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Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree, we've been all year to decorate you! So those clearly aren't the lyrics to "O Christmas Tree" but still the kids and I have been counting down the days until we could put up the Christmas ornaments again. And yes, we continued with our tradition of putting our tree up on November 1st! Keep scrolling for more Christmas tree goodness.
What We Did Differently
This year when it came to decorating the family tree, I tried to let the kids take over and have free reign of where all the ornaments went. (Click here to see last year's tree.) It's the tree that will be on display for visitors to see when they stop by and the tree we put gifts under. So instead of making it "perfect" or "flawless," I decided that it should be a reflection of our family. And I have to say the kids did a great job of doing just that.
Moo says we need to add more ornaments and get some tree garland to fill in some of the bare spots. So I'm sure there will be a second round of decorating for this tree in the next week or so. I'll keep y'all posted.
Another thing we did differently is that we left the actual tree up all year. Yep, you heard right, we didn't take down our tree after the holidays. Instead, we removed all of the ornaments with the exception of the lights. Our goal was make it into a year round holiday tree and not just a Christmas tree. So think hearts for Valentine's Day, flowers for Mother's Day, and pumpkins for Halloween. This is a cool way to keep some holiday cheer going throughout the year and I definitely recommend this if you don't need to take down your tree free up space.
This year we also ditched our old tree skirt. It was cheap and not very exciting to look at. Originally, I hadn't planned on ditching it but it came up missing when we pulled out all of the Christmas decorations. A blessing in disguise in my book.
And the last thing we want to do differently this year is have additional trees. No worries we're not going to go overboard. The kids each want their own personal trees for their rooms. I think this is a great idea and we've already started rearranging furniture and hunting for the right trees to fit their respective spaces. Fingers crossed we find them.
Why We Went With Artificial
Growing up my mom was the hostess with the mostest. She made sure we always had a real tree. She didn't switch to an artificial tree until after I had moved out. It was always my goal to continue my childhood tradition of having a live Christmas tree.
However, when I met my husband, I found out that not only was he NOT a fan of real trees, but that the smell made him sick. And now years later, we still have an artificial tree.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this year will be our last year without a live tree as I want to get a live one to go on the porch next year. We'll keep our artificial ones inside, but I'm determined that the kids will experience at least one holiday season with a live tree.
Also, from a money standpoint, having an artificial tree is more practical because we can use it year after year and save money on getting a live one.
What We Want To Do Different Next Year
I know Christmas 2019 hasn't gotten here yet but I'm already planning ahead to next year. The first thing we want to change up next year is our tree. We love our faithful one but have decided to get something that is fuller and prelit. Ideally, I'd love get one of those trees that spins as well but I'm not trying to break the bank.
We'll also be saying good-bye to our current tree topper. It's just a $3 star that I think my husband picked up from the dollar store because we couldn't find our one after our move. I wanted to replace it this year but I didn't catch any of the toppers I wanted during the after Christmas sales last year. So, I'm just going to save up and keep hunting.
We'll retire our current tree and topper to either my office or the kitchen. The kids also want to try adding some ribbon to the tree. Moo said we need to have a "fancy" tree next year. Guess I'll be brushing up my ribbon skills until then.
Lastly, I want to get some personalized ornaments and get the kids to make more handmade ornaments. Some of my favorite ornaments on our tree are the ones the kids made. It gives the tree character and makes it feel homey.
So who else has their Christmas tree up and decorated already? If not, let me know when you usually put your tree up below in the comments.
Happy Holidays!
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