You won't find feathers on my tree!

So I've noticed this year lots of fancy schmancy trees with feathers and stuff coming out of the top. I guess it's the new trend. I'm kinda not into trends tho. I've seen so many pictures of trees that look like they should be in a store window. They're very beautiful, but you won't find one of those in my house! In my house we have a memory tree. It's fancy schmancy to me cause it's prelit! I got it on major clearance a couple of weeks after Christmas about 3 years ago. Hallmark and homemade ornaments are hung by the little hands that made them. I love it!

Oh yeah, and it's upside down of course. It's a tradition in our home that actually serves a purpose.

I LOVE sending and receiving Christmas cards. We never got Christmas cards when I was little. I guess my dad just didn't see it as important.  It wasn't until my parents got married (I was 14) and my mom started sending them. That's when I learned that if you want to get a lot of cards you have to send a lot of cards! I personally sign each and every one! I'm even starting to contemplate making my kids sign them since they can all write their names now. Would that be cruel?

Christmas is the only time of year I wrap gifts. I look forward to it! I LOVE giving gifts, but birthdays, weddings, and baby showers get gift bags. I always try to wrap the Christmas gifts and  as beautiful as the coordinated wrapping paper looks, you won't find that in my house either. I buy my wrapping paper on clearance AFTER Christmas. Sometimes I do end up with some that look good together and that's just a bonus!

I love making memories with my kids. We have so many traditional things that we squeeze into this time of year. Tomorrow we go to my Mom's family's annual stocking stuffer party. Nothing fancy, just some little things for the kids. They love it and it's like the official start to Christmas.

My sisters and I will soon get the kids together to make gingerbread houses. No kits involved. We buy boxes of crackers. Lots of candy and powder sugar, for icing, and they just build! It's SO much fun!

We go to my parent's house every Christmas Eve. I'm not sure who looks forward to it more. The grandkids, or the kids! Then before bed my kids get a new pair of jammies! This tradition serves multiple purposes.

I've gotten all excited just thinking about it all. I've also cranked up my stress meter a little because I'm way behind already on gifts! We haven't even written our letters to Santa yet! It's officially on the list of things to do tomorrow!