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Every Christmas, I set up a small table-top tree in the master bedroom and decorate it with mementos of our three babies. Last summer, a fun family day of thrifting with my sisters, Buffy and Laura, my daughter, Hannah, and niece, Taylor, changed my baby table top tree forever.
It is now a family tree representing five generations of our family.
Here is how it happened…
At first we weren't having much luck thrifting, but we were having a ton of fun together. We were laughing and joking about our bad luck day when we hit the mother load.
The entire Christmas aisle was on sale, 75% off.
I was able to snag 200 Christmas ornaments for less than $10. In the spirit of full disclosure, we did have to do some bartering for that price. We had fun with that too ...five girls who were way too excited about Christmas in the middle of July ...hard for the manager to say no to.
The overabundance of ornaments was just what my tree needed to take it from baby tree to family tree. After collecting an additional 200 ornaments, I had to upgrade the table-top tree to full-sized.
It now represents many generations of our family, from babies to Great Grandma.
Pictures of each of my children on their first birthdays are in little gold frames.
The family Christening gown (handmade by my Mom) hangs next to the tree; not only is it really pretty but it reminds us of the day each baby in our family was Baptized.
Of course baby shoes from each of my little ones hang from the tree as they have for many years.
Our Great Grandmother's hankie, our Grandmother's vintage costume jewelry, a cherished ornament with a handwritten message from my late father,
and childhood photos of my husband and I round out the family tree display.
What I love most about this tree is not only how it brings the whole family together in a festive way, but how it reminds me of the fun we had together the day it was inspired at the Salvation Army. Spending an afternoon with family resulted in something we will enjoy for many years.
BlogHer would like to offer one of you a $50 Starbucks gift card. To be entered for a chance to win, please tell me what your most favorite holiday tradition is.
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This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
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Putting up the family tree with all the handmade ornaments from my now adult children.
ReplyDeleteI love getting all the kids in the car at night with snacks-putting on Christmas music-and driving around to see all the lights.
ReplyDeleteOur children have an ornament from every year and I have saved every school ornament. We love discussing every ornament before putting it on the tree.
ReplyDeleteI think my favorite tradition is one that my kids love so much.. New christmas pjs on christmas eve. We get the hot chocolate out on christmas eve and sit around the tree and each child gets to open one present (always pjs). I almost didn't do continue the tradition last year. In fact, I only continued it b/c about a week before christmas I overheard my children talking about how excited they were to open their new pjs! The only surprise is what they look like, they know it is pjs. What began as a way to have nice christmas morning pictures when they were little has become a well loved tradition.
ReplyDeleteI'm Hispanic and my husband is Caucasian and through out the years we have tried to combine both of our traditions for this special holiday. So every Christmas Eve we sit by the tree and have hot chocolate with some delicious Peruvian Paneton. It brings back so many childhood memories for me!!!
ReplyDeleteI Tweeted on @aNIaLLENV
ReplyDeletehttps://twitter.com/MDmomAmy/status/280660420455452672
ReplyDeleteWe combine christmas and chanuka I love the tradition of a baked ham and potato latkes for dinner
ReplyDeleteI wrap each ornament in tissue after we take the tree down every year. Then, the next year, it is like opening presents, unwrapping each special ornament to hang it up again. My grandkids love the unwrapping also!
ReplyDeleteThe Blackbird always came to visit our 3 daughters. A couple of weeks before Christmas, as our girls were eagerly awaiting Santa, the Blackbird would swoop in and leave them small gifts on their beds. They loved it and when they were very small, with their wonderful imaginations, they would tell us they "heard" the blackbird come into our home. It was just precious.
ReplyDeleteChecking out what was in my stocking on Christmas morning was my favorite when I was little. Now, I really enjoy filling up my son's stocking with little gifts I've collected over the year.
ReplyDeleteWe have an advent calendar and every day as kids my sister and I would take turns opening up the window for the day ...great way to count down the days of Xmas with so much anticipation!
ReplyDeleteWhen my children were at home each year they would get a special ornament to hang on the tree. Sometimes it was from somewhere we visited or something that happened that year or even just something they collected. Frogs for my oldest daughter, penguins for my middle daughter and nutcrackers for my son. It was always fun to pick out that new ornament. When they moved out they got to take all of their ornaments with them. The first christmas tree each of them had was a few simple balls and the special ornaments that they were given each year. They looked forward to picking a special ornament each year. They have continued this tradition with their own children. I love to visit and see all of the ornaments from years past hanging on each families tree.
ReplyDeleteFavorite Holiday traditions-baking and Christmas movies!!
ReplyDeleteI love making a special Christmas morning breakfast that is something only made on Christmas morning :)
ReplyDeletedemureprincess7(at)gmail(dot)com
Every year after Christmas dinner, we pull 'Christmas crackers' and sit and read the jokes to each other and laugh at the little prizes we have won that come inside of them. We always sit and watch a Christmas movie together after Christmas dinner and usually everyone falls asleep.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite traditions is letting our six and three year old boys decorate the tree. It's so hard to let go of our perfectionist tendencies of having the ornaments balanced and in just the right spot, but watching their excitement is worth it all. Our tree may not be perfectly color-coordinated, but it is full of wonderful memories.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful tree - wonderful ideas!
ReplyDeleteBlaring Christmas music and decorating the house the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
ReplyDeletedriving around and looking at Christmas lights as a family
ReplyDeleteChristmas morning at my mom's house is always so nice; getting together with family and watching the kiddos open their gifts. :)
ReplyDeleteMy favorite tradition takes place the weekend before Thanksgiving. That's when my husband and I put up all our Christmas decorations/trees while listening to Christmas music. It's simple, but it's such a sweet time of "togetherness" for me. I look forward to when we start a family and incorporating the kids in this tradition.
ReplyDeleteGrowing up, my family would gather at my aunt's home on Christmas eve for dinner. We would all gather around snacking, playing games, and watching A Christmas Story while we waited for midnight to strike so we could open our gifts. Now that all of us kids have grown up and are married, we still meet at my aunt's house every Christmas Eve and do the same thing. We invite friends to join us now and there's always extra gifts so everyone has gifts to open at midnight. The house that once appeared HUGE, now barely holds the thirty or so adults and twelve or so children each year, but I love how we all come together for this one evening each year. It's a time of feasting, remembering, and thanksgiving. I love seeing three and sometimes four generations gather around a table laughing and sharing stories.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite tradition is one we did again this year by my daughter and I sitting on the couch watching tv and making popcorn garland to go on the tree. Great memory making fun :)
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite things to do for the holidays is bake but also my husband and I putting up the 30 or so nutcrackers on a shelf that overlooks the living/family room
ReplyDeleteMaking graham cracker/gingerbread houses with my kids and their friends. My college youngest daughter asked if we could do it again this year!
ReplyDeleteI like decorating the tree.
ReplyDeletemami2jcn at gmail dot com
tweeted:
ReplyDeletehttps://twitter.com/mami2jcn/status/280728524137037825
mami2jcn at gmail dot com
taking turns unwrapping presents!
ReplyDeleteWe go to a "candy cane lane" neighborhood where all of the houses are lit up and decorated extravagantly for Christmas. Seeing my daughter's excitement and wonder at all of the beautiful lights was a great moment this year!
ReplyDeleteYour traditions are amazing! My family always does Christmas photos together and I have a display of all the years past.
ReplyDeleteStaying in pj's all day Christmas Day!
ReplyDeleteCaroling followed by hot cocoa!
ReplyDeleteGoing to our family friend's house for Christmas eve
ReplyDeleteKatie
k8chapman (at) yahoo
Since I was a little girl we would drive around our town to look at lights & low & behold Santa would always come when we were gone. We have always opened gifts Christmas Eve & I love that my grandparents tradition has been bestowed upon my children.
ReplyDeleteI just love lighting the Hanukkah candles every night for eight nights. It gives us a quiet reflecton time to focus on renewing our dedication.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite is spending time with family and friends!
ReplyDeleteI love picking out a tree together and then coming home to decorate the whole house. My little one loves to look at the pretty lights as they go up.
ReplyDeleteWe put up our Christmas tree on Christmas Eve~decorate it together & just enjoy our family. Happy Holidays!
ReplyDeleteMy mom used to serve cookies from a cookie exchange on Christmas Day while we opened our presents. The women don't get together anymore for the cookie exchange so I hosted my first annual one this year - we have to have cookies Christmas morning while we open gifts!
ReplyDeleteSpending time with my family and friends and baking cookies with my Mom and kiddos! Your tree is just gorgeous and what a sweet deal you got on all of those treasures.
ReplyDeleteFor as long as I can remember, we always open one gift on Christmas Eve. That gift is from 'an elf'....new PJ's! We wear them that night and open our gifts on Christmas Day with them on as well. It is one of my favorite gifts to shop for every year! - Katie
ReplyDeleteI write down things the kids did or said that year ( or other important events) and then place it in the box of Christmas decorations to re-read the next Christmas.
ReplyDeleteMy Godparents gifted me with Christmas ornaments every year until I was married. So I have a bunch of wonderful, meaningful ornaments every year that I put up the tree. Now I can do the same for my husbands and my godchildren too.
ReplyDeleteWatching Christmas movies and looking at Christmas lights!!
ReplyDeleteFor years my children wanted to open a gift on Christmas eve...so when they were little I started getting matching pajamas for every and we open those. Every Christmas morning everyone has to do hair and make up and gather around the tree for family photos in or matching pajamas. My little kids are now 15, 23, 24, and 31... The oldest has added a husband and two grandsons...and I have added a significant other and his 22 year old son...so Christmas morning in or pjs is GReAT fun and every year we have wonderful pictures to show how much we have aged and grown over all these years!!!!
ReplyDeleteYour tree is so pretty. Our family tradition is making & decorating gingerbread houses.
ReplyDeleteChristmas Eve mass and then opening gifts when we come home from church.
ReplyDeletenuthouse(at)centurytel(dot)net
tweeted: https://twitter.com/KerryBishop/status/280814831639089153
ReplyDeletenuthouse(at)centurytel(dot)net
I love baking treats with my family especially cookies for Santa.
ReplyDeleteOur favorite tradition is to ride around town and look at Christmas lights and decorations.
ReplyDeletereklaw422 at hotmail dot com
I love making "pigs in the blanket" on Christmas morning!
ReplyDeleteChristmas Eve Mass with all the extended family followed by a big dinner and fun at one of our houses.
ReplyDeleteOur favorite tradition is baking Christmas cookies and sharing them with family and friends
ReplyDeleteelena150980@yahoo.com
https://twitter.com/ElenaIstomina/status/280835628122402816
ReplyDeleteelena150980@yahoo.com
our best tradition is putting the tree together and singing carols and remembering past christmas' with every ornament!
ReplyDeletehttps://twitter.com/BTHM1/status/280838693172953088
ReplyDeletetweeted
Such a beautiful tree! I love the snowy look of the branches too. I might need to find one of those for a second tree in the front of the house!
ReplyDeleteAnd mmmm Starbucks. I wait for their gingerbread latte to come back every year.
Driving around town in our pajamas looking at Christmas lights... with a stop for a sweet treat along the way!
ReplyDeleteMy two favorite traditions are putting up the Christmas tree. Each ornament holds memories for me. I also like the making of the cookies for Santa. Yummy.
ReplyDeleteBaking cookies for my family!
ReplyDeleteThere are so many! Looking the ornaments we collect each year, watching our favorite movies together, making cookies. Our newest tradition is going out for Thai food on Christmas Eve, it's not something you might think of but we love it and then we walk down to the candy store to pick out something for everyone. It's just about spending time together.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite tradition is watching everyone open their gifts on Christmas morning.
ReplyDeleteTweet
ReplyDeletehttps://twitter.com/CouponTammy/status/280876842074927104
Opening Advent calendars and making Christmas cookies with my family!
ReplyDeleteWe make homemade ice cream every year to serve with the Christma cookies!
ReplyDeleteI love our traditional seafood dinner on christmas eve, which afterwards our parents still get us all new pajamas to wear Christmas morning
ReplyDeleteMy families tradition is on Christmas Eve the kids open one present which is Christmas pyjamas and we take a picture of them. It is kindof funny but my kids love it even with them getting older.
ReplyDeletehttps://twitter.com/mjhutnick1/status/280901338680934400
ReplyDeleteMy favorite Christmas tradition is opening gifts and eating cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning. Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeletemy favorite holiday tradition is gathering the weekend or so before christmas with our friends and family and making tamales to eat over the holidays. its a fun filled day of cooking and catching up with each other and really enjoying each other. it always puts me in the holiday spirit!
ReplyDeleteOur traditions have changed since we moved from our hometown to be closer to Grandchildren. This year we are starting new ones--not all the family can be together but the ones that are here along with Papa and I are making new memories...
ReplyDeleteWatching Sound of Music!
ReplyDeleteMy mom always gave us a pair of Christmas pajamas and an ornament on Christmas Eve.. I know do the same tradition with my own two children.
ReplyDeleteWe build a gingerbread house every year and make gingerbread cookies.its so nice to all sit down together during the busy season and talk and laugh while we build our masterpiece. Njjdallen@ gmail.com. I love the sentiment of your tree.beautiful!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite tradition is going to the city to see all the decorations. I also love driving through the Christmas light displays (kids in jammies and thermal mugs full of hot cocoa). We all get Christmas jammies for Thanksgiving so we can wear them throughout the season!
ReplyDeleteI spend a couple of hours every Christmas Eve with my BFF. The time we spend relaxes us before we hit the rounds of parties with our families. Over the last 25 years our husbands have come to appreciate the time together as well. Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteI enjoying making cookies & decorating a gingerbread house with my kids every year.
ReplyDeletekellywcuATyahooDOTcom
tweet
ReplyDeletehttps://twitter.com/Kellydpa/status/281100504157798402
kellywcuATyahooDOTcom
My favorite memory is the seeing the joy and excitement in my daughter's eyes when we light the tree. They know the real reason why we celebrate Christmas and it's about giving!
ReplyDeleteWatching the local neighborhoods decorate their houses and driving by saying ooh and ahhh as a child.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy decorating for Christmas and baing tons of Christmas cookies.
ReplyDeleteListening and watching the music and lights of the dancing house!
ReplyDeleteSarah,
ReplyDeleteMy favorite holiday tradition we've started with my daughter is either driving through Crossroads Village with the windows down and the heat pumping, listening to their music, or putting her in her Christmas pj's, which have santa on them, on Christmas eve and taking pictures to use for our thank you cards after the holidays.
I just love being with my friends and family members over the holidays to catch up on each others' lives!
ReplyDeleteOne of our traditions is wrapping our children's gifts from Santa in their own color...red for my daughter, green for oldest son and a red and green plaid for my youngest. That way they know who's presents belong to whom!
ReplyDeleteMy most favorite holiday tradition is having all the families of my siblings gather together in NYC.
ReplyDeleteeugeniewu at gmail dot com
tweet
ReplyDeletehttps://twitter.com/wizardewu/status/281556489573916672
eugeniewu at gmail dot com
Watching Christmas movies and looking at the Christmas lights! Carmen dot Goddard at yahoo dot com
ReplyDeleteMy favorite tradition is meeting friends who are also in town (i travel to my parents) for a casual get together and drinks on christmas eve to see who got married, had a kid, and to just catch up
ReplyDeleteTtrockwood@yahoo.com
We love cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning.
ReplyDeleteI have always put peppermint candy canes on oir tree for kids and now Grandkidsp
ReplyDeleteMy most favorite is to pick up tree and decorate together.
ReplyDeletehttps://twitter.com/tcarolinep/status/281639234392178688
ReplyDeleteI love baking cookies with my three daughters! sharoo1975@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteI like big gatherings with friends and family.
ReplyDeletelovelydomesticdiva (at) gmail (dot) com
My favorite holiday tradition is making some of my gifts. I love thinking about what each person would like, choosing a gift to make, and enjoying the quiet time making it. Of course, it wouldn't be Christmas without baking special cookies and sending cards to friends and family, too.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite tradition is just spending time with my wondeful family. I'm so lucky to have married into a family that I love like they are my own!!
ReplyDeletesally.puckett@yahoo.com
I love putting up the tree. I have so many memories attached to the ornaments, and it thrills me to see my son getting excited about the ritual now, too.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite tradition is sleeping Christmas Eve all together in the family room with the lights of the Christmas tree all a glow. It is fun to wake up all together on Christmas morning and open presents right from where we slept. Merry Christmas all.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite tradition is going to my in-laws on Christmas Eve for food and presents.
ReplyDeletemadelinebrubaker {at} gmail (dot) com
Tweet link: https://twitter.com/shala_darkstone/status/282494034457542657
ReplyDeletetweet--https://twitter.com/WildOrchid985/status/282634425668345857
ReplyDeletewildorchid985 at gmail dot com
I love playing board games with my family!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chance to win!
wildorchid985 at gmail dot com
For holidays we make spring rolls and dumplings together, it's a lot of fun to make and eat. Thanks for the giveaway.
ReplyDeletesongyueyu at gmail
tweet: https://twitter.com/syytta/status/282696953446408193
ReplyDeletesongyueyu at gmail
We read a different Christmas story every night in December. My kids love picking one out from our book box each night. I enjoy finding new ones to add to our collection each year.
ReplyDeleteWhen my little girl is born in a few short months there will be five living generations of women in my family! My favorite Christmas tradition is getting together with all these ladies for Christmas brunch and festive drinks.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite holiday tradition is crafting and cooking with my kids!
ReplyDeletelizzyallen123@gmail(dot)com
I tweeted about this at: https://twitter.com/LizzyAllen123/status/282885940412837888
ReplyDeletelizzyallen123@gmail(dot)com
My most favorite holiday tradition is going together as a family to find and cut our Christmas tree!
ReplyDeleteheatheranne99@gmail.com
Tweet!
ReplyDeletehttps://twitter.com/ScoomerBlog/status/282915911143415808
heatheranne99@gmail.com
My favorite holiday tradition is playing games with my family on Christmas eve futuremrsschmidt@hotmail(DOT)com
ReplyDeleteMy Middle DD was born on xmas so my favorite tradition is celebrating her birthday :)
ReplyDeletemisaacmom at gmail dot com
My favorite tradition is getting together on christmas eve and making tamales.
ReplyDeleteMCantu1019(at)aol(dot)com
My favorite holiday tradition is trimming the tree, and walking into my home to see the twinkly lights in the dark every night. Mollymellinger@yahoo.com. Thanks!
ReplyDeletewhat a beautiful tree! My favorite tradition of course is decorating the tree as a family. Thanks for the awesome giveaway!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite holiday tradition is having fondue on xmas eve and getting the cookies (and note) ready for santa
ReplyDeleteMy favorite holiday tradition is the huge sit-down meal that my parents still prepare for our big extended family. We have 39 people for a sit-down dinner at their house and it is wonderful.
ReplyDeleteI love decorating the tree with my family!
ReplyDeleterawrms at gmail dot com
baking gingerbread house with the kids
ReplyDeletetbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
tweet
ReplyDeletehttps://twitter.com/ChelleB36/status/284795479160664064
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
My favorite holiday tradition is when our kids (and their husband, boyfriend, and girlfriend) come over on Christmas Eve and we have appetizers for dinner, exchange gifts, and play board games and cards.
ReplyDeleteI tweeted
ReplyDeletehttps://twitter.com/amylou61/status/284827159967698944