Christmas traditions

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all thro' the house. Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse....

 

I love those words, because they mark a family tradition that is 20 years old.  Every year on Christmas Eve I would read The Night Before Christmas to my boy, who is almost 21.  Now I read the exact same copy to my girl, nearly 5.

 

Traditions that are super special and something we look forward to.  Ones I hope my children continue in years to come.

 

This one remembers those who have passed, we have an angel on the tree for everyone of our special people who are no longer with us.

 

 

 

Each year we buy a new decoration for the tree, this is last year's from Bali.  Where I can, I add the year and where I got the decoration from.

 



 

 

A few more traditions, leaving out the Santa Key, a snack and drink for Santa and his Reindeer and watching Santa's message to Matilda via the Portable North Pole.

 

 



and my final tradition is wrapping the presents on Christmas Eve.  I've done this for years and I love it.  A nice snack, some good TV and I'm set. 

 

Ok, I'm off to finish this job right now.

 

Thanks again to Larissa from LMR Photography for photographing my tree. 

 

 

A handmade Christmas

We love a handmade Christmas.  I enjoy the feeling of giving and especially knowing I've made the gift.  I also love surrounding myself with handmade goodies for our home.

 

 

This year we made Christmas bark, rocky road and rosemary salt as gifts. 

 

 

 

For Miss Matilda's teachers I made ring bowls and personalised tree decorations.

 

A few clay decorations

 

 

A thumbprint Reindeer

 

 

 

I decided to make a wreath rather than buy one, using more of my clay decorations

 

 

 

and Santa hats

 

 

Christmas around our home

I love Christmas. I love decorating, baking, gift giving and of course spending time with friends and family.   Here's a little decorating around our home.  No room goes undecorated including the bathroom.   This year I decided to gather all of my glittery decorations and I love how the light makes them sparkle at night. 

Miss Matilda's room, and this year she had a great time decorating her tree.  Our Christmas book basket is getting a little full.

 

and our tree

 

 
Thanks so much to Larissa from LMR Photography for photographing our tree and buffet so beautifully.

Our "Elf" on the shelf ~ Twinkle

Our 'Elf" Twinkle has found her way from the North Pole and joins us nice and close to the big day.  Last Christmas she made her appearance a lot earlier but I just didn't have the time nor energy to plan and do anything with her sooner.

 

Yes, she's not the official Elf on the Shelf.  She is a 'Barbie' style doll who is a friend of Tinkerbell, she came complete with the boots and I just made a little Elf hat.  Last year I gave a few people a good laugh because she's not the official Elf, but that's ok. Matilda loved her and every morning would seek her out to see what Twinkle had been up to.  I think she's pretty cute.

 

Now to check out Pinterest and find some ideas of what to do with her over the next few days.

 

If you have an Elf Pinterest board please feel free to leave a link.

 

 

 

I love Christmas!

I love Christmas, I love the decorating, the glitter and glitz (but no tinsel).  I love seeing my children's faces on Christmas morning.  I don't love my face waking up to them though after wrapping presents all night (but that's another story)

So here is a little decorating in our home.  I won't even apologise for it being pic heavy. 

I love Christmas x

Thank goodness I have this buffet.  We don't have a lot of walls in the living room ( two sliding doors + window = no real walls)

 

We have an angel for anyone no longer with us. 

 

 

 

We also add a new decoration each year.  This tin Santa is from our Bali trip.  'Joy' was last years.

 

 

 

Our Christmas Countdown corner.

 

 

 

A little dining table love

 

 

 

Miss Matilda's room.

 

 

And finally...our tree.  This year I went with just red decorations, I usually have a mix of red and gold but never with tinsel.  I use gold or red ball garlands.  Love!

 



 

 I should have gone with more lights..oh well, there's always next year.

xx Bec

 

 

 

 

 

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas...

I LOVE Christmas, I love the excitement, the anticipation, the decoration!  I love sparkle ~ from the twinkling lights to the glitter on the decorations.  I don't 'do' tinsel but am a sucker for glitter, on baubles, on trees, you cover it in glitter and I'm in love!

I love decorating my home.  No room goes untouched including yes ~ the toilet!!

So here's a photo or two, sorry it's so photo heavy but a few friends have asked me to share.

First is our entrance, we have a little bench where we take off our shoes.  My errands station is also here.  I love the organisation frame because it has three places for photos or in this case Christmas scrapbook paper.

Miss Matilda's room also gets a special makeover.  She loves her tree and the Christmas book basket is perfect as we read to her every night before bed.  I'm surprised at how many books we actually have, including the same book I read to my son who is now 18 every Christmas Eve, "The Night Before Christmas".

Now if I haven't bored you enough, moving into the living area.  I always decorate my buffet, no matter the occasion that's the focal point.  This buffet is one of the last remaining pieces of furniture from when I moved in with my husband.  I love it. 

This is a terrible photo of one of my favourite pieces of furniture..this is on loan to us from my Mother-in-Law and usually houses my husbands late Dad's beloved Harley Davidson models.  I've repurposed it for now to hold my serving ware. 

And last but by no means least...my tree!!  This tree takes me hours! It's 7ft tall and putting in each branch takes a while but what takes me the longest time it's the decorations.  It's all very precise, I put one on, stand back, check it out and then the next and so on and so on haha.  This years tree is without lights after I had a hissyfit  struggled with the tangled mess that they were...

So there you go, Christmas decorating at my home xx