Sunday, November 14, 2010

Fun Monday - Decorating for Christmas

Julie's halfway done! This week she wants to know about our Christmas decorations... when do we put them up and is there rhyme or reason for what we do? Check out the link to Julie on my sidebar to see what other participants are doing!

This year is going to be a little different. For the last six or seven years, we've been getting cut Christmas trees from the grocery or a tree lot. We are a little strange - there's always some emotional angst involved when it's time to get rid of the tree. Between that and the expense of those things, I'm buying an artificial tree this year. The last one we had lasted for almost 10 years before it fell apart. A very good investment! They're so good now that they look like real trees. I will make some potpourri that's pine-scented to hang in "ornaments" on interior branches and it'll be almost like the real thing.

Decorating doesn't really get going until around the middle of December. My job and my husband's job keeps us going and exhausted until then. Christmas never really gets started until the middle of December. Thankfully, we don't do much shopping. Presents and stocking stuff for my son. Some token gifts for a couple of people we work with and a token for each other. That's about it. Sometimes we have a good year and can afford to buy for more people (I have a large family) and it's usually books. I gave up on Christmas cards years ago. There's just no way to get them out in time. I thought about aiming for New Year's cards, but that doesn't really work for me either. I take the time to do the family in England, but that's it.

Everything stays up until probably the second week of January, sometimes the end of January. My friend Kelly takes her stuff down the day after Christmas. I'm not that anxious to get it down since I just got it up. Kelly puts hers up Thanksgiving weekend, so I guess she's tired of it by then. I like to enjoy my tree and lights - and really the only chance I get to do it is after Christmas!

8 comments:

Faye said...

When I was working we had our big annual meeting the middle of December. By the time it was over I had no juice left to kick into high Christmas gear. Now things are very quiet around here. I do make the effort to send holiday letters. Wish there were more choices for New Year cards.

I'll be interested in your verdict on the artificial tree.

Mom said...

Do you remember the year Mary Ann Bolton left her tree up so long (August)she was afraid of spontanious combustion from the dry needles if she dragged it out?

Jan n Jer said...

I am with you on the artificial tree, especially the ones that are prelit. Used to have a seven ft artificial tree but downsized two years a go to a 5ft one. Easy up n easy down. I use pine candles for the scent. My Christmas card list has been reduced also, trying to keep things simple in a over done season. Too much hype!

Florida Native Mom said...

our holiday decorating tradition is to let the kids put all of their "own" ornaments on the tree. I buy the kids an ornament each year so that by the time they grow up and leave home, they'll have a nice set of hopefully meaningful ornaments to place on their own tree.

Stefanie said...

Could you post your potpourri recipe? I love the smell of pine.

Jill said...

sounds like you need to do an email 'family letter' christmas card. You can type it up a bit at a time, add in the addresses, and BAM, send it out whenever you're ready! I am so glad that I stay at home, now. I can squeeze in cookies here, shopping there. It's still just as hard as working every day, it's just different work, but at least there's no travel! I can make cookies during naptime, or watch tv and wrap presents. So.. maybe it depends on your job if mine is harder or not. I think my boss is more demanding than any other, plus I never go off the clock, and never get sick days or vacation! I guess it all evens out in the end, but it IS nice for getting holiday stuff done! I hated cramming 5 batches of cookies and 2 batches of fudge into like 2 days and then no one getting a chance to eat them, so you end up with a ton leftover. Making everything ahead means more time to savor and less time feeling like you're out of time.. I don't miss that feeling at ALL!

Living Life said...

I always loved a fresh cut tree too, but the artificial ones are so easy to put up and take down, especially the ones that have the lights already on them. Besides a fresh cut tree is not cheap these days!

gayle said...

Your Christmas sounds very much like ours! I take my tree down sometime in the first week of January. Always hate to put all the decorations away...they bring back such good memories!