure. These are the things my mom taught me!! And now Little Man is getting to share the love on his first Christmas!
- December 1 – What is Advent
- December 2 – Nativity
- December 3 – Lights
- December 4 – Fruitcake
- December 5 – Ornaments
- December 6 – Cards
- December 7 – Smell
- December 8 – Office Party
- December 9 – Gift Exchange
- December 10 – Family Pictures
- December 11 – Stocking Stuffers
- December 12 – Party Food
- December 13 – Favorite Tradition
- December 14 – It’s Christmas when…
- December 15 – Christmas Wear
- December 16 – Christmas Cookie
- December 17 – Christmas Carol/Music
- December 18 – Christmas Charity
- December 19 – Community Traditions
- December 20 – Bah-Humbug
- December 21 – Grown-up Christmas List
- December 22 – Elf on the Shelf
- December 23 – Nostalgia
- December 24 – Christmas Eve
- December 25 – Christmas Day – How will you spend the big day – where will you be? Who will you be with? What’s on your mind?
- December 26 – Dreams for the Year Ahead
