BLURRY PHOTOS ALERT!
(Sorry, I've only had my camera for about a year and haven't read the directions yet)
I just love this picture of the tree and wreath but it's not my tree. We had a get-together with our friends and this was the first thing we saw as we walked into their house. SOOO pretty! The house wasn't spilling over with decorations, but just enough to give it the festive, holiday spirit.
You know how sometimes you want to try something new and it's WONDERFUL and other times, well, not so much?? That was us this Christmas. I love the look of Christmas trees and ornaments are my FAVORITE, but decorating the tree just isn't up my alley. I don't enjoy it, I think it's kind of a pain, and basically I thought we could just do without one this year. Scott's usually the one who puts it up and takes it down, and he's fine with it. He agreed with me though and said sure, we'd forgo that tradition this year. No biggie, right?
I never had a fireplace in my house growing up so that's my fun thing - I love to decorate it and we still put up our other things around the house to give it that "Christmasy" feeling. About a week later, however, after seeing tree after tree everywhere else, I really started missing it. Plus, isn't it so fun at night to turn the lights off and just have the tree on? Plus, all those sweet memories when we get out the homemade ornaments or ones that have special meaning - priceless. Then, CRACK ME UP, Sara came home from work with this...(she's 19, by the way)
She said she didn't like not having a Christmas tree and she'd just make one herself. You go, girl!! So we all decided that yep, we like having a tree, and even though this one was really easy to take down, we don't mind Scott going through the trouble of putting one up. LOL! Trying Something New #1 - DISLIKE.
Here's something else we did this year that my mom decided to try. The grandkids that are in town range in age from 13-23 and she sent a card to each one (this was to my son, Adam): (click to enlarge)
Raspberry/cream cheese dip - BEST dip evah!!!
Garlic/butter mashed potatoes (OH MY WORD!)
Chocolate chip dip (sweets by a sweetie)
Brownies (made by the 13 year old) - PERFECT!
Banana nut bread - brought by someone nutty; Cookies (underneath the brownies) - YUM; and two kinds of cupcakes (made by a girlfriend, but tasted for quality assurance, no doubt, by my nephew). The ones in back had peanut butter icing and I'm proud to say I did NOT eat all six of them - go me!
The iron chefs:
Trying Something New #2 - LIKE!
Not all changes were a success but at least we explored new waters. Any time I told someone we didn't put up a tree, they looked at me like I grew an arm out of my head. Seriously? Come on, it wasn't THAT big of a deal. It's not like I went to church and sang "Jingle Bells, Batman Smells". Sometimes you just gotta shake it up!
17 comments:
OK you guys are funny! That paper tree is the bomb.com!!
I sometimes would like to forgo the effort and hassle of putting up all the Christmas decor but it just does not feel like Christmas without it.
The grandkids cooking = awesome!
It totally is GREAT to try new things.
I hate doing the tree too - it's such a boring task!
he he you so needed a tree hows it going love Rebecca
Love it! That sounds like something we'd do at our house - just bend tradition! The five of us would be fine with it, but the relatives! Not so much! Sticklers for tradition!
For example, when we all used to live in the same state as my family of origin and my husband's family of origin, our tradition was that, every year, I'd cook a huge Christmas Eve feast for 20-plus family members. They didn't have to bring anything. Just show up. I made all kinds of delicious delicacies. As you can imagine, it was a LOT of work! It was always a huge hit, and no matter how much I made, they ate it all.
But one year, at work, my husband had won a pizza party for 30 (how? I don't remember). So we thought, "Hmm...when will we ever have enough people over to be able to use that? OH! I know! How about Christmas Eve?!" Sounded like a great idea to us! Well! The relatives were NOT happy! They wanted their baked ham and scalloped potatoes, and all the fancy trimmings! MY family of five were happy as clams! It was hilarious to see the relatives whispering among themselves, and shaking their heads at our gall! Yet they never said a word to our faces! We still laugh about it at our house! I don't know if the relatives ever came to grips with it, however! Ingratitude is not too pretty!
I figure, when tradition becomes too cumbersome, get flexible! Do something new!
@ BAT Mom - We would SOOO do a pizza party on Christmas Eve. YUM. Heyyyyy...I feel a "shake-up" coming on for next year! Shhh, I won't tell where I got the idea. ;)
oh please, please, pretty please post the recipe for the raspberry cream cheese dip! if you do, i think i will put graham crackers out with it!
as far as the tree, you could compromise. put up a large table top tree. less hassle but still just as pretty. i noticed in alot of my families pictures from long ago, rarely was there a full sized tree, they were all table top trees.
We didn't have a tree this year, but mostly because we were only home 2 days during the holidays.
It's not so bad to shake things up. You'll appreciate the tree more next year if you decide to have one.
Having the grandkids participate in the family dinner was a great idea!
I would love a pizza party on Christmas eve! Works for me! And Beth, there's quite a few of us who have been living for years without an Xmas tree. We survive, and it doesn't ruin Christmas at all. There's decorated trees everywhere at Christmas, so we don't need one in the house, too. Good for you for doing exactly what's right for you.
What a fun post!
LOL..that was awesome! Love that letter!! Go granny!!!!! And they did a great job with all those desserts! And, oh my gosh...chocolate chip dip??????????????????? That would be very dangerous to have in my house!
Angi - I will post the raspberry dip next post. Maybe I'll do a couple recipes, I haven't done that in awhile. Thanks for the idea! ;)
Grandma had a great idea there!! I can see my oldest bringing a box of Cheez-Its and my second creating a gourmet masterpiece of his own design. The younger two.... M&Ms and goldfish mixed together in a bowl. :)
Those brownies look yumm-o!
What a grand idea, 'grand'ma had! ;-) I think that is so great for the kids to get involved with the holiday traditions. Good for you for giving Schnucks a plug(you should be getting royalties). Actually I should be giving them a plug over here in our market. :-(
I totally love the paper tree! I bet it didn't shed needles or anything!
The desserts look SO yummy. Uh, are you doing to post recipes? I love your blog. I just stumbled onto it from .....don't know where. But I can tell I'm going to do some serious browsing!
I'm getting to the point where I would love just a table-top tree; doesn't that make me sound old!
I'm looking forward to the recipe for the raspberry dip. Post soon!
Bet you have a tree in a stand next year :-)
Granny had a great idea!!
I was not feeling well this year, but managed to get the tree up and the presents wrapped and that was about it. All my cutsie decorations stayed in their boxes .. I just wasn't up to cleaning and decorating. I felt bad, but I was still not feeling well right into January and was decidedly happy that I did not have to put all the cutsie things away! I do have to take the tree down ... yes, it's still up!!! It has cheered my living room up at night and now that February is coming closer, I feel I can take it down without the winter blues taking over :-)
I've already made some tentative plans to "downsize" after next Christmas; giving some of my ornaments to our children. Then I can get a slightly smaller tree and won't have to use a step ladder to reach the top :-)
back to blogging christmas is what you make it the paper tree did the trick. rose
Post a Comment