Tis the Season - Decor, Cards and Clocks

As a child, I always looked forward to putting up the Christmas decor with my mom the day after Thanksgiving and keeping it up until New Years. We would pull out the 10 or so large plastic containers and get to work. One year, after many years of me being sick on Christmas my mom decided that it was time to get an artificial tree. As much as I protested this, ever since I have not been sick since. So each year we would set up the 7 foot artificial tree and begin the process. First went up the angel, then the massive collection of childhood and Santa ornaments, and then the bead garland (we did popcorn and tinsel a couple of years, but that was a pain and difficult to clean up). Then, while my dad and I giggled and teased my mom regarding her Santa obsession we then put out the rest of the decor and stair garland.

As an adult however, things haven't been the same. So Darin and I have started to make our own traditions. Every year we go to Color Me Mine and paint a ceramic Christmas decoration. We also have a Home Alone marathon. While pulling out our ornaments I decided that we would only put up sentimental and ornaments that we have purchased together. I have a massive collection of ballerina ornaments, that got left in the box since Shelby thinks they are eatable. This year we decided to start a photo tradition. While listening to holiday music to put us in the spirit, we would take photos of our tree set up in its various stages. This made the task really fun, and Darin put together an animated image to show the various stages. We made our entire holiday set up in a record 2 hour time! (Including putting the boxes away!) We have our stockings hung, lights up and all the music accounted for to be able to keep the spirit alive in our house.

Another tradition that we started was to send out Christmas cards. We took a couple of our favorite photos from the last year and sent them into Costco to get them printed. Then we did the unthinkable! A Costco run, on a Sunday three weeks before Christmas! It was a MAD HOUSE! We did some shopping and got some good ideas for some gifts. Now to address all the cards and get them in the mail this week! All in all it was a productive weekend! Next weekend my good friend Hope and I plan to have a baking frenzy weekend! Cookies and treats galore! This just might be my favorite part!

On a side note, we have a Christmas wall clock that has been sans batteries for years. Mostly because we haven't had any handy during the holidays. On our trip out to the warehouse store Darin decided to buy the jumbo pack of batteries (40 batteries for $15!) When we got home he put batteries in this clock. Now let me tell you that this isn't an ordinary clock. every hour on the hour it sings a different Christmas Carol: 1: The 1st Noel, 2: We Wish You a Merry Christmas, 3: Joy to the World, 4: Angels We Have Heard on High, 5: O Come All Ye Faithful, 6: O Little Town of Bethlehem, 7: Deck the Halls, 8: Jingle Bells, 9: Silent Night, 10: O Christmas Tree, 11: Hark the Herald Angels Sing, 12: 12 Days of Christmas. Needless to say this is one of those hand-me-down gifts that my mom got sick of and gave it to me. If you come over to our house be for-warned that you will either be sung a carol by our clock....or the face will be stuck in limbo because I went crazy and took out the batteries! :-P