When I was growing up we had one of those “homey” family trees with all the homemade ornaments of kids’ hand prints or glitter star cutouts. It was an awesome tree.
Every year I made sure that at the top of the tree was this little angel ornament named Katybeth (at least I think that was her name. I’m pretty sure I didn’t make that up just because my name is Katherine Elizabeth-I’m NOT a Katy though. Just fyi.) She was this cute little angel who sat on top of a rainbow that lit up. I don’t think that she has topped my parents’ tree in a few years, she might be broken or I might just not be there to force people into letting me put her at the top.
When Todd and I got married we had two ornaments. We had Mr. and Mrs. Claus in Hawaiian clothes from our honeymoon in Maui and we had a bride. So, we headed out to the store and bought some inexpensive, yet cute sets of glass ornaments in the shape of a candy cane and Santa Claus. We also bought actual candy canes that night, the regular flavor and multicolored.
Now, Todd and I will each tell you that putting the candy canes on the tree was our own idea and we will each tell you that it was not the other person who came up with it. We literally have this conversation every year trying to playfully shout the other one down about who thought the idea. But, regardless, we also put up real candy canes on the tree that year as well. And they have stayed there all four Christmases since.
We now have lots of ornaments. We have an ornament in the shape of a church that my mom and I bought on a trip to North Carolina to visit family when I was pregnant. We have some little baby shoes that we converted into ornaments because they were too small for Lboy’s feet when they were given to us and they look so cute on the tree. We have a penguin (Todd LOVES penguins) that came from Todd’s mom. And many more.
We also have the cutest, classic Winnie the Pooh ornament with Pooh sitting in a sleigh, holding a book that reads, “Baby’s First Christmas.” That is one of the most special ornaments on there.
This year, we are getting Lboy (ourselves) a Baby’s Second Christmas ornament of a bear with a number 2. We plan on buying him an ornament every year that we can to commemorate the occasion. Today, Todd and I sat down at the computer and googled different ornaments until we found the perfect one. We knew it was “the one” because we both had the same reaction over it. It’s a fun thing that I hope will turn into a tradition and I hope that someday Lboy will choose them with us.
I now have a tree that is “homey” just like the one I grew up with. I’m excited that very, very soon I will have those kid hand print ornaments or those cardboard glitter, star cutouts. But, for the time being, I have all my ornaments & candy canes stashed on the top portion of the tree, more than 3 1/2 feet tall, so that my 18 month old can’t get his cute, little hands on them. You know you’re a parent when right? 🙂
Hi Kate, I liked reading about your tree traditions! It would me smile to read one of your favorite's is my favorite too! Plus our hubby's have the same name. 😉 Thanks for sharing!
Sorry-that should have said Andrea (@mollyandluke.blogspot.com) as the name. My daughter pushed the done button. She woke up with a tummy ache, so of course she has to help out! Take care!
I think a homey tree is the only way to go! Great tradition for Lboy – I'm sure he'll be really into that one day soon.
We totally do. And I keep planning on writing about it.
I love a homey tree, too! One of my favorite homey "ornaments" is a Christmas card my aunt and uncle sent me in 1979. It had a hole at the top for you to put a string on it and hang it on the tree (it's a full-sized card). I'm sure in 1979 I thought that was fantastic, but it wasn't too many years before I would try to hide the card, just hoping my mom wouldn't remember to put it on the tree. After 30 YEARS, I still have that card! (I'll admit that it's not on the tree this year, though. Our tree is very non-homey this year…I was doing really good to get a tree up, and to just hang our silver ornaments on it. It's very pretty, but it's missing a lot of homey-ness.)
Thanks so much for linking up! I love your post! 🙂