Cutting Back on Christmas

 

Image by stockking on Freepik

Hello,  my name is Cheryl, and I am addicted to Christmas decorating. 

I know it.

My family knows it. 

My friends know it.

The Internet is learning it. 

We've spoken about putting up and taking down Christmas decorations before. It takes me 2 - 3 days of dedicated time to decorate the house, but I love it. Yes, it's tiring, but it brings so much joy to my family and me that it's worth every exhausted moment. 

Since I know there is a ton of stuff, I've held off on buying anything new unless they wore out--like lights and garland. But this year, we added a lit barn I won at a bazaar, and the family bought me a musical TV that lights up; similar to this one, but prettier. 

This weekend, my husband helped me carry down boxes of packed decorations into the basement. As he is carrying one of the last bags, he suggests we don't put up as many decorations next year.

Like what?

Has he met me?

Have I ever done anything halfway?

Even the year we moved into this house, which was two weeks before Christmas in 1999, we had a decorated home, and I hosted my family on Christmas Eve. 

I've known people who have cut back as time went on. Some don't even decorate anymore. That's not for me; at least not while I have the strength to decorate to my heart's content. 

Evolution of Our Christmas Tree

I thought it would be neat to share what our Christmas tree has looked like through the years. We didn't have a digital camera until 2003, so from 1999 - 2002 is missing. We bought a new tree last year, so not sure what the plan is yet.

2003 - 2011 (Living room)

2012 (No ribbon/garland and move to the family room)

2014 (Ribbon is back)

2015 (Ribbon gone again)

2016 - 2017 (Two sets of ribbons)

2018 (New color ribbons)

2019 - 2021 (Ribbons gone again)

Last year for this tree

This tree has always held our most precious ornaments: the ones that used to hang in Aunt Jean and Uncle Phil's home until they passed, ones that used to hang in my apartment before I married my husband, the gifts from family and friends, the treasures our children made at school, and the personalized ones we bought for the kids. 

Proving I am only mildly sentimental, I had little problem tossing the tree that was older than both of our girls. We bought it at Walmart when we moved into the house two weeks before Christmas in 1999. Since that time, we have welcomed nine cats into our home, having lost five of them already. We have also welcomed our dog. In the 24 Christmases we have celebrated in our home, we have entertained many friends and loved ones, some of which have left this earthy life. Luckily, we know the hope that was born on that first Christmas night burns brightly thanks to the Resurrection, and we will seem them all again one day. 

I'm not sure how the new tree will look, though I'm sure my decorating ability won't improve. Thankfully, I've learned to be happy for the memories and not be so caught up in creating perfection. 

What are some of your favorite ornaments? Do you use ribbon or garland? Is your tree topper an angel, a star, or something else?

Christmas on TV: Holiday Home Makeover with Mr. Christmas

 

Benjamin "Mr. Christmas" Bradley works with his team of elves to help families transform their homes for the holidays in this Netflix series. Produced by Stephen David Entertainment (shout out to my nephew, Randy Counsman who is Senior VP of Development), this series features interior designer William Benjamin Bradley, a huge Christmas enthusiast. 

Here are some articles about the show and its star:

https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/netflix-mr-christmas-benjamin-bradley

https://www.housebeautiful.com/lifestyle/a34714348/netflix-holiday-home-makeover-benjamin-bradley-mr-christmas-facts/

https://www.bustle.com/entertainment/benjamin-bradley-mr-christmas-holiday-home-makeover-netflix-instagram-job-everything-to-know

What I really love about this series is that the families are totally involved in the transformation at the beginning. Then on Day 2 the elves move in and take over. Day 3 is Reveal Day. 

I wish it had lasted longer than it did, but the four episodes are still up on Netflix.