December Daily : Day 3 (part one)

I wonder if it has to do with the state of the world today, but its funny because I only pulled out about half my decorations this year too!! I have boxes and boxes of Christmas stuff, so there is still plenty around my house but I am really focusing on my family this year. I think it is so much more important for them to have a mommy who is as excited as they they are than to have a decked out house with a stressed out and cranky mommy!!
Thanks so much for inspiring me to do this project! I am taking it slowly but really thinking about the photos I take each day. I want this album to truly reflect our traditions.
Can't wait to see part 2! :) Enjoy your day!!

What a lovely tradition - getting out some new decorations/books each day. I bet Simon can't wait to get home and see what new thing is out/up. Fun.
Sue

I just posted a comment but it seems to have disappeared, so I apologize if this is a re-post....but I just wanted to say you are not alone in the simplifying this year! I only pulled out about half my decorations this year too, and its still more than enough! I think its more important to enjoy the season with my kids than to have a decked out house and a cranky / stressed out Mommy!
Thanks so much for inspiring me to do this album! I am slowly put surely plugging along with mine ... I really want it to be a book about our holiday traditions, so I am keeping that in mind as I take my photos. I love how its coming out so far!!
:)

Your post today will certainly bring back many childhood memories... For me, it was a vision of this huge nativity that an elderly neighbour used to set up when I was a child... All French traditional clay "santons", shepherds, sheep, and even the three wise men and their camels in the distance. Hope you'll be enjoying this time to the full!

i love putting out my nativity set each year and remember being excited when my mom would put up ours! and the big excitement was when baby jesus goes in the manger!!!
thanks for stirring up the good memories! heres to tradition!

We had that little gold thing that spun when the candles were lit too! I had totally forgotten about that and now am off to try and see if I can find it online for purchase. That was something so little, yet I too remember it being something so special when my mom or dad would light the candles. Really related to your post today Ali, thanks for being so real and somone to continue to look up to! =)
Enjoy today!
Jen

Simple is best -- I think. We have the Little People Nativity and it is so cute to see my daughters play with it. There are 2 Christmas decorations I remember as a child -- the nativity with fake moss glued on the roof andthe Snowball candle that mom always put in the middle of the coffee table that glowed when lit. I wonder what decorations will stick with my children?

Oh my goodness!!! We had one of those spinning candle things too. I remember it sooooo well. Thanks for starting my day off with a wonderful memory of my childhood.

A hot cocoa toast to simplicity! A couple of months ago, that was my plan ... BUT ... I am in over my head as usual. Now that it is already said and done... I will enjoy every minute. Maybe next year!

My Great Grandmother had one of those brass candle spinners! It had angels that went around and around and I always wanted to play with it! Thanks for reminding me of that wonderful Christmas memory! You brought tears to my eyes!

I couldn't agree more, Ali. I love this photo of simon and we, too are going for a simple holiday this year. I'm digging into boxes today - AFTER the kitchen gets cleaned. ;)

I am doing the same thing. A lot less decorating and a lot more singing Christmas songs together!

I love this time of year and it truly is magic to see all the old favorites. Can't wait to get ours out after Brody's 7th birthday party on saturday.
Busy time but love it.
enjoy the day - can't wait to see the post.
Just ordered all of pictures should have them friday for at least the 1st 3 days.

It's funny how many people are going for simplicity this holidays. For me it's the fact that we are having our 1st live Christmas tree and I just don't want to drown it with ornaments. :-)
Ali, I love the idea of the kids coming home and finding something "new" and Christmas-y everyday. We used to just put everything out over a weekend. I think the gradual transformation is less stressful & a great way to build up the anticipation for Christmas! Today I'll be putting out the nativity set. We missed this process last year due to the relocation and I'm so looking forward to getting the house in the holiday "mood"! :-)

I don't have many happy memories with my crazy grandmother, but one is the creches she put out every year. Several sets. To minimize fighting (!), she had one assigned to each grandchild. I have "mine" now that she passed on and, while my kids never quite got into it like I did, I still love to fondle the tiny, tiny plastic pieces. Mary is probably a 1/2" tall. Christmas is the one time of year I can gloss over my anger with Nana and focus on her gifts to me of creativity, song and tradition.

We typically don't get our tree until a week or two before Christmas, but I am excited about going into the attic this weekend (or maybe even tonight!) and digging through all the decorations - a wonderful blend of older pieces and newer ones.
Ali, I'm just curious, what is a matching tree?

I read your blog everyday (love it!), never write a comment but I got the same Nativity kit last Christmas for my 4 year old boy. I bought it here in Spain, and I can´t wait to take it out of the box this Saturday! Have a wonderful Christmas!!!

Fantastic idea and tradition. Oh my goodness, I too remember that brass piece where the flame created movement ... had not thought of that until you mentioned it.
Amazing how those feelings come flooding back with those memories.
thanks for sharing...

I need help...it's just me and my husband-dd is away at school. We are moving on Jan 2 so everything is packed away and my life is such a bore-I have nothing to put in my album-I mean nothing at all-no tree this year, no children at home to take pics of, no decorations...I really need some advise! I love my album so maybe I should hold it for next December and hope I have more to say?
I know you say to keep it simple and not think too much about it but I have no thinking at all! I can't imagine 25 pages of the same thing...boringness! I was really excited putting it together but never stopped to think of what little I had to put into it!

Christine - the "matching tree" meant that all the ornaments were color-coordinated (gold and red) and I left my childhood ones in their case.