CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS!!

If you celebrate Christmas I’m sure you have already put up your tree or are in the process of doing so. I love putting up the tree, pulling out the ornaments and remembering the places I’ve been to, the vacations where I’ve found many of the ornaments on my tree, special family and friends that have given me some ornaments as gifts, ornaments that have been in my family and my husband’s since we were children, and the new ornaments I have gotten to mark the birth of my son last Christmas.

The Christmas tree is really a family tree when you think about it. Sure I have some ornaments that I bought just to fill in, but most of the ornaments on my tree are special to me and give me a nostalgic feeling as I look at each one. Some have been given to me by my dear mother, who passed away 3 years ago in November. Her ornaments take me back to Christmases as a child, helping mom bake Christmas cookies, singing at church on Christmas morning with my family, wrapping presents with my mom in her bedroom and being so excited about Santa coming I could burst. I miss my mom, and I appreciate these special memories that some of my ornaments evoke.

My husband and I make an effort to buy at least one new ornament each year from someplace that we’ve been so that we can recall those memories as we decorate our tree and celebrate the end of another year.

This year we’re adding the ornament by Muraldevotee in honor of my son. We’re also adding a seagull ornament from our trip to Cape May in September. I guess I look at it not just as a Christmas tree, but also as a New Year’s tree J. It’s a chance to memorialize important events that happened over the year, (and even in previous ones). But it’s definitely a family tree.

With all of that in mind, I would like to feature a few ornaments that you might be interested in for your tree or as a gift. As I mentioned above, we are adding a new ornament to our tree this year in honor of our son who will turn two in February. It’s from Muraldevotee at Etsy. I was able to choose the hair color and style and eye color for my ornament. I love it and was so happy to add it to our tree this year to mark my son’s 2nd Christmas. She also does key fobs, I think these are a great stocking stuffer, so unique and personalized.

Jenblends is also another cute Etsy site that I came across that has some really cute ornaments. The ornaments could even be given as a decoration on the present – two gifts in one. And the recipient has a nice reminder of you when they decorate their tree. The Emerald Crackle Trees (see 3rd image above), would make a nice touch to incorporate into a bow on the package wrap.

I think this is an adorable Baby’s First Christmas ornament (see 2nd image above), from SarEi’s Shop at Etsy. Take a look! There are some really lovely and unique handmade ornaments. There is a First Christmas Together ornament. I’ve never seen anything like that before – and it’s so nicely done! How about this adorable “It’s a Girl,” ornament?

Those are just a few ideas of some great places to find unique ornaments for your tree to add to your collection, or for friends and family for Christmas gifts.